2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

MY 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN LEFT ME AND MY THREE CHILDREN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. AFTER DRIVING WHILE MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR STARTED PULLING HARD TO THE LEFT AND DECELERATED IN SPEED. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER AND GET OUT. WHEN I LOOKED AT MY TIRE, I SAW A SMALL FIRE INSIDE THE TIRE. MY CAR WAS TOWED 55 MILES TO NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALER. I HAD MY LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER, HUB, ROTOR, BRAKE HOSE, BRAKE PADS AND RESURFACED ROTORS. A NEW LEFT FRONT TIRE AND $2,700 MY CAR WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN. ALL THE TECHNICIANS THAT SAW MY CAR WERE AMAZED THAT I DIDN'T LOSE THE TIRE. THEY WERE AMAZED TO SEE IT HANGING ON BY A THREAD. I UNDERSTAND THAT GM HAS SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BRAKE CALIPERS AND HUB. I DO NOT TRUST THE RIGHT SIDE SO I AM REPLACING THAT CALIPER AS WELL. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE, ESPECIALLY A MOM DRIVING ON A TRIP WITH HER YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THIS IS A DEFAULT IN HE CAR AND ITS BRAKES AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS INVESTIGATED. MY CAR HAD 85,500 AT THE TIME THIS OCCURRED. *TR

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC. THE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTS TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SLIDES AT FIRST AND EVENTUALLY STOPS. SHE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AGAIN AS OF THIS DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,200. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,007. UPDATED 4/23/08 *CN

I HAVE AJ 2002 CHEVY SUBURBAN W/144K MILES ON IT. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IF THE FUEL LEVEL GOT TOO LOW IT WOULD NOT START. IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS HAVE HAD THE INTERMITTENT SHUT OFF PROBLEM LISTED ON OTHER COMPLAINTS. I HAVE HAD IT DO IT ON ROUGH ROADS AND INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS. SAME THING, ENGINE STOPS, WAIT 3-5 MINUTES ENGINE STARTS, SEEMS LESS PREVALENT WHEN TANK IS FULL. DEALERSHIP SAYS CHEVY SEES NO OVERALL PROBLEM WITH IT, MY MECHANIC TELLS ME A NEW FUEL PUMP IS NOT TOO EXPENSIVE BUT THE REAL COST IS THE LABOR TO TAKE THE FUEL TAKE OFF AND REPLACE IT. TOTAL $900-1100, THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS ESPECIALLY FOR A PROBLEM GM KNOWS IT HAS. *TR

2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 WITH 8100 ENGINE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE STARTS BACK AFTER A FEW MINUTES. *TR

2002 CHEVY SUBURBAN PARKING BRAKE FAILED DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW THAT AFFECTS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS 1999 THROUGH 2003 GM VEHICLES. MOST OWNERS ARE PROBABLY UNAWARE THEIR VEHICLE HAS THIS DEFECT, SINCE THE TRANSMISSION PREVENTS VEHICLE MOVEMENT WHEN IN PARK. THE PARKING BRAKE ON THESE GM VEHICLES IS A DRUM BRAKE ON THE REAR WHEELS. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DRUM, AND DISC BRAKE ROTOR IS COMBINED INTO A SINGLE UNIT ON THESE VEHICLES. PARKING BRAKE PADS ARE MOUNTED ON A CIRCULAR METAL RING, WHICH HAS ABOUT A 2 INCH GAP AT THE TOP. THE RING EXPANDS WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS APPLIED. UNLIKE TYPICAL DRUM BRAKE PADS, THE CIRCULAR RING IS NOT WELL SECURED TO PREVENT UNDESIRABLE MOVEMENT WITHIN THE DRUM. USUALLY, DRUM BRAKE PADS ARE SECURED BY HEAVY SPRINGS TO KEEP THEM CENTERED WITHIN THE DRUM. ON THESE GM VEHICLES, HOWEVER, THERE IS JUST A SLIDE-IN CLIP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CIRCULAR METAL RING TO WHICH THE PADS ARE ATTACHED. THIS ALLOWS THE BRAKE PADS TO MOVE WITHIN THE DRUM WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT IN USE. ON MY VEHICLE, THE CIRCULAR RING WAS PULLED DOWN BE GRAVITY, RESULTING IN IT CONTINUALLY RIDING AGAINST THE DRUM. THIS WORE OUT THE PADS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CIRCULAR RING TO THE POINT WHERE METAL WAS CONTACTING METAL. THIS CAUSED EXTENSIVE WEAR TO THE DRUM, REMOVING OVER 1/16 INCH OF METAL. IN FEBRUARY 2003, GM RELEASED SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 92-05-26-002A, WHICH CALLS FOR INSTALLATION OF A SPRING CLIP RETAINER TO PREVENT PARKING BRAKE FAILURE ON THE FOLLOWING MODELS: 2002-2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE 1999-2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 2000-2003 CHEVY SUBURBAN, TAHOE 1500 2002-2003 CHEVY AVALANCHE 1999-2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 2000-2003 GMC YUKON 1500 GM SHOULD HAVE DONE A RECALL. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AND THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO HOLD WHEN PARKED ON A STEEP SLOPE. A DRIVER COULD PLACE A RUNNING VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, SET THE PARKING BRAKE, AND TAKE THEIR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL, RESULTING IN HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES. THIS DEFECT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY. *TR

DRIVER SIDE SIDE MIRROR HAS DEVELOPED A SPOT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND YOU CANNOT SEE OUT OF IT! *TR

WHEN THE CAR IS COLD, THE STEERING RESISTS VERY STRONGLY A TURN TO THE RIGHT IN THE FIRST 10-20 DEGREES OF STEERING WHEEL TURN TO THE RIGHT OF STRAIGHT. THE STRENGTH OF RESISTANCE IS VARIABLE, DEPENDING ON THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. SITTING STILL, THERE IS A SLIGHT ?HITCH? OR NOTHING AT ALL. AS VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES, THE AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE INCREASES TO A MAX AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH, WHERE IT TAKES AN ?ARM WRESTLE? FORCE TO MOVE THE STEERING TO THE RIGHT. IT RESISTS, FIGHTS BACK, THEN WITH A LOT OF MUSCLE ? POPS THROUGH THIS RESISTANCE AND FEELS PERFECTLY NORMAL. THE HARD MUSCLE PULL TO THE RIGHT, AND SUBSEQUENT RELEASE MAKES THE TRACK OF THE CAR TEND STRAIGHT, AND THEN JERK RIGHT. WHEN THE CAR HAS THIS MALFUNCTION, IT REQUIRES THE MOST PHYSICAL POWER TO PULL THE STEERING TO THE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. SUCCESSIVE TURNS TO THE RIGHT ARE EASIER AND EASIER, UNTIL AFTER ABOUT 4-5 CYCLES TO THE RIGHT, THE STEERING IS ?NORMAL.? SYMPTOMS ARE GONE WITHIN 1 MILE OF DRIVING. THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS USUALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD AND HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. IT ALSO IS MORE PREVALENT WHEN THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE IS COLD. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO BOTH. IT RESISTED TURNS TO THE RIGHT IN THE MORNING, AND EQUALLY AS MUCH THAT EVENING RETURNING HOME FROM WORK. IT HAS SHOWN UP IN THE SUMMER, BUT MORE OFTEN IN THE WINTER. IT DOES NOT DO IT EVERY DAY. I DESCRIBE IT AS PERMANENT, PERSISTENTLY INTERMITTENT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES, AND LEFT DAYS AND WEEKS AT A TIME. AT THE LAST INCIDENT, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING POSITION SENSOR. FREQUENCY OF MALFUNCTION DECREASED, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT TAKE NORMAL STEERING COMMANDS IS IN ITSELF HAZARDOUS. ON SLIPPERY SURFACES, THE LIKELIHOOD OF LOSS OF CONTROL IS SEVERE. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE LIFT GLASS SEPARATED AND THE GLASS WOULDN'T CLOSE. YOU HAD TO MANUALLY LINE IT UP. APPARENTLY THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM BUT GM WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE CUSTOMER SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY OVER $800 TO GET THIS FIXED. *TR

CAR HAS HAD LIGHTS DIMMING WHEN ELECTRIC DEVICES ARE OPERATING. CAR HAS NEW ALTERNATOR, BELTS, IDLER PULLEY AND BATTERY. CAR WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN WITH TURN SIGNAL ON. BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND ENTIRE VEHICLE-ENGINE AND ALL LIGHTS SHUT DOWN. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND ENGINE STARTED AGAIN. *TR

SINCE PURCHASING AN 02 CHEVROLET SURBURBAN, 8.1L AND 81K MILES, I HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE RANDOM ENGINE SHUT OFFS WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING, CREATING DANGEROUS SAFETY SITUATIONS. THE MOTOR WILL RESTART AFTER A 5 MINUTE REST PERIOD AND RUN FINE, UNTIL THE NEXT FAILURE WHICH OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SO FAR BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, CLEANED MAF SENSOR, REPLACED THERMOSTAT AND FAN CLUTCH, CHANGED OIL, CHECKED FUEL PUMP PRESSURE. NO ENGINE FAILURE CODES REPORTED. RESEARCHING INTERNET INFORMATION, I HAVE DISCOVERED A RECURRING SYMPTOM RELATED TO AN INTERMITTENT CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR (CKP) FAILURE, THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. THERE IS A A TIMED RESET WHICH ALLOWS THE ENGINE TO RESTART. *TR