1999 GMC Sonoma

THIS MESSAGE WAS ORIGINALLY SENT TO MY BROTHER ADVISING HIM OF THIS PROBLEM. BELOW IS THE EXPLANATION. IMAGINE THE TRUCK HAS A COUPLE OF TOW HOOKS ON THE FRONT END LIKE MINE DID. I WOULD BE CAREFUL USING THEM TO PULL THE VEHICLE OUT OF A HOLE ,USING ANYTHING OTHER THAN A CHAIN. CONVERSELY THE SAME WOULD APPLY IF ON WAS USING THEM TO PULL SOMETHING.*AK I HAVE BEEN USING MINE TO PULL THINGS FROM TIME TO TIME BUT MOSTLY TO RAISE THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK FOR OIL CHANGES ETC. TODAY LIKE ALWAYS, I USED MY AIR BUMPER JACK TO ENGAGE THE TWO HOOKS AND LIFT THE VEHICLE TO WORK ON. BECAUSE THE AIR JACK IS OLD AND LEAKS, WHEN YOU GET TO THE HEIGHT YOU WANT, IN A MOMENT OR TWO, THE JACK WILL USUALLY SETTLE BACK DOWN A BIT UNTIL IT ENGAGES THE SAFETY STOP. THIS USUALLY RESULTS IN A CLUNK AND SOME G LOAD TO THE HOOKS WHEN IT STOPS. TODAY WHEN IT SETTLED ONTO THE STOP, BOTH HOOKS FAILED AT THE FIRST ATTACHING BOLTS! THE AIR JACK VAULTED INTO THE AIR AND THE TRUCK CAME CRASHING DOWN TO THE GROUND. IN ANOTHER MOMENT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN HALF UNDER IT PLACING THE JACK STANDS! WHEN I THINK BACK, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I CHANGED THE OIL AND DID OTHER SERVICE WORK ON IT WITH NO SAFETY STANDS, AS THE AIR JACK HAS A SECURE SAFETY LATCH AND THE JACK PADS AND THE TOW HOOKS HAVE A POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT. IN LOOKING AT THE FAILURE, THERE ISN'T MUCH MEAT IN THE HOOK ASSEMBLY WHERE THE ATTACHMENT BOLTS ARE THREADED INTO THE SHANK OF THE HOOK. THE MATERIAL IS QUITE HARD AS THERE IS NO VISIBLE DEFORMATION IN THE FAILURE AREA. I GUESS IN RETROSPECT, THE HOOKS ARE THERE FOR PULLING AND NOT LIFTING BUT IF YOUR TRUCK WAS DOWN IN A DITCH YOU WOULD USE THESE HOOKS TO PULL/LIFT THE VEHICLE OUT. I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE STANDING IN THE WAY IF ONE OF THEM FAILED AND LAUNCHED A HOOK OF CONSIDERABLE MASS INTO THE AIR. JOHN

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEEL TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES FRACTURED UPON OPENING THE TAILGATE WITHOUT WARNING. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V129000, REGARDING THE TAILGATE HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. UPDATED 05/31/06. *TT

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE TAILGATE WAS OPENED THE HINGES BROKE. THE TAILGATE CAME TO REST ON THE BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V066000, REGARDING THE TAILGATE: HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE MODEL AND YEAR. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THE CONTACT WROTE TO GMC INQUIRING WHY THEY WERE ONLY RECALLING 1999-2000 MODELS. WHAT ABOUT OTHER MODELS OF GMC TRUCKS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM LIKE THE 19999-2000 SONOMA'S. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE CABLE BROKE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE TAILGATE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V066000, REGARDING THE TAILGATE: HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. UPDATED 03/28/06. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE DOOR HINGE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WORE OUT. THE WORN DOOR HINGE RESULTED IN A HOLE ON THE DOOR FRAME ALONG THE INNER PANEL. THE HINGE WAS REPLACED ONCE BEFORE BY A MECHANIC. THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND THE CONTACT HAD DIFFICULTY OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOOR. HE HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. *AK