2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE REARVIEW MIRROR WAS REFLECTING DOUBLE IMAGES CAUSING CONFUSION WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE MIRROR DELAMINATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE SUBURBAN. AFTER THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF THE LOUD NOISE PERSISTED. SHE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES AND THERE WAS STILL A LOUD NOISE. SHE CALLED ME AND I CAME OVER TO HER WORK AND CRAWLED UNDER THE CAR. I FOUND THAT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ON THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT (EHCU) WAS CONSTANTLY RUNNING AND THE UNIT WAS VERY HOT. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE UNIT FROM RUNNING WAS TO DISCONNECT THE POWER HARNESS. THE EHCU IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE FUEL FILTER AND IT WAS SO HOT THAT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE IN THE FUEL LINE/FUEL FILTER IF I HAD NOT DISCONNECTED IT. IT MIGHT HAVE ALSO GOT HOT ENOUGH TO START THE CAR INTERIOR ON FIRE. THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF SHUT OFF MECHANISM WHEN THE EHCU FAILS. I TALKED TO A NUMBER OF MECHANICS AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM IS NORMALLY WITH A RELAY IN THE EHCU AND THIS CAUSES THE MOTOR TO RUN NON-STOP. THEY SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR 1999 + CHEVROLET SILVERADO, GMC SIERRA, AND THE 2000 + CHEVROLET SUBURBAN/TAHOE AND THE GMC YUKON/YUKON XL. THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS PROBABLY A RECALL ON THEM BUT APPARENTLY THERE IS NOT. THE PART IS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE DEALER AND COSTS APPROXIMATELY $950. IT TAKES ALMOST TWO HOURS OF LABOR TO INSTALL IT SO THE REPAIR COSTS ABOUT $1150. THE SUBURBAN IS NOW IN THE SHOP BEING REPAIRED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 51,000 MILES AND THIS MODULE SHOULD NOT FAIL WITH SUCH LOW MILES AND IT SHOULD NOT COST NEARLY THIS MUCH TO REPAIR. *NM

ABS MODULE FAILED @ 37,000 MI AND AGAIN @ 67,000 MI. DEALER CHARGED APPROX. 1200.00 EACH TIME. *JB

BOUGHT A USED 01 SUBURBAN ON 9/10/06 IT HAS 826000 MILES ON IT. THE DAY AFTER I BOUGHT IT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD 30 MPH, THE TRUCK STALLED. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, STILL ROLLING AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART 2 OR 3 TIMES. IT FINALLY STARTED. IT HAS ALSO DONE IT AT A DEAD STOP AT THE BANK DRIVE THROUGH. THIS TIME IT DIDN'T RESTART UNTIL I PULLED THE KEY AND REINSERTED IT AND IT STARTED. AS OF TODAY 9/19/06 IT HAS DONE IT AT LEAST 7 TIMES. I TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET THEY SAID POSSIBLE CRANK POSITION SENSOR? *NM

VEHICLE WOULD DIE RANDOMLY WHILE OPERATING CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING. USUALLY OCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS (LIKE IN TRAFFIC) AND RE-STARTING REQUIRED LENGTHY CRANKING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS PROBLEM HAS COME UP WHILE I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE WITH THE SAME CORRECTION, REPLACING THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. I HAVE THE OLD PART. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S ABS AND PARKING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHERE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS IDENTIFIED THE COMPONENT FAILURE AS THE SERVICE BRAKE; ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE, HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE. THE SERVICE DEALER MECHANIC ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE PUMP MIGHT DAMAGE A NEW MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT NEVER USED THE PARKING BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD GO BAD IF IT WAS NEVER USED. UPDATED 9/13/2006 -THE VEHICLE FAILED STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT WORK. *NM

CAR WILL DIE AT HIGHWAY SPEED, LEADING TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKING. 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN WITH 8.1L ENGINE. THIS SOUNDS THE SAME AS OPEN COMPLAINT NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE06016. *NM

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE. PUMP ON ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM CONTINUES TO RUN CAUSING PUMP FAILURE UNLESS DISCONNECTING FUSE AT PANEL. UPON DISCONNECTING FUSE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM IS USELESS AS IS THE TRACTION CONTROL FEATURE. ALL LIGHTS, ABS, TRACTION ASSIST, BRAKE BECOME ILLUMINATED ON DASH BOARD. I FEEL THIS IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION DUE TO THE DRIVER NOT HAVING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES OR TRACTION ASSIST. I'VE TALKED WITH NUMEROUS OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE VEHICLE AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINTS. THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE (EBCM) THAT IS MOUNTED TO THE TOP OF THE ABS PUMP. GM IS CHARGING IN THE BALLPARK OF $700-$900 FOR THIS PART AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. 8JB

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WILL NOT INSPECT VEHICLE DUE TO FAULTY EMERGENCY BRAKE DESIGN. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT COVER AND MANUFACTURER WILL NOT WARRANTY. $600 DEALERSHIP REPAIR OR $400 AT LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY. *JB