NHTSA Complaint #10468415 — 2008 PONTIAC G5

FRONT SUSPENSION BUSHINGS ON THE PONTIAC G5 AND PROBABLY CHEVROLET COBALT WEAR OUT RAPIDLY. ON MY VEHICLE THE DRIVER'S SIDE BUSHING FAILED AT 31,350 MILES AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AT 42,850 MILES. THE FACTORY REPLACEMENT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IS STARTING TO FAIL AGAIN AT 44,500 MILES. FAILURE IS DEFINED AS A CLUNKING NOISE WHILE GOING OVER ROAD IMPERFECTIONS. THE DESIGN IS EITHER FAULTY OR THE PART IS PRODUCED BADLY AS NEITHER PART SHOWED EFFECTS OF THE RUBBER BEING BONDED TO THE METAL. ALL SUSPENSION BUSHINGS SHOULD HAVE THE RUBBER BONDED TO BOTH THE OUTER AND INNER METAL SLEEVE. WITHOUT BONDING, THE SUSPENSION BUSHING WILL MAKE NOISE IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT OVER TIME AS THE RUBBER DEGRADES, LARGE AMOUNTS OF SUSPENSION MOVEMENT THEN CAN CAUSE THE BOLT TO FAIL AND CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. GM SHOULD CORRECT THE DESIGN AND THEN PROVIDE REPLACEMENT PARTS AS NEEDED. *TR