NHTSA Complaint #10142502 — 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

I HAVE A 03 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. IN 4/05 ONE OF THE FRONT TIRE HUBS WAS DEFECTIVE CAUSING A LOUD NOISE. NOW ON 11/10/05 I HAD TO TAKE THE BUICK IN FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. AGAIN I WAS HEARING A NOISE BECAUSE BOTH FRONT TIRE HUBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT ONE WAS REPLACED IN 4/05, IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE PARTS WARRANTY THEREFORE, I WOULD ONLY INCUR THE COST OF ONE HUB. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE MAN. WHY TIRE HUBS WOULD BE FAILING ON A 2 YR. OLD CAR WITH ONLY 44,500 MILES, HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPLANATION EXCEPT WEAR AND TEAR. I CONTACTED OTHER LOCAL GENERAL MOTOR DEALERS TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR REPAIRS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD YES! THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND PONTIAC AZTEC'S COMING IN FOR REPAIR AND NEEDING FRONT AND REAR TIRE HUBS REPLACED. THEY ARE SEEING AT LEAST ONE TO TWO VEHICLES PER WEEK NEEDING THESE SAME REPAIRS. THIS SOURCE SAID HE WAS TOLD BY HIS DISTRICT MANAGER THAT THERE WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE HUBS THAT GENERAL MOTORS WAS GETTING FROM A SPECIFIC MANUFACTURER AND THAT THEY WERE NOW CHANGING MANUFACTURERS. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALER AND ASKED HIM TO INITIATE CALLS TO HIS DIST. MANGERS. AND LOOK INTO THE PARTS AND WHAT MANUFACTURER THEY WERE COMING FROM. I DIDN'T WANT THE SAME MANUFACTURERS PARTS USED ON MY VEHICLE AGAIN. HE SAID HE WOULD TRY TO GET SOME ANSWERS BUT COULDN'T IMAGINE THERE WOULD BE ANY CHANGE IN PART NUMBERS (WHICH WOULD INDICATE A CHANGE IN MANUFACTURER) HE CALLED ME BACK, HE FOUND OUT THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAD A NEW PART NUMBER COMING OUT FOR THE TIRE HUBS AND THAT THEY HAD CHANGED SUPPLIERS. HE FELT THAT THIS CONFIRMED MY INFO. & AGREED TO THE REPAIR AT NO COST TO ME. HOWEVER I AM STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE REMAINING 2 REAR TIRE HUBS ON MY VEHICLE THAT STILL HAVE THE OLD MANUFACTURER HUBS ON. NOT TO MENTION ALL THE OTHER OWNERS OF BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND PONTIAC AZTECS THAT COULD BE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAVE A TIRE HUB BREAK. *JB