This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I was driving down I-65 going to work, 70 mph. I looked in my rear view mirror and notice a large amount of smoke coming from my 1995, GMC Jimmy, 104000 miles. I looked at my gauges and saw that I had no oil pressure and the check engine light was on. Fortunately I was right at an exit. I got off the interstate and stop at a gas station. All of these events happen in less than 5 minutes. When I go out I noticed engine oil on the outside of my vehicle, driver's side. I open the hood and checked the oil. No oil on the dip stick. Look under the vehicle and notice a large puddle of oil on the parking lot. I call a wrecker and had my truck towed to my mechanic's shop $85. Mechanic told me that one of the oil lines running to the filter and cooler had failed where the fitting is crimped to the line and that my engine was almost depleted of oil. My mechanic replaced the line and fill the vehicle back up with oil. He said it took over five minutes for the valves to quit rattling. The repair cost $212. We debated on whether to change the other set of lines. We decided to wait a few weeks to see if any damage to the vehicle shows up. I am out almost $300 to date, with another $250 repair waiting or a engine trashed from the first event. My after the fact web queries indicate that this is a common failure mode occurring in almost all jimmies and Blazer. Why hasn't there been a recall on this problem? coated the highway and a parking lot with engine oil. Had I not seen the smoke I was headed for a catastrophic failure at 70 mph. I consider myself extremely lucky to have survived this incident. I' was very upset knowing that there many vehicles on the road every day that will have this problem sometime in the vehicle's life cycle.
There was a recall of 96 GMC Jimmy's for independent front control arm upper: Ball joints. We were advised that ours was not included in the recall. We experienced this problem at 53918 miles on Jan. 8 2002. The lower ball joints were replaced along with 2 front tires that were worn and very dangerous because of the ball joint problem. Also replaced were: The belt tensioner, oil cooler lines, water and belt - at 54,000 miles. We received a $168.98 reimbursement from Pontiac GMC as a "goodwill adjustment"(half of the ball joint replacement charge). They never acknowledge that this vehicle should have been included in the recall. Please include this complaint on this vehicle for problems which should have been included in a recall. Documentation of repairs available if needed. Thank you. *dimsii IVOQ entry posted after 12-12-02 cut-over to artemis**761991
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Franklin, IN, USA