NHTSA Complaint #11705979 — 2019 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

On January 28, 2023, my Chevrolet Silverado was involved in a significant multi-impact collision. At the time of the accident, I was a front-seat passenger and my vehicle was fully stopped when it was struck from behind at high speed by a Dodge 2500. The force of the rear impact pushed my truck into the vehicle in front of us, resulting in a secondary front-end collision. This sequence occurred twice. During the collision, the front passenger-side airbag did not deploy, and the front passenger seatbelt failed to lock. As a result, I was thrown violently within the passenger side of the vehicle and struck my head on the dashboard. In contrast, the driver’s seatbelt locked properly, as did the rear seatbelt where my child was seated. Due to the failure of the passenger-side seatbelt to lock, I sustained a severe concussion, a black eye, and other injuries. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by my insurance company. When sheriff’s deputies and state police arrived at the scene, they expressed concern and surprise that the passenger seatbelt did not lock and that no airbags deployed despite the severity of the collision. Shortly after the accident, I contacted GMC regarding these safety concerns. GMC retrieved the vehicle’s Crash Data Recorder (CDR) and conducted an investigation. I was later informed that GMC found no defects or issues with their products. Nearly three years have passed since the accident, and I remain deeply concerned and dissatisfied with GMC’s conclusion. The passenger-side seatbelt did not function as designed, while the driver and rear seatbelts did, and no airbags deployed. I do not believe adequate accountability or explanation was provided regarding the apparent failure of the passenger-side restraint system. Given the force of the impact, I could have been ejected through the windshield.