NEWS:
Impala
owners sue GM over alleged
defect causing tires to wear out
DETROIT NEWS -- July 5, 2011 – A
class-action suit has been filed
against General Motors Co.,
complaining that GM fixed
rear-end problems on police
versions of 2007-08 Impalas, but
not those owned by some 400,000
other drivers.
The problem, according to the
lawsuit filed in federal court
in Detroit, causes owners to
burn through rear tires.
The suit was brought on behalf
of a Pennsylvania woman and
wants GM to replace potentially
faulty rear suspension rods. The
Detroit-based automaker sold
423,000 Impalas over the
two-year period.
The suit — if successful — could
cost GM millions of dollars in
replaced tires and parts. It's
the latest challenge by owners
to automakers who limit the
scope of auto recalls or service
campaigns. It's also sparked
dozens of angry complaints from
owners.
Americans spend about $20
billion annually on about 200
million replacement tires,
according to a 2006 government
report. Alignments and other
related issues add billions in
annual repair costs to the
nation's more than 250 million
vehicles on the roads.
The only owner currently named
in the suit, ..., of Blakely,
Pa., bought a new Chevrolet
Impala in February 2008 and said
the tires wore out within 6,000
miles. The GM dealer replaced
the tires and provided an
alignment, but didn't disclose
the spindle rod issue, the owner
said. According to the suit, GM
issued a service bulletin in
2008 for police versions of the
Impala.
Last November, the owner
couldn't pass an annual
inspection without getting
another set of rear tires — even
though the vehicle had fewer
than 25,000 miles.
"Despite having knowledge of
this premature wear problem,
(GM) has not recalled the
subject cars, which has required
class members to pay the cost of
fixing the defective spindle
rods as well as for replacement
tires and realignment," alleges
the lawsuit, filed last week.
In its July 2008 bulletin, GM
told its dealers to replace the
rods, align the rear wheels and,
if necessary, replace the rear
tires. Police agencies that had
replaced rear tires themselves
could seek reimbursement for a
year.
GM spokesman ..declined to
comment on the suit because the
automaker hadn't reviewed it. GM
spokeswoman .. declined to
comment on the suit, but said
the police version of the Impala
was different from those sold to
others. It has a special
electrical system and special
suspension system, she said, to
accommodate law enforcement
needs.
A
lawyer representing the owners,
said police Impalas were not
significantly different from
those sold to the general public
when it came to the rear tires
and performance of rods. "We
don't think there's a meaningful
difference in terms of the
defect," the laywer said Friday.
Lawyers for the owner cite
numerous complaints to the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and message
boards such as Edmunds.com,
carcomplaints.com and
aboutautomobile.com. The
government has never opened a
formal investigation into the
2007 or 2008 Impala.
A
complaint filed with the NHTSA
in March said the owner of a
2007 Impala replaced tires twice
in less than two years. The
owner also filed a complaint
with GM.
"Was told by my dealership that
GM knows about this problem and
has come out with a … kit to fix
problem, but I had to purchase
it," the owner wrote. "Excessive
wear is a safety problem and I
guess people have to die for
action to be taken."
Another complaint, also filed
with the NHTSA in March, said
the tires wore out in just 6,000
miles.
"The vehicle has 45,000 miles on
it and this is the second set of
tires in 6,000 miles," the
complaint said.
One complaint said the owner had
replaced tires three times on a
2008 Impala LTZ with 41,000
miles. "This is the first Chevy
Impala I have owned," the
complainant wrote in August
2010. "Was completely satisfied
with my Pontiacs."
The Georgia owner of a 2008
Impala LTZ who bought the car in
October 2009 said he had a
blowout in Bainbridge, Pa., in
February 2010 — "nearly causing
a crash" — after driving fewer
than 11,000 miles on a new set
of tires. "There is no way
possible that I should have to
be replacing two worn-out tires
within 10,829 miles," he wrote.
"This is unheard of."
Sean Kane, who heads the auto
safety group Safety Research &
Strategies, which often works
with plaintiff's attorneys, said
automakers frequently look to
reduce repair and recall costs.
"It's not uncommon to see
automakers try to limit the fix.
They may look to take care of
the biggest part of the problem
if it will save money," Kane
said
MORE RECALL INFO:
Chevrolet Impala
