Chevrolet Suburban Complaints (1999)

720 consumer complaints on file.

#712002September 24, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
REAR BRAKE DRUMS WERE REPLACED BY ANDY LEWIS CHEVROLET , UNION CITY AT MILEAGE 8070. ON 9/24/1999 AGAIN THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS LEFT AND RIGHT HAD TO BE TURNED DUE TO STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION WHEN BRAKES APPLIED AT ANY SPEED AND MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN COMING TO STOP. BILL HEARD CHEVROLET IN UNION CITY WHO BOUGHT ANDY LEWIS DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPAIR BRAKES UNDER WARRANTY WHEN VEHICLE HAD ONLY 22000 MILES. AT 25000 MILES MEADOWS MOTORS AGREED TO REPAIR AGAIN BY TURNING BRAKE DISC. THE WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 3 YEARS/36000 WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. IT APPEARS CHEVROLET HAS A LATENT DEFECT IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM OF SUBURBANS WITH THE TEMPER OF THE BRAKES. BY TURNING THE DISCS THEY ONLY REDUCE THE LIFE OF THE METAL AND SET UP FURTHER WARPING. I WOULD RECOMMEND WITH ALL THE PREVIOUS BRAKE PROBLEMS NOTED THAT NHTSA TAKE A AGGRESSIVE LOOK AT THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THE SUBURBAN AND REQUIRE THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE THE DISCS ON REPEAT PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF ADDING TO THE PROBLEM BY TURNING THE ROTORS. I AM A QUALIFED CAR/AIRCRAFT MECHANIC OF 37 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH A BACKGROUND IN NEW MANUFACTURING OF AIRCRAFT AND HAVE A EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF METAL HEAT TREATING AND HARDINESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#848523September 23, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT SUDDENLY DIED OUT FOR NO REASON. LATER, VEHICLE COULD BE RESTARTED. THEN THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD COME ON & STAY ON. ENGINE WOULD START TO SURGE. VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT AGAIN. WOULD NOT STAY STARTED. AFTER GIVING VEHICLE GAS, THE RPMS WOULD REV HIGH. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#846204August 31, 1999
SUSPENSION:FRONT
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND COMING TO A STOP THERE IS A LOUD KNOCKING AND POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#710640August 28, 1999
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH, EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL MAJOR COMPONENT FAILURES SINCE TIME OF PURCHASE, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED WHEREAS IT LEFT US STRANDED TWICE WITH A NO START CONDITION, THEN THE BRAKES STARTED TO EXCESSIVELY SQUEEK AND PULL, THEN THE BRAKE WORE OUT PREMATURELY, THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT EXCESSIVELY AND DRIFT, EVENTUALLY PULLING TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKES APPLIED, THEN THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM HAD GONE OUT WHILE DRIVING, IT HAS BEEN OUTRAGEOUS THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE OCCURRING ON A NEW VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#548180August 26, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTI LOCK BRAKES DO NOT ADEQUATELY STOP VEHICLE, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES. MJS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#548105August 23, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT STOP VEHICLE ADEQUATELY, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES. MJS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#845479August 19, 1999
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 20 MPH A LOUD BANG OCCURRED. A WHEEL CAME . ALSO, BRAKES DID NOT WORK, RESULTING IN A CRASH. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#845229August 17, 1999
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY 30MPH TOWING A TRAILER. REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING OIL AND SMOKING FROM THE REAR END.THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN ONE WEEK. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#845037August 13, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DRIVING AT 20MPH WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, AND VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT. IT HAPPENED AT LOWER SPEED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#709390July 29, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS VEHICLE PULLS HARD (!) TO LEFT. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT OCCURING ONLY OCCASIONALLY. STEERING IS ERATIC, PARTICULARLY ON ROUGH OR UNEVEN SURFACES. PROBLEM IS CONSTANT. STEERING SENSOR REPLACED ONCE. VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT AT ALL SPEEDSALL THE TIME DEALER STATES THAT VEHICLE MEETS FACTORY SPECS. SERIOUS INTERMITTENT DRIVE TRAIN VIBRATION HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED AND MAY PERSIST FOR 40 OR 50 MILES. HAVE BEEN TO TWO DEALERS FOR A TOTAL OF 7 TRIPS. PROBLEMS PERSIST. CHEVROLET CONTACTED - NO HELP. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE!!! HELP!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#843433July 26, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE IS PULLING TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#843057July 22, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH POWER DECREASED TO 30 MPH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALSO, THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#709034July 22, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER BEFORE WHEN THE COMPUTER PUNTED ME OUT! SO IF I REPEAT, I AM SORRY. SINCE THE START OF MY OWNERSHIP OF THE 1999 3/4 TON CHEVY SUBURBAN, I HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN I AM APPLYING THE BRAKES COMING OVER TRAIN TRACKS OR ROUGH ROAD THE BRAKES MAKE A GRAONING NOISE. IT ONLY SEEMS TO HAPPEN GOING OVER ROUGH ROAD AND TRACKS AND IF I HAVE TO COME TO A SUDDEN STOP. I BELIEVE THE BRAKES ARE DRUM BRAKES, WHICH SEEMS TO BE "OLD" TECHNOLOGY. I THINK THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY FOR SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES IS SEEN IN THE FORD EXPEDITION...DISK BRAKES. I THINK THESE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IN A VEHICLE WEIGHING 3/4 TON, BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE MORE STOPPING POWER TO THE DRIVER, AS IS ILLUSTRATED IN MOST OF THE CARS ON THE ROAD TODAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT ALL THE BRAKE PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THE GM SUBURBANS (CHEVY AND GMC), BUT SOMETHING MUST BE DONE, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT! I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER GREAT SUGGESTION....I HAD A 1993 CHEVY SUBURBAN AND A 1981 VW RABBIT CONVERTIBLE, AND BOTH HAD CAR FIRES...ERGO THE SUGGESTION TO HAVE THE MANUFACTURERS OF ALL VEHICLES, INCLUDE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON A CAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, AND I HOPE THIS TYPE OF NOTIFICATION GETS SOME ATTENTION!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#842672July 20, 1999
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR, STEERING:LINKAGES
AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY GIGGLES BACK AND FORTH. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE PITMAN ARM. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE THREE TIMES, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#841231June 28, 1999
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
REAR AXLE BURNED UP AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#841208June 25, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT ANY MPH CONSUMER WOULD STEP ON BRAKES PEDAL TO STOP VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT DUE TO FRONT WHEELS LOCKING UP. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707723June 21, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
THE BRAKES PULLED TO LEFT WHILE STOPPING WHEN VEHICLE PURCHASED. I TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID TO WAIT FOR IT TO "SEAT" IN BECAUSE IT WAS A NEW VEHICLE. AT 2400 MILES I FELT THAT WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. THE DEALER LUBRICATED THE "SLIDE RAILS" AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO ME. NOT LONG AFTER I RETURNED IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THEY SAID THAT THE PADS WERE WORN UNEVENLY AND THIS WAS THE CAUSE.THEY ROTATED THE PADS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT!! ONCE AGAIN THE PROBLEM RETURNED, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE BRAKES WERE USED FREQUENTLY OR AT HIGHER SPEEDS (HEATING UP). EVENTUALLY, WHILE ON VACATION IN FLORIDA, I HAD TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER THERE BECAUSE WHEN ANOTHER CAR PULLED OUT IN FRON OF ME, THE BRAKES PULLED SO HARD TO THE LEFT I WENT INTO THE OTHER LANE. THE DEALER IN FLORIDA STATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND REPLACED THE ROTORS AND PADS. I AM NOW EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE FOURTH (4TH) TIME YET DUE TO A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND HAVING TO TAKE IT BACK FOR A FOURTH (4TH) TIME FOR THAT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707724June 21, 1999
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT TO SHIFT GEARS (THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE TRUCK WENT TO DOWNSHIFT UPON ACCELERATING UP AND DROPPED OUT OF GEAR (GEAR SHIFT STILL IN DRIVE), THE RPMS WENT UP VERY HIGH, AS IF IN NEUTRAL. I LET OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR AND IT EVENTUALLY DROPPED INTO GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN MAKING NOISES AND I ENDED UP HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. THE DEALER, MILLER BROTHERS CHEVROLET, REPLACED SOME PARTS, INCLUDING A CRACKED INPUT HOUSING, AND RETURNED THE TRUCK TO ME. NOT LONG AFTER I RETURNED THE TRUCK WITH PROBLEMS SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS; ALSO WHEN IT WOULD DOWNSHIFT WHEN ACCELERATING. THEY RETURNED THE TRUCK TO ME SAYING THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VERY NEXT DAY IT WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER AND DEMANDED THAT A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE RIDE WITH ME IN THE VEHICLE. I DID NOT NEED TO DRIVE VERY FAR BEYOND THE DEALER'S LOT WHEN THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID TO TURN AROUND AND TAKE IT BACK. HE COULD FEEL AND HEAR WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THEY RETURNED THE TRUCK TO ME AGAIN AFTER REPLACING ANOTHER PART. ONCE AGAIN, IT BEAGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER (6/21/99).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707549June 14, 1999
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
WE WERE TRAVELING ON I10 WEST BOUND ON FAIRLY GOOD PAVEMENT AT 70MPH AND THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL BROKE OFF. RESULTING IN A CRASH. WE HAD NO WORK DONE TO THE WHEELS SINCE THE CAR WAS DELIVERED FROM THE DEALER. WE HAD NO INDICTION THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED UNTIL THE FAILURE. TWO LUG S:BOLTS BROKE AND THE REMAINING FOUR WERE STRIPED AND BENT. I AM TRYING TO FIND IF THE LUGS: BOLTS ON THE OTHER WHEELS CAN BE TESTED FOR FRACTURES AND DETERMINE A CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707266June 7, 1999
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
THE REAR SEAT WHICH PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE REAR MOST SEATING, FLIPS FORWARD AND SLIDES FORWARD, UPON RELEASE OF A LEVER. THIS COMPONENT FAILED DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN IN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES WE OWNED THE CAR. THE SEAT LATCH WOULD NOT RELEASE (THE METAL "L" SHAPED BAR - FELL OUT OF THE HOLE IN THE LEVER MECHANISM). DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, WE NEEDED TO BRAKE SUDDENLY AND THE SEAT LATCH GAVE WAY, THE SEAT FLEW FORWARD WITH OUR CHILD IN THE SEAT - THE SEATBELT RESTRAINED THE CHILD FROM MOVING FORWARD - BUT THE SEAT WAS FREE TO MOVE FORWARD - CRUSHING OUR CHILD BETWEEN THE SEAT AND THE SEATBELT. SHE SCREAMED IN PAIN AND WAS SCARED TO RIDE IN THIS SEAT. THE SEAT LATCH CAUGHT AGAIN AFTER BRAKING WHEN OUR SON IN THE SEAT BEHIND HER PULLED HER LOOSE SEAT BACK UNTIL IT LATCHED AGAIN. HOWEVER, WHEN WE PULLED OVER - THE LATCH FAILED TO ACTIVATE AND RELEASE THE SEAT TO LET EVERYONE OUT OF THE BACK SEAT. THIS IS A CLEAR MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AS IT OCCURED COINCIDENTALLY IN ANOTHER SUBURBAN THAT WE WERE CONSIDERING BUYING THE DAY BEFORE. WE NEED THIS SEAT DUE TO OUR FAMILY SIZE. WE MUST REQUEST A RECALL AND REMEDY TO THIS DEFECTIVE LATCH SYSTEM DESIGN BEFORE A CHILD IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0

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