Complaint 2201770

Complaint Summary

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Owner Narrative

While driving at highway speeds on the interstate, the B-pillar exterior trim suddenly detached from the vehicle. The trim remained tethered only by the keypad wiring, causing it to flail in the wind and create an immediate road hazard. Simultaneously, the vehicle’s instrument cluster triggered a "Liftgate Open" warning, despite the liftgate being secure. I was forced to make an emergency pull-over onto the shoulder of the interstate—a dangerous situation—to prevent the trim from completely detaching and striking other vehicles. Upon reaching my destination, the vehicle suffered a significant electrical short. The interior lights remained on indefinitely due to the false "liftgate open" sensor reading, and the door keypad became completely inoperable. To prevent a total battery drain and potential fire risk from the short, I had to manually disconnect the battery. The dealership confirmed the failure but stated that current B-pillar recalls (such as Recall 25S53) currently only apply to 2016–2017 models, despite my 2019 model using the same defective clips and adhesive. This failure is identical in nature to Recall 24S02 (A-pillar detachment). The detachment of this trim is a documented projectile hazard. Furthermore, the resulting electrical short in the door harness has compromised the integrity of the vehicle’s sensor system. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the expansion of the B-pillar recall to include the 2019 model year to prevent further highway incidents.

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.