2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT FUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE FAILED INSPECTION. THERE IS AN OPEN AND CLOSED INVESTIGATION REGARDING THIS FAILURE. THE VIN AND INVESTIGATION NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

THE 2001 SUBURBAN'S BODY FRAME AND FRONT WHEEL WELLS ARE POORLY DESIGNED IN THAT THEY ALLOW EXTENSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER SPRAY FROM FLOODED ROADWAYS TO SATURATE THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE DRIVERS VIEW OF THE ROAD TO BE COMPLETELY OBSTRUCTED CREATING AN UNSAFE DRIVING ENVIRONMENT. *TR

I OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 2WD 5.3L V8 WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW AND FROM DAY ONE, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE IN HOLDING THE VEHICLE WHEN APPLIED. A CURSORY CHECK ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD AND VERY WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM FOR OWNERS OF SIMILAR GM VEHICLES. VISITS TO TWO SEPARATE GM DEALERSHIPS IN DALLAS CONFIRM THAT THE DEALERS KNOW OF THIS AS A WIDESPREAD AND WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM AS WELL. ODDLY, THE NHTSA HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS VEHICLE SAFETY DEFECT AT THE REQUEST OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONSUMER COUNCIL BACK IN 2005, YET THE NHTSA DECIDED AT THE TIME THAT THIS DEFECT DID NOT WARRANT A SAFETY RECALL. THE SUMMARY CONCLUDES THAT FOR AUTO-TRANSMISSION-EQUIPPED VEHICLES, THE PRESENCE OF A "PARK PAWL" SERVES AS SUFFICIENT HOLDING POWER FOR THESE VEHICLES AND THEREFORE THE APPEAL FOR A SAFETY RECALL WAS DENIED. THERE IS AT LEAST ONE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS CONCLUSION -- NO STATE IS GOING TO ALLOW A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING PARKING BRAKE TO PASS A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. I KNOW THIS FIRST HAND, AT LEAST IN TEXAS I DO. IT OF COURSE MAKES NO SENSE FOR THE NHTSA TO HAVE A DIFFERENT STANDARD OF VEHICLE SAFETY THAN THE CONSTITUENT STATES DO. EITHER THIS IS AN ISSUE WORTHY OF A NATIONAL SAFETY RECALL, OR THE LACK OF A WORKING PARKING BRAKE SHOULD NOT SERVE AS A VEHICLE FOR FAILURE OF A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN THAT IS ALSO HAVING THE DREADED ABS ISSUE, ABS ENGAGES AT LOW SPEEDS AND WHILE CORNERING WHILE BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS. I NOTICE THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE NORTHWEST, NOT THE MIDWEST OR NORTHEAST, IT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO ME. THIS IS ABSOLUTE HORSE CACA. I LIVE IN A COASTAL TOWN (SALT AIR= CORROSION) ALSO A MILITARY AREA(PEOPLE MOVE HERE FROM THE AFORE MENTIONED TROUBLE AREAS). IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE OF AUTO AUCTIONS, INTERSTATE TRAVEL, ETC... AUTOS ARE TRANSFERRED EVERYWHERE. HOW CAN GM ISSUE A REGIONAL RECALL? MY FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE WAS LAST WEEKEND ON A ROAD TRIP WITH THE FAMILY. I ENTERED A TURNING LANE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO THE HOTEL PARKING LOT, WHILE SLOWING AND THEN BRAKING FOR THE TURN THE ABS ENGAGED AND KEPT ME FROM STOPPING FOR APPROX 3-4 SECONDS( A SUBURBAN CAN TRAVEL QUITE A DISTANCE AWAY IN 3 SECONDS EVEN GOING UNDER 10 MPH. THE POOR GIRL THAT WAS IN THE TURNING LANE AHEAD OF ME MUST OF THOUGHT HER HONDA WAS ABOUT TO BECOME RECYCLABLE(CRUNCHED). ONLY BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS DID I AVOID A COLLISION. ON COMING TRAFFIC EASED AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTIONS. (HIT THE GAS AND FISH TAIL INTO THE HOTEL PARKING LOT, STOPPING ONLY BY HITTING A SNOW BANK! I HAVE A APPOINTMENT WITH THE SHOP FRIDAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. EVEN BETTER, I'M ONLY 800 MILES OUT OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WE PURCHASED. FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, $1000 TO FIX ABS, $2,400 WORTHLESS EXTENDED WARRANTY=$3,400. THIS CHEVY WAS MY FIRST AND LAST AMERICAN CAR PURCHASE. HAVE 2 IMPORTS WITH 250K AND NEVER MORE THAN ROUTINE SERVICE. ARGH! JUST BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A INJURY, DEATH, FIRE, ETC.. DOESN'T EXCUSE GM FROM NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTS INTERMITTENTLY. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V521000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NOVEMBER 2004 I HAD AN AUTO ACCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING HOME LATE AT NIGHT AFTER MY HUSBAND AND I HAD BEEN OUT TO DINNER WITH A FRIEND ON LEAVE FROM THE MILITARY. WE WERE ON THE WAY TO PICK OUR KIDS UP FROM MY PARENTS AND IT WAS MISTING OUTSIDE. I WAS ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON THE FAR INSIDE LEFT HAND LANE, THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS FACING THE POLICE STATION HEAD-ON AT 35 MPH. I TRIED TO CORRECT THE WHEEL AND MY HUSBAND ALSO GRABBED THE WHEEL AND TRIED TO CORRECT IT, DIDN'T WORK I THINK THE WHEEL BROKE BECAUSE WE CRASHED INTO THE POLICE STATION. I HAD TO KICK MY DOOR OPEN AND RUN INSIDE TO HAVE THEM CALL AN AMBULANCE, MY HUSBAND WAS PINNED AGAINST THE WALL, HIS FACE BUSTED THE PASSENGER WINDOW OUT, AND THE DASH,THE RADIO AND GLOVE BOX WAS IN OUR LAP AND THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. WE WERE WEARING SEATBELTS AND THE FRONT AND SIDE WAS TOTALED BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ONLY WORKING DOORS WERE THE BACK HATCH AND THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR, THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS CAVED IN ON MY HUSBAND AND HE WAS FORCED ACROSS THE CONSOLE HE HAD TO BE PULLED FROM THE AUTO. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE ER AND ENDED UP MISSING WEEKS OF WORK FROM HIS INJURIES , I REFUSED TREATMENT WITH ONLY MY KNEE AND FOOT HURT. I WAS FOUND NOT AT FAULT AND NO TICKECTS WERE WROTE. WE HAD BEEN HAVING FRONT END PROBLEMS THAT CHEVY MECHANICS AND OTHER MECHANICS COULD NOT EXPLAIN. YES THEY SAW AND HEARD THE PROBLEM BUT DIDN'T KNOW HOW OR HAVE A WAY TO FIX IT,I BELIEVE THAT IS WHY WE CRASHED SOMETHING WITH THE FRONT END. I REPORTED TO THE POLICE THAT MY HUSBAND GRABBED THE WHEEL TRYING TO CORRECT IT BUT THEY WROTE IT AS HE GRABBED ME CAUSING THE WRECK; NEEDLESS TO SAY I CORRECTED THE ERROR BUT THEY DIDN'T CORRECT THEIR REPORT. I CONTACTED CHEVY ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY, THEY CALLED ME ON A SUNDAY BUT NOTHING WAS EVER DONE. *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE LIGHT THAT INDICATES THE PARKING BRAKE IS ACTIVATED WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT WHILE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS STILL APPLIED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HEARD THE SOUND OF METAL COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS REPLACED BY A REPAIR SHOP; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

EVERY MORNING WHEN I START THE CAR, IT "LUNGES" FORWARD. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED 3 OR 4 TIMES DURING THE DAY BUT IT DOES HAPPEN EVERY MORNING. I KEEP THE CAR IN THE GARAGE SO WHEN IT DOES MOVE FORWARD IT IS ONLY A COUPLE OF INCHES, BUT WHEN I AM IN A PARKING LOT, I MAKE SURE TO LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN CARS SO I DO NOT HIT ANYONE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE JAN. 07 AND THIS JUST STARTED IN NOVEMBER. *TR

THE ABS ELECTRONIC MODULE FAILED AGAIN TODAY. THIS WILL BE MY SECOND MODULE. THE FIRST MODULE FAILED IN 2004 AND WAS REPLACED. THE COST OF REPLACING THESE HAS RISEN TO OVER $1200.00 A POP. WHY DOESN'T NHTSA INVESTIGATE THESE FAILURES? THIS MODULE FAILURE RESULTS IN NO ABS WHEN YOU NEED IT IN A CRISIS SITUATION. *TR

THE 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN WHICH I OWN LEAKS COLD AIR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER FEET. I WAS TOLD BY MY INSURANCE CO. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A RECALL BY GM ON THIS AS IT IS A DEFECT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEATING DUCT, IT EVIDENTLY FALLS APART AND COLD AIR FROM OUTSIDE POURS ONTO THE PASSENGERS FEET. *TR