NHTSA Complaint #11091389 — 2017 CHEVROLET BOLT EV

MY BOLT EV COMES EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT SYSTEM WHICH LIGHTS UP IN MY SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WHEN ACTIVATED BY A CAR IN MY BLIND ZONE. THIS WINTER THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED BOTH WHEN A VEHICLE WAS IN MY BLIND ZONE AND AT MANY OTHER TIMES AS WELL. MY CHEVROLET DEALER WAS UNABLE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE MALFUNCTION . THEY CONSULTED WITH GM TECHNICAL ASSISATANCE AND WERE TOLD TO TRACE ALL THE WIRING THROUGH THE VEHICLE LOOKIG FOR A BAD CONNECTION. AFTER READING ABOUT THE ISSUE ONLINE I REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE SONAR USED IN THE SYSTEM IS ONLY CALIBRATED TO WORK WITH THE SPECIFIC OEM TIRES THE CAR CAME EQUIPPED WITH AND DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY WITH THE SAME BRAND OF TIRE WITH A WINTER TREAD. AS I LIVE IN THE NYS SNOWBELT I NEED TO USE SNOW TIRES . THIS APRIL WHEN I TOOK OFF THE SNOW TIRES THE ISSUE WITH FALSE BLIND ZONE ALERTS WENT AWAY. MY DISCUSSION WITH CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE RESULTED WITHOUT A FIX OR RECOMMENDATION ON HOW I CAN USE SNOW TIRES WITH THE CAR. THEY CONSIDER THE ISSUE RESOLVED BY USING ONLY THE OEM ALL SEASON TIRES. I FEEL NEXT WINTER I WOULD HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO DISCONNECT THE SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT WARNING LIGHTS RATHER THAN FOREGOING THE USE OF SNOW TIRES. THE DISTRACTION OF THE SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT WARNING LIGHTS GOING OFF ALL THE TIME IS MORE THAN A DISTRACTION, I BELIEVE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.