NHTSA complaint: 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN GOT IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO PARKING PAWL FAILURE WHILE PARKED ON A SLOPED SURFACE. PARKING PAWL IS A TRANSMISSION GEAR SAFETY LOCKING MECHANISM THAT WILL PREVENT A VEHICLE FROM MOVING WHILE IN PARK POSITION. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS PRODUCT ALLEGATION DEPARTMENT TO INFORM ABOUT THIS SERIOUS DEFECT. GENERAL MOTORS ASSIGNED AN INVESTIGATOR TO GATHER DETAILS AND INFORMATION THE INVESTIGATOR SUBMITTED ALL THE INFORMATION AND DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT TO A GENERAL MOTORS ENGINEERS WHO WILL REVIEW THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE PARKING PAWL. INITIAL FINDING BY GM AUTHORIZED SERVICE REPAIR SHOP, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE PREMATURE WEARING OF THE PARKING PAWL MECHANISM. FROM A DESIGN STANDPOINT THIS PARKING PAWL MECHANISM BY NO MEANS SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECTED TO ANY PREMATURE WEARING. OTHERWISE, THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS DESIGN ERROR. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS, GM SAID THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS MATERIAL DEFECT. THE BIG QUESTION NOW IS HOW MANY 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN WAS AFFECTED BY THIS MATERIAL DEFECT. ALSO, GM REPRESENTATIVE WAS RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE ME A COPY OF THE INVESTIGATION RESULTS CONDUCTED BY THEIR DESIGN ENGINEERS. THE PARKING PAWL MECHANISM FAILURE CANNOT BE DETECTED EASILY BY AN AVERAGE PERSON, UNLESS A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED OR AN ACCIDENT WILL OCCURRED. ALSO, MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN WAS DISCOVERED BY GM AUTHORIZED SERVICE SHOP THAT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE WAS HAVING A PREM
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation