NHTSA Complaint #11010747 — 2011 BUICK LACROSSE

POTENTIAL FATAL SAFETY HAZARD WITH DOOR LOCK PULL TOGGLES WHEN AN ACCIDENT DISABLES THE BATTERY. IN NORMAL OPERATION, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ALWAYS RETRACTS THE DOOR PULL TOGGLES COMPLETELY INTO THE TOP OF THE DOOR DURING ANY SHIFT OF THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. THE PULL TOGGLE DISAPPEARS COMPLETELY INTO THE DOOR WITH NO PORTION EXPOSED. IF THE VEHICLE BATTERY IS DISABLED, AS IN MINOR CRASH, THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS CANNOT BE OPERATED AND THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPEN MANUALLY. THE OCCURPANT IS LOCKED WITHIN THE VEHICLE UNTIL A WINDOW IS BROKEN OUT. THERE IS SIMPLY NO WAY TO OVERRIDE THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM TO EXIT THE VECHILE. PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE DOES NOT OVERRIDE THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS. A SIMPLE FIX WOULD MERELY BE TO MAKE THE PLASTIC PULL TOGGLES 3/4 IN. LONGER SO THAT SOMONE CAN GRAB THE TOGGLE AND PULL IT TO THE UNLOCKED POSITION EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN ELECTRICALLY LOCKED.