1997 GMC JIMMY Complaints

CONSUMER STATED THE HEATER CORE HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES BUT CONTINUES TO BURN OUT. *AK *YH

AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH ONCE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

ENGINE COOLING LINE TO FILTER AND COOLING LINE TO RADIATOR ARE LEAKING, DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED SMOKE IN THE ROAD AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WHEN HE OPENED THE HOOD, THERE WERE FLAMES ENGULFING THE ENGINE, CONSUMER THEN CLOSED THE HOOD AND MOVED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT (10-89-383). *YD

WHILE DRIVING UPPER/ LOWER BALL JOINTS CAME OFF, AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING UPPER BALL JOINT CAME OUT, AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONS AND WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR OVERDRIVE. ALSO, TRANSMISSION FLUID BECAME THICK. *AK *TT CONSUMER STATES NOW SHE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIATOR LOSING COOLANT. *SLC

VEHICLE HAD NO DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS UNTIL AFTER VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP.*AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE IDLER ARM TO PASS INSPECTION, CONSUMER COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 39,532 WOULD NEED SUCH PARTS, CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED THAT GMC WOULD REPLACE THE PARTS AT NO CHARGE DUE TO THEIR GOODWILL PROGRAM, HOWEVER CONSUMER STILL HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR CHARGE, CONSUMER WAS THEN INFORMED BY A FRIEND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR UPPER BALL JOINTS, BUT WHEN CONSUMER CONTACTED GMC SHE WAS TOLD THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*JB

BALL JOINT SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING ON RAMP TO GET ON HIGHWAY, REPLACE TWO UPPER AND TWO LOWER BALL JOINTS ANTI LOCK SENSOR SHIELD, AND WEAKENED WALL INSIDE TIRE, RESULTING IN LOST OF STEERING.

UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATED AND THE WHEEL WAS CUT THROUGH CAUSING THE TIRE TO GO FLAT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND THE FRONT END HAD BEEN CHECKED A FEW MONTHS EARLIER BY A COMPETENT MECHANIC WHEN NEW SHOCKS WERE INSTALLED. TWO WEEKS LATER A FRIEND ALERTED ME TO "GM PRODUCT SAFETY CAMPAIGN" # 01048. THIS WAS AN ALERT TO UPPER BALL JOINTS SEPARATING WITHOUT WARNING ON SOME '96-'97 JIMMYS, BRAVADAS AND BLAZERS. I INQUIRED AT MY DEALER TO SEE IF MY VEHICLE QUALIFIED AND WAS TOLD "NO, THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS ON YOUR VIN.". I CALLED THE GMC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-GMC-8782 AND SPOKE WITH "LISA" WHO ASSIGNED ME REFERENCE NUMBER 056 42 894. GM CONFIRMED THEY "CAN DO NOTHING FOR ME, AS THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS ON YOUR TRUCK." "IT WAS BUILT AT A DIFFERENT PLANT AND A DIFFERENT SUPPLIER PROVIDED THE BALL JOINTS THAN THE ONES IN THE RECALL." SOUNDS LIKE A LOAD OF CRAP TO ME. IF I SOUND OVERLY ANGERED BY A BALL JOINT FAILURE IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT GRIEF WITH THIS VEHICLE AND AM TIRED OF BEING A VICTIM. THE TRANSMISSION WAS PULLED UNDER WARRANTY AT 28000 MILES, YET I HAD TO HAVE IT PULLED AGAIN AT MY EXPENSE ($1474) AT 52500MILES. TWO OF THE FOUR O2 SENSORS HAVE FAILED, THE RADIATOR WAS FULL OF THE INFAMOUS "MISSISIPPI MUD" DEX-COOL SLUDGE, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, THE SERPENTINE TENSIONER FELL APART AT 37K MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT 58K, THE WIPERS FREQUENTLY WON'T TURN ON UNLESS YOU HIT THE MIST LEVER AS YOU HIT A BUMP (COMMON ACCORDING TO THE EDMUNDS.COM SITE), AND LAST WEEK MY ABS WENT OUT FROM WHAT THE TROUBLE CODE DIAGNOSED AS A BAD LEFT FRONT SPEED SENSOR. I'LL HAVE TO DRIVE IT WITH THE SENSOR UNPLUGGED FOR NOW BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY PUT OVER $2000 IN REPAIRS INTO THIS THING DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2001 ALONE, AND I'M TAPPED OUT. SAME WITH THE WIPER CONDITION.