NHTSA Complaint #11091744 — 2014 GMC SIERRA 2500

DASHBOARD UNDER FRONT WINDSHIELD PRONE TO CRACKING. INITIALLY THIS WOULD SOUND LIKE IT IS ONLY A COSMETIC ISSUE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT TYPICALLY THE FIRST CRACK OCCURS AT THE FRONT/LEFT CORNER OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG PANEL. AS THE VEHICLE AGES UNDER TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION AND UV EXPOSURE THE INITIAL CRACK WIDENS AND MORE DEVELOP. ALSO, FROM PICTURES TAKEN OF A 2007 GMC YUKON AND 2007 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE THE AIRBAG COMPARTMENT COVER APPEAR TO BE SHIFTING AND LIFTING AS THE CRACKING CONTINUES. THE DEGRADED PLASTIC SURROUNDING THE AIRBAG COVER COULD BE A SHRAPNEL HAZARD TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AN EXPLOSIVE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THIS COULD ALSO DIMINISH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AIRBAG IF IT IS PUNCTURED. CLEARLY THE MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PART WERE NOT MADE TO WITHSTAND THE RIGORS OF THE INSTALLED ENVIRONMENT SO MERELY REPLACING A CRACKED PART WITH THE SAME NEW PART WILL, AT BEST, ONLY BE A TEMPORARY FIX. GM NEEDS TO DESIGN THIS PART PROPERLY SO THAT WILL MAINTAIN IT'S INTEGRITY AS A SURROUND OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG COMPARTMENT.