NHTSA Complaint #760490 — 1997 CHEVROLET S10

FRAME IS CRACKED, TWO BODY SHOPS STATED IT IS A FATIGUE CRACK DUE TO DEFECTIVE METAL USED DURING THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE. GMC HAS STATED THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING AS THE VEHICLE IS OVER THE WARRANTY, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD AND NEVER BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. BOTH BODY SHOPS, AN INDEPENDENT SHOP AND BOB MAGUIRE CHEVROLET BODY SHOP, HAVE AGREED THIS IS NOT A WEARABLE PART AND NEVER SHOULD HAVE CRACKED. EVEN WITH 500,000 MILES THE FRAME SHOULD NOT CRACK. I TAKE CARE OF MY VEHICLES, OTHERWISE I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET 179,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. I HAVE A 1991 CHEVROLET SILVERADO AT HOME THAT HAS 286,000+ MILES ON IT AND STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL FRAME WITH NO CRACKS. I STILL HAVE 10 PAYMENTS LEFT ON THE S10 AND THE TRUCK IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE BODY SHOP MANAGER AT BOB MAGUIRE HAS INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD NOT EVEN DRIVE THE TRUCK AROUND THE CORNER, THAT IS HOW UNSAFE THIS VEHICLE IS. I BELIEVE CHEVROLET SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE FRAME OR TRUCK, AS I INTENDED TO HAVE THIS TRUCK IN USE FOR ANOTHER FIVE PLUS YEARS, AS I HAVE DONE WITH MY 1991 THAT IS STILL ON THE ROAD. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I NOTICED THE CRACK, AS IT WAS JUST ABOUT TO BREAK ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF IT HAD. IF THE ENTIRE FRAME IS NOT REPLACED, HOW WOULD ONE KNOW IF THE VEHICLE WILL EVER HAVE ITS FULL INTEGRITY AGAIN, AS OTHER PARTS OF THE FRAME MIGHT HAVE ADDITIONAL DEFECTS, AS WELL. IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL ME. ALSO BRUCE IS THE BODY SHOP MANAGER AT BOB MAGUIRE AND IS WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.*AK