NHTSA Complaint #10339239 — 2002 GMC ENVOY

SPARE TIRE HOIST SECONDARY LATCH FROZEN, 2002 GMC ENVOY. SPARE TIRE COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM HOIST WHEN A ROAD HAZARD BLOWOUT OCCURRED. TOW TRUCK OPERATOR COULD NOT REMOVE SPARE. AFTER A TOW TO TIRE VENDOR, THEY COULD NOT GET THE SPARE DOWN. UPON VISITING A DEALERSHIP THEY COULD NOT REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE AND SAID THE MECHANISM WAS 'FROZEN' AND HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR $250, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PART IN STOCK. AFTER A TRIP TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, THEY CUT THE HOIST CABLE, REMOVED THE SPARE AND REPLACED THE HOIST PART. ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE TRAUMA IF THE FAMILY HAD BEEN ON US HIGHWAY 50 IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THIS MUST BE A PRIMA-FACIE VIOLATION OF THE FMVSS CODE THAT REQUIRES A SPARE TIRE. YES, THE SPARE TIRE IS PRESENT, BUT IT CAN'T BE INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. ONE WOULD HOPE THAT AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS KNOW THAT THE UNDERSIDE OF A VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO CORROSION AND DESIGN ACCORDINGLY. RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, MANY ENTHUSIAST FORUMS AND OTHER BLOGS REFLECT THE FRUSTRATIONS OF OWNERS WITH THE SAME SITUATION. THE COMMON GRASSROOTS SOLUTION IS TO CUT/GRIND OFF THE SECONDARY LATCH. THUS DEFEATING THE SAFETY SYSTEM INTENT. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE THEY ARE NOT BEHIND A MOVING VEHICLE WITH SUCH A MODIFICATION WHEN THE SPARE TIRE DROPS. GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHILE POLITE, INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT REIMBURSE THE COST OF THE HOIST REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A SERVICE BULLETIN COVERING THE PROBLEM. YES, THE VEHICLE IS LONG OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS CUSTOMER SAFETY ISSUE. FROM THE FORUMS AND BLOGS, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A PERVASIVE PROBLEM, AND THE 'FIX' MIGHT BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE INITIAL ISSUE. *TR