NHTSA Complaint #756848 — 2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

HOOD IS CONSTRUCTED OF ALUMINUM AND IS VERY LIGHTWEIGHT.I OPENED THE HOOD AND ATTACHED THE PROP ROD TO KEEP THE HOOD OPEN.WHILE FILLING THE GAS TANK A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE HOOD OFF THE PROP ROD AND THE HOOD WAS CARRIED REARWARD ON THE HINGES TOWARD THE WINDSHIELD.REAR END OF THE HOOD WAS CAUGHT ON A PLASTIC MOLDING UNDER THE WINDSHIELD AND THE RADIO ANTENNA.REAR CORNERS OF THE HOOD DEFLECTED AND BENT.THE HINGES ARE SPRUNG AND THE HOOD IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND NOT IN CONTACT WITH ALL OF THE HINGE MOUNTING.THE DAMAGE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF FAILURE OF THE HOOD TO BE RESTRAINED.WIRES TO THE UNDERHOOD LIGHT WERE SEVERED.AT THIS TIME AN ASSESSMENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE FOR DAMAGE THAT MAY NOT BE OBVIOUS.THIS WAS REPORTED THAT DAY TO GM AND THE DEALER.THE CAR WAS INSPECTED 12/21 BY SERVICE DEPT (KEN), WHO SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL.1ST GM CONTACT WAS MIA PIERCE, GM HOT LINE AT 1-800-222-1020 ON 12/20/01.SHE TOOK REPORT AND SAID SHE WOULD GET BACK AFTER SHE INVESTIGATED.SHE CALLED BACK 12/26/01 AND ASKED IF I HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER.SHE SAID SHE WOULD CALL THE DEALER AND CALL BACK 1/2/02.BRAD ZIMMERMAN, GM HOT LINE CALLED 1/2/02 AND SAID HE HAD REPLACED MS. PIERCE, WOULD INVESTIGATE AND CALL BACK.ZIMMERMAN CALLED BACK 1/10/02 AND STATED GM WOULD NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS, THIS WAS NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND WOULD NOT MAKE MODIFICATIONS.MR. ZIMMERMAN STATED THAT HE MADE THIS DECISION HIMSELF BASED ON INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER(?) AT BASS.MY CONCERN IS THAT THE HOOD CAN BE LIFTED OFF THE PROP ROD BY WIND AND THEN CAN EITHER FALL BACK ONTO THE FRONT OF THE CAR, TRAPPING A PERSON CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD OR FLY BACK BREAKING THE WINDSHIELD.I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND DESIGN FLAW AND THAT MODIFICATIONS NEED TO BE MADE.*AK