THULE TRAILBLAZER Complaints

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).

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A THULE TRAILBLAZER BIKE RACK, MODEL 998. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN JULY OF 2007. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER SEVERAL TIMES REQUESTING A REPAIR KIT, BUT ONE WAS NEVER RECEIVED. SHE CALLED BACK ON JUNE 23, 2008, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH A LIVE PERSON. THE SERIAL NUMBER AND RECALL NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A THULE TRAILBLAZER, MODEL 998. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER CANNOT BE REACHED VIA PHONE OR EMAIL REGARDING HIS VEHICLE. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURES TO DATE. THE SERIAL NUMBER, PART NUMBER, AND DEALER INFORMATION WERE UNAVAILABLE.

I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM THULE REGARDING A SAFETY DEFECT IN THULE HITCH RACK UNITS, INCLUDING THE TRAILBALZER 998XT THAT I OWN. THULE'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO CONTACT THEM AT A TOLL-FREE PHONE NUMBER FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON OBTAINING A REPAIR KIT TO ELIMINATE THE HAZARD. THULE ALSO PROVIDED A WEB SITE FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION. I PHONED THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER, LISTENED TO A LENGTHY RECORDED MASSAGE, THEN PRESSED "1" AS INSTRUCTED. MY PHONE CONNECT THEN WENT INTO LIMBO WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THULE. I HAVE TRIED THE CALL SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. I ALSO CHECKED THE THULE WEB SITE, BUT I FIND THE LINKS TO INFORMATION ON HOW TO PROCEED TO BE INOPERATIVE. CLEARLY THULE IS NOT PROPERLY HANDLING THIS RECALL BECAUSE I AM UNABLE TO MAKE ANY MEANINGFUL CONTACT TO OBTAIN THE NEEDED REPAIR KIT.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A THULE TRAILBLAZER 998XP BIKE RACK. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (CAMPAIGN ID #07E047000) FOR THE BIKE RACK. SHE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO RECEIVE REPAIR KIT BECAUSE THE PHONE NUMBER PROVIDED WAS INCORRECT. THE SERIAL AND PART NUMBERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.