NHTSA Complaint #11390885 — 2021 GMC YUKON XL

GM CHANGED THE TRAVEL OF THE STEERING COLUMN SO NOW IT'S ONLY A FEW INCHES FROM THE DASHBOARD. IN PRIOR MODELS, THE STEERING WHEEL (SW) TRAVEL WAS MUCH MORE. DUE TO GM'S DESIRE TO SAVE MONEY AND COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR DRIVER, PASSENGER AND OTHER VEHICLES SAFETY, THE DRIVER HAS TO REACH OUT TO THE SW RESULTING AT DANGEROUS ELBOW ANGLES. IN PERFORMANCE CARS, THE SW IS DESIGNED TO BE CLOSE TO THE DRIVER BECAUSE PHYSICS PRINCIPLES OF TORQUE REVEAL: THE GREATER THE ANGLE OF REACH, THE MORE TORQUE IT REQUIRES TO TURN THE SW. SO REACHING OUT WITH THE ELBOW AT ZERO TO 10 DEGREES REQUIRES A MUCH LONGER REACH, THUS GREATER FORCE/TORQUE AND LONGER REACTION TIME, THAN HAVING THE SW AT A 30-40 DEGREE 'ELBOW BEND'. THE POINT IS, FOR A DRIVER TO TURN THE SW ON THIS VEHICLE, IT TAKES TOO MUCH STRENGTH AND TOO LONG A REACTION TIME TO SAFELY OPERATE IT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS MODEL LIKE I DID WITH PRIOR MODEL YEARS. WITH THIS 'LAND YACHT' HAVING AN EVEN LONGER WHEELBASE THAN BEFORE, THE DISTANCE TO THE SW IS EVEN MORE CRITICAL IN REGARDS TO REACTION TIME AND SAFE DRIVING! PLUS, SINCE THE SW IS SO CLOSE TO THE DASHBOARD, WHEN I RAISE MY LEG TO STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL (WHICH NOW I HAVE TO DO BECAUSE GM ALSO TOOK AWAY THE FOOT PEDAL ADJUSTER!), MY LEG HITS THE BOTTOM OF THE SW! THE TIME IT NOW TAKES TO BRING A FOOT UP OVER THE BRAKE PEDAL, TO LOOK DOWN TO SEE IF YOUR LEG IS GOING TO HIT THE SW AND CAUSE THE SW TO EITHER STOP MOVING OR RE-DIRECT THE VEHICLE INTO AN UNPLANNED DIRECTION, ALL WHILE TRYING TO STOP THIS OVER 7,700 LB VEHICLE WITH MUSHIER BRAKES THAN ANY MODEL EVER, IS DANGEROUSLY LONG. THE OVERALL REACTION TIME TO GENERALLY STOP THIS MODEL IS AT LEAST 5 TIMES THAT OF MY 2018 YUKON XL DENALI. THE TRAVEL LENGTH OF THE SW NEEDS TO BE INCREASED 2-3 INCHES TO SAFELY OPERATE THIS TRUCK. GM MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR INCREASING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WITH THEIR VEHICLES!