THULE Complaints

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 HITCHING POST PRO BIKE RACK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07E047000 (EQUIPMENT). HE HAS NOT RECEIVED THE REPAIR KIT. HE HAS NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER REPEATEDLY, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO RESPOND. THE SERIAL AND PART NUMBERS WERE UNKNOWN.

THULE HITCHING POST PRO BIKE RACK WITH A RECALL. CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED A REPAIR KIT AND THINKS IT IS A JOKE. SHE ALSO BELIEVES THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM. THE RUBBER STRAPS THAT HOLD THE BIKES KEEP BREAKING. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A THULE HITCHING POST PRO BIKE RACK. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07E047000 (EQUIPMENT) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR KIT WOULD BE SENT WITHIN TEN DAYS. IT HAS NOW BEEN 45 DAYS AND HE STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED THE REPAIR KIT. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE SERIAL AND PART NUMBERS 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.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A THULE HITCHING POST PRO 935X2. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION AND ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE 1-800 NUMBER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. SHE HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE TELEPHONE NUMBER PROVIDED IN THE NOTICE IS DISCONNECTED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND PART, SERIAL, AND RECALL NUMBERS WERE UNKNOWN. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

I RECEIVED THE SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE THULE HITCHING POST PRO RACK THAT I PURCHASED. WHEN TRYING TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE LETTER, HOWEVER, I RAN INTO THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS. FIRST, THE WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.THULERACKS.COM. I FOLLOWED THE "PRODUCT RECALLS" LINK AND GOT TO THE RECALL NOTICE, WHICH WAS ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL TO MY LETTER. THERE ARE TWO LINKS AT THE BOTTOM, HOWEVER, FOR "SAFETY RECALL PRODUCT INSTRUCTIONS" (HTTP://WWW.THULERACKS.COM/PDF/RETRO_INSTRUCTIONS) AND "POINT OF SALE POSTER" (HTTP://WWW.THULERACKS.COM/PDF/HITCH_RECALL_POS_POSTER.PDF). BOTH OF THOSE LINKS ARE BROKEN; THEY RESULT IN A "FILE NOT FOUND" ERROR. I THEN TRIED CALLING THE 1-800-THULE 91 NUMBER FOR THE RECALL. AFTER SITTING THROUGH THE INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE, I PRESSED 1 TO CONTINUE. AND I SAT. AND SAT...AND SAT SOME MORE. NOTHING HAPPENED. THINKING THAT I MIGHT HAVE HIT THE WRONG KEY, I TRIED AGAIN, WASTING SEVERAL MORE MINUTES WAITING FOR A RESPONSE THAT NEVER CAME. THEN I TRIED TO USE THIS FEEDBACK FORM, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT IT DOESN'T WORK WITH EITHER THE MOZILLA FIREFOX THAT IS NOW USED BY APPROXIMATELY 20% OF USERS ON THE INTERNET OR WITH INTERNET EXPLORER, WHICH IS USED BY ANOTHER 75%. IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT THE RACK HAS THIS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY A RECALL. HAVING THE WEB LINKS BROKEN, THE PHONE NUMBER UNABLE TO TAKE A MESSAGE, AND ALL THE FEEDBACK FORMS NON-FUNCTIONAL MAKES IT BOTH IMPOSSIBLE TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS RECALL FROM A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE, AND DOWNRIGHT FRUSTRATING. I WOULD THINK THAT, DESPITE THE VOLUNTARY NATURE OF THIS RECALL, IT SHOULD BE HANDLED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT MAKES THE SITUATION BETTER, NOT WORSE. *JB

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

MY COMPLAINT REGARDS THE RE: HITCHING POST PRO (934, 934XT, 935, 935XT, 936, 936XT, 937, 937XT, 951, 951XT) RECALL. THEY DID MAIL A LETTER WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROCESS TO CONTACT THEM FOR THE REPAIR KIT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT DESPITE NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS AND VISITS TO THEIR WEB SITE I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO EVER SPEAK TO ANYBODY AND IT DOES NOT ALLOW, AT LEAST AS I CAN FIND, THE ABILITY TO PROCESS THE INFORMATION ON-LINE. WHILE I AM EAGER TO HAVE THE PART INSTALLED, I AM UNABLE TO DO SO AS A RESULT OF CONTACTING THE COMPANY FOR REASONS OF THEIR MAKING. I HAVE CHILDREN AND THIS DOES CONCERN ME. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A SECOND COMPLAINT NOT ADDRESSED BY THULE YET (I INTENDED TO TALK TO THEM WHEN GETTING THE REPAIR PART). THE HITCH POST ATTACHES BY PLACING A BOLT THROUGH THE CAR HITCH AND INTO A BOLT TACK WELDED INTO THE HITCH POST. 1) THE BOLT IS FAR TO SHORT FOR A 2 INCH HITCH, 2) THERE IS NOTHING TO PREVENT THE BOLT FROM COMING OUT!!!! I PURCHASED A LONGER BOLT AND DRILLED A HOLE IN IT AND THEN PLACED A PIN THROUGH THE BOLT HOLE WHICH SERVES THE PURPOSE OF ENSURING RETENTION OF THE BOLT. PICTURE THE BIKE HITCH WITH 4 BIKES DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE BOLT COMES LOOSE. WITH NOTHING TO STOP THE HITCH IT FALLS OUT WITH THE BIKES AND INTO TRAFFIC. NOT A PRETTY PICTURE. THIS SOLUTION IS OF MINIMAL COST AND SOLVES A HUGE DESIGN DEFECT. *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.