NHTSA Complaint #11220716 — 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT

THE BATTERY OF THIS VEHICLE, AND EVEN NEW ONES FROM THE SAME MANUFACTURER, HAVE THE BATTERY INSTALLED IN THE TRUNK FROM THE FACTORY. THERE'S A BRITTLE PLASTIC TUBE THAT VENTS THE TOXIC FUMES GENERATED BY AN OPERATING BATTERY TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. IF THIS TUBE IS DAMAGED/BROKEN, IT ALLOWS FUMES TO ENTER THE TRUNK, AND SEEP INTO THE CABIN. THE FUMES CORRODE YOUR LUNGS, WHICH IN SOME CASES, SUCH AS MINE, LEADS TO HYPOXIA, MEANING THAT THE OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE IS DIZZY & CONFUSED. THIS ISSUE NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE OWNERS/OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLES WITH THIS DESIGN, BUT COULD POTENTIALLY ENDANGER UNSUSPECTING PEDESTRIANS/MOTORISTS DUE TO THE OPERATOR OF A VEHICLE BECOMING INCAPACITATED, OR THEY MAY SIMPLY BLACK OUT AT THE WHEEL DUE TO A LACK OF OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN. THE FUMES ARE ALLOWED TO BUILD UP IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR IF THE WINDOWS ARE LEFT UP AND THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON RECIRCULATE. THE FUMES ARE ODORLESS MEANING THAT YOU CAN GO ABOUT OPERATING THE VEHICLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT NOTICING THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM, NOT THAT IT WOULD MATTER SINCE THE FUMES CORRODE THE NERVE IN YOUR NOSE THAT ALLOW YOU TO HAVE A SENSE OF SMELL. THE SYMPTOMS ARE FLU LIKE, WHICH MAY LEAD A VICTIM TO IGNORE THEIR SYMPTOMS. IN MY PARTICULAR INSTANCE, THE FUMES THAT WERE ENTERING THE CABIN OF MY CAR WAS SULFURIC ACID. THIS DESIGN FLAW COULD EASILY LEAD TO DEATH, IF NOT FROM THE HIGHLY TOXIC, CARCINOGENIC FUMES THAT ARE ENTERING THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE, THEN THE CONFUSION/DIZZINESS THAT THE FUMES LEAD TO, WHICH NOT ONLY ENDANGERS THE OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE, BUT UNSUSPECTING PEDESTRIANS/MOTORISTS WHO MAY BE IN THE PATH OF A VEHICLE WITH AN OPERATOR WHO HAS BLACKED OUT, OR IS SIMPLY CONFUSED/DIZZY DUE TO A LACK OF OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN. THE PART NUMBER OF THE TUBE FOR MY SPECIFIC CAR IS 15247277. TRUNK BATTERIES SHOULD BE OUTLAWED UNLESS AFTERMARKET.