NHTSA Complaint #10648505 — 2002 CHEVROLET TRACKER

MY CHEVY TRACKER HAS A BROKEN CROSSMEMBER/SUBFRAME/K-FRAME. FRONT SUSPENSION ARMS ARE MOUNTED TO THIS PIECE, IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MOUNTING POINT. IT COMPLETELY BROKE WHILE DRIVING, LUCKILY AT A VERY SLOW SPEED, NO MAJ. INJURY. GM KNOWS THE BAD PART WAS IN EVERY TRACKER/VITARA -THEY SAY IT WASN'T TREATED PROPERLY, HAD NO DRAIN HOLES. THERE IS A BULLETIN TO REPLACE THIS PART (#06186),10 YEARS OR 150K MILES -WHICH SPECIFIES THE REPAIR IS COVERED IF "DISPLAYS THE CONDITION OF" HAVING THE DEFECT WITHIN THAT PERIOD. FULLER GM DEALER AGREES "CLEARLY HAD THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE PERIOD BASED UPON CONDITION NOW". I'VE SUFFERED THE RUN-AROUND BETWEEN SR REP ON THE PHONE, AND THE LOCAL GM DEALER. ALL SAY "WOULD REPAIR IT IF THE OTHER WOULD". GM BY PHONE SAYS IT'S UP TO THE LOCAL, LOCAL SAYS GM HAS TO AUTHORIZE REPAIR. THEY ALL UNIV. AGREED WITH FACTS: HAD THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE BULLETIN'S DEFINITION, YET INSIST THERE'S NO WAY FOR THEM TO HELP, "THE PERIOD IS UP" -WHICH IS A CONTRADICTION! THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FAILURE, FAR WORSE THAN THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL. IN THOSE CASES, THE CAR CAN STILL FUNCTION WITH AN AWARE DRIVER. THE TRACKER FAILURE IS CATASTROPHIC. GM SAYS BULLETIN NOTICE MAILED OUT TOLD OWNERS TO CHECK FOR THE "SIGNS" EVERY YEAR, BUT ONLY SENT OUT ONE NOTICE -NOT TO THE NEXT OWNERS (MOST MANUFS SEND NOTICES FOR NEW OWNERS)! OWNER OF MY CAR WHO MAYBE SAW THE NOTICE DIED, SO WE HAD NO WARNING TO CHECK FOR "SIGNS". EVERY GM REP SAYS THAT'S THEIR "REGRETTABLE POLICY". GM AND LOCAL FULLER GM HAVE WASTED MANY HOURS/WEEKS OF TIME, DIRECTING RESPONSE. TO ALL OTHERS, SAYING WILL HELP AND CALL BACK, NOT ONE HAS. GM SAYS "THERE'S NO RECALL BECAUSE IT WASN'T A POPULAR VEHICLE"*! I OFFERED TO PAY FOR PART, OR WORK, MEET HALFWAY, THEY DID NOT EVEN CONSIDER. I WANT MINE REPAIRED +GM TO ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY. PLEASE HELP, THANKS! *ALL QUOTES ACTUALLY SAID BY GM. *TR