NHTSA Complaint #11716322 — 2015 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

The failure occurred in the rear sliding window defroster electrical system, specifically at the left-side electrical connection of the power sliding rear window. The component overheated and ignited, causing fire damage and shattering of the rear left portion of the window. The vehicle and damaged components are currently available for inspection upon request. The defect resulted in an active electrical fire during normal vehicle operation (remote start while warming up). This posed a serious risk of vehicle fire, injury to occupants, and potential spread to nearby vehicles or structures. As a firefighter, I recognized the danger and immediately shut off the vehicle and ventilated it; without trained action, the incident could have resulted in a total vehicle loss or more severe consequences. Yes. Copeland Chevrolet in Hudson, Massachusetts inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the damage was consistent with the known defect in the rear sliding window defroster system, consistent with GM Customer Satisfaction Program XXX. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized GM dealership (Copeland Chevrolet). No police or insurance inspection has occurred to date. No warning lamps, messages, or prior symptoms were present. The failure occurred suddenly and without warning during normal operation while the vehicle was warming up using the factory-installed remote start. This is a known defect acknowledged by GM under Customer Satisfaction Program XXX (which expired in 2022), which described overheating and fire risk in the rear sliding window defroster electrical connection. That program was limited by state and excluded Massachusetts, so I was never notified despite identical risk. This same defect is currently the subject of an active safety recall in Canada, where it is treated as a fire hazard requiring corrective action. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)