NHTSA Complaint #10389653 — 2011 GMC SIERRA 1500

WHEN I FIRST DROVE MY NEW TRUCK I NOTICED A SUBTLE KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY OVER A BUMP. THE DEALER'S MECHANIC AGREED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG AND CALLED GM TECH ASSISTANCE ([XXX]) AND FOUND THE REAR AXLE HAD TOO MUCH PLAY. THE GROVE ON THE AXLE THAT RETAINS THE C RETAINING CLIP WAS MACHINED TOO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE SHAFT. THEY REPLACED THE AXLE. ONLY A PERSON WITH MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE COULD HAVE DETECTED THE SUBTLE NOISE. HAD IT GONE UNDETECTED EVENTUALLY THE C CLIP WOULD LIKELY FAIL AND THE AXLE AND WHEEL WOULD HAVE SLID OUT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING. I DOUBT THIS MACHINING FAULT ON THE AXLE IS UNIQUE TO MY TRUCK. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR