NHTSA Complaint #10067813 — 2000 GMC SIERRA

2000 GMC 1500-HAS BROKEN FRAME ABOVE REAR AXLE. TRUCK HAS BEEN USED TO TOW TRAILER WITH TONGUE WEIGHT NEVER OVER 700#,USING HITCH WITH 1000# RATING.ALSO INSTALLED IS AIR BAGS BETWEEN REAR AXLE AND FRAME, TO ALLOW LEVELING WHEN TRAILER ATTACHED ON HITCH. NO EXPLANATION RECIEVED FROM DEALER OTHER THAN HAVE NEVER SEEN IT HAPPEN.DID SAY HAVE SEEN IT ON DODGE TRUCKS. THE DEALER REP DID NOT SUGGEST HOW TO REPAIR OR AT WHAT COST, THEY DIDN'T SEEM INTERESTED IN CORRECTING THE PROBLEM SINCE THE WARRANTY WAS OVER BY 2500 MILES. SO I TOOK IT TO A GENERAL WELDER WHO QUOTED ME $200 TO $400 DOLLARS TO WELD THE FRAME AND ADD A PIECE OF STEEL TO THE FRAME TO RE-INFORCE THIS OBVIOUS PLACE OF STRESS. THE WELDER ALSO SAYS HE HAS SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE AND DONE THESE KIND OF REPAIRS BECAUSE NONE OF THE MANUFACTURED FRAMES ARE RE-INFORCED AT THE POINT OF STRESS THAT WOULD BE PUT ON A FRAME WHEN WEIGHT IS ADDED AS FAR BACK AS A HITCH. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THESE REPAIRS DONE A THOUGHT OTHER TRAILER HAULING PICK-UP OWNERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS FAULT. THIS TRUCK IS RATED FOR #8800 TOWING,WITH A #1000 RATED TONGUE WEIGHT HITCH. NEVER HAVE I HAD MORE THAN#5000 TRAILER WEIGHT WITH NO MORE THAN &700 TONGUE WEIGHT, BUT THE FRAME STILL CRACKED MAKING THIS AN UN-KNOWN SAFETY HAZARD. I COULD HAVE BEEN TOWING THE TRAILER AND THE FRAME COULD HAVE BROKEN COMPLETLEY, DROPPED THE TRAILER TO GROUNG CAUSING SEPERATION FROM THE TRUCK AND THAN [WHAT]?. YOUR GUESS IS GOOD AS MINE.*AK