THULE Complaints

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza equipped with a Thule Bike Carrier Part Number: SOA567B020 as well as Thule roof cross bars . After his first two uses of his roof rack, which were a 10 mile trip and then a 400 mile trip, he noticed one of the two bolts connecting the front of the roof rack to the front roof cross bar had failed . A weld to attach the head of the bolt to the body of the bolt (i.e., Part# 753-0242-06) failed and the head separated from the body of the bolt . This failure of one bolt made the connection by the front roof rack assembly unit to the front roof cross bar loose, which resulted in the entire bike rook rack being only loosely connected to the roof cross bars and unstable. The manufacturer repeatedly failed to address the report of this defect in email exchanges with the contact, although the manufacturer eventually refunded the purchase price to the contact . The contact retained the defective bolt and roof rack.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee equipped with a Thule removable roof rack. The model name was not provided. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, the J-bar, kayak, and the rack holder detached from the vehicle and flew onto the highway. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by voicemail. The contact was awaiting a callback. The Vin was unavailable. Consumer stated while driving on the Interstate (I-990) Highway…. everything that was strapped on the roof of the SUV blew off and shattered (items involved: Thule Roof Rack, Foldable J-Bar (2Pairs), & (2) Kayaks) into 3-Lane Highway. Prior to this, (@ approx 1211p) consumer called 9-1-1 to report the incident to Amherst Police, incident no.: [XXX], 07/05/2021, 12:16p). It has also caused Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSD) for the consumer. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)."

I HAVE A THULE BIKE CARRIER PACELINE 527. THIS HAS A FORK MORNING MECHANISM VERY SIMILAR TO THE SPRINT 528 WHICH HAS A RECALL. I HAD EXACTLY THE SAME FAILURE ON THE PACELINE. I CONTACTED THULE AN THEY SIMPLY HAD ME SEND IN THE FAILED UNIT AN SENT ME A DIFFERENT MODEL TO REPLACE IT AND MADE A POINT OF TELLING ME THEY DESTROYED THE FAILED UNIT. THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE IS THE SAME FAILURE AS THE SPRINT AND WILL NOT REPLACE THE OTHER ONE. THIS WAS A VERY SUDDEN FAILURE WHICH FORTUNATELY HAPPENED IN THE PARKING LOT. ON THE FREEWAY THIS WOULD HAV BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!

AS I WAS LEAVING A POPULAR COLORADO SKI AREA WITH MY SNOWBOARD SECURED AND LOCKED IN THE THULE "TRAM" SKI/SNOWBOARD CARRIER THE RETENTION BAR INEXPLICABLY RELEASED MY BOARD ONTO THE HIGHWAY CAUSING NUMEROUS VEHICLES TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED ON THE ICY ROAD TO HAVE TO SERVE OFF THE HIGHWAY. IT IS MIRACULOUS THAT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND INJURIES DID NOT OCCUR. MY SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT (NOW DESTROYED) WAS BRAND NEW AND OVER $1000 SO I HAD PAID SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ENSURING THAT THE RETENTION BAR WAS FULLY CLOSED WITH THE RELEASE BUTTON FULLY EXTENDED AND THAT THE LOCKING MECHANISM WAS ENGAGED (THE KEY IS NOT SUPPOSED TO TURN IN THE LOCK IF THE BAR ISN'T CLOSED FULLY). AS SOON AS THE SNOWBOARD FLEW INTO TRAFFIC BEHIND ME I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND VERIFIED THAT THE RELEASE BUTTON WAS STILL FULLY EXTENDED AND LOCKED (YOU CANNOT PUSH THE BUTTON TO RELEASE THE BAR WHEN IT IS LOCKED).

THIS IS A COMPLAINT FOR THULE NOT PROPERLY RESPONDING TO A REQUEST TO PERFORM UNDER A RECALLED PRODUCT. I HAVE A CX-9 '10. IN 2011 I PURCHASED A THULE ROOF RACK MOUNT MODEL 460 AT REI STORE IN NJ AND INSTALLED WITH KIT 3069 BY THE SAME STORE. A BOLT IN THE THULE MOUNT SNAPPED (SEE PIC) DURING OUR LAST TRIP IN OCT 2015 WITH THE BOX ON TOP. SINCE IT IS 4 YEARS OLD RACK I ASSUMED THAT IT WAS DUE TO REGULAR USE. WHILE SEARCHING TO PURCHASE A SPARE PART OR MOUNT ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS MOUNT KIT 3069 IN 2009 AND CALLED THULE TO ASK FOR THE RETROFIT KIT INCLUDED IN SUCH RELEASE. ON 11/19/15 @ 9:45A.M. I CALLED THE THULE PHONE PROVIDED IN THE RELEASE AND I WAS TOLD BY A THULE REPRESENTATIVE FIRST THAT THEY HAD NO RECALLS ON THAT PART, THEN WHEN I CALLED THEIR ATTENTION TO THE 2009 RECALL RELEASE I WAS TOLD THAT WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE RECEIPT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE RECALL; I OFFERED TO SEND PICTURES OF THE SNAPPED BOLT AND PARTS AND EXPLAINED THAT A RECALL IS NOT A WARRANTY CLAIM AND SHOULD NOT REQUIRE A RECEIPT. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE A PART UNLESS I COULD PROVIDE THE RECEIPT AND THAT THE CLAIM HAD TO BE SUBMITTED AT REI SINCE I DID NOT BUY THE PART DIRECTLY FROM THULE BUT FROM A RETAILER. I WENT TO THE RETAILER (REI) WHO WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECALL BUT KINDLY REPLACED THE PART AND CONFIRMED WITH THULE BY PHONE THAT MY SNAPPED BOLT (BLACK COLOR) WAS DIFFERENT FROM THAT IN THE NEW KITS (SILVER BOLTS). MY CONCERN IS THAT THULE IS PROBABLY IMPROPERLY HONORING THE RECALL, IT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE NOTIFIED THE RETAILERS CORRECTLY, AND IT IS SENDING THE PEOPLE THAT CALLS THE PROVIDED NUMBER IN THE RECALL NOTICE TO THE RETAILER WHERE THEY BOUGHT THE PART AND REFUSING TO PROVIDE THE KIT UNLESS THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE RECEIPT IS PROVIDED. WHAT HAPPENS IF REI HAD CLOSED OR IF I HAD BOUGHT THE PART SECOND HAND? WHY DID A KIT PURCHASED IN 2011 INCLUDE THE BLACK BOLTS?

CPSC#I1270377A. SPORTRACK ELITE BIKE RACK; NOW THULE. CONSUMER STATED HE WAS DRIVING AT 80 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS THE BIKE INTO PLACE FAILED. HE STATED THE BIKE FLEW OFF THE CAR AND ONTO THE HIGHWAY, TRAFFIC WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME AND NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES OCCURRED. *LN

CPSC#I1190272A. THULE HULL-A-PORT PRO KAYAK RACK CARRIER. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CARRIER LOCK FAILED THREE TIMES WHEN HE WAS DRIVING WITH A KAYAK LOADED ON TOP OF HIS VEHICLE. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE KAYAK SHIFTED AND STARTED SLIDING OFF THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE. THE STORE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER MODEL THAT DIDN'T FOLD DOWN. *JB

CPSC#H1210050A. X-CARGO EXTREME. CONSUMER STATED THE RETAILER INSTALLED A RACK IN HER CAR. SHE NOTICED THE CARRIER VIBRATED HEAVILY WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT TO MOVE THE RACK SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE SCREWS. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE UNIT HAD FOUR MOUNTED CORNERS AND EACH HAD EXTENSIVE STRESS LINE FRACTURES. *JB

I PURCHASED THE THULE "DOUBLE DECKER SURFBOARD CARRIER 809" IN APRIL 2011. IT IS ADVERTISED AS HAVING A THREE BOARD CAPACITY. I USED IT AS A SINGLE SHORT BOARD CARRIER. MY BOARD IS ONLY 6' 6". IT WAS ATTACHED TO A THULE CROSS BAR SYSTEM INSTALLED ON MY 2011 XC60 3.2 VOLVO. THE REAR RACK IS DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS WITH EACH SECTION SECURED BY TWO BOLT HEADS THAT FLOAT IN A ALUMINUM CHANNEL FOR WIDTH ADJUSTMENT. THE SURFBOARD IS MOUNTED ON THE RACK AND IS SECURED BY A STRAP WITH A KEY LOCKING MECHANISM. I TRAVEL 40 MILES ON THE FREEWAY EACH WAY TO THE BEACH AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK. THE SYSTEM HAS A LARGE FLAT SURFACE AREA THAT RESULTS IN A LARGE WIND RESISTENT PLATFORM. THE RACK HAS THE APPEARANCE OF BEING VERY DURABLE. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 - 70 MILES PER HOUR IN THE SLOW LANE OF THE FREEWAY THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SECTION RIPPED OUT OF THE ALUMINUM CHANNEL CAUSING MY SURFBOARD TO LAUNCH LIKE A MISSLE. FORTUNATELY THE TAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND NO VEHICLE WAS DIRECTLY STRUCK ALTHOUGH MY BOARD WAS RUN OVER NUMEROUS TIMES. THE BREAK-AWAY SECTION DANGLED ON THE REAR OF MY ROOF STILL SECURED BY THE STRAP SYSTEM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE REMAINS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE BOLT HEAD THAT SECURED THE SYSTEM IN THE ALUMINUM CHANNEL WAS TO SMALL FOR AN OPERATIONAL ENVIORMENT OF SIGNIFICANT WIND RESISTENCE/TURBULANCE. I CONTACTED THULE 4 WEEKS AGO RE THIS PROBLEM AND THEY FAILED TO RESPOND. SPORT CHALET, AN OFFICIAL THULE DISTRIBUTOR, UPON INSPECTING THE CHANNEL AND BOLT SYSTEM OFFERED ME A COMPLETE REFUND. THE BOLT HEAD ON THIS SYSTEM IS UNDERSIZED FOR THE FORCES IT HAS TO WITHSTAND. MY USE WAS FOR A SINGLE SHORT BOARD BUT THIS SYSTEM IS ADVERTIZED FOR UP TO THREE LONG BOARDS. I FEAR THAT ANOTHER END USER WHO TRAVELS THE FREEWAY LIKE I DO MAY EXPERIENCE A SIMILIAR CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE WITH PERHAPS A MORE DEADLY RESULT. SALE OF THIIS RACK SYSTEM SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY HALTED UNTIL FIXED. *TR

995/996 EXPRESSWAY CAR RACK. CONSUMER STATES A DANGEROUS FAILURE OF THE CAR RACK *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE RACK ATTACHED TO THE TRAILER HITCH ON HIS VEHICLE. THE RACK HAS A SQUARE METAL CHANNEL THAT SLIDES INTO A MATING SQUARE METAL CHANNEL ON THE TRAILER HITCH. THESE TWO PIECES ARE SECURED BY A HITCH PIN ASSEMBLY AND THE HITCH PIN IS IN TURN COVERED BY A THULE-PROVIDED LOCK TO PREVENT THEFT. AT SOME POINT WHILE DURING THE TIP, THE CONSUMER STOPPED TO CHECK THE RACK AND DISCOVERED THE HITCH PIN ASSEMBLY AND LOCK WERE MISSING. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO PREVENT THE ENTIRE RACK FROM SLIDING BACKWARDS OFF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE PUT THE RACK ON THE VEHICLE, HE VERIFIED THAT BOTH THE LOCK WASHERS AND THE FLAT WASHER THAT CAME WITH THE HITCH PIN ASSEMBLY WERE PRESENT. HE ALSO USED A SOCKET WRENCH TO TIGHTEN THE HITCH PIN. *JB