2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 45 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,293.

IN A SITUATION THAT REQUIRED SUDDEN HARD BRAKING, I EXPERIENCED AN ALMOST TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK REQUIRED A MUCH GREATER DISTANCE TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING LIGHT /SOUND UNTIL AFTER THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME ONE OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES HAD BLOWN OUT DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION, CAUSING A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. THE OTHER BRAKE LINES WERE ALSO VERY CORRODED AND SEEPING BRAKE FLUID. ADDITIONALLY, MANY OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM (ROTORS, CALIPERS, BRAKE HOSES, BLEED VALVES, BACKING PLATES) WERE VERY RUSTED OR DETERIORATED AND FALLING APART.

I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN AND I NOTICED WHILE GOING TO LEAVE MY DRIVEWAY THAT WHEN I WENT TO BRAKE THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY ROOM THAT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY THERE. I WENT TO TEST THEM AGAIN AND HAD TO PUSH DOWN ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET OUR VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I THEN PARKED THE VEHICLE UNTIL MY HUSBAND GOT HOME. AFTER HAVING OUR VEHICLE LOOKED OVER A COUPLE TIMES WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED IN SOME AREAS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ABNORMALLY DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER AND AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE BRAKE LINES. THERE WAS CORROSION ON THE BRAKE LINES AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA11001 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS) THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 8/31/12 *CN UPDATED 09/10/12. *JB

DRIVING IN MIDDLE LANE ON HIGHWAY OUT OF STATE WITH KIDS IN THE CAR ENGINE JUST QUIT--NO POWER, COULDN'T SIGNAL TO MOVE OR GET TO SIDE OF ROAD, JUST SAT IN MIDDLE LANE. VERY SCARY!! TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALER-TOLD US THE FUEL PUMP SHORTED THE ENGINE AND HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP. NO ADVANCE WARNING-ONLY A BLOWER MOTOR SEEMED TO BE MALFUNCTIONING THAT MORNING (HAVE HAD A/C PROBLEMS). NO ISSUE WITH POWER UNTIL IT JUST QUIT. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT WHEN RESEARCHING THIS YEAR AND VEHICLE--LOSS OF POWER OR DECREASED POWER. WITH THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS FOUND, SOMEONE SHOULD RESEARCH THIS BEFORE ANOTHER CAR IS STRUCK FROM BEHIND AND THERE ARE INJURIES OR WORSE, FATALITIES. TO HAVE SOMETHING THIS MAJOR HAPPEN WITHOUT ANY SYMPTOMS OR WARNING LIGHTS, AND FOR THE NUMBER OF CASES FOUND, SEEMS IRRESPONSIBLE AT BEST, NEGLIGENT AT LEAST. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS! *TR

2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HVAC BLOWER NOT FULLY FUNCTIONAL ON ALL BLOWER SPEEDS..SERVICE BULLETIN 11046, APRIL 2010..CHEVROLET HAS KNOWN DEFECT WIRING CONNECTOR AND ELECTRICAL TERMINALS OF RELAY RESISTOR MODULE AS DESCRIBED IN SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH RESULTS IN BLOWER MOTOR NOT FUNCTIONING ON CERTAIN OR ALL BLOWER SPEEDS SETTING. GM HAS ISSUED SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT FOR UP TO 10 YRS PER BULLETIN BUT REFUSES COVERAGE PURPORTEDLY BASED ON MY VEHICLE NOT BEING IN THE SPECIAL COVERAGE VIN: TWO PHONE CALLS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE RESULTED IN A HANG UP, PUT ON HOLD AND NOT RETURNING TO THE CALL, AND UPON ESCALATING THE CALL TO JOY, THE SUPERVISOR REFUSING TO FURTHER ASSIST...AND REFUSING TO ESCALATE THE CALL FURTHER EXPLAINING NO MANAGER IS "LIKELY" AVAILABLE, WE'VE TOLD YOU YOUR ANSWER....GM CASE #71-107-8244378 2ND ISSUE WITH ELECTRICAL; INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY AND DIGITAL DISPLAY WHICH INDICATES WHETHER YOU ARE IN PARK, REVERSE NEUTRAL DRIVE (GEAR) DIMS OR GOES OUT COMPLETELY. SAME PROBLEM I HAD ON 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. BOTH VEHICLES THEY HAVE REFUSED TO FIX. 2003 HAD SPECIAL COVERAGE 07187 TO REPAIR THIS CONDITION BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS NOT PROPERLY NOTIFIED TO FIX THIS CONDITION DURING THE MANUFACTURE SPECIAL COVERAGE PERIOD.L THEY KNOW IT EXIST BUT ONCE AGAIN ARE USING ANY EXCUSE TO DO THE PROPER THING AND FIX THE PROBLEM. ALSO REPORTED UNDER 71-107-8244378 REQUEST NHTSA AND APPROPRIATE AGENCIES FURTHER INVESTIGATE THESE MATTERS AND HOLD GM ACCOUNTABLE DO NOT LET GM CONTINUE TO SKIRT RECALL REPAIRS FOR KNOWN PROBLEMS BY NARROW DEFINING WHICH VEHICLES THEY HAVE TO FIX. RECALLS SHOULD COVER ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE IDENTIFIED SAFETY ISSUE AND GM SHOULD FACESTIFF PUNISHMENT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO VOLUNTARILY FIX PROBLEMS RATHER THAN STONEWALL, STALL, AVOID, AND MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT THAN FIXING THE PROBLEM. *TR

BRAKES WORKED FINE DRIVING TO LUMBER YARD, AFTER LOADING LUMBER, AND BACKING UP, THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO FLOORBOARD. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO OLYMPIA CHEVROLET DEALER ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY. BRAKE FLUID WAS ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN IN THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR. LEFT CAR FOR DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF BRAKE PEDAL NOT HAVING ANY PRESSURE. PRESSING ON BRAKE WOULD PROVIDE SLIGHT BRAKING TO SLOW VEHICLE. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED, AND SAID THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH, PREVENTING PRESSURE TO BRAKES. I HAD NOT NOTICED ANY FLUID SPOTS IN MY DRIVEWAY NOR ANY LOSS OF BRAKING IN RECENT DRIVING. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT ALL THE STEEL BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT GM DID NOT HAVE ANY STOCK REPLACEMENT BRAKE LINES. THIS MEANT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER BRAKE LINE TUBING AND FORM THE BRAKE TUBING TO FIT THE VEHICLE. THE COST OF THIS IS ESTIMATED TO BE $1,800- $2,000. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER BEING REPAIRED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING OVER 110 COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR BRAKE FAILURES ON OTHER CHEVROLET AND GM VEHICLES DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. PLEASE ADD THIS COMPLAINT TO THAT LIST. I PURCHASED THIS SUBURBAN NEW IN 2003 AND IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE DEALER AND HAS MINIMAL MILEAGE. I FEEL THIS FAILURE SHOULD BE HANDLED AS AN RECALL AND THE COSTS PAID BY GM. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY SUBURBAN 2500 AND PULLING A TRAILER. I HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR. I WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE STOP SIGN AND JUST MISSED ANOTHER CAR BEFORE I COULD STOP. I CHECKED THE BRAKES, A BRAKE LINE UNDER THE TRUCK HAD BURST DUE TO HEAVY RUSTING. *TT

MY ELECTRIC IS ALL MESSED UP ,WORKS DON'T,RADIO TURNS ON AFTER DRIVING AWHILE,4X4 SOMETIMES WORKS,AIRBAG LIGHT ,THEY WANTED 150 TO RESET,I TALK TO SO MANY SAME PROBLEM,SAME YEAR ,ONLINE,I BET THERE IS RECALL ,THERE MUST BE I PAID A LOT FOR THIS TRUCK TO,WHEN GET COLD OUT WONT START,NOTHING WORKS,I'M DISABLED,SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO DO ANYTHING,IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY,SO MANY WITH SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. *TR

"REDUCED ENGINE POWER" LIGHT COMES ON AND TRUCK SLOWS TO LESS THAN 10 MPH AND THE POWER STEERING STOP WORKING. THIS HAS HAPPENED SIX TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. 1ST INCIDENT I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. DIAGNOSTICS PERFORMED AND NOTHING CAME BACK WRONG. I THINK THE WIRING TO THE THROTTLE IS POSSIBLY TO BLAME. IF I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD OR CROSS RAILROAD TRACKS, THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER CAN COME ON. I HAVE A HUNCH AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE & FINDING THAT SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT CHEVY KNOWS ABOUT IT & IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. "TYPICAL"!! I AM VERY DISPLEASED, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I LOVE MY SUBURBAN. I SUGGEST AN INVESTIGATION & RECALL OF THIS PROBLEM.I ASK THAT CHEVY TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR POOR QUALITY & REPAIRS THE PROBLEM PRONTO! OH, AND THE POWER SEATING FUSE CAUGHT FIRE AND EXPLODED THE LITTLE FUSE IN THE FUSE BOX, NOW THE SEATS WON'T WORK & NEITHER DOES THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS. THE WIRING DONE ON THIS TRUCK IS CHEAP! THE PARTS ARE CHEAP! NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER! *TR