1999 GMC Jimmy

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. THEN NOTICED THAT BOTH FRONTAL WHEEL HUBS FELL OFF THE WHEEL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HUBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED THEM.. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE NOISE WAS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. *TC

I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE FRONT END STARTED MAKING A WEIRD NOISE. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY BREAKS SO I CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 500 FEET. I NOTICED MY VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVING PROPERLY AS I TURNED A CORNER. I GOT OUT A SAW THAT THE FRONT LEFT TIRE HAD FALLEN OFF AND WAS LEANING AGAINST THE FRAME. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. HE SAID THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD DISINTEGRATED. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE SAME THING WAS HAPPENING ON THE OTHER SIDE. AS A RESULT, HE REPLACED BOTH SIDES AND FIXED SOME DAMAGE TO THE AXLE THAT RESULTED FROM THE TIRE FALLING OFF. HE SAID THE PARTS HAD BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY (ADEQUATE GREASE) AND THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY BAD FROM THE FACTORY. *NM

FOR THE SECOND TIME OF THIS VEHICLE THE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY ON THIS CAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THIS TIME ON THE OTHER SIDE. SOMEHOW, WHEN PUTTING THE WHEEL BACK ON THE CAR NOT ALL THE NUTS WERE TIGHTENED PROPERLY BOTH TIMES. ACCORDING TO THE TOW DRIVER FOR THE FIRST INCIDENT, DALE CHAN OF DC TOWING 570.992.4311, THE DEALERSHIP, BROWN DAUB IN WIND GAP AND FOR THE SECOND INCIDENT ROBERTI MOTORS WHO REPAIRED THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY THE SECOND TIME. THE PROBLEM WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS IS THAT IF NOT ALL NUTS ARE TIGHTENED PROPERLY THE MATERIAL WILL VIBRATE AND LOOSEN THE OTHER NUTS. CHAN SAID HE SEES THIS PROBLEM OFTEN. AFTER THE FIRST FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY REPAIR ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE WHEEL CAME ALMOST COMPLETELY OFF. ALL THE NUTS WERE GONE, 3 OF THE STUDS WERE BROKEN OFF AND THE WHEEL WAS ONLY HANGING ON THE REMAINING TWO STUDS. THE SECOND TIME, 2-3 WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR, I CAUGHT IT A BIT EARLIER. ONLY ONE NUT WAS MISSING, ONE STUD WAS BROKEN OFF. THE OTHER NUTS WERE SO LOOSE THAT I COULD MOVE THEM ALL WITH MY FINGERS. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO MY COUSIN TWICE WHO WAS A LIMO DRIVER IN CHICAGO. IT SEEMS EVERY ONE IN THE INDUSTRY KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. WHY IS IT ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. WHY CAN'T WE GO BACK TO STEEL WHEELS WHERE THIS PROBLEM IS NONEXISTENT. IF WE CAN'T WHY CAN'T IT BE REQUIRED THAT SOME LOCKING MECHANISM BE DESIGNED TO KEEP THE NUTS FROM UNSCREWING AS PART OF THE WHEEL COVER? WHAT IF THE WHEEL HAD COME OFF? THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. I COULD HAVE GONE OUT OF CONTROL AND INVOLVED OTHER VEHICLES IN AN ACCIDENT. THE AXEL COULD HAVE DUG INTO THE ROAD SURFACE AND I COULD HAVE ROLLED OF FLIPPED? PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. HAS THIS ALREADY HAPPENED? IT THIS WHAT IT TAKES BEFORE THIS PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED? I CONSIDER MYSELF TO HAVE BEEN LUCKY.*AK

1) WE WERE DRIVING FROM KALAMAZOO TO CHICAGO WHEN THE I WENT TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONER IT BLEW EXTREMELY HOT AIR TO THE POINT WHERE THE DASH WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH. WE UNPLUGGED THE AIR COMPLETELY BUT AND EVEN SHUT THE TRIED TO OPEN THE VENTS BUT IT CONTINUED TO BLOW HOT AIR WE HAD TO KEEP SWITCHING FROM DASH TO FLOOR TO KEEP FROM BURNING OUR FEET AND FACES. WE TRY TO USE THE HEAT NOW AND IT BLOWS THE SAME EXTREME HOT AIR (HOTTER THAN A NORMAL HEAT CONTROL) FOR THE WINTER TIME. WE DO NOT HAVE THE 320.00 TO REPLACE THE CLIMATE CONTROL PANEL THAT EVERYONE IS TELLING US IS WRONG WITH IT. SO WE CONTINUE TO US IT SPARINGLY.*AK

A FEW WEEKS AGO, MY ABS LIGHT KEPT COMING ON, AND ON MY WAY TO TAKE IT IN FOR A CHECK UP, THE BRAKES FELT AS IF THEY WERE GOING TO FAIL. I LEFT THE 1999 GMC JIMMY IN THE GARAGE FOR SEVERAL DAYS FOR REPAIR.THEY REPLACED THE ABS, AND WITHIN 20 MILES OF THE GARAGE, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I AGAIN SCHEDULED AN APPT TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. THE GARAGE, ONCE AGAIN, REPLACED THE ABS. WITHIN 20 MILES, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ONE FOR THE 3RD TIME. IT WAS REPLACED FOR A THIRD TIME. THE LIGHT IS NOW ON AGAIN, AND SOMETIMES MY BREAKS FEEL AS IF THEY ARE GOING TO FAIL. I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM, AS WELL AS THE PARTS REPLACED, AND I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. WHAT CAN I DO?*AK

THE 4L60E TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE RUNNING HOT DURING WARMER SUMMER WEATHER & WHILE DRIVING UP HILLS TOWING A TRAILER. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO SEEMS TO BE SHIFTING ROUGH DURING WARMER SUMMER MONTHS TOO. THERE IS A SHUDDER EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE DURING LOW SPEED TURNING. NOW THERE IS A NOISE CONSISTENT WITH A SPEED AROUND 55 MPH. *JB

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN RT 33 IN PA NEAR NEAR THE SNYDERSVILLE EXIT WHEN THE CAR STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLABLY. IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR. I PULLED OFF TO THE SHOULDER. I WALKED AROUND THE CAR & SAW THAT THE HUB CAP WAS MISSING. THE WHEEL WAS BARELY BEING HELD ON THE CAR BY TWO POSTS WITH NONE OF THE NUTS ON THEM. THREE POSTS HAD BROKEN OFF. I LEARNED FROM THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS. I MENTIONED THE INCIDENT TO MY COUSIN AND HE TOLD ME IT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM TWICE. EVIDENTALLY, WHAT HAPPENS WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS IS IF ALL NUTS ARE NOT TIGHTENED PROPERLY THE ALUMINUM VIBRATES LOSENING THE OTHER NUTS. I WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FIXED THE CAR FOR FREE. THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS DOES HAPPEN AND THAT THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS 100% OF THE TIME DUE TO HUMAN ERROR. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WITH STEEL WHEELS. THE WHEEL COULD HAVE FALLEN COMPLETELY OFF DOING MUCH MORE DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE AXEL COULD HAVE DUG IN AND I COULD HAVE FLIPPED. I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THAT VEHICLE. MORE VEHICLES COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILLED. THE MATERIAL NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO ELIMINATE THESE VIBRATIONS OR SOME SYSTEM OF LOCKING THE NUTS BE DEVISEDSO THEY CAN'T UNSCREW UNLESS IT IS INTENDED. THIS HAPPENS WAY TOO OFTEN AND FROM WHAT LEARNED FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TOW DRIVER. THERE IS NO WAY TO SEE THIS COMING WITH THE WAY WHEELS ARE DESIGNED THE NUTS ARE COVERED. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE TO TAKE OUT HUMAN ERROR OR TO MAKE MORE LEEWAY FOR SUCH ERROR. CHANGING THE MATERIALS USED OR THE DESIGN COULD ACCOMPLISH THIS. I CALLED 911 AND DALE CHAN OF DC TOWING, TELEPHONE NUMBER 570.992.4311 WAS SENT. I DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT. I THINK IT WAS JULY OR AUGUST. THE DATE I PUT IN WAS JUST TO GET THROUGH THE REQUIRED FIELDS. *AK