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GM "Special Policy"....waaaa??

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R6MGS

R6MGS

Yoda
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Alright, first a little background: The tail gate straps on my Sonoma are broken(looks like water got under the plastic covering and rotted the out in the middle)...I did some research to find that there is a recall on those cables, but only for fullsize GM trucks(2000-2004) So I did some more research and found that a month after that recall was issued GM issued a "special policy" regarding the Sonoma/S10 cables that states that if owners experience any problems with their cables that they can bring the vehicle to a dealer for replacement.
So my question is, when I bring my truck to the dealer what are they going to want from me??...I am sure they're not just going to fix it for me without some kind of hassle.
Also this policy was issued in June 2004, do they ever expire?
Whats the difference between a "special policy" and a recall?

I was going to just replace them myself, but I looked at it and there is a big rivet holding them into place, which has to be drilled out and replaced with a bolt...So if GM will do it free of charge I'll let them do it. When I called the closest GMC dealer the girl at the service department seemed clueless.

Thanks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
after that recall was issued GM issued a "special policy" regarding the Sonoma/S10 cables that states that if owners experience any problems with their cables that they can bring the vehicle to a dealer for replacement.






[/ QUOTE ]


I think that it pretty much explains itself, a recall would be a general recall eg. if the part wasnt defective they would replace it (prob if it was a safety item) In your case i think they would look at each one and decide if it was a viable one or not eg. if the cable was ok they would not replace it. Of course I could be totally way off on this.
 
Back inna 80's they called them "silent recalls"... I remember my dad fighting in rounds over defective paint on a 89 GMC Jimmy - the paint had been "silent" recalled, and the dealers were "suggested" to pay for repairs, but some (probably most) wanted to screw ya. Between that, and a brand new Monte Carlo (in 1981) that was constantly in the shop for something different - every week for 3 years, I will never own a GM vehicle.
 
I know GM takes alot of hits...but I own three GM vehicles and for the most part they haven't been any worse than any other car I've owned. The Camaro is the best car I've ever owned, reliability and durability wise with over 300,000k it still runs and looks like new - without ever requiring anything but normal maintence. The Caddy has been a bit of a PITA but it's mostly been small issues...I've been meaning to take it in to get the front suspension looked at(makes a rattling noise over bumps), last night the tail lights started acting weird(for the second time, they go out when you step on the brake), and the power windows work intermittently. The Sonoma has been great so far...other than an old serpentine belt that needed replacing it's been running great with no issues other than that, the tail gate cables, and a seat handle that was broken when I got it($12 ebay repair kit came in today). I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another GM vehicle, just not the real cheapo ones(aveo, malibu, etc).

Back on topic I called a few more dealers and ended up getting put on hold until I gave up, or being told to wait for a call back from the service manager(I am still waiting.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif I think I am going to have to bring it right to the dealer and make them look at it...with a quick inspection you can see it was an obvious design flaw that caused them to break.
 
Does it have a cable or a metal bracket that bends in the middle? My '92 Sonoma has the latter, my Dodge has a cable & one broke recently.
 
No, this is an actual cable....probably something like your Dodge? Did yours break in the middle of the cable? Both of mine broke dead centre...rusted right through.
 
Dead center
 
I wouldn't be surprised if they use the same cables then, or at least very similar in design....Both of mine broke at the same time, and the tailgate slammed down on the top of the bumper, surprisingly it didn't do any paint damage.
 
Think I'll drop by the Dodge dealer & inquire....
 
I guess they get water between the cover and the cable and because the tailgate is closed most of the time the water just sits in the loop and rusts the cable. You would think they could use stainless cable for that part (it would be cheaper in the long run) or perhaps they want you to keep buying replacements
 
Lemme know what they say....It'll probably be next week before I get mine in...Going on a TR parts trip this weekend.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I guess they get water between the cover and the cable and because the tailgate is closed most of the time the water just sits in the loop and rusts the cable. You would think they could use stainless cable for that part (it would be cheaper in the long run) or perhaps they want you to keep buying replacements

[/ QUOTE ]

According to the article I read the cables are stainless....but I am not sure what their definition of stainless is /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 
IIRC, 304 will also attract magnets. We used to test S/Steel scrap with magnets to weed out the 304 - and mark it appropriately. This was 14 years ago when I worked in a steel yard, for a scrap recycler.
 
Guess they should have made it out of "breakless"....
What haven't you done Kenny?
My interpretation of a "special policy" as opposed to a recall is, they mail out letters to all the owners in a recall, and request the owners to bring the car in to have the issue corrected.
YOur situation is where GM knows it's a problem, but not deserving of an all out recall. so they've told the dealers to fix it regardless of the vehicle being out of warranty, but only if a customer complains about it.
 
I haven't done brain surgery... But I have designed and built rockets before /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I like to learn new things constantly, so I have done a lot, but not nearly everything I want to do - hehehehehhehee.
 
Since about 82 I have solely owned GMs in England, Canada and the US and have been relatively happy with them. However, that started to change with a 99 Malibu. Once it was out of warranty, it had very problem that is mentioned on the other forum sites:
- leaking intake plenum - no recall even though they did a recall for exactly the same problem on my 01 Bonneville (more about that car to follow). They wanted ~$800 to repair it, so I did it myself over a weekend for the cost of the gaskets.
- front wheel hub failure.
- brake discs (warped) and pad changes every 2 years (same as all my other GMs. You would think that they could get the design right after all these years.
- fuel tank sender unit (car is built around it).
- heater blower resistor (same on son's Cavalier, which is probably the last GM I will buy for years until they get their act together).
- various fuel injection system problems.

The straw that broke the camel's back was when the rear window just dropped on my 01 Bonneville. A $10 plastic part had broken, but you had to buy the whole regulator and motor assembly. Got it at a discount through a contact, but it was still about $250; not happy, but sucked it up. Replaced it one morning, wife went to take the car out that afternoon and didn't reach the end of the driveway before the other one dropped due to exactly the same reason. In both cases the window was not being operated when it failed. Looked on the forums and found it was a common problem, even with some reports of the double failure. Submitted a complaint through the GM website, with a promise of a response within 48 hours - yea right. Phoned GM up, suggested that it might be a design fault when the rear windows are hardly ever used. Total dis-interest. The Pontiac dealer that sold me the car confirmed that the plastic was broken on both (now it's official as a professional had said so!!!), but then when GM phoned them they wouldn't offer a reason why. I won't be buying any more cars from them. They weren't happy that there are still a few of us who are able to work on their cars. They have said on occasion that with all the new technology it is beyond the capability of the amateurs. They again weren't happy, when I told them I was working on their "new technology" anti-lock brakes and engine control systems on 747's and DC10's back in the 70s and 80s.

Luckily this forum saved me $$$ as I had asked a question about repairing a radiator and was told about JB Weld. I used it on the second regulator with great success. It was a pity I didn't think of it until after I forked out the cash for the first regulator.

The Malibu had luckily got rear ended so the insurance company payout went towards a Toyota. Because of the windows I sold the Bonneville and am trying out a Subaru Legacy (the wife also wanted a smaller car), which I am so far very impressed with.

Thanks for letting me vent. As they say, people will tell 3 people about a good experience and at least 10 about a bad one. Due to the large membership of this forum that ratio might have just changed.
 
Well I am usually the one to defend GM(see my earlier post) But the Caddy's been in the shop since Friday and I am waiting for a nice bill to come my way....Front suspension rattles(even after most of it has been redone already), and then the auto release handbrake didn't release and warped the rear rotor along with burning right through the pads.

I did have window issues with the Caddy too....one rear window stopped working as soon as the car came off warantee(I've just left that becasue nobody ever uses it anyway), then the passenger window went a few months after - motor was shot even though at that time it had been used a few dozen times at most. I've also had countless other issues - sensors, alternators, A/C pump($1500 job), tranny sensors, front suspension issues - it's only got about 70,000 miles on it.

I will say in GM's defence that my 84 Camaro is the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned(never had any major issues in 300,000miles), and aside from a few cheap interior peices, and these cheap tailgate cables the Sonoma has been pretty good too.
 
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