NHTSA Complaint #757860 — 2001 GMC YUKON

ON 8/7/2001 I TOOK MY GMC YUKON XL TO THE DEALER AND REQUESTED THEY REPLACE MY FACTORY INSTALLED HEAVY DUTY TRAILER RECEIVER HITCH DUE TO IT BENDING UP APPROXIMATELY 3" DUE TO THE TORSION BARS PULLING UP ON THE HITCH TO PUT MORE WEIGHT ON THE FRONT WHEELS. I AM TOWING A 26' HI-LO TRAVEL TRAILER THAT IS CONSIDERABLY LESS WEIGHT THAN THE GMC HITCH IS DESIGNED FOR. I HAVE PULLED THIS SAME TRAILER WITH THE SAME TRAILER HITCH BALL, TORSION BARS, SWAY BARS PULLING IT WITH MY 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER NEVER BENT LIKE THE GMC RECEIVER HITCH DID ON MY FIRST TRIP TO CANADA. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, MR. HOLZHAVER, AND SHOWED HIM BOTH THE GMC BENT RECEIVER HITCH AND THE FORD EXPLORER UNDAMAGED RECEIVER HITCH. HE REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TRAILER HITCH AND SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. THE DESIGN OF THIS TRAILER RECEIVER HITCH IS UNSAFE AND SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BEND UP 3 INCHES WHEN THE TORSION BARS ARE INSTALLED. IF THE HITCH BREAKS LOOSE THIS 26' TRAILER COULD COME LOOSE CAUSING A DEVASTATING ACCIDENT ON OUR HIGHWAYS. YOUR CO-OPERATION IN GETTING THIS HITCH REPLACED AND REDESIGNED WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.*AK