NHTSA Complaint #10259501 — 2006 BUICK LUCERNE

THE LEFT-FRONT CHROME PLATED WHEEL ON MY 2006 BUICK LUCERNE HAD A STRESS CRACK DEVELOP OVER TIME. AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME IMPACT BECAUSE THERE WAS A SLIGHT FLATTENING OF THE RIM, BUT THE DAY THE RIM FAILED I HAD NO IMPACT WITH ANY ROAD HAZARD WHATSOEVER; THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR CAME ON AND I WAS LOSING AIR FAST. ONCE I COULD GET IN TO HAVE THE WHEEL CHECKED THE HAIRLINE CRACK, INSIDE THE RIM, WAS DISCOVERED. I PURCHASED A NEW WHEEL THROUGH MY BUICK DEALER, AND FILED A CLAIM WITH BUICK FOR SOME AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION. IN MY OPINION A WHEEL OF THIS EXPENSE SHOULD NOT FAIL IN THIS MANNER. MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE, ANOTHER BUICK, WAS DRIVEN FOR 14 YEARS AND 427,000 MILES, AND I NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A WHEEL. THE WHEELS ON MY LUCERNE WERE PRODUCED IN CHINA ("CHINA" IS STAMPED INSIDE THE RIM) AND ARE OF OBVIOUS POOR MATERIAL AND QUALITY - ARE THEY TESTED TO MEET D.O.T. STANDARDS? BUICK HAS DENIED MY CLAIM, BASED ON THE "AGE" OF THE WHEEL. I AM NOT JUST CONCERNED WITH THE COST OF THE WHEEL, BUT ALSO WITH THE SAFETY OF THESE WHEELS. I DRIVE 400-500 MILES A WEEK FOR WORK MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY; I AM CONCERNED OF LOSING A WHEEL AT 65-70 M.P.H. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS REPORTED LIKE THIS? I STRONGLY FEEL THIS NEED TO BE CHECKED INTO, ESPECIALLY NOW, WITH TAXPAYER-BASED LOAN MONEY HAVING GONE TO GM AND WITH MORE ON THE WAY, GM NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THEY WILL STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS. *TR