1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A BUILDING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 177,000. UPDATED 05/05/17*LJ *CN

THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS A 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE GAS GAUGE READ ERRATICALLY AND INCORRECTLY FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS. THEN THE ENGINE DIED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PARKED THE VEHICLE ONE DAY AND FAILED TO RESTART. I DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FUSE HAD BLOWN. A NEW FUSE LASTED 30 SECONDS BEFORE BLOWING IN ITS TURN. ON REMOVING THE GAS GAUGE SENDER/FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY FROM THE GASOLINE TANK, I NOTICED THAT TWO OF THE WIRES WERE FUSED TOGETHER. SEPARATING THE WIRES TOOK SOME EFFORT AND REVEALED THAT THE INSULATION ON BOTH WIRES HAD COMPLETELY ABRADED WHERE THEY CONTACTED EACH OTHER SUCH THAT THE BARE WIRES INSIDE TOUCHED EACH OTHER AND SHORTED OUT THE CIRCUIT. THE INSULATION ON ONE OF THE WIRES HAD OVERHEATED AND PARTIALLY MELTED OFF THE WIRE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE (1/2 INCH) FROM THE POINT OF CONTACT. REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE FUEL PUMP/GAS GAUGE SENDER SOLVED THE PROBLEM. SINCE THE ENTIRE UNIT IS LOCATED INSIDE THE GASOLINE TANK OF THE VEHICLE, I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS SHORT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A SPARK THAT WOULD IGNITE THE GASOLINE IN THE GASOLINE TANK. IN THE PURPLE WIRE PHOTO, ONE CAN SEE HOW THE POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE GREY WIRE ABRADED THE INSULATION DOWN TO THE BARE WIRE INSIDE. IN THE GREY WIRE PHOTO, ONE CAN SEE BOTH A COMPARABLE ABRASION DOWN TO THE BARE WIRE AND ALSO PARTIAL MELTING OF THE WIRE INSULATION, TO THE POINT THAT ADDITIONAL BARE WIRE SHOWED. THE METAL WIRES DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE MELTED OR FUSED; ONLY THE INSULATION DID THAT. BUT THE INSULATION MELTING AND FUSION, AS WELL AS THE TWO SAFETY FUSES THAT BLEW, ARGUE THAT THE ABRASION OF THE INSULATION CONTINUED UNTIL THE WIRES INSIDE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. THE ENTIRE UNIT IS SPRING LOADED SUCH THAT IT IS IN CONTACT WITH BOTH THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM OF THE GASOLINE TANK. SINCE THE TANK FLEXES SLIGHTLY IN NORMAL USE, THE WIRES FLEX AS WELL, RUBBING EACH OTHER ALWAYS. *TR

I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND THE BRAKES DIDN`T WORK, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW BRAKE FLUID ALL OVER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE.I THEN NOTICED SEVERAL RUSTED BRAKE LINES ONE OF WHICH HAD A LARGE HOLE IN IT. I HAD MY WIFE STEP ON THE PEDAL AND BRAKE FLUID CAME STREAMING OUT OF THE HOLE.

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR LOCK FAILED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE AUTO LOCKS DO NOT AFFECT IT NOR CAN THE LOCK BE MANUALLY UNLOCKED FROM THE INSIDE. THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL FROM INSIDE OR OUT. NO INDICATION OF BREAKAGE OCCURRED, IT JUST FROZE UP ONE DAY WITH NORMAL USE.

THE SEALTBELT RESTRAINT LOCKING SYSTEM IS FAULTY AND THIS HAD TO HAVE BEEN KNOWN DURING AND AFTER VEHICLE PRODUCTION .THE SEATBELTS WITH PASSENGERS TRRDTRAUNEF TRAVELS TO FAR FORWARD WHICH WOULD END UP IN DEATH OR VERY BAD HEAD AND NECK INJURIES BECAUSE THE SEATBELTS DO NOT LOCK WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED HARD OR FORWARD MOMENTUM IS STOPPED VERY SUDDENLY! I HAVE TRIED TO CAUSE A LOCK ACTION BY PULLING ON SEATBELTS VERY QUICKLY AND FORCEFULLY WITH VEHICLE SITTING PARKED AND ALSO WHILE DRIVING TO SLAM THE BRAKES TO CAUSE A FAST LOCK ON SEATBELTS AND NO AFFECT WAS APPARENT TO SAFELY RESTRAIN ADULTSADULTS,CHILDREN,OR EVEN NEWBORNS IN THE CAR SEATSEAT.THIS IS UNSAFE AND WITH AIRBAG SYSTEM IN THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE THIS WILL LEAD TO DEATH IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 63 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE CALIBERS SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THIS IS A DESIGN AND A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IT'S A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BECAUSE THE DOORS ARE FAILING IN LARGE NUMBERS AND IT'S A DESIGN DEFECT BECAUSE THE DOORS CAN'T BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY WHEN THE POWER LOCKS FAIL. THE DEALER SAID THE DOOR ACTUATORS AND LATCH ASSEMBLIES MUST BE REPLACED. WHAT HAPPENS IS RIVETS ON THE LOCK ASSEMBLY ARE COMING LOOSE AND WHEN THE WINDOW IS HALF WAY DOWN IT HITS THE RIVETS CAUSING THE LOCK TO JAM AND THE DOOR CAN NOT BE OPENED. IN A PANIC SITUATION, COLLISION OR CAR FIRE THE PASSENGERS NOT KNOWING WHY THEY CAN NOT OPEN THE DOOR WOULD HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE SEATS TO GET OUT WHICH MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IF THERE IS A FRONT END COLLISION OR FIRE.

THE SUV DOES NOT STOP AND THE ABS ACTIVATES WHEN COMING TO A STOP (APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH). I NOTICED THERE IS GM RECALL NO. 05068 BUT MY MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED. THAT IS STRANGE BECAUSE ALL OF THE SUV AND PICKUP TRUCKS AROUND THAT TIME ARE INCLUDED, MY MODEL IS NOT. ABS LIGHT SOMETIMES IS ON AND SOMETIMES NOT DURING THESE EPISODES. THIS SAFETY ISSUE HAPPENS PERIODICALLY OVER MANY YEARS WITH THIS VEHICLE.

BRAKES FAILED DUE TO CORRODED BRAKE LINES. APPEARS THAT REAR LINES FAILED BUT NEITHER FRONT OR REAR BRAKES WORKED DURING INCIDENT. BRAKE LINES ARE VERY RUSTY WHEREAS THERE IS ALMOST NO RUST ON OTHER COMPONENTS.

THE FIRST ISSUE I HAD WAS WHILE ON VACATION IN 2012 - I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 25 MPH AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE VEHICLE LOST WHAT I ESTIMATE TO BE 80% OF STOPPING POWER. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, ALWAYS AT LOW SPEEDS, WITH A REPAIR SHOP BEING UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS, IT WAS EVENTUALLY TRACED TO A CORRODED BRAKE LINE IN THE FRONT DRIVER AREA OF THE VEHICLE ONLY AFTER THE LINE RUPTURED COMPLETELY AND I MISSED GOING THROUGH THE FENCE SEPARATING MY YARD FROM THE NEIGHBORS BY JUST INCHES. THAT LINE WAS REPLACED, BUT WITH A USED PART BECAUSE THE LOCAL DEALER REFUSED TO SELL AN EXACT FIT BRAKE LINE AND THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ORIGINAL PART BY HAND. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS ALWAYS WITHIN THE ACCEPTABLE RANGE, AND THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ONLY WHILE THE BRAKES WERE ACTIVELY FAILING. IT WOULD TURN OFF AS SOON AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE. FAST FORWARD TO AUGUST 2015 - I'M COMING TO A STOP IN A DRIVEWAY, AND THE PEDAL SUDDENLY SINKS COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR, THE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON, AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE STOPPED AFTER STEPPING ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND I CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID. IT WAS FULL. THE PROBLEM THIS TIME WAS TRACED TO A METAL BRAKE LINE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR SECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THIS LINE IS ALSO HEAVILY CORRODED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAS VERY LITTLE TO NO RUST AND THERE IS NO RUST TO BE FOUND ON THE BODY OR THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MULTIPLE PLACES WHERE ALL OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES RUNNING THROUGH CERTAIN AREAS ARE HEAVILY CORRODED. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES IN THIS VEHICLE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE AGAIN.