NHTSA Complaint #11281375 — 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2019, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT MY VEHICLE WHEN I PULLED THE DOOR HANDLE ONLY TO HAVE IT BREAK OFF IN MY HAND. I WENT TO REACH TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING LEFT TO PULL TO OPEN THE DOOR ONLY TO FIND THE HANDLE HAD BROKEN OFF CLEANLY FROM THE MECHANISM, LEAVING NO OTHER WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW AND OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE THROUGH THE WINDOW OR BY SLIDING ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE VEHICLE TO EXIT THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY I THOUGHT THAT IF THIS HAD BEEN AN EMERGENCY, SUCH AS A FIRE OR WRECK, I WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE AND TIMELY MANNER, RISKING FURTHER INJURY OR DEATH. I CALLED MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP TO INQUIRE ABOUT A REPLACEMENT HANDLE & MECHANISM, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH MOST GM VEHICLES. I VIEW THIS AS A SAFETY CONCERN MORE THAN JUST A NORMAL MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR ISSUE, SIMILAR TO THE SAFETY CONCERN OF A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT'S DOOR NOT OPENING IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY EXIT DURING AN ACCIDENT. GM, FORD, DODGE, AND ALL AUTOMOBILE MAKERS SHOULD ENSURE THAT A COMMON OR SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH A SAFETY ITEM, SUCH AS AN EXIT DOOR, SHOULD BE CORRECTED TO AVOID DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. THANK YOU.