2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 Complaints

OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, THE COVER ON ALL THREE SEAT BELT LATCHES IN THE SECOND ROW OF OUR SUBURBAN HAVE FAILED. THEY ARE MADE OF 2 PIECES OF PLASTIC THAT CLIP TOGETHER TO COVER THE MECHANISM AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR THE SEAT BELT TAB TO BE INSERTED INTO THE LATCH. NOT HAVING THE LATCH COVERED MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE ANY SEAT BELT FOR PASSENGERS IN THE SECOND ROW. IT IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE THE SEAT BELTS EVEN FOR AN ADULT. NONE OF OUR CHILDREN CAN SECURE THEIR SEAT BELT WHEN RIDING IN THIS CAR. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE EACH TIME WE GET IN THE CAR TO ASSIST THEM. IN ADDITION, IT IS EASY TO SCRAPE AGAINST THE EXPOSED METAL OF THE LATCH MECHANISM WHEN ENTERING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY RECALLS OR OTHER INQUIRIES ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN DOWN THE ROAD AND MY SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. I LOOKED ONLINE AND I FOUND OVER 40 INCIDENTS ON WWW.SAFECAR.GOV ALONE. WHATS THE PROBLEM WITH GETTING THIS SAFETY PROBLEM FIXED. I CAN GO TO THE DEALER AND GET IT FIXED FOR $500 OR MORE. DO PEOPLE NEED TO GET HURT OR DIE BEFORE THIS PROBLEM IS NOTICED BY CHEVROLET OR GMC? *TR

AS I WAS BACKING MY VEHICLE FROM MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION I NOTED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE LINE LEADING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE REAR ABS CONTROLLER WAS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL THE BRAKE LINES ARE REPLACED. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES ON THIS 2003 SUBURBAN ARE HEAVILY CORRODED AND LOOK READY TO FAIL AT ANY MOMENT. *TR

JUST FINISHED DRIVING VEHICLE FOR 1 HOUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT INCIDENT. PARKED CAR FOR 5 MINUTES, UPON TRYING TO RESTART, THE CAR DISPLAYED "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION CONSOLE. APPROXIMATELY 8 RESTARTS AND THE MESSAGE DID NOT DISPLAY. DROVE CAR 5 MINUTES AND PARKED IT FOR 1 HOUR, UPON RESTART DISPLAYED SAME MESSAGE, CAR WAS VIRTUALLY UNDRIVEABLE. 3 RESTARTS LATER MESSAGE NO LONGER DISPLAYED. THIS MESSAGE HAS NOW INTERMITTENTLY OCCURRED EVER SINCE SEEMINGLY WITHOUT ANY PATTERN. THE MESSAGE IS RELATED TO A FAILURE IN THE "DRIVE BY WIRE" SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF A PHYSICAL CABLE FROM THE GAS PEDAL. IT CAUSES THE CAR TO BE COMPLETELY UNDRIVEABLE UNTIL SEEMINGLY RANDOMLY FIXING ITSELF. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A PAVED HIGHWAY, WHEN THE UPCOMING INTERSECTION LIGHT TURNED RED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY SOFT AND JUST KEPT GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AFTER THE PEDAL WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR THEN THE RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION AND LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME. IF THERE HAD BEEN, I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. I DROVE TO A NEARBY TRUCK STOP AND GOT SOME BRAKE FLUID, THE VEHICLE TOOK THE WHOLE CONTAINER. I HAD NO FORE-WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I CAREFULLY DROVE HOME AND BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES, MY BRAKE FLUID WAS DOWN AGAIN AND THE BRAKES WERE FAILING AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVE. AGAIN, THE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AT ANY TIME UNTIL I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MY HUSBAND LOOKED AT THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING AND THE REAR BRAKE LININGS WERE CORRODED AND LEAKING. *TR

VEHICLE INFRONT OF ME STOPPED QUICKLY. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE; PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS FAR ENOUGH BACK TO AVOID A CRASH BUT HAD NO BRAKES. BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED WITH OUT WARNING. TOWING AGENCY TOLD ME BRAKE LINE BURST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LAP BELT FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE SECOND ROW CENTER OCCUPANT SEAT BELT ROUTING HAD BECOME SNUG ON THE PASSENGER'S HIPS AND ALLOWED THE LAP BELT TO RIDE UP ON THE PASSENGER'S ABDOMEN INSTEAD OF FITTING LOW AROUND THE HIP BONE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V163000 (SEAT BELTS: REAR) BUT THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PREPARED. THEY OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH WHEN I SAW A DEER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DIDN'T RESPOND PROPERLY. INSTEAD, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT NEARLY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE TOOK A LONG TIME TO SLOW TO A STOP. I BEGAN DRIVING AGAIN AND TESTED THE BRAKES; THEY DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. I HAD TO PRESS THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE VEHICLE TO BRAKE, AND EVEN THEN IT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT THIS POINT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED AND RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STORED INDOORS AND DRIVEN VERY LITTLE IN THE WINTER MONTHS. THIS INCIDENT UPSET ME GREATLY AS IT PUT MY FAMILY IN SERIOUS DANGER. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES OF THAT MODEL YEAR. I HAVE OWNED 25 AUTOMOBILES OVER 45 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE. I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE WILL BE INJURED OR KILLED, IF THIS HASN'T ALREADY OCCURRED, AND I IMPLORE YOU TO CONSIDER A SAFETY RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR *JS

I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN AND I NOTICED WHILE GOING TO LEAVE MY DRIVEWAY THAT WHEN I WENT TO BRAKE THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY ROOM THAT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY THERE. I WENT TO TEST THEM AGAIN AND HAD TO PUSH DOWN ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET OUR VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I THEN PARKED THE VEHICLE UNTIL MY HUSBAND GOT HOME. AFTER HAVING OUR VEHICLE LOOKED OVER A COUPLE TIMES WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED IN SOME AREAS. *TR

2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HVAC BLOWER NOT FULLY FUNCTIONAL ON ALL BLOWER SPEEDS..SERVICE BULLETIN 11046, APRIL 2010..CHEVROLET HAS KNOWN DEFECT WIRING CONNECTOR AND ELECTRICAL TERMINALS OF RELAY RESISTOR MODULE AS DESCRIBED IN SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH RESULTS IN BLOWER MOTOR NOT FUNCTIONING ON CERTAIN OR ALL BLOWER SPEEDS SETTING. GM HAS ISSUED SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT FOR UP TO 10 YRS PER BULLETIN BUT REFUSES COVERAGE PURPORTEDLY BASED ON MY VEHICLE NOT BEING IN THE SPECIAL COVERAGE VIN: TWO PHONE CALLS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE RESULTED IN A HANG UP, PUT ON HOLD AND NOT RETURNING TO THE CALL, AND UPON ESCALATING THE CALL TO JOY, THE SUPERVISOR REFUSING TO FURTHER ASSIST...AND REFUSING TO ESCALATE THE CALL FURTHER EXPLAINING NO MANAGER IS "LIKELY" AVAILABLE, WE'VE TOLD YOU YOUR ANSWER....GM CASE #71-107-8244378 2ND ISSUE WITH ELECTRICAL; INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY AND DIGITAL DISPLAY WHICH INDICATES WHETHER YOU ARE IN PARK, REVERSE NEUTRAL DRIVE (GEAR) DIMS OR GOES OUT COMPLETELY. SAME PROBLEM I HAD ON 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. BOTH VEHICLES THEY HAVE REFUSED TO FIX. 2003 HAD SPECIAL COVERAGE 07187 TO REPAIR THIS CONDITION BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS NOT PROPERLY NOTIFIED TO FIX THIS CONDITION DURING THE MANUFACTURE SPECIAL COVERAGE PERIOD.L THEY KNOW IT EXIST BUT ONCE AGAIN ARE USING ANY EXCUSE TO DO THE PROPER THING AND FIX THE PROBLEM. ALSO REPORTED UNDER 71-107-8244378 REQUEST NHTSA AND APPROPRIATE AGENCIES FURTHER INVESTIGATE THESE MATTERS AND HOLD GM ACCOUNTABLE DO NOT LET GM CONTINUE TO SKIRT RECALL REPAIRS FOR KNOWN PROBLEMS BY NARROW DEFINING WHICH VEHICLES THEY HAVE TO FIX. RECALLS SHOULD COVER ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE IDENTIFIED SAFETY ISSUE AND GM SHOULD FACESTIFF PUNISHMENT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO VOLUNTARILY FIX PROBLEMS RATHER THAN STONEWALL, STALL, AVOID, AND MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT THAN FIXING THE PROBLEM. *TR