2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

AS I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT A PARKING LOT ONTO A FOUR LANE ROADWAY, THE BRAKES ON MY 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN FAILED. I LIVED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THIS LOCATION AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE HOME. IT WAS A LITTLE SCAREY WITHOUT ANY STOPPING POWER, EVEN THE EMERGENCY BAKE WOULD NOT HOLD. WHEN I GOT HOME, I USED A FLASHLIGHT TO TRY TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. FOUND A PATTERN OF BRAKE FLUID LEAKING. REMOVED THE SPARE TIRE TO GET A BETTER LOOK AND FOUND A BRAKE LINE BETWEEN THE ABS AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE HAD RUSTED OUT. FROM THE LOOKS OF THE LINE CONDITION, THEY NEED TO BE ALL REPLACED. NEVER IN MY 70 YEARS HAVE I SEEN BRAKE LINES ON A TEN YEAR OLD VEHICLE LOOK LIKE THEY DID, REALLY IN BAD SHAPE. LOOKED AT OTHER LINES, FUEL, TRANSMISSION, THEY ALL LOOKED LIKE THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED.

FIRST INCIDENT EASTERN PA: 05/19/2014 APROX 119000 MILES: AFTER HITTING THE BRAKES HARD TO AVOID A VEHICLE THAT PULLED IN FRONT OF ME, THE BRAKES FAILED (BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR WITH LITTLE BRAKING ACTION). MANAGED TO SAFELY STOP. FOUND BURST BRAKE LINE IN THE REAR END OF VEHICLE. TWO REAR CORRODED REAR BRAKE LINES REPLACED BY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. SECOND INCIDENT MILFORD MA: 09/17/2015 127336 MILES: HIT BRAKES GOING DOWN DRIVEWAY. BRAKES WERE SOFT AND SANK TO FLOOR. BRAKE LINE GOING TO FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WAS BURST. ALL THE BRAKE FLUID DRAINED QUICKLY OUT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER ONTO THE DRIVEWAY. ORDERED ACDELCO 22932592 GM ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT HYDRAULIC BRAKE PIPE KIT AND AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING ALL BRAKE LINES AS ALL OF THEM OTHER THAN THE TWO REPLACED IN PA ARE VERY CORRODED. THE REPLACEMENT LINES ARE NOT REALLY OEM AS THEY HAVE A NYLON COATING FOR BETTER CORROSION PROTECTION

THE REAR LIFTGATE WILL NOT UNLOCK. THERE IS NO MANUAL RELEASE OR "KEY BYPASS" FOR THE REAR LIFTGATE LOCK. THIS PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN CASE OF FIRE OR CRASH.

AFTER RUNNING VEHICLE, GAS RUNS DOWN SIDES FROM TOP OF FUEL TANK, AND DRIPS UNDER VEHICLE. CONTINUES TO DRIP IF CAR IDLES. STOPS IF CAR IS SHUT OFF. STRONG SMELL OF FUEL AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE

BEGAN HEARING A "WHINING" NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. NOISE WAS PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER AT ACCELERATED SPEEDS. LEFT VEHICLE AT LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER (CA) WHO DID AN INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSED A MECHANICAL ISSUE POSSIBLY WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL [REF. CLAIM CHECK 175]. SERVICE WRITER STATED ESTIMATED REPAIR COST FOR AN OVERHAUL WAS $3,000 VS. HIGHER COSTS TO REPLACE WITH USED OR NEW DIFFERENTIAL. SERVICE WRITER FURTHER INDICATED CONTINUED DRIVING COULD CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE AND ADDED COST IF AXLE WAS ALSO AFFECTED. DECIDED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO A RECOGNIZED POWERTRAIN REPAIR FACILITY WHO DETERMINED (ALSO WITH A DRIVE TEST) THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL WAS THE PROBLEM AND GAVE INITIAL $1,200 ESTIMATE. AUTHORIZED REPAIR. FINAL COST WAS $813 AND INCLUDES 1 YEAR FULL WARRANTY. NOW RUNS SMOOTH / QUIET WHEN DRIVING. TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT ALTHOUGH FLUID LEVEL WAS GOOD (SEALED AT FACTORY), A RING INSIDE THE DIFFERENTIAL WAS BAD (HAD BECOME PITTED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED FURTHER ISSUES IF UNCHECKED. CHANGED OUT RING AND BEARINGS BUT ALL OTHER COMPONENTS INCLUDING CASING WERE FINE. TECHNICIAN STATED SUCH WEAR IS UNCOMMON FOR A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 126K MILES AND WITH NO TOWING ON FACTORY TOW PACKAGE. IS THIS AN ANNOMILY OR ARE THERE OTHER CASES OF BAD PARTS IN DIFFERENTIAL FOR THIS MAKE / MODEL? WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS FURTHER WITH GM ZONE REP. BUT NO RESPONSE!!!

WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN I NOTICED MY BRAKES FEELING MUSHY AND THE PEDAL NEEDING TO BE PRESSED FURTHER INTO THE FLOORBOARD. MY "CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM" LIGHT CAME ON AND UPON INSPECTION NOTICED THAT I WAS LOW ON BRAKE FLUID. I FILLED THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR TO THE MAX LINE. THE NEXT DAY THE SAME WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND I FURTHER INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES TO FIND THAT THE LINES FROM THE ABS BOX TO THE REAR HAD RUSTED OUT AND WERE LEAKING BADLY. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE BEGAN "CATCHING," NOT MOVING SMOOTHLY. AFTER ABOUT 2 WEEKS IT WOULD NOT RESET TO 0 WHEN STOPPED THEN AFTER 1 MORE DAY IT QUIT REGISTERING COMPLETELY.

WE BOUGHT OUR CHEVY SUBURBAN IN MAY OF 2014, 73,000 MILES, GARAGE KEPT VEHICLE. THE SUBURBAN IS IN BEAUTIFUL SHAPE, ENGINE COMPARTMENT SHOWS VERY LITTLE SIGNS OF RUST OR CORROSION, SAME GOES FOR THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, VERY CLEAN. THIS PAST WEEKEND WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A LARGE HILL, MY WIFE HAD OUR TWO BOYS WITH HER IN THE VEHICLE AGES 5 AND 7 WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES GAVE OUT COMPLETELY, NO BRAKING POWER AT ALL. IF IT WASN'T FOR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR WORSE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE WE FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES ARE COMPLETELY ROTTED, THE ONLY PART ON THE VEHICLE THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS. WE KNOW WHO OWNED THE VEHICLE BEFORE US, ONE OWNER, AND SHE DID NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE VERY OFTEN IN WINTER WEATHER. SHE WORKS FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HAS OFF WHEN IT SNOWS. SHE ALSO HAD AN OLDER CAR THAT SHE DROVE WHEN THE WEATHER AND ROADS WERE BAD. THESE BRAKE LINES ARE FAULTY. THERE IS NO WAY THESE BRAKE LINES SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS AFTER 9 YEARS ON THE ROAD. MY NEIGHBOR HAS A 2005 YUKON AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. MY FRIEND [XXX] HAS A 2003 GMC PICKUP, SAME PROBLEM, HE ALMOST CRASHED INTO A LAKE WHEN HIS BRAKE LINES FAILED. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS AND FAST AS PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET KILLED. I HAVE PICTURES I CAN SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SEE THEM. YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT ME AT ANY TIME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

HAD SERVICED THE TRANSFER CASE AND HAD TAKEN IT BACK TWICE NOW BESIDES A NOISE LIKE THAT OF A POWER STEERING PUMP GOING BAD ( WHINING ) , HAD A TURNING CLUNK NOISE COMING AND AT A STOP LIGHT I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM PASSENGER SIDE, GOT TO PARK IT AND SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING .BRING IT BACK TO SEE IF THE MECHANIC WILL WORK ON IT SINCE IT HASN'T BEEN 30 DAYS. PLEASE NOTIFY ME OF ANYTHING DO TO THE TRANSFER CASE. *TR

MY 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HAS RUSTED BRAKES LINES THAT WILL COST ME $2,000 TO REPAIR. INTERESTINGLY I SEE MANY NATIONAL ARTICLES ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FILED. GM HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL TO COVER THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM; OTHER AUTOMAKERS HAVE DONE SO. THE NHTSA HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING THIS FOR WELL OVER 3 YEARS AND DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT TO DATE. I DON'T HAVE $2,000 TO HAVE THE WORK DONE, HOWEVER I ALSO CAN'T RISK THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY AND THOSE OF OTHER DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS IMMEDIATE ACTION AND GM SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. PRIOR TO THIS I WOULD CONSIDER BUYING ANOTHER SUBURBAN, HOWEVER, NO MORE GM FOR ME! ITS A DISGRACE THE GM DOES NOT VALUE ITS CUSTOMERS AND THEIR SAFETY AND THAT THE NHTSA HAS NOT STEPPED UP TO FORCE A RECALL. JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE FOR ACTION TO OCCUR? *TR