NHTSA Complaint #10552986 — 2001 CHEVROLET TRACKER

2001 CHEVY TRACKER WITH RUSTED FRONT CROSS MEMBER. THE CROSS MEMBER RUSTED AND BROKE LEAVING THE LOWER A ARM DISCONNECT FROM THE FRAME ON ONE END. THIS CAUSES AN UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKE AND TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I CONTACTED A CHEVY DEALER AND ALSO GENERAL MOTORS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE BECAUSE THE SPECIAL COVERAGE OFFER HAD EXPIRED. THE SPECIAL COVERAGE WAS FOR 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. MY TRACKER HAS 59,450 MILES BUT WAS REJECTED BECAUSE OF A TIME LIMIT. I WAS NEVER SENT A NOTICE BECAUSE I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND DIDN'T BUY IT FROM A GM DEALER. GM COULD HAVE QUERIED EACH STATE'S REGISTRATION DATABASES FOR OWNERSHIP. I WAS TOLD BY GM THAT I COULD HAVE BROUGHT IT IN AND HAD IT INSPECTED. HOW WOULD I HAVE KNOWN TO BRING IT IN FOR INSPECTION IF I AM UNAWARE THAT A POTENTIAL STRUCTURAL PROBLEM EXIST. THIS IS A STRUCTURAL ITEM THAT SHOULD OUTLAST THE DRIVE LINE AND BODY ... TO LIMIT IT BY TIME OR MILEAGE IS ABSURD AND SHRUGGING RESPONSIBILITY. THE VERY LAST THING THAT SHOULD FAIL IS THE STRUCTURE. I ARGUED THAT IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT AND SHOULD HAVE NO TIME LIMIT BECAUSE IT IS A STRUCTURAL ITEM WHICH WHEN FAILED COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLE DEATH AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. AND I FEEL THAT THE FACTORY SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IF IT IS OTHERWISE ROAD WORTHY AND MEETS STATE INSPECTION THEN THE SPECIAL COVERAGE SHOULD APPLY. IT IS THE FACTORY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE SAFE VEHICLES. WITH A COMPUTER MODEL, KNOWING THE GRADE OF STEEL, THE THICKNESS OF THE STEEL ONE CAN CALCULATE THE APPROXIMATE TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO RUST THROUGH. THIS IS WHY THERE SHOULD BE NO TIME LIMIT FOR RESPONSIBILITY. *TR