Government Probes Hummer H2 for Defects

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - Federal regulators are investigating the Hummer H2 after receiving three reports of wheels falling off the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (news - web sites) said Monday.

Involved in the investigation are Hummer H2s from the 2003 and 2004 model years. General Motors Corp. said there are approximately 59,670 of those on the road.

Four drivers reported a fracture in the steering knuckle, which allows the wheels to turn. All said they lost control, including one driver whose H2 veered into oncoming traffic and ended up in a ditch on the other side of the road. In three of the cases, a wheel fell off.

The Hummer H2, which starts at around $50,000, weighs 6,400 pounds and is one of the largest sport utility vehicles on the road.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041206/ap_on_go_ot/hummer_investigation

[Benhurst]

1. There ought to be a special Darwin Award for Hummer owners. nt

[Deja Q]

2. Hmmm. Probing a hummer. In a different context, that would be gross.

Why bother probing them? They're overpriced crap that do no good to anybody.

[jmowreader]

4. Because a lot of people bought them

If my theory (see post 3) is correct, there are 56,000 rolling time bombs on the road.

And guess what, fellow liberal who drives small, fuel-efficient, ecologically-more-responsible vehicle? Uncontrollable three-ton behemoths going in random directions are just as capable of wiping out DUers as they are of eliminating freepers. So this is of specific concern to you.

[jmowreader]

3. I'd bet a dollar this is the problem

The Hummer H2 is built on the Chevrolet Suburban 1500 chassis. This is a good dependable frame they've been making since 1936--yes, Suburbans have been around that long; my dad drove them when he was in the Bureau of Public Roads. And the H2 probably has the exact same suspension you'll find under a Suburban 1500.

Unfortunately, a Suburban weighs 5474 lbs, according to Chevrolet. It's made to load up past 6400, of course--the Suburban was originally intended to carry work crews--but they don't expect you to load the vehicle to its GVWR then leave the load in it all the time. This is, in a nutshell, what you're dealing with in a Hummer--a truck loaded past its wear limit all the time.

Any vehicle will break if you abuse it--and Hummers are a clear case of vehicular self-abuse.

The fix is actually pretty simple if GM doesn't mind dropping a thousand dollars per example--extreme-duty suspensions for Suburbans are available.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. You make an excellent point.

I wonder if part of the reason for using the 1500 chassis is to give a smoother ride even at the expense of safety. They are marketed toward people who want to "look cool" and still ride in comfort. As are most of the useless SUV's on the market today. I have ridden in Suburbans with the heavy duty work-horse suspensions and know they don't ride like ones the soccer mom's used to all drive.

Just a guess here, I have never ridden in one of the yuppie Hummers. The last one I was in was ex-military. Very rough ride.

[jmowreader]

10. I think that's part of it

The biggest part, of course, is that the 1500-series chassis is lighter--hence less expensive to make--than the 2500 chassis.

Now given that, the H1 is not going to be affected by this recall. The H1 is just an M998 HMMWV, and the chassis is completely different.

[physioex]

16. I understand what you are saying....

So why didn't the "smart folks" at GM then design the H2 around the 2500 or 3500 chasis. The basic difference between the 1500 and 2500 is the heavy duty suspension (leaf springs, shocks, and tires). I agree the 1500 suspension is probably over worked on the Hummer2 and cannot handle the tires and extra weight. Had they done this intially, it might not have added much to the cost of the vechicle.

However I am glad the H2 is having all these problems combined with poor econonmy. The morans who bought these things are getting exactly what they deserve.

[jmowreader]

19. Because a 2500 Suburban rides like a Conestoga wagon

Say you're a soccer mom. You have a $50,000 line of credit in your hot little hands and you and your husband are looking for an SUV. You drive the Hummer, the 1500 Suburban, the Lexus, the Honda Pilot and a few others. If the Hummer were to beat the shit out of you every time you hit a pothole, it would get crossed off the list quick.

Another difference between the 1500 Suburban and the 2500 Suburban is that the control arms and steering knuckles on a 2500 are much more substantial than the control arms on a 1500--and steering knuckles are the big problem here.

Did you ever read a book called Wheels by the same guy who wrote Airport--Arthur Hailey, IIRC? It was a novel about the auto industry. In it they had to make a fix to a car they were getting ready to introduce, and they were bitching because the fix cost $5 per car. That's how nit-picky manufacturers have always been about things like this.

[bunkerbuster1]

18. "Hummers are a clear case of vehicular self-abuse."

that was beautiful, man.

[Chicago Democrat]

5. The problem is that

their owners are jerks.

[benburch]

8. Amen, brother. nt

[scrantonlib17]

9. Personally

I believe they are just overcompensating for something. Ha!

[FlyByNight]

6. I thought the defects were...

the people driving them.

:evilgrin:

[Cory Laf]

12. But Ahhhhnold drives one!

O wait..that further proves your point

[hatrack]

15. Damn! I was just going to say . . .

. . . did they check behind the wheel? :evilgrin:

[sakabatou]

11. Other problems with the vehicle included:

guzzling too litle gasoline
not running enough people over
and not ruining the enviroment enough

These problems will be corrected to destroy mother earth and inocent bystanders.

[Mika]

13. When a H2 hit my Altima the wheel came off the Hummer

Totaled my Nissan.

The H2 was taken away on a flatbed. Wheel busted at the steering knuckle.

[Elidor]

14. Better they should probe the drivers for defects

I just have to laugh whenever I see a Jeep with that "Hummer Rescue Team" sticker. So true.

[PatriotGames]

17. LOL @ Hummer drivers.