1999 Chevrolet Tracker

'99 CHEVY TRACKER. RUST FROM INSIDE THE METAL TO INNER& OUTER SURFACES. THE DOORS, ROCKERS PANELS & INTO THE FLOOR PLATE, WINDOW FRAMES & DOOR EDGES. BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED,3WEKS AGO, BUT LOOKING ALMOST NEW INSIDE & OUT. THERE WAS TO THE EYE ONLY SOME SLIGHTLY BUBBLED PAINT IN 8 SPOTS DECIDE TO GET RIGHT ON IT STARTED TO EMEORY CLOTH IT & FOUND THAT A LITTLE PUSH ,PARTICULARLY THE ROCKER PANELS, WOULD GO COMPLETELY THROUGH TO THE INNER SURFACE. BOTH ROCKER PANELS FRONT TO REAR WERE THE SAME. SO I USED MY GRINDER TO CUT THEM OPEN TO SEE HOW FAR I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO GET PAST THE RUST. ONCE I GOT THE PANELS OPEN I COULD SEE THAT THE CORROSION WENT CLEAR INTO THE FLOOR PANELS. I THEN DECIDED 2 HIT THE SPOTS ON THE DOORS FOUND BASICALLY THE SAME THING. THEN LOOKING ON THE INTERNET FOUND OUT G>M> WAS REPAIRING AND REIMBURSING OWNERS FOR IMPROPERLY TREATED TREATING FRAME & CROSS MEMBERS WHICH ARE RUSTING THROUGH. ALSO REPLACING CORRODED HARDWARE EVERYWHERE IT IS FOUND ON THESE VEHICLES FROM '99 TO 2004. THIS BODY RUST SEEMS TO BE THE SAME THING. DANGEROUS? IF THE SERIOUSLY WEAKEND ROCKERS & FLOOR PLATE WERE STRUCK AT EVEN A LOW SPEED I DO NOT DOUBT THAT ANY PERSON IN THIS VEHICLE WOULD SUFFER CRUSH INJURIES. THIS IS REMINISCENT OF THE 70'S & 80'S WHEN GM WAS USING HEAVILY CORRODED METAL TO BUILD VEHICLES. & CREATED UNSAFE & EXPENSIVE CONDITIONS FOR THE CONSUMERS & LOST A GOOD PORTION OF THE CAR MARKET TO FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS. I HAVE SEVERAL PICTURES I CAN SEND YOU. PLEASE ADVISE. SINCERELY DAN CHURCH *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET TRACKER. THE AIR CONDITIONER IN HER VEHICLE WOULD NOT WORK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR, CONDENSER, AND THE VACUUM HOWEVER; THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD NOT WORK. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WAS $6,000. SHE WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WAS $700. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE AUGUST 2005. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. THE VEHICLE DATE OF PURCHASE AND DEALER ADDRESS INFORMATION WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET TRACKER. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAD THE SAME FAILURE AS OTHERS WHO OWN THE SAME VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS DERIVED FROM CORROSION OF THE CROSS MEMBERS. HE STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION CORRODED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING IT TO SWITCH LANES AND VEER OFF THE ROAD AT 40 MPH. HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000. *AK

SERPENTINE BELT FRAYED AND BREAKING. DIFFICULT TO KEEP PROPERLY TENSIONED. FOLLOWING ABOUT TWO MONTHS OF THIS PROBLEM THE FACTORY BOLT HOLDING THE MOUNTING FRAME FOR THE AC COMPRESSOR BROKE OFF AT THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSING THE AC COMPRESSOR TO FALL FROM ITS MOUNT DUE TO THE TOP BOLT HAVING WORKED LOOSE. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE COMPRESSOR BOUNCED AROUND ON THE HOSES FREELY UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD BE DETERMINED. THIS BOLT BROKE OFF DUE TO THE TOP MOUNTING BOLT BACKING OUT OF THE MOUNT ON THE ENGINE HEAD. NEITHER OF THESE BOLTS NEED TO BE LOOSENED TO ADJUST BELT TENSION AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKE OFF OR BACKED OUT. BELT ALIGNMENT AND FRAYING PROBLEM IS LIKELY CAUSED BY THE DEFORMATION OF THE LOWER BOLT PRIOR TO IT BREAKING. *NM

WIRING HARNESS IN STEERING COLUMN REPLACED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING CAR NEW IN 1999. THIS PAST SUMMER PARKING LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. REPLACE RELAY. FALL PARKING LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL ALL LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON AND OFF. REPLACED WIRING HARNESS AGAIN. 1 MONTH LATER WOKE TO FIND LIGHTS ON AGAIN REPLACED RELAY. 2/4/06 WOKE TO FIND PARKING LIGHTS ON AGAIN. REMOVED RELAY. WALKED BACK INSIDE, LOOKED OUT TO SEE HEADLIGHTS ON. HAD TO UNHOOK BATTERY. DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO.........MECHANICS AT A LOSS. INCIDENT DATE BELOW IS A GUESS. *JB

I RECENTLY TOOK MY 1999 CHEVROLET TRACKER, VIN [XXX], INTO MY LOCAL GM DEALER FOR A PROBLEM I WAS HAVING WITH THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE. IT WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT AND THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS SLIPPING IN AND OUT. THE DEALER CHECKED IT OUT AND CALLED ME BACK TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. HE FOUND THIS OUT ONLY AFTER RESEARCHING SEVERAL OTHER POSSIBILITIES (AT $61.00 PER HOUR) BY CALLING GM'S TECH SUPPORT. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM IN WHICH GM HAS HAD TO MODIFY THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE. IN ORDER FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE CORRECTED, THE FRONT AXLE DIFFERENTIAL CASE, ACTUATOR AND SIDE BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1380.68. AT THE TIME THIS PROBLEM STARTED, I WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN A SNOWSTORM THAT DUMPED 12" IN 8 HOURS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS PRETTY MUCH A NECESSITY. UNFORTUNATELY, I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO HANDLE PROPERLY, BECAUSE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WOULD NOT STAY ENGAGED. I PARKED IT AND CALLED FOR A RIDE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT EVEN THOUGH GM HAS ADMITTED TO A FAULTY DESIGN IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE, AND HAS MODIFIED IT FOR REPAIR OF A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL AND WILL NOT PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE. *JB *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)