NHTSA Complaint #10267977 — 2004 BUICK CENTURY

RECENTLY, IN DEC. 2008 MY CAR HAD A SUSPENSION COMPONENT PART REPLACED. MY 2004 BUICK CENTURY JUST 4 YRS. OLD AND 60,000 MILES NEEDED TO HAVE THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR REPLACED. IT APPEARS THAT A DESIGN DEFECT MAY BE THE PROBLEM RESULTING IN PREMATURE FAILURE. THE STABILIZER BAR ACTUALLY CRACKED AT BOTH ENDS OF THE MOUNTING PLATE. I DID ASK FOR THE ORIGINAL PART FOR FUTURE REFERENCES. MOST OF US WOULD AGREE THAT THIS SUSPENSION COMPONENT SHOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THIS POINT. MY MECHANIC SAID "HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE ON THESE MODELS" AND IS CHECKING THEM DURING THE SAFETY INSPECTION WHICH IS HOW MINE WAS DISCOVERED. I DO BELIEVE THAT GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND THAT I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED, AT LEAST NOT AT SUCH AN EARLY STAGE. MOREOVER, LET ME SAY THIS - WITH OVER 35 YEARS OF DRIVING AND OWNING MANY CARS, I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A STABILIZER BAR EITHER AT THE FRONT OR REAR OF THE CAR. AND MY LAST CAR HAD 180,000 MILES BEFORE WE TRADED IT IN. THIS BUICK TUBULAR STABILIZER BAR IS INSUFFICIENT AND APPARENTLY WILL NOT HOLD UP DURING REGULAR DRIVING BY A 55 YR. OLD DRIVER. IT IS MY HOPE THAT YOU WILL INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER (YOU MAY CALL ME) AND DETERMINE WHY IS THIS PART PRONE TO FAILURE. I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON. *TR