NHTSA Complaint #732718 — 1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER

FRONT LEFT BALL JOINTS ON MY NEW 1997 CHEVY BLAZER FAILED @26K MILES. THEY WERE REPLACED AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP, USING GENERAL MOTORS PARTS. AT 44K MILES, THE SAME FRONT LEFT BALL JOINTS FAILED. BECAUSE IT IS AN INTRICATE COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE'S STEERING MECHANISM, I WAS URGED TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. I CHOSEN NOT TO HAVE THEM REPLACED FOR FEAR THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS USED MAY BE DEFECTIVE AND FAIL ONCE AGAIN. I HAVE ALSO CHOSEN TO LIMIT MY DRIVING OF THE VEHICLE TO ONLY LOCAL USE FOR FEAR THAT FAILURE MAY OCCURE AGAIN, BUT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES OR FATALITIES. WHAT ALSO HAS LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WAS THAT WHEN PICKING UP MY VEHICLE ANOTHER CUSTOMER OWNING THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THEIR BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. COINCIDENCE? MAYBE SO, BUT I'M NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK. *AK