The bigger they are, the harder they fall: H2 knuckles under

PlanoA4 submitted on 09/19/2006 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 9:19 AM
from: www.autoblog.com

[40] user comments | category: Misc News

Tags: H2 NHTSA

H2 NHTSA

For thousands of different reasons, millions of people have purchased SUVs in the past several years. The high seating position gives a commanding view of the road and a sense of invincibility. The high ground clearance and off-road tires let you know they can handle just about anything thrown their way. The rugged industrial looks and powerful motors add to the driver's self-confidence and sense of power. Particularly in the case of the HUMMER.

Many folks who have purchased H1s, H2s and H3s have done so because of the sense of security they get knowing that should an accident occur, they and their loved ones will be protected inside. So you can imagine the confusion Iris Ziroli felt when the front end of her H2 ground into the pavement after nudging a pole in her local fast food drive-thru. No hard impact or off-road activity, just a low-speed minor collision and the HUMMER is down for the count.

Apparently Iris is among 20 Hummer H2 owners whose cases are sitting on the desks of the NHTSA as they investigate whether a faulty steering knuckle on 2003 model year H2s is to blame. The part in question was apparently changed in 2004 but it's possible that the 47,900 other 2003s on the road might have a similar propensity for nosedives. The NHTSA has also collected data on 61 similar cases involving Suburbans and Avalanches that used the same knuckles. GM, for its part, is saying that cause and effect are being mixed up in these cases. It was the initial impacts that caused the knuckle failures, not the knuckle failures causing the accidents. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported in these cases and the investigation continues.
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johannas - 9/19/2006 10:29:37 AM

+1 Boost

logical,
Easy big fella. It's a little early in the day for such a broadly sweeping condemnation of our blue collar workers.

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BavarianMotorrad - 9/19/2006 10:40:20 AM

+1 Boost

"lazy, overpaid American workers". Interesting comment logical although I can't say that I agree however. You sound like a punk - and keep in mind I'm no fan of 'substandard' American cars either.

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Hose - 9/19/2006 11:16:41 AM

+1 Boost

I'm no fan of substandard American cars either, but the reason I won't buy German* is because they are waaaay overpriced. My perception is that's because their auto workers get $80,000/year for installing lug nuts.. and get 6 weeks paid vacation.

*I do, however, LEASE German... A6 Turbo.

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Hose - 9/19/2006 11:24:36 AM

+1 Boost

BTW... I've had Mercedes and BMW... they have NOTHING on the Audi Turbo!

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Mark - 9/19/2006 11:39:57 AM

+1 Boost

Logical,
You care to expand and explain the difference between the "lazy, overpaid, American auto workers"; and those workers from what ever plant you fly in from?

Or are you going to follow your tradition and not follow through?

....still wouldn't own an H2, no need for one so I don't have to worry about that problem.

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1995e34 - 9/19/2006 12:07:46 PM

+3 Boost

yes, a faulty steering knuckle...lazy workers...those assembly line workers shouldve engineered a better steering knuckle, despite it not being their job.

that said, it's one less stupid hummer on the road. let's all be thankful.

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stimling - 9/19/2006 12:51:26 PM

+4 Boost

Clearly, the people who drive hummers are the biggest pricks on the road. Their sense of invulnability makes them road and parking lot hogs.

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bubbahotep - 9/19/2006 1:38:03 PM

+3 Boost

The only HUMMERS I like are from females....

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scottcampbell10 - 9/19/2006 2:48:49 PM

+1 Boost

Were you molested by an autoworker when you were younger?

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1995e34 - 9/19/2006 3:04:40 PM

+1 Boost

"american auto worke is a lazy POS, overpaid A**hole and singularly responsibel for the state of the industry"

wow, talk about scapegoating. i don't know, maybe it is the individual worker's fault. but most of the time, a problem is a composite of many things. i don't know exactly what is the main problem with the american manufacturers. i plan on being well imbeded in the industry shortly. i get a feeling it's not just a case of lazy union bums.

first off, i don't think the workers made the decision to completely invest in suv development over the past decade. i think that may be as big a hambone as the uaw anyday.

i'm plenty critical of american manufacturers, but i think your diagnosis may be a bit nearsighted.

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gearguru - 9/19/2006 5:00:24 PM

+1 Boost

they pee'ed all over hummers name... i remember when it was just the H1 and it was a MANS car. and now you got the h2 and the h3 ... GET YOUR GIRL ON... whats the world comming to

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Lexus - 9/19/2006 5:27:55 PM

+1 Boost

So much for "Getting Out of my Way because I drive a hugemonous H2" ah.ah...ha....ha..ha..ha.. I guess the H2 is not as tough as it look on the road. I thought it suppose to be tough enough to handle anything, apparently not.

Lexus

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krzykarl - 9/19/2006 7:32:16 PM

+1 Boost

Way to mess up the good part of the pic with the Auto Spies logo!!!! great thinking on that one!!!!

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I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 9/19/2006 9:08:28 PM

+1 Boost

zedani24

Thanks for that link
Gonna send it to my friend who likes to rent H2s from Hertz Miami to show him how unsafe that Vehicle is in the event of rollovers.

People just assume from the H2's Looks that it is some Super Strong Behemoth that can survive anything & they drive em on the freeways at speeds over 80mph. ( Its Suicide i tell ya )

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S4cabriofox - 9/19/2006 9:25:18 PM

+1 Boost

Good.

Hummers suck!

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Mark - 9/20/2006 7:39:34 AM

+1 Boost

logical, how is the auto worker single handedly responsible for the demise of the American car market? What is your problem with America? Did we deny your visa or something or are you just one of those American hating wanks that have nothing between your ears when your mouth opens.

Try this. Shut your mouth, go back and read (if you can) up on the history of the American auto companies and how they got to where they are today. It's not the workers fault that the company decided to give them the benefits and salary. They don't decide what cars to build and how to build them. But then again this is probably too many words for you.

And bavarian was right.

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Sauceboy01 - 9/20/2006 1:10:43 PM

+1 Boost

POS

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bigslick83 - 9/20/2006 2:47:07 PM

+2 Boost

hummers are great cars...for the military, and they should have stayed that way. an h1 is the uglyest, shittyest riding, rollover prone, and rpg proof vehicle ever built. it should have stayed that way. they did some queer eye make over and now they are a gas guzzling, monster that make roads MORE dangerous for anyone else not driving a sherman tank.

vehicles like this should be outlawed YES outlawed! and prohibited from use other than for agrecultural and military use. not shoe shopping on rodeo drive, where you were talking on your phone and yelling at the soccer team in back when you get in a fender bender and total 8 cars leaving 3 dead and 10 injured.

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johannas - 9/20/2006 3:06:16 PM

+2 Boost

^^ well said.

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Jay7 - 9/20/2006 5:01:21 PM

0 Boost

What is up with all the Hummer hating? The Hummer is just one of those vehicles that are for a certain type of person. Obviously everyone on this site is concerned about going from 0-60 in 3.5secs. That sounds kinda dangerous to me "bigslick93." Maybe those speed machines should be outlawed.

Gas guzzling monsters? Are you serious? At least 6-7 people can fit in the hummer. I don't know if 4 people could fit in any car that does 0-60 in under 4.5 secs.

Hummers are American, unique, and big. You gotta love 'em.

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Jay7 - 9/20/2006 5:03:46 PM

+1 Boost

Oh, the last point. Those cars go from 0-60 in 4.5secs use just as much, if not more gas than the H2.

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stimling - 9/20/2006 5:44:42 PM

0 Boost

Sure those SUVs can hold 6-7 people but they usually only have the driver in them.

Hummer H2: Too Big for the Road, Too Big for the Parking Lot and Too Big for their Faulty Steering Knuckles.

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1995e34 - 9/20/2006 5:52:15 PM

0 Boost

nobody would bitch about the hummers if they actually WERE hauling a full load, but many INDIVIDUALS drive them as a commuter car, clog roads, and not only are inneficient, they add to other car's being less efficient.

"Hummers are American, unique, and big. You gotta love 'em."

that's why there's a big hole in manhattan

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huu76 - 9/20/2006 10:43:51 PM

+1 Boost

logical,
So are the autoworkers in Texas, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio working for Toyota and Honda lazy Americans too?

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huu76 - 9/20/2006 10:46:35 PM

+2 Boost

Jay,
That is true, especially those V8-V12 2 seaters (i.e. SLR, Viper, M6 etc.) that usually only have 1 person in them too.

I like the H1, not a fan of the H2.

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Jay7 - 9/21/2006 2:41:31 AM

+1 Boost

1995e34,

America is the land of the free. If you want to drive an 18 wheeler as a communter car you can. That you gotta' love.

Clog roads? How often are you on the road and its clogged b/c of a Hummer. They're not exactly the most inexpensive vehicles. Thus, they are sorta rare. Come on....lets be logical.

Inefficient? About as inefficient as a M6.

They add to other cars being less efficient? I don't even want to know how you measured this....think about your argument.

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1995e34 - 9/21/2006 5:47:57 AM

0 Boost

jay7,

i don't think being inconsiderate of the rest of the world is what makes u.s.a. the land i love. and i wasn't aware that the u.s. was unique in that it was the only country you can commute in a mack truck. and if that's so, i'm not sure if that'sanything to be proud of.

and it may not specifically be the hummer that is clogging roads, but large suvs with few occupants, particularly in urban/suburban areas. so centering on hummer may be a tad unfair, but it is the brand that has emerged as solely an suv maker during a time when we needed it least.

and yes, the m6 is inneficient. i would never own one. EVEN if i won the lottery. i love cars like that, but i would still drive a german 6-cyl. that got me at least 25mpg.

the m6 is far rarer than the hummer/suburban. i have never even seen an m6 on the road, but i see several hummers daily.

my reference to making other cars more inneficient comes from 2 areas. first, and most directly, anything that slows traffic, whether it be a redlight or a lumbering suv adds to the cummulative inneficiency of every car on the road. this goes back to the "road-clogging" argument, since slower traffic means more gas used, means less efficient. now obviously you don't get home from work and look at the gas gauge saying "oh my god, honey, take a look, i got stuck behind 4 hummers today!" it's not that blatant, but when you consider an entire nation with millions of cars on the road, it really adds up.

the second area of added inefficiency is from the r&d dollars used to invest in development of suvs by american manufacturers which otherwise would be used to develope cars. chasing this suv trend will come back to bite the big three americans. their bread n' butter is and always has been sedans. but now it's time to play catchup because they have let their sedans lag behind, while imports have continued development of theirs.

while i'm at it, the more suvs on the road, the more other drivers are likely to drive a larger vehicle for safety. i drive a mid-size car. i would love to drive something a bit smaller, for better handling, efficiency, and just a cheaper car. but as long as there are as many large vehicles on american roads, there's no way i'm going smaller than a mid-size. and i'm clearly not the only person who thinks this way. that is the logic many have used to buying an suv in the first place. it's cyclical.

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bigslick83 - 9/21/2006 3:37:24 PM

+1 Boost

how come i cant drive a monster truck down the road? or a huge john deer tractor, or a bulldozer, or a tank? or a car that does 300 mph? prob the same reason these should not be produced for the public. they make the road unsafe for normal everyday comuters. are you telling me a hummer is better for transoporting people then the more versitile honda mini-van? that gets better gas mileage and is alot smaller. im not one of those centrulized government people but this is something that is already regulated, i just think it should apply to hummers too.

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Jay7 - 9/21/2006 7:45:29 PM

+1 Boost

bigslick83,

First of all, once again you as well as others are arguing that hummers cause traffic and make the road unsafe for other vehicles. I may be living in a closed world, but I have never personally seen a Hummer involved in an accident. I gonna guess that you haven't either. So where is the danger. I guess you expect that it must be dangerous b/c it is larger than your average vehicle.

Secondly, you can't compare a Hummer and a mini van. The mini van's sole purpose is to transport from A to B. The Hummer is a crossover vehicle. Its capable of performing on commuter streets and its capable of holding up off-road. Let me see you try to drive a mini-van off-road. You may need a Hummer to rescue you.

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1995e34 - 9/21/2006 8:30:22 PM

0 Boost

nobody takes hummers off-road. hummers are vanity cars for people who want to look tough. the danger arrives when an oversized 6000lb. hummer hits a car rather than a 3500lb. car hits it. the danger arreives when the hummer takes a city block to stop from highway speeds. the danger arrives when a driver stops paying attention to other cars, cause their the biggest thing on the road. wake up little boy!

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huu76 - 9/21/2006 11:28:17 PM

+1 Boost

I wouldn't be so sure about those union fellas in Germany. They tend to go on strike quite often and have even more union guaranteed holidays than the Americans. Infact, most of Europe (esp France) have like 5 weeks of legislated holidays per year, and 35hr work weeks max. Sounds to me it is the Europeans who are lazier overall.

I'd mention Mexico, but they're VW's problem.

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1995e34 - 9/22/2006 12:02:07 AM

+1 Boost

35 hr work week, and 5 weeks paid! i wouldn't know what to do with myself. but i do know it would probably add ten years to the end of my life

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johannas - 9/22/2006 11:03:28 AM

+2 Boost

"Sounds to me it is the Europeans who are lazier overall"

Not lazyier. They have learned the lesson of working to live, not living to work.

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huu76 - 9/22/2006 10:06:20 PM

+1 Boost

That is a good statement, but there's a difference between working to live and expecting everything to be handed to you.

All these socialist countries (France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden) have obscene tax rates and budget deficits from social spending. Whatever happened to taking care of yourself? So yes, they are lazy in that sense.

Too bad these countries didn't learn from the U.S. and Asian countries of working to better the next generation, instead of living every day as if it were your last and blowing all your money (France). If they did, their gov'ts wouldn't be going bankrupt by demanding everything under the sun.

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1995e34 - 9/23/2006 4:07:26 PM

+1 Boost

i'll take obscene tax rates as long as the money is well spent. like not spent in iraq!

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huu76 - 9/23/2006 9:58:32 PM

+1 Boost

Obscene tax rates and they still have a deficit. Yeah, great alternative. Atleast the Americans know exactly where their money is going.

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