1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE Complaints

MY '96 CHEVROLET TAHOE 2-DOOR SUFFERED COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM LOSS WHEN A BRAKE LINE BURST WHILE IN-SERVICE. THE TAHOE, USED PRIMARILY IN ILLINOIS IN THE WINTER, SUFFERED THE FAILURE IN MAY OF 2008 WITH ABOUT 102,000 MILES ACCUMULATED AND WITH NO WITH NO PRIOR INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE COMPLETE FAILURE. THE BRAKE LINE SIMPLYBURST/ FAILED COMPLETELY WHEN THE LINE (MOUNTED TO THE FIREWALL BELOW THE RADIATOR) COMPLETELY FAILED, LEAVING BLOWN OUT GAP ABOUT AN INCHLONG IN THE LINE. THE TRUCK WAS SLOWING TO A STOP SIGN WHEN THEN LINE FAILED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR, SO THERE WAS NO COLLATERAL DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IMMEDIATELY TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR ESTIMATION AND REPAIRS (NOT A CHEVY GARAGE). THESE REPAIRS REQUIRED COMPLETE VEHICLE BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT (EXCEPT TO THE FRONT ANT-LOCK UNIT) AND COMPLETE SYSTEM COMPONENT REPLACEMENT (EXCEPT FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER). I THOUGHT THE FAILURE WAS RANDOM UNTIL I RECENTLY SAW AN ARTICLE ON THE TOPIC IN PRINT BY JERRY HIRSCH, STAFF WRITERFOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, BUSINESS SECTION WHERE OTHER SIMILAR FAILURES ON SIMILAR MODELS WERE NOTED. THE REPAIRS COST CLOSE TO $2,000 AND, IF THERE ARE OTHER CAMPAIGNS ON THIS MODEL, I WOULD LIKE TO RESEARCH THEM TO DETERMINE IF POOR DESIGN BY GENERAL MOTORS/CHEVROLET DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE REPAIRS AND HOW TO GO ABOUT ADDING MY VEHICLE TO THAT CAMPAIGN. I HAVE KEPT THE VEHICLE REGISTERED IN MY NAME AND CURRENTLY OWN A 2004 CHEVROLET, SO MY CONTACT INFORMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN ON-FILE WITH GM SUCH THAT PROPER NOTIFICATIONS COULD HAVE BEEN MADE. I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE WAS PART OF GMS FAULTY DESIGN HISTORY OR THAT ANY CAMPAIGN WAS UNDERWAY PERTAINING TO BRAKE LINE FAILURES UNTIL I SAW THE ARTICLE PRINTED BY MRJERRY HIRSCH AS NOTE D ABOVE. *TR

1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE LEFT WINDSHIELD WIPER WORKS AND THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD WIPER DOES NOT. THIS BEGAN WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING IN THE RAIN AND RESULTED IN VERY LIMITED VISIBILITY. HE WENT TO AUTO ZONE TO REPLACE THE WIPERS AND WHEN THEY REPLACED THE RIGHT WIPER, IT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I AM TAKING IT IN FOR REPAIR TODAY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS PROBABLY THE WIPER TRANSMISSION. *TR

I HAD A 1996 TAHOE THAT OCCASIONALLY SPED UP WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL. I SOL THIS VEHICLE ABOUT FOUR Y EARS AGO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND BEGAN FLASHING. THERE WAS SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD, THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO MULTIPY; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO FIRE PRESENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT PROVIDE MORE DETAILS AFTER RECEIVING A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 168,000.

TL*THE CONTACT'S MOTHER OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE NOT OPERATING NORMALLY. THEY WERE REPAIRED IN 2001. RECALL 03V159000 COMPONENT: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER IS RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN IS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE DEALER ALSO WROTE ON THE INVOICE THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE WORKING TEMPORARILY AND CAN FAIL AT ANYTIME. THE CORPORATE OFFICE OF GM WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147956 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 148114. UPDATED 01/08/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEMS STARTED WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IT WAS DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS THE FUEL PUMP. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT COMING ON. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH BE LOOKED AT. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND STALL AND WHITE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE MUFFLER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 01/09/09. *JB

I PURCHASED 5 TOYO PROXIES 285/60/18 AND HAVE HAD A BLOW OUT ON THE SIDE WALL OF TWO WITHIN THE LAST YEAR WITH PREMATURE CRACKING ON ALL OF THE TIRES. THE FIRST TIRE THAT BLEW OUT I THOUGHT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT. BUT AFTER PURCHASING THE 5TH TIRE AND THEN HAVING A BLOW OUT ON 4/2/2008, WITHIN 6 MOS OF THEM, WHERE THE SIDEWALL WAS AFFECTED, I DECIDED TO LOOK ONLINE AND FOUND WHERE THE PROXIES WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH OTHER CONSUMERS WITH BLOWING OUT THE SIDEWALLS. CO WANTED A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE BUSINESS THAT DEALS WITH THEIR PRODUCT AND HAVE THEM INSPECTED. THEY WERE INSPECTED AND SHOWED THE TIRE DEPTH, PREMATURE CRACKING, ETC. AFTER HAVING THEM INSPECTED, BUSINESS CONDEMNED THE TIRES TIRE MANF THEN DECIDED THAT THEY HAD TO HAVE THE TIRES BACK BEFORE THEY WOULD ISSUE ANY WARRANTY OR PRORATING ON THEM. DID SAY THAT THEY WOULD ISSUE A PRORATE OF 78% ON EACH TIRE, BUT I HAD TO SEND THE TIRES TO THEM VIA UPS WHICH THEY WOULD PICK UP THE COST OF HAVING THE TIRES SHIPPED UP TO THEM. AS I EXPLAINED I HAD NO PROBLEM SENDING THE TIRES AS IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, I COULD NOT SALE THESE TIRES TO ANYONE ELSE AS BEING IN THIS FIELD FOR 13 YEARS AND KNOWING THE SAFETY ISSUES REGARDING TIRES HAVING THESE ISSUES, I DID NOT FEEL THAT THEY WERE SAFE FOR ANYONE TO HAVE ON THEIR VEHICLES. UPS PICKED UP THE TIRES AND AFTER A FEW PHONE CALLS I FINALLY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TIRE CO STATING THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO WARRANTY OR PRORATE THE TIRE AS THEY DID NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM. I TRAVEL THE INTERSTATE QUITE A BIT AND AFTER HAVING TWO OF THE SIDEWALLS BLOW OUT AS THEY DID I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T CAUSE A SEVERE ACCIDENT AND I WOULD CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD FOR INTERSTATE TRAVELERS AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED. THIS IS SOMETHING AS A CONSUMER, THAT I FEEL SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO MORE CLOSELY AS IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

OCCASIONALLY WHEN STARTING THE TRUCK THERE IS A MISFIRE/BACKFIRE FROM THE ENGINE WHERE GREY SMOKE PERMEATES THROUGH THE DASHBOARD INTO THE CABIN OF THE TRUCK. SMOKE ALSO COMES FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE MISFIRE/BACKFIRE. THIS HAPPENS A FEW TIMES A MONTH. *JB

1996 TAHOE HEADLIGHT FAILURE. WHEN FLIPPING THE SWITCH TO TURN O HEADLIGHTS THEY DO NOT TURN ON. SPENT ALMOST $200 IN DIAGNOSTIC TIME. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS THE WIRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN IS FATIGUED AND FRAYED MOST LIKELY DUE TO REPEATED ADJUSTMENTS WITH THE TILT STEERING WHEEL. VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. USING MIDDLE POSITION WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS UNTIL I CAN GET IT REPAIRED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS THE LIGHT CUT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME IN THE DARK. GOOD THING THE DRL WORK. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT HAD REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH BUT THAT HAD NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TO A SERVICE DEALER.

LET ME START BY SAYING THAT I AM A ASE CERTIFIED MASTER TRUCK TECHNICIAN WITH 16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. AFTER LEARNING OF THE SAFETY RECALL ON THE 285/75/16 DICK CEPEK RADIAL FCII, I INSPECTED ALL 5 OF MY TIRES. FOUR OF THE TIRES HAD MATCHING DOT CODES AND LOOKED FINE. THE FIFTH TIRE WAS BOUGHT AT A LATER DATE FROM THE ORIGINAL FOUR. THIS FIFTH TIRE IS SHOWING THE SIDEWALL SEPARATION THAT IS NOTED IN THE RECALL. WHEN I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER DIRECTLY AND READ THEM THE DOT CODES OFF OF THE TIRES I WAS TOLD THAT NONE OF THEM MATCHED THE MANUFACTURING CODES OF THE RECALL. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE CONTACT ME IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER. *JB