1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE Complaints

I HAVE A 96 CHEVY TAHOE. IT HAS 37,000 MILES AND IS, THEREFORE, JUST OUTSIDE THE 36,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL OTHER CHEVY TRUCK OWNERS AND THEY TELL ME THAT CHEVY TRUCKS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BATTERIES. THOUGH THE BATTERY IS RATED AT 72 MONTHS, IT ONLY LASTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 24 MONTHS. I HAVE ASKED TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS AT THE CHEVY DEALER (MACPHERSON CHEVROLET) AND THEY SAY THAT IT IS TRUE - BATTERIES ONLY LAST ABOUT 2 YEARS. THEY ALSO ADMIT THAT THEY REPLACE HUNDREDS OF BATTERIES, OFTEN REPEATEDLY ON THE SAME VEHICLES. THEY ALSO TELL ME THAT IN THEIR OPINION IT IS A GM DESIGN DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE. I HAVE NOW REPLACED THE BATTERY TWICE (THIS IS THE THIRD BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE). THE FIRST TIME GM PAID FOR IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE SECOND TIME IT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY SO I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. I ALSO HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIR OF A BATTERY CABLE THAT LEAKING BATTERY FLUID HAD DAMAGED. THOUGH THE DEALER ADMITS THAT THE 72 MONTH WARRANTY IS PRINTED RIGHT ON THE BATTERY, THEY SAY THAT THE WARRANTY ENDS WITH ALL OTHER WARRANTEES AT 36,000 MILES. THAT IS GM POLICY AND THEY SHOWED ME A MEMO FROM GM SAYING SO. I HAD PLANNED TO KEEP THIS VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. HOWEVER I DO NOT RELISH THE THOUGHT OF HAVING A VERY UNRELIABLE VEHICLE WHEN I TRAVEL FOR ANY DISTANCE, KNOWING THAT THE BATTERY MAY GO DEAD AT ANY TIME. BY THE WAY, WHEN THIS HAPPENS, DUE TO THE ALL ELECTRONIC NATURE OF THE ENGINE, NOTHING WORKS - THE ENGINE DIES, THE POWER BRAKES NO LONGER WORK, AND THE POWER STEERING NO LONGER WORKS, EVEN AT FREEWAY SPEED. IN MY OPINION THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR. THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE, TOM NICKELSEN

STEERING WENT COMPLETELY OUT TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF ~25/MPH. STEERING WHEEL JUST TURNED BUT TIRES DID NOT MOVE. WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT A MISSING NUT ON CENTER LINK TO PITMAN ARM. REPLACED NUT AND SET FRONT TORQUE TO CHEVROLET SPECIFICATIONS. I AM CONCERNED THAT CHEVROLET HAS NOT GIVEN ME A SUFFICIENT EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE STEERING WENT OUT. I BELIEVE CHEVROLET IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM OCCURING IN OTHER TAHOE/SUBURBANS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE, BECAUSE I WAS VERY LUCKY IN NOT CAUSING ANY ACCIDENTS OR FATALITIES.

WHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STOP BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO TRAVEL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE KEEPS GOING. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE AS OFF YET. *AK

BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED EVERY 5000 MILES OF WEAR AND THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK ALL THE TIME. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW CAME DOWN APPROPRIATELY. GOT TO DESTINATION WINDOW DID NOT WANT TO GO BACK UP TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. *AK

THE ENGINE BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN, IT CONTINUED TO GET FASTER AND FASTER, TECHOMETER RED LINED. HAD TO RAM THE GEAR INTO PARK IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR.

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN STEERING WHEEL RETRACTING ROD CAME LOOSE AND VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. HIT A TREE AFTER LEAVING ROAD. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. NOTICED UNDER HOOD NUT & BOLT WAS LEFT OUT FROM MANUFACTURER. *AK

BATTERY HAS A CRACK, CAUSING ACID LEAKS THROUGH BATTERY PLATE ONTO FLOOR. DEALER/MFR. NOTIFIED. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED AT THIS TIME. *AK

RECALL 96V05700, MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 96-C-26; VEHICLE WOULD NOT CRANK AFTER DEALER HAD JUST REPAIRED CAR. JUMP STARTED THE CAR, ENGINE STARTED RACING AS FAST AS IT COULD GO, SPARKS CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, TAPPING ON THE GAS TO GET THE ENGINE TO STOP RACING, PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. SLAMMED INTO PARK, DRIVER WAS INJURED IN INCIDENT. OPENED THE HOOD AND WHITE SMOKE APPEARED. DEALER CONTACTED, AND WILL NOT RESPOND TO CALLS. STATED THEY CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. *AK