NHTSA Complaint #10066426 — 1995 GMC SAFARI

WHEN RIGHT FRONT TORSION BAR ON ALL WHEEL DRIVE MINIVAN WAS REPLACED TWO YEARS AGO, VAN BEGAN EXHIBITING UNSTABLE, EXTREMELY SENSITIVE, AND DANGEROUS HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. REPLACEMENT OF TIRES, TWO SETS OF SHOCK ABSORBERS, AND MULTIPLE REALIGNMENTS AT MY EXPENSE DID NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. IF I HAD NEEDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY EVASIVE MANEUVER UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, MY VAN WOULD VERY LIKELY HAVE ROLLED OVER. WHEN LEFT FRONT TORSION BAR WAS REPLACED THIS WEEK, I WAS INFORMED THAT GM HAD DEVELOPED A NEW TORSION BAR DESIGN, AND THAT I WAS NOW REQUIRED TO REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT BARS IF EITHER FAILED. THIS DUAL REPLACEMENT FINALLY SOLVED MY HANDLING PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE SUCH DEFECTIVE PARTS FREE WHEN THEY ENDANGER PASSENGERS! I HAVE PAID FOR REPLACING THREE DEFECTIVE TORSION BARS OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD. *JB