NHTSA Complaint #10426974 — 2011 VOLVO XC60

I PURCHASED THE THULE "DOUBLE DECKER SURFBOARD CARRIER 809" IN APRIL 2011. IT IS ADVERTISED AS HAVING A THREE BOARD CAPACITY. I USED IT AS A SINGLE SHORT BOARD CARRIER. MY BOARD IS ONLY 6' 6". IT WAS ATTACHED TO A THULE CROSS BAR SYSTEM INSTALLED ON MY 2011 XC60 3.2 VOLVO. THE REAR RACK IS DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS WITH EACH SECTION SECURED BY TWO BOLT HEADS THAT FLOAT IN A ALUMINUM CHANNEL FOR WIDTH ADJUSTMENT. THE SURFBOARD IS MOUNTED ON THE RACK AND IS SECURED BY A STRAP WITH A KEY LOCKING MECHANISM. I TRAVEL 40 MILES ON THE FREEWAY EACH WAY TO THE BEACH AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK. THE SYSTEM HAS A LARGE FLAT SURFACE AREA THAT RESULTS IN A LARGE WIND RESISTENT PLATFORM. THE RACK HAS THE APPEARANCE OF BEING VERY DURABLE. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 - 70 MILES PER HOUR IN THE SLOW LANE OF THE FREEWAY THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SECTION RIPPED OUT OF THE ALUMINUM CHANNEL CAUSING MY SURFBOARD TO LAUNCH LIKE A MISSLE. FORTUNATELY THE TAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND NO VEHICLE WAS DIRECTLY STRUCK ALTHOUGH MY BOARD WAS RUN OVER NUMEROUS TIMES. THE BREAK-AWAY SECTION DANGLED ON THE REAR OF MY ROOF STILL SECURED BY THE STRAP SYSTEM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE REMAINS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE BOLT HEAD THAT SECURED THE SYSTEM IN THE ALUMINUM CHANNEL WAS TO SMALL FOR AN OPERATIONAL ENVIORMENT OF SIGNIFICANT WIND RESISTENCE/TURBULANCE. I CONTACTED THULE 4 WEEKS AGO RE THIS PROBLEM AND THEY FAILED TO RESPOND. SPORT CHALET, AN OFFICIAL THULE DISTRIBUTOR, UPON INSPECTING THE CHANNEL AND BOLT SYSTEM OFFERED ME A COMPLETE REFUND. THE BOLT HEAD ON THIS SYSTEM IS UNDERSIZED FOR THE FORCES IT HAS TO WITHSTAND. MY USE WAS FOR A SINGLE SHORT BOARD BUT THIS SYSTEM IS ADVERTIZED FOR UP TO THREE LONG BOARDS. I FEAR THAT ANOTHER END USER WHO TRAVELS THE FREEWAY LIKE I DO MAY EXPERIENCE A SIMILIAR CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE WITH PERHAPS A MORE DEADLY RESULT. SALE OF THIIS RACK SYSTEM SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY HALTED UNTIL FIXED. *TR