What is the first thing that would come to mind if I asked you to draw a comparison with a Hummer?

An Abrams Battle Tank? An elephant with an engine, perhaps? Or maybe a combination of the two?

Originally designed and built for the US Military, one could be forgiven for thinking that the General Motors ‘Hummer’ is indestructible. However this, according to a recent article in an American newspaper, is not the case.

This weekend, the Sacramento Bee newspaper reported on its front page that there is a strong possibility that the Hummer H2′s wheels have a habit of simply falling off! Apparently, the Bee’s auto editor Mark Glover was test-driving a Hummer back in 2002 when the vehicle’s front left wheel broke off, leaving him stranded in a parking lot (check the pic!).

As humorous as this story is, the issue is being taken seriously by U.S authorities, who have uncovered 25 similar cases occurring during the last two years. Federal Highway Safety Officers conducting the investigation allege that the problem stems from faulty steering knuckles installed on the H2 Hummer series. According to reports, most of the instances of wheels falling off happened after the Hummer ‘struck another object’, although many (including Glover) claim that they did not hit anything prior to the fault occuring. One U.S. Hummer owner, Iris Zirioli, completely lost a wheel after bumping a post in a fast-food restaurant’s drive-through alley. “I thought I was so safe because the H2 is so huge and strong,” Ziroli said. “The way that Hummer fell apart in that drive-through was uncalled for.”

General Motors, perhaps predictably, says that there is nothing wrong with the part that caused the problem and that the failure of the steering knuckles – which hold the steering arms in place -is due to ‘crashes’. This is despite the fact that the part was mysteriously redesigned and replaced in 2003.

The NHTSA investigation continues and, if succesful, could lead to a recall of most Hummer H2s manufactured between 2002 and 2004.

Richard Hagan

‘Random Richard’

RandomRich@carblog.co.za