1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

WHILE STOPPED AT LIGHT A MOTORIST INFORMED ME THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKE LITES. AFTER ARRIVING HOME I HAD MY WIFE APPLY THE BRAKES AND ONLY THE THIRD BRAKE LITE CAME ON. I HAD MY WIFE TAKE OUR SURBURBAN IN TO THE DEALER, HAD IT CHECKED OUT, AND WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD A SHORT IN THE REAR LITE HARNESS. IT WAS REPARED FOR $118. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE DROVE THE SURBURBAN UP TO IOWA OVER THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. AFTER RETURNING I WAS AGAIN INFORMED BY A MOTORIST THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKE LITES. ARRIVING HOME I CHECKED THE BRAKE LITES AGAIN,AND AGAIN ONLY THE THIRD BRAKE LITE CAME ON. I HAD MY WIFE TAKE THE SURBURBAN BACK TO THE DEALER, HAD IT CHECKED OUT, AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH OR THE MULTIFUNTION SWITCH. MY SURBURBAN IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP HAVING THE SWTCH REPLACED FOR $637.00.

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, RIGHT BEFORE GETTING TO A STOP LIGHT AND ON WET PAVEMENT, THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS PUSHING BACK. THE BRAKE AND FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS SHAKING. MORE FREQUENTLY IT WOULD OCCUR WHILE TOWING A TRAILER. WHICH RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.*AK THE OS OXYGEN SENSOR, BATTERY AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED HE HEARD A PUMPING NOISE FROM THE ABS AND AT SLOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE CUSTOMER HAS HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS SEVERAL TIMES. NO LIGHT COMES ON PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. *JB *NM

WHILE AT LOW SPEED AND OFTEN READY TO PARK MY VEHICLE, THE BREAKS NO LONGER WORK.

TURN SIGNAL (MULTI-FUNCTION) SWITCH STARTED STAYING ON AND FLASHER KEPT CLICKING AFTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. SWITCH THEN STARTED TO FUNCTION WITHOUT DRIVER ACTIVATION. WHEN SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT AROUND THE HAZARD BUTTON I CALLED THE CHEVROLET DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE MILEGE IS 83076. DEALER ADVISED CALLING GM CUSTOMER SERVICE. SECURED SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER 1-327411227. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. REPAIR WAS MADE NEXT DAY. COST $680.99. PAID BY CREDIT CARD. HAVE SECURED INFORMATION THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER GM SAYS THIS VEHICLE VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. HISTORY ON THIS VEHICLE: 06/23/00 9891 MILES AC COMPRESSOR FAILED 12/19/00 17149 MILES POWER STEERING PUMP SHAFT BROKE 06/09/01 25227 MILES BATTERY SHORTED OUT 08/16/03 59362 MILES FUEL GUAGE STOPPED WORKING 01/17/05 78571 MILES LIGHT SWITCH BROKE OFF 04/12/05 83076 MILES MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED THESE ARE ALL ITEMS WHICH SHOULD EXPECT A MUCH LONGER LIFE SPAN THAN OCCURRED. IN FACT, I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPT THAT THE STEERING SHAFT IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, WHICH IS MY PRESENT COMPLAINT IS THE SAME SWITCH WHICH IS UNDER RECALL, HOWEVER THEY SAY MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT EFFECTED. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH EFFECTED THE RECALL. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE SWITCH, NOT THE VEHICLE. WHATS THE DIFFERENCE, WHICH VIN THE VEHICLE CARRIES?

IN 2000 OR 2001 WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN WARRENTY, I HAD TRAVELED TO KENTUCKY FOR A VISIT WITH FAMILY. MY FATHER-IN-LAW NOTICED THAT I HAD NO TAIL LIGHTS OR BRAKE LIGHTS. A LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BRAKE SWITCH AT THE PEDAL (STOPLIGHT SWITCH). IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR MY WIFE WAS FOLLOWING ME IN OUR OTHER VEHICLE WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO BRAKE LIGHTS OR TAIL LIGHTS COMING ON AGAIN. I THOUGHT THAT THE SWITCH HAD WORKED LOOSE. WHEN I PUSHED IN ON THE SWITCH THE BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THEN LAST WEEK MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND NOTICED IN THE STORE WINDOWS BEHIND HER THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING AGAIN. SHE DROVE TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE AND PURCHASED A STOPLIGHT SWITCH. I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE SWITCH. THANKFULLY OF THE 3 INCIDENTS WITH BEING UNAWARE OF HAVING NO BRAKE LIGHTS THERE WAS NEVER AN ACCIDENT. HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN UNFORTUNATE AND THIS SWITCH HAS CAUSED AN ACCIDENT?

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE LF TIRE. VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO WHEEL WELL, ROCKER PANEL, FRONT FENDER AND SIDE VIEW MIRROR. THE TREAD SEPARATION APPEARS TO BE BETWEEN THE TWO STEEL BELTS. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED AND WAS WITHIN THE MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATION. JUST PRIOR TO THE TREAD SEPARATION, THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. (*NM) FSB (8/11/05 FOLLOW UP CALL): ON 6/4/05, THE OWNER EXPERIENCED A 2ND TREAD SEPARATION WITHOUT WARNING INVOLVING THE LR TIRE AT 65 MPH. AS IN FIRST INCIDENT, THE OWNER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. OWNER HAS REPLACED ALL TIRES AND HAS FAILED TIRES IN POSSESSION. OWNER WAS ADVISED BY TECHNICIAN THAT REMAINING TIRES WOULD HAVE ALSO FAILED.

99 3/4 BRAKE ABS FAILURE UNDER 10MPH I DOUBLT YOU WILL SEE THE SPOKESMAN WHO SAYS THEY DONT HAVE A PROBLLEM STAND IN FRONT OF THE SUBURBAN WHEN ITS BRAKES ARE APPLIED TO STOP. IM SCARED SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE HURT. YOU APPLY BRAKES AND WHEN DRY OR COLD AND IN EVEN IN GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO FLOOR WITH PEDAL DEPRESSED AND HELD.

LOST THE UPPER A ARM CAM BOLT AND NUT ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVERS UPPER A ARM. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND NEARLY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A DIRT ROAD NEAR KNOX, ND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN BY CHEVROLET TO A DEALER IN RUGBY, ND. WHERE THE BOLT ASSEMBLY WAS REPAIRED AND SECONDARY DAMAGE TO FRONT END COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED.

STREERING BEGAN TO ACT ERATICALLY AND FELT AS IF I HIT A PATCH OF ICE WITH A RAPID RELEASE OF TURNING FORCE WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. ON THE FIRST OCCASION WHEN THIS OCCURRED I WAS EXITING A FREEWAY CLOVERLEAF IN WET CONDITIONS AND THE ERATIC MOVEMENT CAUSED THE REAR OF THE TRUCK TO LOSE TRACTION AND A NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE THE SLIDE WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT BUT FOUND IT TO BE AN UNNERVING EVENT. AFTER RESEARCHING AUTO FORUMS ON THE WEB I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS POSTINGS ON THIS SUBJECT AND IT IS RELATED TO A FAILURE OF THE STEERING WHEEL SENSOR LOCATED AT ON NEAR THE BASE OF THE STEERING COLUMN IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I REPLACED THIS SENSOR ON 05-04-05 AND THE CONDITION IS NOW CORRECTED. I PURCHASED THE GM PART #26064468 AT A DEALER AND DID THE LABOR MYSELF. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS DEFECT WHICH WILL INEVITABLE CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.