2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND THE CONTACT HAD TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTOMOTIVE SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED IT THAT DUE TO CORROSION, THE BRAKES HAD RUPTURED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,050.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION IN ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES, CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE BRAKES FAILED DUE TO RUSTED BRAKE LINES BLOWING OUT IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE ABS MOTOR, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE DRIVER SIDE, ALONG THE FRAME, UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH ON A MEDIUM TRAFFIC CITY ROAD, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED WHILE STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT HAD TURNED RED. THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH AND HAD DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH TO BE DRIVEN INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. AS I GOT THE VEHICLE TO STOP, I OPENED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SAW THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL WAS VERY LOW. THE VEHICLE HAD ITS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE DONE ON IT JUST THREE WEEKS PRIOR AND ALL FLUIDS WERE CHECKED TOPPED OFF (ALL OF WHICH IS DOCUMENTED BY AN OIL AND LUBE GARAGE). I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK TO MY HOME AND HAD INSPECTED THE ISSUE. AN AREA ALONG THE FRAME RAIL WERE THE BRAKE LINES GO FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS MOTOR WAS LEAKING. THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED IN JUST ONE AREA, INSPECTION OF THE REST OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE OK. ITS JUST ODD THAT IT WAS CORRODED IN JUST THE ONE AREA AND NOWHERE ELSE. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE BRAKES WERE ABOUT TO FAIL OR ANY INDICATION THAT THE FLUID LEVEL WAS LOW. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED (35 MPH), I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNING YELLOW. THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY DECREASE IN SPEED WHATSOEVER. ESSENTIALLY, THERE WAS NO BRAKING POWER AT ALL. PRIOR TO THIS, THERE HAD BEEN NO ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES AND THE TRUCK HAD BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP (NESENGER 112 CHEVROLET, 112 MEDFORD AVENUE, MEDFORD, NY 11763). I WAS ABLE TO PLACE CAR IN NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO ALLOW IT TO COAST OFF THE ROAD AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR THE NEXT MORNING. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 10:30 PM ON A SIDE ROAD AND THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS THE REAR BACKING PLATES. THE REPAIR TOTAL WAS $2457.01. *TR

CORROSION ON REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LINE CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. SUCH A FAILURE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY WHO OWN THIS GENERATION OF VEHICLE. *TR

ON OCT.7, 2011 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 CHEVY SUBURBAN. IN JUST NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES. A WARNING SOUND CAME ON AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. JUST THAT QUICK !, BRAKE LINE FAILURE! IF SHE HAD BEEN DRIVING FASTER THAN 40 MPH. THEIR MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BAD INTERSECTION COLLISION. SHE NERVOUSLY WAS ABLE TO CREEP THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. I RESEARCHED THIS CONDITION ON-LINE AND WAS STARTLED TO FIND NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING OVER 6 MILLION VEHICLES WITH THE SAME CONDITIONS.IT'S A TRAVESTY THAT THIS CAN GO ON.IT MUST BE THE GOVERMENTS WAY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO POLICE ITS OWN COMPANY. *TR

I'M FILING A COMPLAINT BECAUSE OF AN ISSUE WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER. MY CAR HAS HAD THIS ISSUE FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. ANYTIME THE CAR GOES OVER BUMPS(NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL THE BUMP IS, IT COULD JUST BE A CRACK IN THE CEMENT) THE GAUGES ON THE DASH WILL GO CRAZY, SENSORS WILL SO OFF. SPECIFICALLY THE SPEEDOMETER WILL STOP WORKING OR GO ALL THE WAY TO 120 MPH. THE FUEL AND OIL GAUGES WILL NOT BE ACCURATE (FOR EXAMPLE IT WILL SAY THE TANK IS EMPTY WHEN IT'S FULL). BUT THE MOST DISTURBING PROBLEM IS THAT WHILE DRIVING NO MATTER HOW FAST THE ANTI THEFT WILL GO OFF AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF IN A MATTER OF SECONDS AND THE CAR LOSES ALL POWER. A FEW TIMES I HAVE BEEN DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND IT WILL JUST SHUT OFF. SO FAR I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH NOT TO GET REAR ENDED, I DON'T KNOW WHEN MY LUCK WILL RUN OUT. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CAR FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT IT WAS ONLY UNTIL 2010 OR IF THE ODOMETER WAS BETWEEN 70,001 AND 80,000 MILES. MY CAR IS EIGHT YEARS OLD AND OVER 100,000 MILES. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED IN 2009 FROM A CHEVY DEALERSHIP (DICK WICKSTROM'S CHEVROLET). WHEN WE TALKED TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS AND COMPLAINED THAT IT WASN'T FIXED WHEN THEY HAD IT, THEY SAID IT WASN'T HAVING PROBLEMS AT THAT TIME. IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $600 TO $800 TO FIX. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT OR TO BUY ANOTHER CAR SO I MUST CONTINUE TO DRIVE A DEFECTIVE UNSAFE CAR. IF A PART IS DEFECTIVE HOW CAN THAT EXPIRE. GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CARS THEY SELL AND TO FIX ANY DEFECTIVE PARTS NO MATTER HOW OLD THE CAR IS. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HELP US AS I NEED A DEPENDABLE SAFE CAR AND CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER ONE OR PAY OUT THE KIND OF MONEY IT WILL TAKE TO FIX THIS ONE WHEN I FEEL THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF BY THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE IT IS A PART THAT WAS DEFECTIVE NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GO BAD. THANK YOU. *KB

I HAVE 2003 SUBURBAN 1500, THAT KEEPS GETTING A ERROR MESSAGE "REDUCE ENGINE POWER". THE VEHICLE WILL ALL OF SUDDEN WHILE DRIVING, REDUCE SPEED AND I CAN'T ACCELERATE ABOVE 25-30MPH. I WILL HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN CAR OFF FOR 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE IT RESETS, HOWEVER IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN! IT IS VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS WHEN I HAVE MY KIDS OR MY WIFE DRIVE IT BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL HAVE THIS HAPPEN. STRANGELY, WHEN WE DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY WE CAN USE THE "CRUISE CONTROL" FEATURE WHEN WE REACH 25MPH AND USE THE CRUISE CONTROL TO ACCELERATE THAT WAY WITH MINIMAL OCCURRENCES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO "2 CHEVY DEALERS AND 3 MECHANICS" NEITHER CAN TELL US WHAT'S WRONG! THIS IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE ON CAR, AND WE KNOW THIS A "SAFETY HAZARD" AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SOMEBODY HAS TO LOOK INTO THIS! I ONLY HOPE SOMEONE WHO READS THESE COMPLAINTS HAS THE POWER TO HELP ME AND EVERYONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND PLACE IT IN PARK. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND WAS FRACTURED, CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WAS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA11001 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS) THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.