1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

I WAS DRIVING AND MY VEHICLE (1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2WD) MADE A LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATED FOR A FEW SECONDS, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR UNTIL I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I TOOK MY CAR TO AN AUTOMOTIVE SHOP WHERE THE HOOKED UP A MACHINE TO SEE WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. THE MACHINE TOLD THEM IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION SHIFT SILENOID. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE IN MY VEHICLE FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. I THEN HAD TO TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP HAVE AN EXPENSIVE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 97,000 MI. I SHOPPED AROUND AT SEVERAL TRANSMISSION SHOPS AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS VERY COMMON IN CHEVY/GMC SUBURBAN'S AND TRUCKS MADE FROM 1997-2000. IF THIS IS THE CASE, WHY ISN'T GM RECALLING THE VEHICLES FOR REPAIRS?*AK

I WAS DRIVING MY VECHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, WHEN I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE FRONT VENTS. WE GOT OUT AND THE VEHICLE SOON BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCLERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR MY VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH POWER DOOR LOCKS AND 4 OF THE 5 DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO OPERATE AUTOMATICALLY OVER A 3 WEEK TIME SPAN. THE PART THAT FAILED IS CALLED AN ACTUATOR, WHICH MOVES THE DOOR LOCKS UP AND DOWN. MY TOTAL BILL WAS $900 AND EACH PART COSTS $100. THE LOCAL PARTS DEALERS AND AUTO DEALERS HAVE SAID THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND THE NEW ACTUATORS ARE BEING SOLD AS FAST AS THEY ARRIVE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH GM RECENTLY AND SO FAR NO SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN FILED. I BELIEVE THERE IS AN INHERENT SAFETY RISK WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE POSTED. PLEASE RESEARCH THIS AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *NLM

I HAVE A DIESEL VERSION OF THE SUBURBAN, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE CONNECTING THE TWO BATTERIES IS VERY LOOSE AND WILL NOT STAY IN THE CHANNEL DESIGNED FOR IT OVER THE FAN SHROUD. I REPLACE IT EACH TIME, WHILE COMING TO WORK THIS MORNING, I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, AND THEN HEARD AN AWFUL NOISE. I PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE SPARKS FLYING EVERYWHERE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE TRUCK OFF TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THAT THE CABLE HAD COME OUT OF ITS PLACE YET AGAIN & FALLEN INTO THE FAN. I WAS LUCKY I SHUT IT OFF WHEN I DID, THERE WAS ONLY A FEW "THREADS" OF COPPER HOLDING IT TOGETHER. HAD IT CUT COMPLETELY IN TWO, THERE MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A FIRE. *JB

THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME. VEHICLE HAS 83000 MILES. THE LAST REPAIR USED AFTER MARKET PARTS. THE PARTS COMPANY WILL NOT WARRANT CLAIMING IMPROPER INSTALLATION. DEALER CLAIMS DESIGN DEFECT. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING. SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY 1997 TAHOE AT 70K MILES. *NLM

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR LATCHES DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE DEALER FIXED IT ON TWO OCCASIONS BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *NLM...*AK

REPEATED WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILURE ON 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. I COULD RAP ON WIPER MOTOR BOX AND GET IT TO RESUME SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IT WOULD FAIL AGAIN IN 20 TO 30 MINUTES. EVENTUALLY IT FAILED COMPLETELY LATE ON A RAINY NIGHT. I DROVE 30 MILES WITH NO WIPERS IN THE RAIN RATHER THAN BE STRANDED WITH WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN RURAL VIRGINIA WHERE WE HAVE RECENTLY HAD NEWS OF ATTACKS AND RAPES OF MOTORISTS WHO HAD STOPPED TO CHECK THEIR MAPS. *NLM

THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND THIS TIME I HAD TO REPLACE THE RIGHT FRONT ROTOR DUE TO WARPING. THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE ARE GROSSLY UNDERSIZED AND CHEVROLET KNOWS THIS. THAT IS WHY THE BRAKES ON THE NEW 2003 SUBURBAN ARE LARGER EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS LIGHTER THAN THIS MODEL. I HAD INTENDED TO KEEP THIS CAR FOR AT LEAST 6 OR 7 YEARS BUT MUST NOW GIVE IT UP BECAUSE I AM WORRIED THE BRAKES WILL FAIL ALL TOGETHER. ALSO, THE SEAT HEATERS ON BOTH FRONT SEATS QUIT WORKING AFTER THE FIRST YEAR AND WOULDN'T BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *JB

THE SERVICE BRAKES HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES. BEING IN THE AUTO SERVICE BUSINESS FOR YEARS I THINK I CAN SAFELY SAY THIS PROBLEM STEMS FROM THE PROPORTIONING VALVE IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. TOO MUCH PROPORTIONED TO THE FRONT BRAKES CAUSES WARPAGE AND SUDDEN VEHICLE JERK. A PROBLEM OCCURRING IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS AS SERIOUS AS IT GETS. A RECALL IS IN ORDER! THE SLIGHT COST OF REPLACING ABOVE MENTIONED COMPONENT IS NOMINAL COMPARED TO JUST 1 LIFE (I.E. 1 CONSUMER). I SINCERELY HOPE GM TAKES A HARD LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS EXISTED FOR NEARLY HALF A DECADE. *NLM