1998 CHEVROLET TAHOE Complaints

7/15/98ONE MONTH OLD THE CAR LOCKED INTO 4WD WHEN IT WAS STARTED IN THE DRIVEWAY.IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT IT WAS INOPERATIVE.IT NEEDED PARTS REPLACED TO FIX.THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN AGAIN BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE IT WAS LOCKED IN 4WD AGAIN BECAUSE ALL THE AXILES WERE TURNING.I WAS TOLD THAT WAS NORMAL AND THAT THE UNIVERSALS WERE WORN OUT.THAT MADE THREE UNIVERSALS IN THREE YEARS.ALSO THAT THE LIGHTS ON DASHBAORD FOR THE 4WD UNI WOULD NOT STAY ON TO TELL IF YOU WERE IN 4WD OR NOT.NOW SOMETHING IN THE TRANSFER CASE IS BROKEN.I RECENTLY READ THE OWNERS MANUAL ON THE 4WD UNIT AND IT SAYS THE FRONT AXSILES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO TURN IN 2WD.I BROUGHT THIS UP TO THE DEALER SAYING THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS CAR HAS 93000.00 MILES THE TRANSFER CASE WOULD NOT HAVE MORE THAN 1000.00 MILES ON IT AND THAT THIS CAR HAS A DRIVE TRAIN HISTORY OF FAILURE WITH THREE UNIVERSALS AND THREE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSFER CASE.THEY TELL ME THAT ALL THE AXILES TURN AND WEAR OUT WHICH IS NOT WHAT THEIR OWNERS MANUAL SAYS. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THE GAS TANK BUMPS AGAINST THE BODY OF VEHICLE, THIS CAUSES THE GAS TO LEAK.*AK *SLC

FUEL PUMP HAD A SHORT. BARE WIRES EXPOSED INSIDE GAS TANK. POSSIBLE FIRE/EXPLOSION HAZARD. *AK

THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE. IT HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION . THE REPLY HAS ALWAYS BEEN "REAREND WIND-UP" IS THE PROBLEM AND IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE PURCHASED A THREE YEAR /36,000 MILE WARRANTY TO COVER THESE TYPES OF DEFECTS, ONLY TO HAVE THE DEALER TELL US THAT THE WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER THIS "REAREND WIND-UP" AS IT IS A REGULAR MAINTANENCE ITEM. I HAVE SEARCHED THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR THIS ITEM AND HAVE NOT FOUND IT AS A MAINTANENCE ITEM, ACCORDING TO GM. AT ALL SERVICE INTERVALS THE ONLY MENTION OF THE REAREND IS TO CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL. THIS HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT BY THE DEALER FOR THE FIRST 45,000 MILES. I HAVE SINCE LOST FAITH IN GM AND MY DEALER AND HAVE PURCHASED MY LAST AMERICAN MADE VEHICLE.NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A USED CAR DEALER AND I STOPPED ON THE WAY HOME TO FILL UP THE TANK WITH GAS AND GOT A CAR WASH. AFTER ARIVING AT MY HOME I NOTICED A STRONG FUEL ODOR. I CHECKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GAS RUNNING OFF OF THE FUEL TANK AND DOWN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AND FIXED IT FOR ME. THEY TELL ME THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. I BELIEVE THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK, BUT I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL THAT IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN MY OPINION.*AK

CONSUMER HAD STOPPED FOR GAS AND WAS STARTING TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE WHEN HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF THE BUTTON AROUND THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR, CLAIM 14-1248-364. *SLC

CONSUMER HAD STOPPED FOR GAS AND WAS STARTING TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE WHEN HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF THE BUTTON AROUND THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR, CLAIM 14-1248-364. *SLC

STEERING PROBLEM- I SUDDENLY LOST STEERING WHILE DRIVING. ACCORDING TO THE DEARORSHIP THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION OF THE POWER STEERING SENSOR. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, AND LUCKILY THERE WERE NO VEHICLES AROUND AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I ASKED THE DEALER IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS, AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY EITHER. BRAKES- WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, HE LOST BRAKES ON THE CAR. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT, THE REAL AXEL SEALS WERE LEAKING, AND THE FRONT CALIPERS WERE STUCK. SEALS AND GASKETS WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS ITEM WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE'VE HAD ON-GOING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE BRAKING VERY ROUGHLY AND "SKIPPING". THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE TO THEM WARPING DUE TO OVERHEATING. THE BRAKES ARE STILL GIVING US PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY WENT UP WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. THERE WERE ABSOLUTLY NO SIGNS OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE THIS TIME. THE FLUID WAS CLEAN WHEN I PULLED THE CAR OVER, AND THERE WAS NO SLIPPING EITHER. I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND A VERY LOUD NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE CAR- IT SOUNDED LIKE THE REAR-END, AND THE CAR BECAME SUDDENLY UNDRIVEABLE. LUCKILY I WAS ON A DESERTED ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. I FEEL THAT IF I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC DRIVING AT 55-65 MPH IN ANY OF THE ABOVE INSTANCES A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED.*AK

I HAVE NEVER HAD A TRANSMISSION GO ON A CAR AND HAVE DRIVEN OTHER GM CARS WELL OVER 100,000 MILES. THIS CAR HAS GONE IN FOR DEALER SERVICE EVERY 3,000 MILES. WHILE CHECKING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS, I FIND THAT SOME OWNERS OF '98 TAHOES HAVE REPLACED THEIR TRANSMISSION TWICE BY 50,000 MILES. I REALLY THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT A COMPANY THAT PUTS A TRANSMISSION IN A VEHILE THAT THEY KNOW IS FAULTY. IF YOU CAN NOT HELP ME, CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO A CLASS ACTION SUIT OR SOMETHING ELSE I CAN DO?*AK

THE BRAKE FAILURES ARE WELL KNOWN BY ALL TAHOE OWNERS. THE FAILURES FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL ASSEMBLY, BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY ARE ALL RELATED TO POOR QUALITY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS NOT INTENDED FOR ANY REASONABLE SERVICE LIFE. JUNK BY ANY QUALITY STANDARDS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT NELDA STEVENSON CHEVROLET ACKNOLWDGED THESE COMPONENTS HAVE HIGH FAILURE RATES, BUT THEY GET PAID TO CORRECT THEM. THE COOLANTCONNECTOR IS AN EXTEMEMLY POOR DESIGN. DESPITE THREADING INTO THE INTAKE, IT IS MADE OF A POOR QUALITY MATERIAL THAT BREAKS OFF AT THE ENTRY TO THE MANIFOLD REQUIRING REMOVAL OF THE MANIFOLD TO REMOVE THE BROKEN THREADS RESULTING IN A $400 BILL TO REPLACE A $12.95 PART. AGAIN PATHETIC DESIGN AND CHOICE OF MATERIALS TO SAVE A COUPLE OF DOLLARS IN MANUFACTURING. AS A DESIGN ENGINEER, I FIND THESE CHOICES BY GM DESIGNERS DEPLORABLE AND WILL BUY USED BMWS FROM NOW ON. A BMW WITH 200,000 MILES HAS MORE SERVICE LIFE LEFT IN IT THAN A BRAND NEW GM PRODUCT. *AK