NHTSA Complaint #10071368 — 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE

THE FOLLOWING IS A LETTER SENT TO GMC ON 1/18/03. GMC DID NOT DO A THING TO HELP OUT WITH THE DEFECT. NOTE THAT [XXX] IS THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. MY NAME IS [XXX] - HIS SON - I AM FILING THE COMPLAINT ON HIS BEHALF. ----- SIR / MADAM: DUE TO A SIGNIFICANT MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN MY GMC VENTURE, I WAS FORCED INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. AT AN INTERSECTION ON HASTINGS STREET - ONE OF THE BUSIER STREETS IN VANCOUVER - MY VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY STALLED LEAVING ME HELPLESS, WITHOUT POWER. SEVERAL MECHANICS ASSESSED MY MINIVAN CONCLUDING THAT, FOR NO NORMALLY EXPECTED REASON, THE CAMSHAFT SNAPPED IN HALF, RENDERING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT, IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. ATTACHED TO THIS LETTER IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE ENGINE FAILURE CONDUCTED BY A MECHANIC WITH 23 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. HAVING PURCHASED FIVE NEW EXCLUSIVELY GM VEHICLES IN THE PAST, SPECIFICALLY A PONTIAC SEDAN, A PONTIAC STATION WAGON, A CHEVROLET VAN, AN OLDSMOBILE CALAIS SUPREME AND MY PRESENT VENTURE MINIVAN (WOLFE CHEVROLET OLDSMOBILE, VANCOUVER), I CONSIDER MYSELF A LOYAL GM CUSTOMER. BEING A LIFETIME GM CUSTOMER I'M DISAPPOINTED AND SURPRISED BY THE EXTENT AND MAGNITUDE OF MY MINIVAN FAILURE. I REALIZE THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, BUT I BELIEVE IT TO BE COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE FOR A CAMSHAFT TO SNAP AFTER ONLY 5 YEARS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE USE. AS SUCH, I FEEL IT IS ONLY FAIR AND REASONABLE THAT GMC, BEING CONSUMER MINDED, REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE TOTAL COST FOR REPAIRS IS ~ $4600. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT [XXX] OR [XXX] TO DISCUSS FURTHER. SINCERELY, [XXX] VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR