NHTSA Complaint #10220734 — 2002 GMC SONOMA

ON 1/25/06 I TOOK MY 2002 GMC SONOMA PICKUP TRUCK TO ALLEN GMC IN LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA TO HAVE THEM CHECK OUT A CLICKING NOISE I WAS HEARING IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY IN IT. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT (GMC P/N 26056116) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF 244.90 PLUS 188.00 FOR LABOR. I HAD THE REPAIR DONE AND THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED FOR A WHILE BUT IN DECEMBER 2007 I NOTICED THAT THE SAME SYMPTOMS (CLICKING NOISE AS WELL AS EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL) WERE BACK. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO ALLEN GMC WITH A COPY OF THE INVOICE (INV # GCCS358357)FOR THE ORIGINAL REPAIR. THE SERVICE WRITER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PROBLEM HAD RETURNED BUT SAID THAT THE REPAIR AND PARTS WERE OUT OF THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD. I TOLD HIM I WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR INABILITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THEIR COST AND WAS GIVEN THE PHONE NUMBER TO THEIR NATIONAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LINE (800 GMC-TRUC). I CALLED THIS NUMBER ON 2/15/08 AND TOLD THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP (TERRI AT EXT 21714) ABOUT THE PROBLEM THAT I HAD FIXED AND THAT IT HAD RETURNED LESS THAN 2 YEARS LATER. SHE GAVE ME A FILE NUMBER OF 71-607365535 AND TOLD ME I WOULD HEAR BACK FROM HER IN A FEW DAYS. ON 2/18/08, TERRI CALLED BACK TO INFORM ME THAT DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT ELAPSED SINCE THE REPAIR THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT GMC WOULD DO FOR ME. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT A CUSTOMER TO PAY NUMEROUS TIMES FOR A GMC PART THAT CLEARLY WAS POORLY DESIGNED. I TOLD HER THAT I FOUND SEVERAL INCIDENCES ON THE INTERNET OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME PART AND THAT GMC NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE PART THEY NEED TO FIX AT THEIR EXPENSE. SINCE THIS DEFECTIVE PART IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE STEERING SYSTEM, I THINK IT IS IS IMPERATIVE THAT GMC FIX IT AND NOT CAUSE THE CONSUMER TO PAY FOR THEIR POOR DESIGN. *TR