NHTSA Complaint #10366778 — 2002 GMC ENVOY

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 GMC ENVOY. I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY AND I RECENTLY CAME OUT OF MY HOUSE AND FOUND I HAD A FLAT FRONT TIRE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE WE PURCHASED OUR ENVOY THAT WE ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE ON THE ENVOY OURSELVES. I WANTED TO SWITCH THE FLAT WITH MY FULL SIZE SPARE. WHEN MY HUSBAND TRIED TO REMOVE THE SPARE THE HOIST THAT HOLDS THE SPARE TIRE WOULD NOT BUDGE. HE EVENTUALLY JACKED UP THE VEHICLE AND REMOVED THE FLAT TIRE AND TOOK IT TO BE REPAIRED. LATER THAT DAY I BROUGHT MY ENVOY TO A TIRE STORE TO REPLACE ALL MY TIRES. THE SERVICE ATTENDANT TOLD ME HE COULD NOT LOWER THE HOIST TO REMOVE THE SPARE EITHER AND SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO MY GMC DEALER. I BROUGHT MY ENVOY BACK TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY ALSO COULD NOT LOWER THE HOIST. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS A 'DESIGN FLAW ON THE PART OF GMC. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIS GMC VEHICLE ONLY IN HIS CASE THE HOIST AND SPARE FELL OUT OFF HIS WHILE HE WAS DRIVING IT AND HE DID NOT EVEN REALIZE IT UNTIL HE LOOKED UNDERNEATH ONE DAY AND IT WAS GONE. HE THEN TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ME $285 TO REPLACE MINE. I CALLED GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE MY CAR HAD 89,000 MILES AND IT WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY THAT THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR. GMC SAID IT WAS 'NORMAL WARE AND TARE' AND WAS CAUSED BY BAD WEATHER AND ROAD SALT. WHY ON EARTH WOULD GMC DESIGN A SPARE TIRE HOIST THAT COULD NOT WITHSTAND THE ELEMENTS FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE? THERE IS NOTHING WRITTEN IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT HOW TO CARE AND MAINTAIN FOR THE SPARE TIRE HOIST ON THE 2002 ENVOY. I WAS LUCKY THE FLAT OCCURRED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND NOT ON A HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. *TR