NHTSA Complaint #10217562 — 2007 CHEVROLET KODIAK

I PICKED UP A NEW C4500 KODIAK PICK UP CONVERSION FROM MONROE TRUCK EQUIPMENTS FLINT LOCATION. IT WAS DELIVERED WITH MONROE'S SO-LOW SUSPENSION COMPONENTS AND A PICK-UP BED. IT HAD 0.7 MILES AT DELIVERY. IMMEDIATELY UPON ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE HAD A MODERATE TO SEVERE FRONT END VIBRATION--EVIDENT AT 46-50 MPH AND AGAIN-- WITH SEVERE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION-- AT THE POSTED HIGHWAY SPEED. IT HAD MODERATE BUMP STEER ISSUES WHEN ENCOUNTERING ROUGH ROADS MAKING IT EVEN HARDER TO CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WILL DART ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER GOING OVER BRIDGE SEAMS OR WHEN ENCOUNTERING BUMPS. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF-CENTER TOO, COMPLICATING THE ISSUES. HAVING NOT DRIVEN AN UN-MODIFIED KODIAK 4500, I CANNOT ATTEST TO THE SEVERITY OF THE BUMP STEER COMPARED TO THE BASE VEHICLE. I CALLED MONROE AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A TEST-DRIVE BY THEIR TECHNICIANS BEFORE DELIVERY AND CHECKED-OUT OK. THEY SAID THAT THE STEERING WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE TEST-DRIVE. I INFORMED THEM OF THE MILEAGE AND SAID THAT THE TRUCK TRAVELED AN UNACCEPTABLE DISTANCE FOR A TEST DRIVE. I ALSO DO NOT SEE SIGNS OF AN ALIGNMENT AFTER THE SUSPENSION CONVERSION, AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS NOT CENTERED--OFF 25 DEGREES AND THE TIE-ROD BOLTS ARE UNTOUCHED. THIS IS A VERY HEAVY VEHICLE AND THE DRIVEABILTY IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS OVER ROUGH ROADS. *TR