NHTSA complaint: 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:TORSION BAR
THE PASSENGER SIDE "SWAY BAR", "STABILIZER BAR", OR "TORSION BAR" (UNSURE OF TRUE NAME) CAME UNDONE WHILE MY WIFE, FOUR KIDS, AND MY MOTHER WERE DRIVING IN THE VEHICLE. I KNOW SEVERAL MECHANICS AND NONE HAD EVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO SUCH A NEW VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE VEHICLE WITH NO PROBLEM. THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS SORT OF THING HAPPENING EITHER. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED FROM THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THE PREVIOUS OWNER "MUST HAVE LOWERED THE FRONT END." I HAVE PARKED NEXT TO OTHER SUBURBANS AND MINE WAS EQUAL IN HEIGTH TO THE OTHER VEHICLES. I FEEL THIS IS JUST AN EXCUSE TO WHY THERE WAS SUCH A FAILURE IN THE SUSPENSION OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY MY WIFE WAS ONLY TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE THING FELL APART. I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I SPOKE TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE VEHICLE WAS USED BY HIS WIFE AND WAS TRADED BECAUSE SHE WANTED SOMETHING NEWER. I ASKED IF ANYTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO THE VEHICLE HE REPLIED "I DIDN'T EVEN OWN IT FOR A FULL YEAR" AND THAT NOTHING WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE. I FELT THE NEED TO REPORT THIS BECAUSE I FEEL I MAY HAVE COME VERY CLOSE TO LOOSING MY FAMILY, AND IF I REPORT IT IT COULD BE RESEARCHED TO INSURE THAT THIS TYPE OF THING DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE.*AK
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation