GMC Complaints

DRIVING FROM WORK-SNOWY/ICY CONDITIONS. SMELLED A STRANGE ODOR IN VEHICLE GOING FROM I-270S TO I-370W ~ 1/4 MILE FROM RAMP. TRAFFIC MODERATE. TRAVELING 45 MPH I TAPPED BRAKES, THEY WENT ALL WAY TO FLOOR. TURNED OFF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. USED ENGINE BRAKING SELECTING 3-2-1 TO SLOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE SLOWED, APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE - DROVE TO BRAKE DOWN LANE. VEHICLE STOPPED-WHITE SMOKE COMING AROUND EDGES OF HOOD. LOWER PORTION OF WINDSHIELD HAD COUPLE OF HEAT DISCOLORATION MARKS ABOUT 1/4 SIZE OF A PENNY IN THE MIDDLE LOWER PORTION. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. DASH DID NOT FEEL HOT, NOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL - NO SMOKE INSIDE VEHICLE. HOOD WOULD NOT OPEN BY HOOD RELEASE. POWER WINDOWS WORKED. EGRESSED VEHICLE AND DRIVER SDIE AIR BAG INFLATED. CALLED 911 AWAITED FIRE/POLCIE DEPT. OPENED DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER DOORS. FLAMES COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN WHERE IT ENTERS FIRE WALL. FLAMES UNDERNEATH VEHICLE FROM ENGINE NEAR SKID PLATE/TRANSFER CASE. USED SMALL FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON FLAMES IN CABIN AND UNDER VEHICLE TO NO AVAIL. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE FROM CENTER CONSOLE TO DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR MELTED AWAY AT ABOUT 45 DEG ANGLE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF CONSOLE. INSIDE ENGINE THE THYDRAULIC DRIVE UNIT AND BARKE MASTER CYCLINDER HAD MELTED. SIGNIFICANT BURN DAMAGE FROM FIRE IN ENGINE. VEHICLE-TOTAL LOSS. VERY FORTUNATE TO RECOGNIZE BAD SMELL, ID BRAKE MALFUNCTION, USE ENGINE BRAKING TO CONTROL VEHICLE; USE EMERGENCY BRAKING TO STOP - MODERATE TRAFFIC. MINIMIZED POTENTIAL HAZARD TO SINGLE VEHICLE-NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. *JB

CAR WAS GETTING HOT THEN COOLING BACK DOWN,WHILE GETTING HOT HEATER WOULD NOT WORK. TOOK TO MECHANIC, HAD THERMOSTAT AND WATER PUMP REPLACED. CAR RAN FINE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS,THEN SAME PROBLEM. TOOK BACK TO MECHANIC. HE SAID ITS POSSIBLE THE THERMOSTAT PURCHASED WAS DEFECTIVE. INSTALLED NEW THERMOSTAT FROM THE DEALERSHIP. GOT IN CAR DID NOT GET HOT AND COOL BACK DOWN IT GOT TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND HEATER WORKED. THREE DAYS LATER, CAR STARTED GETTING HOT, COOLING BACK DOWN AND BUBBLING THE WATER OUT OF THE OVERFLOW RESERVOIR. THERE ARE NO LEAKS ANYWHERE,NO BLOWN GASKET, OR CRACKS. THIS PROBLEM IS BECOMING A BIG PAIN. I THINK IT IS A DEFECT CAUSED BY MANUFACTURER AND IF THE PROBLEM CANT BE FIXED, I KNOW ILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER GM {GREAT MISTAKE} VEHICLE AGAIN. *NM

DECEMBER 2002 - MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED, ALLOWING DEXCOOL COOLANT TO MIX WITH THE OIL SYSTEM. GASKET REPLACED. NOVEMBER 2004. REPLACEMENT GASKET FAILED. COOLANT IN OIL SYSTEM AGAIN. MODIFIED GASKET KIT INSTALLED. JAN 2, 2005. CAM SHAFT BREAKS. BEARINGS/BUSHING SEIZED DUE TO OIL SYSTEM CONTAMINATION. ON JAN 2, 2005, THE VAN STALLED IN INTERSECTION. CAR RESTARTED. CAR THEN STALLED ON THE EXPRESSWAY ON THE WAY HOME AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE STALL OCCURRED ON A BEND COMING OUT OF A TUNNEL. APPROACHING CARS HAD LITTLE WARNING THAT OUR VAN WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. POLICE HELPED PUSH THE VAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ONTO THE GRASS. THE VAN CANNOT BE COST EFFECTIVELY REPAIRED. IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. *NM

2000 S-10 EXTREME SUDDENLY CUTS OFF AND WILL NOT START AGAIN EVEN THOUGH TANK IS FULL. 2 MECHANICS SAY IT IS FUEL SENDING UNIT INSIDE GAS TANK. GREAT EXPENSE TO REPLACE. RESEARCHING ON WEB FIND MANY, MANY OTHER S-10 OWNERS WITH EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

GM RECALL #04007 TAILGATE CABLES USED TO REPLACE RECALLED UNITS ARE OF UNEQUAL LENGTH, CAUSING ONE UNIT TO BEAR THE ENTIRE LOAD. I CONTACTED GM (CASE#[XXX]), AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD TO LIKE IT OR LUMP IT. I SINCERELY HOPE THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT CAUSE ANOTHER FATALITY LIKE [XXX] OF MAINE.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS AGO I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARING HUBS. ON 12/29/04 I HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT BEARING HUB REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. I DO NOT RECALL THE MILEAGE THE FIRST TIME. I HAD ABOUT 129,000 ON THIS TIME.*AK

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO START OUT BY SAYING I ENJOY GM VEHICLES. THEY ARE ALL I DRIVE, BUT SOMETIMES THEY HAVE LITTLE PROBLEMS. LIKE MY 2000 GMC JIMMY SLS. THE RECLINE HANDLE ON THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SEAT KEEP FALLING OFF AND STRIPPING THE BEAR METAL. I NEVER PULL ON THEM SO THEY DONT GET PULLED ON. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU INTEND TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND WHEN. NOW THERE IS NOTHING ELSE WRONG WITH THE SUV BUT MINOR THINGS DUE TO AGE. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU INTEND TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK MICHAEL DIEMERT

PREMATURE WEAR ON ALL FOUR BRAKE ROTORS FOR THIS TRUCK. ROTORS COULD NOT BE TURNED ON FIRST BRAKE PAD CHANGE BECAUSE THEY WERE RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE METAL USED TO MANUFACTURE THESE ROTORS HAD TO BE OF INFERIOR QUALITY. BRAKE PADS WERE STILL FAIRLY GOOD ! *JB

I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING RACK IN MY 99 GRAND AM REPLACED TWICE. THE LAST TIME WAS IN APRIL 2004. IT IS LEAKING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.*AK

SINCE PURCHASING MY 2002 VEHICLE I HAVE HAD TO ALREADY PUT A NEW BATTERY, NEW ALTERNATOR, NEW TIRES (ACCEPTABLE) TWO SETS OF BRAKES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL IS ON AND NO ONE CAN FIND OUT WHY SO THEREFORE I CAN'T GET AN INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL LIGHT IS OFF. HELP. *NM