2001 Chevrolet Tracker: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Dec 27, 2019 · Steering · NC

Inside tie rod end do not line up properly with outside tie rod ends are fine and in a sharp turn it cause the front to shake very bad I can lift 300 lb and it took everything I had to control it from rolling over. Mechanic said I muscled the metal in to place and damage both inside tie rods ends only. I have no replaced them yet not sure what to do. I if I had not been strong enough to bend the medal there would have been a wreck. I been know break and bend parts like this before.

Filed Mar 28, 2017 · Suspension · 131,762 miles · TX

Passenger front lower control arm mounting bracket has detached from the front crossmember. Happened today march 28th 2017. Vehicle was originally sold and driven in north missouri. Does have considerable rust, but didn't know the suspension mounting point would break free? I was a few blocks from my residence when it happened and no injuries occurred. It happened on north side dr. In fort worth,tx. Overcast, dry pavement on traffic. I hit bumps on railroad crossing and quite a few potholes.

Filed Jul 10, 2015 · Suspension · 130,000 miles · DC

My mechanic advised me that the front suspension cross member is rusted to the point the it will snap off. When I make a right hand turn or go over bumps I can hear cracking noises. Contacted chevy (gm) was advised that I am 4 years too late in contacting them. Asked about the recall, they told me it was a silent recall. And because I live in a state that has snow and ice this contributed to the problem. I advised that is this is the case then every car in this state would have the same problem. Following is from gm's website: " front suspension cross member did not receive adequate corrosion protection. The result of this condition may be most noticeable on vehicles driven in areas where rust is most common, such as areas where salt is used to control snow and ice. The corrosion may advance and cause rust-through perforation of the cross member in the area of the left or right front lower control arm attachment brackets. As the corrosion progresses the cross member will become thinner and the attachment brackets and the perforations will grow in size. If there are substantial amount of perforations, the left and right front lower control arm attachment brackets will become weakened and begin to flex. If this occurs, the customer may notice front tire wobble, steering looseness, vehicle pull to one side, front end noises (clunk, bang, rattle, etc) vehicle shaking, or steering wheel rotation when shifting from reverse to drive and drive to reverse.

Filed Nov 1, 2009 · Airbags, Suspension · 116,000 miles · OR · crash · 1 injury

10/29/2009, 2001 tracker zr2 model, vehicle traveling 50 MPH with a slight right hand turn in road, west bound on hwy 26 far left hand lane. Heard a loud bang, vehicle became uncontrollable, went into right hand spin, crossed three lanes of traffic and hit concrete barricade on far right hand of hwy. Driver was slammed into window and sustained minor injuries, air bags did not deploy. Inspection of vehicle reveals damage to left rear fender, door and both wheels. Lower control arm came loose, steering rod broke in half and destroyed the rack housing. Could have died in this accident, so very lucky here.

Filed Sep 29, 2008 · Body · 183,251 miles · MI

My wife was on her way to work when she stopped at a stop sign, the car veered to the left and was hard to steer. I was at a friends house and she brought the vehicle over there for me to check out. After lifting the front end, the right side lower control arm fell off of the crossmember. After closer inspection, the entire crossmember is rusted through. If the control arm had fallen while she was driving, the car may have flipped causing injuries or possibly death. Chevrolet knew about this problem since at least december of 2006 and issued a special coverage bulletin. I never received a letter informing me of any problem. After calling the gm consumer help desk, I was informed that they would not be covering my vehicle due to the mileage. Since this is not a part which is subject to wear and tear it should be covered under a time , not mileage, constraint if any, since this is a safety issue.

Filed May 14, 2002 · Steering · NM

While driving bolt on tie rod came loose, causing front wheel to cave in.