2000 Chevrolet Tracker

3/17/08 TO: GENERAL MOTORS, CHEVROLET (CUSTOMER COMPLAINT ? RECALL), NHTSA *MY CUSTOMER COMPLAINT (CHEVROLET TRACKER):* -LATE LAST YEAR, MY WIFE HAD RECEIVED THE GM LETTER. -I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, IN DEC. 2007 TO RAGSDALE CHEVROLET IN SPENCER, MA. -RAGSDALE?S TECHNICIAN PUT THE CAR ON THE LIFT AND INSPECTED THE CAR. -THEY SAID THAT THE CROSSMEMBER WAS OK, THAT THE CROSSMEMBER WOULD NOT BE REPLACED BY CHEVROLET UNTIL THERE WERE ACTUAL HOLES IN THE CROSSMEMBER (WHY??). -ON 3/12/08, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR WAS PULLING SEVERELY TO ONE SIDE. -THAT EVENING, I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND THE PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION ATTACHMENT (?A? ARM) TO THE CROSSMEMBER WAS ONLY PARTIALLY ATTACHED DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION (SEVERAL LARGE RUSTED-THROUGH HOLES) AT THAT AREA OF THE CROSSMEMBER. -I CALLED RAGSDALE AND RETURNED THE CAR TO THEIR SERVICE DEPT. MGR. (GLENN) ON 3/13/08. ON THE TRIP TO RAGSDALE, THE CAR?S BODY FLEXED SO MUCH WHEN BRAKING, THAT THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK. -I TOLD GLENN ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD CRACK AND HE SAID THAT RAGSDALE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME ON THE WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT, TO TAKE IT UP WITH CHEVROLET, AND MY AUTO INSURANCE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT (BASICALLY, LACKING ANY CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS). -I ASKED GLENN HOW RAGSDALE?S INSPECTION _ONLY THREE MONTHS PRIOR_ DID NOT SHOW A PROBLEM, YET THERE WAS MAJOR CORROSION NOW. GLENN SAID THAT RAGSDALE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM OF ANOTHER TRACKER THAT WAS INSPECTED BY THEM IN OCTOBER 2007. -GLENN OFFERED _NO_ APOLOGY FOR RAGSDALE SERVICE PERSONNEL NOT ADEQUATELY PERFORMING THE DECEMBER INSPECTION. I AM VERY DISPLEASED BY RAGSDALE?S POOR SERVICE LAST DECEMBER; THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT DUE TO RAGSDALE?S INADEQUATE INSPECTION OF THE CROSSMEMBER. THERE APPEARS TO BE _NO_ OVERSIGHT OF THIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMING SERIOUS SAFETY INSPECTIONS THAT WERE MANDATED BY CHEVY.. *TR

I BOUGHT THE CHEVROLET TRACKER AS A USED CAR FROM FREEMAN TOYOTA THE CAR HAD 33817 MILES WE HAD TILL 36000 AN THE WARRANTY WOULD BE UP THAT WENT REALLY FAST, NEEDLESS TO SAY IT SEEMS RIGHT AFTER THAT I HAVE ACQUIRED A HIGH SQUEAL COMING FROM IT SEEMS THE BELTS OR MAYBE THE PULLEYS WE HAVE USE A CYCLON SPAY THAT WAS SUGGESTED IT GOES AWAY FRO A FEW DAYS AN COMES BACK AGAIN I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR NOW HAS THE MILES OF 47082, A CAR OF LESS THAN 50000 SHOULD STILL RUN QUIETLY AND HAVE NO LOUD SQUEALS AS YOU DRIVE. AS TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM, THE LITTLE BLACK WASHER NOLDS ON THE HOOD YOU CANNOT CLEAN THEM, HOURS OF TAKING APART FROM THE HOOD INSIDE BLOWING AND SOAKING THEM AND 2 WEEKS LATER PLUGGED AGAIN, SINCE I DONOT HAVE A WARRANTY THE CHEVROLET PLACES IN THIS AREA WANT $70.00,JUST TO LOOK AT THE CAR , I FEEL THIS IS VERY UNFAIR AND THE BOOK BY [XXX] SAYS YOU MIGHT CAN FIND A SECRET WARRANTY THAT COVERS THE PULLEY'S FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER OR THE BELT SYSTEM BECAUSE THAT JUST ABOUT IS WANT HELPS THE CAR GO IF ONE BREAKS IT WILL NOT WORK. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY ACCIDENTS WITH THIS CAR BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ANY BOLTS HOLDING THE BACK BUMPERS AND FRONT BUMPER AND FRONT OUTSIDE PANEL ONTO THE MAIN PART OF THE CAR THE CAR COMPANY SAID THEY RATTLED OUT, NEEDLESS TO SAY ON THAT ONE I FUSSED TELL THEY PLACED AT LEAST 5 BOLTS IN BACK AND ON THE SHIRT OF THE CAR AT LEAST 6, ( 3 ON EACH SIDE AN ON THE FRONT AREA AT LEAST 6 ACROSS THE TOP, THAT IS A REALLY NOT VERY GOOD IN MY ESTIMATION, IT A BAD JOB OF THE 200, SOMETHING CHECK POINTS THAT THEY GO THRU ON YOUR NEW-USED CAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, I HOPE THERE IS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT CAN HELP ME OUT WITH, AGAIN THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

SEVERE VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING FROM 32 UP TO 45 MPH. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON 6-7 OCCASIONS, AND WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK GAS PEDAL WAS CLICKING, DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE VALVE CONTROL. CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF A NOISE UNDER THE HOOD, DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. DOME LIGHT BULB WAS REPLACED. WINDSHIELD BLADE WAS WORN, DEALER REPLACED. SERPENTINE BELT WAS CAUSING A SQUEALING SOUND, DEALER REPLACED. DEALER HAS REPAIRED BRAKES AND MUFFLER THINKING THESE 2 COMPONENTS COULD BE RELATED TO VIBRATION, HOWEVER NEITHER WERE THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION. *SLC

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE WIPER MATERIAL SELECTED BY GMC IS NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN COLD WEATHER AREAS. IN ADDITION, I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY GMC 1996 YUKON. DURING COLD WEATHER THE WIPER BLADE MATERIAL TAKES THE SHAPE OF THE WINDSHIELD IN ITS REST POSITION. IF YOU DRIVING ALONG AFTER A SNOW STORM WITH CHEMICALS ON THE ROAD AND THE ROAD HAS SLUSH OR SIMPLY WATER ON IT AND A VEHICLE PASSES YOU (GOING IN EITHER DIRECTION) AND THROWS SLUSH OR DIRTY WATER UP ON YOUR WINDSHIELD YOU ARE BLINDED UNTIL YOU GET THE WIPERS ON. HOWEVER, THESE WIPERS DON'T HELP, IN FACT THEY MAKE THINGS WORSE. AS THE WIPERS MOVE OVER THE WINDSHIELD THEY MAINTAIN THEIR AT REST CONFIGURATION AND RIDE ON THE END POINTS OF THE WIPERS. TURNING ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER DOES NOT HELP SINCE THE WIPER BLADE DOES NOT TOUCH MOST OF THE WINDSHIELD. SO NOW YOU ARE DRIVING ALONG TOTALLY BLIND. I ASKED THE DEALER TO PUT ON GM BLADES SUITABLE FOR WINTER CONDITIONS. HIS RESPONSE WAS THEY DON'T MAKE ANY. I TOLD HIM HOW THE GM WIPERS DON'T WORK. EVIDENTLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE FEEL BETTER HE TOLD ME HE HAD TO STOP TWICE ON THE WAY TO WORK THAT TO "HAND WORK" HIS WIPERS SO THAT THEY CLEANED THE WINDOW. HE INFORMED ME THAT GM KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND RATHER THAN MAKE ALL WEATHER WIPERS THEY DECIDED TO MAKE WIPERS THAT MOST OF THE TIME IN A LARGE AREA OF THE COUNTRY!!!! WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED GREATER THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR AND YOU CAN NO LONGER SEE THE ROAD YOU ARE IN A DEATH TRAP AND POSE A RISK OF INJURY TO OTHERS.*AK