2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

STARTING ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, OUR 2001 SUBURBAN WOULD "SHUT DOWN" WITHOUT WARNING. IT COULD BE RE-STARTED. THIS HAPPENED 15 - 20 TIMES DURING THESE THREE WEEKS. IT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP DURING THIS PERIOD AND THE PROBLEM COULD BE REPLICATED AT THE DEALERSHIP ON OCCASION. AS OF NOW THERE IS NO CURE AND WORK CONTINUES. IT'S BELIEVED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. TO THIS POINT, THE WIRING FROM THE KEY-SWITCH TO THE COMPUTER HAS BEEN BYPASSED, THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPLACED, THE IGNITION MODULE HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, WITH A POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS OUT COME. *JB

ABS MODULE FAILED AT 40,200 MILES WITH NO APPARENT REASON. DEALER SAID IT WAS AN INTERNAL FAILURE. GM DID REFUND 50% OF THE REPAIR COST AS THE PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO SOON. *JB

WE OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. BEGINNING ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERS SHOP NEARLY CONSTANTLY FOR THREE WEEKS AND THEY CAN FIND NO SPECIFIC CAUSE OR A CURE FOR THE PROBLEM.

I AM CONCERNED THERE IS A CHEVROLET MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IF WHAT THE LONE STAR CHEVROLET REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME IS CORRECT AND AN UNUSED EMERGENCY BRAKE IN A 2001 SUBURBAN CAN DESTROY ITSELF AT ANY TIME MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ON 3/10/2003 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LONE STAR CHEVROLET FOR ITS 50K MILE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, EXCEPT FOR A SQUEALING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE WHEN THE BREAKS WERE APPLIED. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES. ON THEIR FIRST CALL, THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THE MECHANIC FOUND THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS TO BE GLAZED OVER, CAUSING THE NOISE. I TOLD THEM TO FIX IT, A STANDARD WEAR REPAIR ITEM. LATER, THE REPRESENTATIVE CALLED AGAIN TO SAY THE MECHANIC FOUND THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WERE BROKEN,NOT HOLDING AGAINST THE DRUM, WHICH CAUSED, THE CAR TO BE UNSAFE TO THE POINT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. WHEN I ASKED HOW THAT COULD BE SINCE I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY DIFFICULTY IN STOPPING VEHICLE, HE SAID THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS A TOTALLY SEPARATE SYSTEM FROM THE REGULAR BRAKES. I POINTED OUT SEVERAL FACTS TO HIM: 1)I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY PERSON TO DRIVE THE CAR EXCEPT WHEN IT WAS IN THEIR SHOP FOR REPAIRS. 2)I HAVE NEVER (NOT ONCE) ACTIVATED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON THE VEHICLE AND I ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE CERTAIN ITS NOT ON WHEN ITS RETURNED FROM REPAIRS. 3)THE CAR PASSED ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION DURING 12/2002 WITH THE INSPECTION DONE BY THEIR FACILITY. THERE WAS NO MENTION ABOUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE NOT WORKING THEN. IN LIGHT OF THESE ISSUES, I ASKED THE REPRESENTATIVE TO EXPLAIN HOW A PART THAT HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED GOT A DRUM THAT IS SO BADLY SCORED AND WORN THAT IT NO LONGER WORKS AND WHY THE PROBLEM WASN'T NOTICED DURING DECEMBER. HE THEN SAID NORMAL ROAD VIBRATIONS CAN CAUSE THE PARTS TO SLIP OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING THE DAMAGE AT ANY TIME, AND IT WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING DECEMBER. HE WENT SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT THEIR MECHANICS SAW THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME. *NLM

DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP. MR CORRESPONDENCE IN REFERENCE TO A 2001 CHEVROLET SURBURBAN. *CB *JB

MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN GOT IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO PARKING PAWL FAILURE WHILE PARKED ON A SLOPED SURFACE. PARKING PAWL IS A TRANSMISSION GEAR SAFETY LOCKING MECHANISM THAT WILL PREVENT A VEHICLE FROM MOVING WHILE IN PARK POSITION. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS PRODUCT ALLEGATION DEPARTMENT TO INFORM ABOUT THIS SERIOUS DEFECT. GENERAL MOTORS ASSIGNED AN INVESTIGATOR TO GATHER DETAILS AND INFORMATION THE INVESTIGATOR SUBMITTED ALL THE INFORMATION AND DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT TO A GENERAL MOTORS ENGINEERS WHO WILL REVIEW THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE PARKING PAWL. INITIAL FINDING BY GM AUTHORIZED SERVICE REPAIR SHOP, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE PREMATURE WEARING OF THE PARKING PAWL MECHANISM. FROM A DESIGN STANDPOINT THIS PARKING PAWL MECHANISM BY NO MEANS SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECTED TO ANY PREMATURE WEARING. OTHERWISE, THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS DESIGN ERROR. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS, GM SAID THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS MATERIAL DEFECT. THE BIG QUESTION NOW IS HOW MANY 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN WAS AFFECTED BY THIS MATERIAL DEFECT. ALSO, GM REPRESENTATIVE WAS RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE ME A COPY OF THE INVESTIGATION RESULTS CONDUCTED BY THEIR DESIGN ENGINEERS. THE PARKING PAWL MECHANISM FAILURE CANNOT BE DETECTED EASILY BY AN AVERAGE PERSON, UNLESS A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED OR AN ACCIDENT WILL OCCURRED. ALSO, MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN WAS DISCOVERED BY GM AUTHORIZED SERVICE SHOP THAT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE WAS HAVING A PREMATURE WEARING ON THE BRAKE PADS. THIS REALLY A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CASE FOR ALL 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN FOR HAVING A POTENTIAL EMERGENCY BRAKE PAD AND PARKING PAWL MECHANISM DEFECT. I AM HIGHLY SUGGESTING THIS OFFICE TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO AVOID A SIMILAR FATE WITH FIRESTONE CASE. BECAUSE I SUSPECT GM IS COVERING UP THIS DEFECT TO AVOID MASSIVE RECALLS ON ALL 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. *JB

VEHICLE SHUTS OFF ON FREEWAY WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING CAUSING LOSS OF POWER TO BRAKES, STEERING AND ALL OTHER COMPONENTS. INCIDENT HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR REPAIR PROBLEM. *JB

THE VEHICLE FAILED STATE INSPECTION DUE TO THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEING INOPERATIVE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN FLAW WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE DESIGN OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PLACED IT IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTORS WHICH CAUSED PREMATURE WEAR. *JB

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE "POWER ASSIST" FEATURE ON MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURED DURING JANUARY OF 2002, AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED AT FOX CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN LAUREL, MD. IN THE 2002 EVENT, I EXPERIENCED A HIGH PITCH WHINING AND VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING, AS WELL AS THE BRAKE PEDAL. IN EFFECTING THIS REPAIR, CHEVROLET REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP. DURING THE LATTER PART OF NOVEMBER 2002, THE HIGH PITCH WHINING AND VIBRATION RETURNED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BILL SEIDLE'S CHEVROLET IN CLERMONT, FL IN NOVEMBER OF 2002, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING OR BRAKING SYSTEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY WERE WRONG. ON TUESDAY EVENING, 2/4/2003, WHILE DRIVING WITH MY SEVEN YEAR OLD, THE SAME HIGH PITCH WHINING, AND PULSING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL RETURNED. THIS TIME IT RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHILE EXITING A LOCAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN THE ORLANDO AREA. FORTUNATELY, I WAS DRIVING AS IT TOOK QUITE A BIT OF STRENGTH, TO STEER AND STOP THE VEHICLE AFTER THE LOSS OF THE POWER ASSIST SYSTEM. AT WHAT POINT DOES THE FAILURE OF SUCH A CRITICAL PART OF THIS VEHICLE GET LABELED AS A DEFECT IN THIS SYSTEM. THE FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM, COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURY TO ME AND MY FAMILY (SON). HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING THIS TRUCK, THE RESULT MAY HAVE BEEN GRAVELY DIFFERENT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE REPUTATION FOR DURABILITY IN THE INDUSTRY, WITH THE EXPECTATION OF PURCHASING A QUALITY VEHICLE. I AM NOW FEARFUL OF PUTTING MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE AFTER A SECOND FAILURE OF THIS CRITICAL SYSTEM. I AM REQUESTING THAT I BE CONTACTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY SOMEONE THAT CAN ADDRESS MY CONCERNS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT PLACING MY FAMILY IN A VEHICLE THAT HAS HAD THE POWER STEERING/BRAKING SYSTEM FAIL TWICE.

I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST YOUR AGENCY TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION ABOUT A DEFECTIVE PARKING PAWL ON A 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN, THIS PARKING PAWL MECHANISM SUPPOSED TO LOCK THE TRANSMISSION GEAR TO PREVENT A VEHICLE TO ROLL OR MOVED WHILE ON PARK POSITION, ESPECIALLY ON A ROLLING HILLS OR SLOPED PARKING LOT. I AM SHARING THIS INFORMATION FOR THE SAFETY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND CONSUMERS WHO OWNED A 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS THE TENDENCY TO MOVED WHILE ON PARKED POSITION ON A ROLLING HILLS OR SLOPED PARKING LOT. THIS PROBLEM CANNOT BE DETECTED EASILY BY AN AVERAGE PERSON. THE VEHICLE NEED TO BE INSPECTED AT THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE SHOP AND HAVE IT CHECK FOR A SIGN OF A WORN OUT OF THE PARKING PAWL MECHANISM. THIS INFORMATION WILL BENEFIT CURRENT OWNERS OF 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN THAT GM IS NOT MORE THAN WILLING TO PAY ANY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES WILL INCURRED IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. UNLESS SOMEONE WILL GET SERIOUSLY INJURED AS CASE MAY BE. THIS INPUT WAS ON BASED ON THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON MY 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN LAST JUNE 20,2002. THE BODY REPAIR COST OF MY 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN WAS $4000 PLUS.