Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 02/01/2012 | 130000 | ||
| This happened very suddenly. i applied the brake to enter the ramp to the highway and the car pulled to the left and made a noise. i thought it may be a bearing or brake problem but i had not had any issues before that so i went on since it seamed to be driving ok. while i was on the interstate i went to go into the left lane and realized there was a serious problem with the steering. i slowed down and got off the highway to the shop. i was told there the k frame had less than 1/2 before breaking completely and could have been a serious accident since it has to do with steering. i have regular maint on the car and there was no indication that this might happen. the underside is in very good shape. i had the frame replaced. i feel it was a defect in the frame. i'm sure im not the only one this has happened too. | |||
| 10/27/2011 | 170000 | ||
| Vehicle pulled when braking. symptoms started on a monday as a light pull. more noticable above 50 mph, and not noticible below 35. by thursday morning, pull was severe above 50mph. stayed till after 6:00 at night to avoid traffic. ride home was entertaining as steering wheel did not always go back to center when going straight. i thought i needed a steering rack until i inspected the vehicle on saturday. my inspection showed that front subframe (a.k.a. engine cradle) failed where the passenger side lower control arm rear bushing was attached. a sizable piece of frame ripped out, with bushing still attached to lower control arm. rusted perforations in subframe visable approximately 6 behind where frame failed. two sets of rims (summer and winter) with no dings testifies that vehicle never even hit a curb in 170,000 miles. 4 cylinder, so no exhaust nearby to weaken steel. bad choice of corrosion protection in a critical part of the frame, and/or undersizing of steel thickness to accomodate for corrosion is my estimate of failure mode. contacted dealer and no replacement parts available. well maintained vehicle, very disappointed it failed this way. last vehicle i junked was a 17 year old 1973 olds. everything but the subframe indicated i'd get another 5 years out of this vehicle. | |||