NHTSA Complaint #10329045 — 2005 BUICK LESABRE

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 2005 BUICK LA SABRE, 65,500 MILES, SUFFERED A PREMATURE FAILURE OF BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS. FAILURE DISCOVERED WHILE CAR WAS BEING SERVICED (IE. OIL/FILTER CHANGE & FRONT END ALIGNMENT.) REPLACED AT A COST OF $600.00. REPORTED TO GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE ON 1/26/2010, AND VERBALLY CALLED BACK ON 2/2/2010, GM DENIED ANYTHING WRONG WITH SUCH FAILURE, AND SAID CAR WAS BEYOND 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. LATER APPEALED IN WRITING TO BUICK GEN. MGR. LAST CONTACTED, AGAIN VERBALLY, ON 2/26/2010, SENIOR ASST. TO EXEC., WHO ALSO DENIED CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT, SAYING THE MILEAGE DID NOT MATTER, BUT SINCE THE CAR WAS NOT EXAMINED BY A QUALIFIED GM MECHANIC AND DEALERSHIP, THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. (THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT MY MECHANIC, WHO HAS SERVICED MY VEHICLES FOR OVER 10 YEARS, WAS INCOMPETENT, OR CROOKED, AND COULD NOT BE TRUSTED TO MAKE A VALID DETERMINATION REGARDING THE STATE, AND CAUSE, OF THE BEARING FAILURES). YOU SHOULD BE ADVISED THAT I REPEATEDLY REQUESTED A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO MY INQUIRIES, AND WAS CONSISTENTLY REFUSED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT GM HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR NEWER CARS NON-SERVICEABLE PARTS, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN DENIABILTY AS TO THIS PROBLEM! IN MY CASE, NOTHING HAPPENED, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED, HOWEVER, HAD I NOT SERVICED MY CAR REGULARLY, AND THESE BEARINGS HAD FAILED AT ROAD SPEED, THERE COULD EASILY BEEN A HEAD-ON CRASH, WITH DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH INVOLVED TO MYSELF, MY CAR, AND OR OTHER VEHICLES AND PEOPLE! [XXX] *TR THE CONSUMER STATED ON JUNE 29, 2010, UPON ENGINE START, THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER DISPLAYED SOUNDED THE ALARM CHIME SEVERAL TIMES AND TURNED ON THE RED OIL WARNING LIGHT. THE OIL INFORMATION DISPLAY SHOWED OIL PRESSURE NORMAL. AFTER DOING SOME TESTING, THE CONSUMER CONCLUDED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE SENDING UNIT WAS BAD WHICH HE REPLACED AND EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. UPDATED IVOQ 08/05/10 *TR