1992 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER MY CHECK ABS SYSTEM LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON. WHEN MY BRAKES WERE SERVICED, NOT BY A DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT MY BRAKES WERE WORKING BUT THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKES WERE NOT. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX THE COMPUTER CHIP IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT AND WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR BRAKES WERE WORKING PROPERLY (NOT THE ANTILOCK), WE HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT IN TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, ONLY "ALMOST" ACCIDENTS. WE DO, THOUGH, SEEM TO HAVE TO HAVE OUR BRAKES WORKED ON VERY OFTEN BECAUSE OF ONE THING OR ANOTHER. I READ ABOUT THE RECALL AND WANTED TO REPORT THIS TO YOU FOR YOUR RECORDS. I HOPE THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF OUR VEHICLE WILL REPAIR THIS PROBLEM FOR US WITHOUT CHARGE BEFORE AN ACCIDENT DOES HAPPEN, AS APPARENTLY THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO FAILURE IN THE RAIN. *YC

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST CHEVROLET VEHICLE THAT I HAVE HAD THAT HAS HAD WIPER PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD 2 OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL FRIENDS THAT HAVE ALSO. THE WIPERS DECIDE BY THEMSELVES WHEN THEIR GOING TO WORK IN THE RAIN. SOMETIMES THEY DO AND SOMETIMES THEY DONT. THEY HAVE JUST QUIT ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAIN STORM IN TRAFFIC AND ALMOST CAUSED A WRECK SEVERAL TIMES.

THE FIRST BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MARCH 30, 1999 AT THE INTERSECTION OF AL 150 AND I-459 IN HOOVER AL. I TRIED TO STOP AT THE LIGHT BUT THE SUBURBAN JUST WOULD NOT STOP. THE ANTI LOCK MECHANISM DID NOT ACTIVATE AND THERE WAS NO SLIDING OR SKIDDING. I RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT ABOUT 5 MPH. THERE WAS RAIN PRESENT, BUT IT WAS LIGHT RAIN ITH NO WATER STANDING ON THE ROAD. THE SECOND OCCASION WAS IN HOUSTON TX ON MAY 28, 1999. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE SUBURBAN ON THE SAM HOUSTON TOLL ROAD WHEN SHE WENT TO CHANGE LANES. SHE DISCOVERED THAT SOMEONE WAS OVERTAKING HER FROM BEHIND AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN THE LANE THAT SHE WANTED TO BE IN. SHE PULLED THE WHEEL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAW SOMEONE IN THE ADJACENT LANE, PULLED THE WHEEL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND APPLIED THE BRAKES, HARD. THE SUBURBAN'S REAR WHEELS LOCKED, AND THE SUBURBAN MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND EXITTED THE ROADWAY BACKWARD AT ABOUT 20 MPH STRIKING A CONCRETE BARRIER. I HAVE SPENT ABOUT $1000 MAKING THE SUBURBAN DRIVABLE, AND I HAVE NOT GOTTEN INTO THE BODY WORK YET. I FEEL THAT BOTH OCCURANCES HAVE BEEN CAUSED AT LEAST IN PART BY FAILURE OF THE FOUR WHEEL ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL THREW THE TREAD SIX DAYS LATER ON THE WAY HOME. I DON'T THINK IT WAS DESIGNED TO GO SIDEWAYS.( DOT NUMBER: AN11LX1127 TIRE SIZE: LT24575R16 )

ON TWO OCCASIONS THE CONSUMER HAS SLAMMED ON BRAKES ABRUPTLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED, DEALER CHECKED BUT SAID THEY LOOKED FINE. NLM

EA95026, INTERMITTENTLY, THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND VIBRATION, WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED PARTS IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM. PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ABS DOES NOT STOP MY SUBURBAN WHEN SYSTEM ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE TAKES A LOT LONGER TO STOP. I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALER AND SEVERAL BRAKE SHOPS AND THEY CLAIM THIS PHENOMENON IS NORMAL. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED 4 NEAR MISSES AND ONE ACCIDENT. I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET IT CORRECTED BEFORE WE GET IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *AK

ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATING BY ITSELF, AND CAUSING BRAKE SYSTEM TO FAIL. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE COST OF REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF APPROXIMATELY $1300.00. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. *AK

THERE IS A RECALL FOR 1994 SUBURBANS CONCERNING ERRATIC OPERATION OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECAL DUE TO DATE OF MAKE/MODEL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN DRIVER EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, DRIVER SAW SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM THE BACK OF VEHICLE.. FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. FIRE BELIEVED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE TRANSMISSION AREA. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK