NHTSA Complaint #10396150 — 2004 PONTIAC VIBE

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK I LOST POWER STEERING AND THE ENGINE AND BATTERY LIGHTS REMAINED ON. A FRIEND LOOKED AT IT AND ADVISED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR THAT MOUNTS TO THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. BOLTS ARE BROKEN, MOUNTING BROKE OFF ENGINE, AND RADIATOR HOSE IS DAMAGED. CALLED GM THEY SAID FOR THEM TO HELP, I NEEDED TO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS FROM ONE OF THEIR DEALERS. DIAGNOSIS DONE, THEY STATED, A/C COMPRESSOR BROKEN AND NOT ATTACHED TO ENGINE BLOCK, 2 MOUNTING BOLTS ARE BROKE OFF IN ENGINE BLOCK, 3RD BOLT IS MISSING AND MOUNTING HOLE IS BROKEN, RECOMMEND REPLACING ENGINE. I WAS THEN ADVISED BY GM DUE TO NO RECALL, EVEN AFTER REVIEW OF THE DIAGNOSIS. SO AFTER A REQUIRED DIAGNOSIS PER GM AND THE CAR TOWED TO AND FROM THE DEALER, THE CASE WAS CLOSED AND THEY ADVISED THEY COULD DO NOTHING TO ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY. I WOULD FIGURE THAT THIS IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO MAKE A PERSON WHOSE VEHICLE IS NOT WORKING, DEPENDS ON IT FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD, AND HAS TO PAY THE EXPENSE, WHICH I FIND TO BE ENTRAPPING THE CONSUMER INTO THINKING THEY WILL ASSIST THEM, YET IN THE END, AGAIN THEY DISMISS THEMSELVES FROM ANY LIABILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2007, THE DEALER ADVISED IT HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND SINCE I OWNED THE VEHICLE, I HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE DONE ACCORDINGLY. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING SUCH AS THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED UNLESS OF A POSSIBLE DEFECT, FLAW, OR DAMAGE IN RELATED TO AN ACCIDENT. THE ADVISOR AT GM SAID, WELL IT IS A 2004. IF A VEHICLE IS 7 YEARS OLD IS CAN HAVE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AND FAILURE TO FUNCTION. IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO MERGE AUTO MAKERS WHO ARE ALSO LEARNING GLITCHES IN SPECIFIC MODELS AND BENEFIT FROM EACH OTHER, HOWEVER IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, COMPLETELY RELEASE ANY RELINQUISH ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE CONSUMER.