NHTSA Complaint #10074623 — 1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA

DEAR SIR OR MADAM, I AM THE OWNER OF A 1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA WITH A 4.3L VORTEC ENGINE. UPON HAVING MY VEHICLE INSPECTED, THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT MY OIL COOLER LINES WERE LEAKING, AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THEM FIXED ($433). I ASKED HIM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH GM'S -- THE LINES MAY EVENTUALLY FAIL AND CAUSE ENGINE SEIZURE. *AK I WANTED TO DO SOME PRICE CHECKING AND FIND OUT JUST HOW WIDESPREAD THIS PROBLEM WAS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS SHOCKED AT THE SHEER NUMBER OF OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THESE LINES -- REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. GM PRETENDS AS THOUGH THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THEY ARE NOT OFFERING ANY HELP WITH THESE FAULTY PARTS. THE COSTLY REPLACEMENTS ARE JUST AS BAD -- SOME PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED FAILURES TWO OR THREE TIMES. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT COVERED, EVEN UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAD PURCHASED. IF IT IS AS BAD AS THEY SAY, AND IT SEEMS TO BE, THE VEHICLE SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE BEEN SOLD TO ME WITHOUT BEING FIXED FIRST. I HAVE A MAJOR ISSUE WITH GM WHEN THEY DENY THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM; FOR THE OIL COOLER LINES TO FAIL IN SUCH WIDESPREAD NUMBERS INDICATES THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD ON THE ROADWAYS. THE THREAT OF ENGINE SEIZURE, COMBINED WITH OIL SPILLAGE ON THE HIGHWAYS IS A DANGEROUS RECIPE, INDEED. I URGE YOU TO PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE OIL COOLER LINES ISSUE ON THE 1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA/CHEVY BLAZER/GMC JIMMY -- THE RESULTS OF SUCH AN INVESTIGATION WILL TURN UP MUCH EVIDENCE AND MAKE OUR ROADS SAFER. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR READING THIS SUBMISSION. SINCERELY, SCOTT LUHRS