NHTSA Complaint #10247168 — 2008 GMC SIERRA 1500

WHILE SLOWLY BACKING MY 2008 GMC SIERRA PICK-UP TRUCK INTO THE GARAGE, THE MIRROR SURFACE CONTACTED THE SIDE OF THE GARAGE, CRACKING THE MIRROR. INSURANCE COMPANY RECOMMENDED HAVING AN AUTO GLASS SHOP REPLACE THE MIRROR, BUT A SMALL, FLIMSY PLASTIC CLIP THAT HAD BROKEN ON THE BACK OF THE MIRROR PREVENTED THEM FROM DOING SO. CUT HAND ON BROKEN MIRROR SURFACE AFTER REMOVED BY GLASS SHOP. DEALER ESTIMATED REPAIR AT $213.02. GM CORPORATE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE DEFECT IN MIRROR BACKING CLIP AND REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER (DISTRICT SPECIALIST LEVEL REFERRAL FROM OWNER RELATIONS CENTER. I THOUGHT THAT FLEXIBLE MIRROR ASSEMBLIES WERE SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE MINOR COLLISIONS - A PREVIOUS GM VEHICLE (BLAZER) PERFORMED ADMIRABLY IN A 25 MPH COLLISION WITH A CHROME F250 TRUCK MIRROR W/NO DAMAGE TO THE BLAZER MIRROR OR ASSEMBLY. THE GMC "PROFESSIONAL GRADE" (TERM USED VERY LOOSELY HERE) TRUCK THAT I NOW OWN WON'T EVEN STAND UP TO A MINOR CLIP ON THE SIDE OF THE GARAGE AT SLOW SPEED. ENGINEERING DEFECTS ARE 1) MIRROR ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY IS OF POOR QUALITY AND/OR WORKMANSHIP AND 2) MIRROR ASSEMBLY MOVES UP SLIGHTLY WHEN PIVOTING, WHICH PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE BREAKAGE AT SUCH SLOW SPEED (WAS SLOWLY BACKING UP AN INCLINE INTO THE GARAGE). APPARENTLY, I WAS NOT CONVINCING ENOUGH TO GM THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FLIMSY MIRRORS - PERHAPS NHTSA AND BBB CAN BE MORE PERSUADING. ALL I ASKED FOR WAS THAT THEY COVER THE FLIMSY PLASTIC ACTUATOR AND PART OF THE $93 LABOR QUOTED FOR THE JOB BY THE DEALER. THE MIRROR ITSELF I HAVE NO QUALMS PAYING FOR. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE TRUCK - I PLAN TO DRIVE MY NEARLY NEW TRUCK "AS IS" FOR A WHILE AS A SYMBOL OF GM'S POOR QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP AND POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. I ALSO PLAN ON TELLING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE ABOUT HOW FLIMSY GM MAKES THEIR VEHICLES AND HOW NON-EXISTENT THEIR CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS. *TR