NHTSA Complaint #10598358 — 2001 GMC JIMMY

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, I PULLED OVER TO MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GOING TO START ON FIRE, AND FOUND THE BOTTOM BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BUT THE TOP CENTER BRAKE LIGHT WAS WORKING. AFTER GETTING HOME I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT MY GMC VIN# HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN A RECALL. BUT WHAT WAS REPLACED AND WHEN IT WAS REPLACED I DO NOT KNOW. IT ONLY STATED THAT MY VIN # WAS INCLUDED, AND THAT NO OTHER RECALLS WERE IN AFFECT AT THIS TIME. SO ACCORDING TO GMC WEB SITE THERE WERE 2 DIFFERENT RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE AND 3 DIFFERENT PARTS COULD BE THE PROBLEM. 1- THE BRAKE SWITCH, 2- THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH AND 3- THE FLASHER SWITCH, AND TO DETERMINE WHICH PART IS THE FAULTY ONE YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC THEN PAY HIM IN THIS INSTANCE BETWEEN 300.00 TO 400.00 (WHICH I HAVE NOT DONE YET DO TO I CAN NOT AFFORD IT) FOR THE NEW PART AND HIS TIME TO REPLACE IT. SO HOW CAN A CAR MANUFACTURER ONLY HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE ISSUE ONLY 1 TIME WHEN APPARENTLY THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE NOT ANY BETTER OR REDESIGNED TO BE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL PART? I FEEL THAT GM OR ANY OTHER CAR MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE FOR FREE ANY RECALLED PART FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IF THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME IT WOULD ONLY HAVE TO BE FIXED 1 TIME, AND WOULD NEVER BE AN ISSUE AGAIN.(AND I WOULD NOT BE USING MY TIME TO FILE THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT). BETTER YET HOW ABOUT BETTER ENGINEERING AND QUALITY CONTROL AND TESTING TO ELIMINATE RECALLS ALL TOGETHER. *JS