Fighting GM for the cradle recall *UPDATE W/ PICS*

[1990lumina]

Is changing the bolts and retainers? hard?? Or are the parts expensive?

 

I know my dad's Taurus when he had a new steering rack installed, the guy replaced all the subframe bolts, he showed us the old ones which were more then half worn through lol

[CowboyBilly9Mile]

 

What is it going to take for me to get GM to actually do this recall, Ive called buick and the buick dealership, some head guy from GM is supposed 2 call me tomorrow...

 

 

I think the NHTSA (ie, Federal Government) would really like to hear about an auto manufacturer and dealership that refuse to honor a safety recall. You will find a phone number on their website.

 

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/

[gp90se]

I will take pics of the old vs new (the old bushing is broken in 3 places and actually came around the retainer). Buick called me on friday and told me they will not do the recall, so im SOL.

 

Parts from GM was supposed 2 be around $70/side for the bushing, bolt and retainer. I called in a favor from a buddy of mine at a dealer, payed $30 for both and took me about 15 minutes to put in 1 side, with a busted thumb.

 

I don't think a writeup is needed, it is very straight foward 2 do. I placed 1 floorjack under the body of the car and lifted the body up a little (wheel was still on the ground). Placed another jack under the subframe and lifted untill the bushing had no weight on it. Took a 15mm socket and a breaker bar, broke the bolt free, removed it, pulled down on the bushing and it popped right off. Took the new bushing, put a little lube on the inside of it, slid it up as far as it would go onto the mount, put the bolt into the retainer and tightend it up.

 

The car does need an allighment after. I must have moved the mount accidently so I will be doing the other side and getting it alligend at the shop soon.

 

I will be filing a complaint with the highway safty commission in the near future, just need to find some free time.

 

 

[GP1138]

I will be filing a complaint with the highway safty commission in the near future, just need to find some free time.

 

Wish I'd thought of that.

[White93z34]

in my opinion this is one of the things that is bringing GM down, several people here have fought GM to no end, and either had to fix it themselves or had it break on them. its absoutley crazy that we have to put up with this. for example my grandmother had a 1987 Civic, after she quit driving back in 2001 or so my dad started using the car to get around town, there was a seatbelt recall on it many years ago when it was about brand new, he took it to the honda dealer they checked the vin and looked at the broken seatblet latch, ordered in the parts and replaced it with ZERO complaining.

 

and my camaro it has the trypical seatbelt recall open on it, which i've fought with GM for, and they REFUSE to replace the defective parts, even though i know everyone whos owned the car since brand new, and i know for a fact that it hasen't been done.

 

[/end rant]

[5speedz34]

Happen to have the part #'s for those?

 

im gonna replace mine, got to much into this thing to have the cradle fall....

 

 

 

Someone needs to make some customs poly ones.

[gp90se]

I will be filing a complaint with the highway safty commission in the near future, just need to find some free time.

 

Wish I'd thought of that.

 

did you get anywhere witht he highway commish?

 

I was thinking about cutting a set of poly mounts, but after really thinking about it, the rubber bushings will do the job fine. fabbing up a set of subframe connectors wouldnt be a bad idea, If I get bored and borrow the welder, i might make up a set

 

[GP1138]

I will be filing a complaint with the highway safty commission in the near future, just need to find some free time.

 

Wish I'd thought of that.

 

did you get anywhere witht he highway commish?

 

I was thinking about cutting a set of poly mounts, but after really thinking about it, the rubber bushings will do the job fine. fabbing up a set of subframe connectors wouldnt be a bad idea, If I get bored and borrow the welder, i might make up a set

 

 

I meant I hadn't. I didn't even think of doing it.

[gp90se]

Took me some time, finally snapped some pics with the cell phone

 

Old mount:

 

 

The new one:

 

I lodged an offical complaint with the NHTSA, but because the car is over 10 years old, it isnt going to get me anywhere.

[GP1138]

I lodged an offical complaint with the NHTSA, but because the car is over 10 years old, it isnt going to get me anywhere.

 

Absolutely awful. What an organization. These are exactly the kinds of complaints they SHOULD follow through on. Not everyone can afford a new car, or even to fix an old one. Why should they pay (sometimes with their lives, dramatic but it's true) for GM's mistake???

[R Dubya]

What year is the car we are talking about here? At the latest '94? I mean I know it sucks these things have to be done, but for the amount of money and time it takes for your own safety its better to just have it done. I get calls at work about early 90's LeSabres, Devilles and of course w-bodies for cradle to body mounting. You have to expect problems with these cars, especially for being 12+ yrs old, but I do know the idea that there was once a recall and is no longer honored is a kick in the balls. I applaud you for taking it as far as you did, I never got anywhere with mine. Just best to save up the $$ an do it, otherwise it's big bucks if the cradle falls and the steering rack busts. The hardest part of the job is that sometimes the bolts break, how's it working on this one?

[jeremy]

You have to expect problems with these cars, especially for being 12+ yrs old, but I do know the idea that there was once a recall and is no longer honored is a kick in the balls

 

the issue is the fact that the recall was a safety recall and should still be honored regardless of the vehicle's age.

[dbtk2]

Same problem here. dealership tried to tell me my VIN was wrong on my registration card because they couldn't find it in the "system". I went back a couple days later to try again, and this time the guy told me he found it and that the cradle recall had already been done to my car. It was never done, I've had this car the whole time. They like to lie.

 

FWIW every single time I go to the dealer to get parts for my STE they tell me that the car doesn't exist. I give them the vin number and they say there is no such car. I tell them that it is definately the vin number that is on the car and the car definately does exist, either that or somebody did a damn good job of putting that fake vin number on every part of the car that is supposed to have the vin number on it, and they made it a vin number that actually tells all the right stuff about the car, and they gave the car a prior history on carfax. Then I give them the vin for my dads TGP instead and it works just fine. I think their computers are just shitty.

 

Also, I will be trying to fight GM about this cradle recall as well. I have replaced the cradle bushings in my STE twice and the bolts once. (got it in December of 2003) And every single spring we have to replace the bushings in my dads TGP. (got it December of 2002) We have also had the cradles welded up on both cars because the cradles rotted out around where the bushings sit on them and then they aren't supported in that spot anymore. I don't know what it is but I have had huge problems with them. Every single year the cradle in my dads TGP just starts creaking like crazy and you can feel it shift underneath the car as you turn corners, accelerate, or brake, it doesn't feel or sound safe at all, when I look under the car, without a doubt it is usually only held up by 2 or 3 of the 4 corners. The parts are cheap it only costs like $13 for all the bushings. (of course I pay wholesale so its probably like twice that actually) And, they always have them in stock too so obviously they know its something they sell or they wouldn't have them in stock. For that price its not worth fighting GM about it IMO, however I have replaced them so many times that I think next time I will fight them for BOTH cars just because its BS that they won't do something about it. I know the dealer by me will give in eventually, afterall if they gave in on a $1700 transmission by me just telling them they're full of shit over the phone, then I don't see why they wouldn't give in on some rubber bushings.

 

Shawn

[5speedz34]

Shawn, about the dealer and not being able to find shit. I went in there and they tried telling me that my car didn't have a 5speed. I gave the RPO code and everything, finally they got a guy that knows his shit.

[gp90se]

I got all the parts wholesale, only have done the failed side (other side looks in good shape, so im putting it off for now)

 

How does a safty recall get disposed of after X amount of years if they still make the replacement parts?

[RareGMFan]

 

How does a safty recall get disposed of after X amount of years if they still make the replacement parts?

 

It doesn't get disposed of. They are responsible for doing it. They're just going to give you an extremely hard time about it in hopes of you just getting lost and leaving them alone so they don't have to do it.

[CowboyBilly9Mile]

And this is why I suggested contacting the NHTSA (gov't) earlier. The motor vehicle safety act of 1965 dictated that auto manufactures are to be in a position to contact a vehicles current owner in the event of a safety recall. With todays computers and DMV records, that's a piece of cake. Not sure on how long a safety recall is enforceable, but since the keyword is safety I don't think that the car in question is really an exceptionally old car. Thus, GM needs to pony up. Get an earful from the gov't and hopefully they will crank up the heat on GM.

[R Dubya]

You have to expect problems with these cars, especially for being 12+ yrs old, but I do know the idea that there was once a recall and is no longer honored is a kick in the balls

 

the issue is the fact that the recall was a safety recall and should still be honored regardless of the vehicle's age.

 

Had my GP inspected a few weeks back, and we ran the vin to be sure there were no open recalls on it. And there aren't. They close them after a period of time. I know it sucks but it happens. I've seen Lesabres and other GM cars have issues with cradle mounting, but they were never done under recall. The point is that after a certain length of time, regardless of what we think, it is our responsibility to keep the cars safe and driveable. I know it sucks and it "should be honored".

 

The irony is that most of our cars probably were already serviced and they are failing again. That's something they won't do, recall a car twice, even if they didnt fix the problem, just replace the faulty part.

 

I bet Toyota wouldn't give you a hard time at all. GM is so half assed!

[Stevo]

I lodged an offical complaint with the NHTSA, but because the car is over 10 years old, it isnt going to get me anywhere.

 

Funny because it's a giant hunk of metal hurling down the road that could do just as much damage as a new car which could have the same impact if it too was requiring the same kind of recall.