NHTSA Complaint #769022 — 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

TRUCK WOULD KEEP TRYING TO START AND TURN OVER THE ENGINE WHEN KEY WAS IN MY HAND AND 5 FEET AWAY FROM CAB OF TRUCK. THIS HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND UNTIL I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER IN GLENDORA GLENDORA CHEVROLET, 1959 AUTO CENTRE DRIVE, GLENDORA CA, 909-394-9899. THE DEALER SPENT THE DAY CHECKING OVER THE COMPUTER AND STARTING SYSTEM AND COULD FIND NO FAULT. THE DEALER CONTACTED CHEVROLET TECH ASSIST DAVE JOHNSON AND HE TOLD THE DEALER TO DO NOTHING UNTIL IT FAILS. THE DEALER WAS BEING TOLD TO GIVE ME BACK THE TRUCK UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I FELT THAT THE TRUCK WAS IN AN UNSAFE DRIVABLE CONDITION FOR ANY TRIPS ON THE HIGHWAY. I REFUSED TO TAKE THE TRUCK BACK AND TOLD THE DEALER TO KEEP THE TRUCK UNTIL THEY COULD FIND THE TROUBLE. 4 DAYS LATER THEY FOUND A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH FOUND REAR GLASS FRAME CRACKED AT TOP OF WINDOW. WENT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY NEED TO KEEP TRUCK FOR A DAY TO REPLACE REAR GLASS. THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO CALL A GLASS INSTALLER FOR A WINDOW THAT IS SHOWN ON TV ADS TO BE CHANGED OUT BY OWNER AT ANY TIME? THE DEALER WAS RICHARD HIBBARD. WHEN TRUCK WAS PURCHASED A BUMP WAS NOTICED AT THE DRIVER SIDE REAR BUMPER STEP ABOUT 2 FEET FROM CENTER OF TRUCK. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED. THEY SAID TO COME BACK TO REPAIR IT. WHEN WE WENT BACK THE SERVICE DEPT SAID THAT IT WAS A FLAW IN THE BUMPER AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. LATER WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO ANOTHER DEALER ,GLENDORA CHEVROLET, AND THEY SAID THE BUMPER WAS DAMAGED INTERNALLY. WE WENT BACK TO HIBBARD AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. ABOUT 7 MONTHS LATER THE BUMPER FAILED A LOW IMPACT (LESS THAN 5MPH) HIT BY ANOTHER TRUCK. WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO A BODY SHOP WE WORKED WITH OVER 15 YEARS AND THEY LOOKED AT THE BUMPER AND FOUND THAT THE DEFECT PRESENT AT TIME OF PURCHASE HAD CAUSED THE BUMPER TO BE WEAKENED AS NOT TO HANDLE THE LOW SPEED IMPACT A MEETING WITH HIBBARD CHEVROLET RESULTED IN NO ACTION . DT