Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 00149D | 01/01/2004 | 00149C | 10005439 | Malfunction indicator lamp on with a p0300 set and a misfire. various models including 1996 - 1999 p32 models. sit bulletin 1416475. *tt | 02/27/2004 |
| 00149C | 11/18/2003 | 10004223 | Malfunction indicator lamp on with a p0300 set and a misfire. various models including the 1996-1999 p32 and the 1996-2002 gmc c/k truck. *tt | 11/21/2003 | |
| 03006 | 04/18/2003 | 10001595 | Electric outside rearview mirror switch short circuit. *tt | 06/09/2003 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| EA00013 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 05/02/2000 | 06/28/2002 | BATTERY LEAKS ACID | ||
| Allege that their batteries leak, causing damage to the right front brake line, the abs wire harness, and the positive battery cable. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 06/16/2005 | 138000 | 3 | 06/05/1999 |
| Dt: this morning hit the brakes coming down the hill and engine shut down, could not control steering and brakes didn't work either. the electric and power failure, couldn't do anything with the vehicle. it hasn't be checked by dealer yet.*ak | |||
| 12/02/2002 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Abs failure, electrical failure and front and rear brake failure. this correspondence is not available via .i believe the letter may have been misplaced while in transition from dimms to artemis via tran tech employees. the power windows and air condition failed. there was a violent gear change between 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive. the battery leaked and also the cables were corroded, there was a loud noise from the steering column, the consumer experienced complete steering failure while making a left turn. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 2 | 07/01/2001 | |
| Multiple electrical malfunctions in dash including shorting in fuse panel, headlights, heating controls, windshield wiper controls, sound system, and interior lighting controls, leading to erratic or failed operation of such controls with visible signs of wiring damage and complete meltdown (i.e. heating controls/sound system). *ak | |||
| 01/07/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle experiences continued electrical failures, several repair attempts however not rectified. mjs | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 12/10/1998 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| I started experencing problem at appox. 12000 miles when the front brakes wore out prematurlly,some after at appox. 20000 mile i had unusual tire wear, ( i was told it was my fault) it was the right torsion bar out of adjustment and even though the vehicle had only 27668 mile i had to pay 1/2 the cost appox $225.00 after fighting all the way to the executive offices,the speed sensitive steering started actting up at appox. 40000 miles suddenly causing the steering wheel to slip unaccpectedly.this part was replace n/c , i have gone through 3 alternators the first at appox. 38000 mile standing me in buffalo ,tx 120 miles from home on a sunday night, the second and third happeded in the city however i now carry a spare altenator and tools because who knows when it will go out next, i have replaced the positive side battery cables twice because of design the loosen and the acr and short out, the auto matic transmission went out at 53939 due to coolent getting into the unit i had to pay 25% of this repair appox. $525.00 that transmission failed at 69015 only 15k+miles later with the warrenty card in hand i thought maybe this was it ,at 107,267 miles that transmission failed and with only 38k+ mile on a unit that carrys a 3yr/50k warrenty gm refuses to fix or replace the unit my truck has been sitting at the dealership since 06/15/2001 while i have been once again fighting with gm to no avail ,( i was offer a customer loyalty cert. for $500. 00 to settle this issue the transmission cost $2500. to replace not including the motor mount that broke when the unit locked up at appox. 35 mph all the advertising million and billions of $$$$$ should be spent making sure that then presistent problem do not accure, not when you spend 35k- 45k- for a vehicle. *ak (dot number: don't know tiresize: 245r16lt) | |||
| 12/10/1998 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| I started experencing problem at appox. 12000 miles when the front brakes wore out prematurlly,some after at appox. 20000 mile i had unusual tire wear, ( i was told it was my fault) it was the right torsion bar out of adjustment and even though the vehicle had only 27668 mile i had to pay 1/2 the cost appox $225.00 after fighting all the way to the executive offices,the speed sensitive steering started actting up at appox. 40000 miles suddenly causing the steering wheel to slip unaccpectedly.this part was replace n/c , i have gone through 3 alternators the first at appox. 38000 mile standing me in buffalo ,tx 120 miles from home on a sunday night, the second and third happeded in the city however i now carry a spare altenator and tools because who knows when it will go out next, i have replaced the positive side battery cables twice because of design the loosen and the acr and short out, the auto matic transmission went out at 53939 due to coolent getting into the unit i had to pay 25% of this repair appox. $525.00 that transmission failed at 69015 only 15k+miles later with the warrenty card in hand i thought maybe this was it ,at 107,267 miles that transmission failed and with only 38k+ mile on a unit that carrys a 3yr/50k warrenty gm refuses to fix or replace the unit my truck has been sitting at the dealership since 06/15/2001 while i have been once again fighting with gm to no avail ,( i was offer a customer loyalty cert. for $500. 00 to settle this issue the transmission cost $2500. to replace not including the motor mount that broke when the unit locked up at appox. 35 mph all the advertising million and billions of $$$$$ should be spent making sure that then presistent problem do not accure, not when you spend 35k- 45k- for a vehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/11/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle stopped/lost all power during normal driving conditions. once stopped and in park could restart. this happened several times a day with no warning. upon dealer investigation, battery acid leak which destroyed cables was reported. vehicle was in shop 1 1/2 months prior for same problem, alternator defect stated at that time. battery 2 1/2 yrs old/ previously replaced at 11,000 miles for similar problems.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving in rush hour alternator went out twice. vehicle failed to start back up. this, in turn, caused battery to burn out and vehicle died. vehicle towed to dealership. bought battery from dealership & it was installed.*ak | |||
| 09/25/1998 | 2 | ||
| The alternator had burned out and there was no power generating from the battery. vehicle died out. there was no control of the vehicle. had to have the alternator replaced. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 05/09/2000 | 01/02/1998 | ||
| We had two batteries leak acid, caused several hundred dollars in damage to repair wires and hoses that were damaged by the leaking battery acid. we wonder if the dealership in northern virginia was causing damage to the batteries to generate repair bills for their business. *nlm | |||
| 04/01/2000 | 1 | 01/01/2000 | |
| I think chevrolet should pay for this factory defect which cost me $160. no safety defect listed. *ak | |||
| 03/09/2001 | 4 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Truck stalls, causing loss of power steering and brakes. dealer has attempted to remedy defect on three separate occassions without success. accidents avoided thus far, but next time, i may not be so fortunate. please post these comments, to warn other consumers. gmc is denying responsibility, has flatly refused to repurchase the vehicle, and continues to attempt to repair the problem. i'm scared to death to drive this thing...me and my passengers(very often a troop of girl scouts) are in danger, and so is anyone who might be in front of me when this happens. i hope that no one dies as a result of this defect. please help me.*ak | |||
| 03/06/1999 | 1 | 02/28/1998 | |
| Battery goes dead overnight. *slc | |||
| 09/20/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Complaint concerns car batteries. in the past three years i have had battery failures with two batteries less than a year old, a delco original equipment on a 1996 chevrolet car & the 2nd a everstart walmart replacement battery. battery failures in traffic stalled vehicle. *ak | |||
| 10/25/2000 | |||
| Ea00013; battery leaks acid: vehicle had to be towed for the second time because of a leaking battery. first time was in march of 1999, at 29,000 miles. battery will be replaced and repaired at owner's expense. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 02/04/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1997 | |
| No summary | |||
| 09/03/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Battery acid leak from pos. terminal resulting in corroded wires and brake line. | |||
| 02/04/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1997 | |
| No summary | |||
| 09/03/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Battery acid leak from pos. terminal resulting in corroded wires and brake line. | |||
| 08/16/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Battery acid leak from postive post; damage to ac line, brake lines & frame | |||
| 08/11/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle stopped/lost all power during normal driving conditions. once stopped and in park could restart. this happened several times a day with no warning. upon dealer investigation, battery acid leak which destroyed cables was reported. vehicle was in shop 1 1/2 months prior for same problem, alternator defect stated at that time. battery 2 1/2 yrs old/ previously replaced at 11,000 miles for similar problems.*ak | |||
| 11/01/1996 | |||
| Apparent unrepairable dangerous steering situation, battery problem, transmission failure. vehicle does not seem to merchantable for purpose for which it was offered for sale. *ak | |||
| 07/30/1998 | 2 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Our suburban now has its 3rd battery in 3 years. the original battery's post broke off leaking acid, destroying starter wiring, causing associated frame damage. the dealer denied knowledge of any preexisting problems with suburban vehicles of this type. the dealer replaced the battery, but refused to take care of the acid damage. the second incident was in the fall of 1999. we experienced the same problem and the dealer replaced the battery at full cost to us since the vehicle was out of warranty. today july 10, 2000, the vehicle refused to start. the tray holding the battery shows evidence of corrosion. in addition, the positive cable terminals are corroded. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 0 | ||
| Positive post of the battery terminal was screwed in too far, and it developed a slow leak inside of the terminal, to fell off.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving in rush hour alternator went out twice. vehicle failed to start back up. this, in turn, caused battery to burn out and vehicle died. vehicle towed to dealership. bought battery from dealership & it was installed.*ak | |||
| 03/15/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1997 | |
| I saw on television that the ntsa was looking into a problem with leaky batteries on the chevrolet suburbans. my battery did leak causing a power failure. it also leaked down the inside of the engine compartment eating away wires and taking all the paint off the inner fender well and parts of the frame. i tried to complain when it happened and the dealer just ignored me telling me it is the battery manufacurers problem and i would have to find them and complain. this can be a very dangerous problem, please let me know what you find out about this issue. thank you. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Yesterday i read in the dallas morning news that you are investigating gm suv's and battery leaks. i would like to go on record as having had this problem. fortunately the leak was detected while the vehicle was sitting in my garage and no one was hurt. although, there was damage done to the vehicle and i had to pay for a new starter cable, auxiliary cable, parts and general cleanup. the suburban was just over 2000 miles out of warranty. please keep me posted. thank you karen yocum. *ak | |||
| 06/02/2000 | 4 | ||
| Ea00 013/battery leaks acid: battery leakage from positive post resulted in loss of power. manufacturer contacted. *ak the battery failed again and was replaced by a new one. *yh | |||
| 05/04/1998 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| Fuel pump and sending unit melted and shorted out causing car to stall on the road.torque convertor replaced/ trans reconditioned, power steering box leaking/ replaced. both catalytic converters replaced,ac compressor replaced. numerous coolant leaks fixed. windshield replaced due to defect. battery replaced due to acid leak. whats next? *ak | |||
| 08/01/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| The delco freedom 676 battery post breaks off, delco and dealer are aware of this problem. but neither would admit this untile i informed them a car battery store dealer had made me aware of this problem. one month later i ran into a lady with the same battery and problem at the dealership and she was getting the standard answer until i showed up. it was at that time i learned from her the windshield wiper system had a problem the dealer was aware. i have not found any recall information in either case. *ak | |||
| 09/01/1999 | |||
| Defective battery leaked onto the brake line which caused no braking ability and could result in a crash. common problem. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1996 | |
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | 07/31/1998 | ||
| Battery failed. yh | |||
| 1 | 03/01/1997 | ||
| Battery leaking, possible design flaw. *yc | |||
| 08/09/1998 | |||
| The added feature battery gaurd malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to shutdown while driving. the dealer has been notified. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||
| 07/30/1998 | 2 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Our suburban now has its 3rd battery in 3 years. the original battery's post broke off leaking acid, destroying starter wiring, causing associated frame damage. the dealer denied knowledge of any preexisting problems with suburban vehicles of this type. the dealer replaced the battery, but refused to take care of the acid damage. the second incident was in the fall of 1999. we experienced the same problem and the dealer replaced the battery at full cost to us since the vehicle was out of warranty. today july 10, 2000, the vehicle refused to start. the tray holding the battery shows evidence of corrosion. in addition, the positive cable terminals are corroded. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 07/21/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that fuel pump failed due to electrical connectors inside the gas tank melting against the pickup tube. the problem was made apparent because of constant fuses blowing out.*ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| The vehicle had caught fire twice due to an electrical short in the wires & being overloaded. also, fuse box caught fire twice & had to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 07/03/1997 | |||
| Problems concerning the computer chips and all electrical circuitry. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 05/22/2003 | 130000 | 5 | 08/25/1999 |
| Hard to shift into gear. consumer had to put key switch into accessory position and then move shifter into neutral in order to start vehicle. *tt | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| When changing lanes or turning corners steering wheel becomes loose, and driver loses control of the vehicle. dealer has changed the ecm chip and the problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 07/03/1997 | |||
| Problems concerning the computer chips and all electrical circuitry. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 03/14/2001 | 1 | ||
| Sending unit in fuel tank shorted out. *ak consumer states ignition switch also failed. *slc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/10/2001 | 2 | 07/01/1997 | |
| 1. battery leaked acid while idle and ultimately failed. leak corroded positive power cable and undercoating. 2. erratic steering while driving - steering position sensor replaced first time. 3. starter failed 3 times - complete lock-up 4. u-joint failed twice - sealed/non-greasable poor access to add grease fitting | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 05/01/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1997 | |
| Engine wouldn't start. towed to dealer. started and dealer couldn't find problem. stated it was probably fuel pump since had seen this before. finally failed after surging and dying during drive. found burned (said darkened insulation) wiring harness which damaged other components from fuel pump to engine | |||
| 2 | |||
| The vehicle had caught fire twice due to an electrical short in the wires & being overloaded. also, fuse box caught fire twice & had to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 12/14/1998 | 1 | 10/30/1997 | |
| Electrical connnection to the fuel pump in the fuel tank overheated, causing the insulation of the wires to melt which could have resulted in a fire . | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 12/10/1998 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| I started experencing problem at appox. 12000 miles when the front brakes wore out prematurlly,some after at appox. 20000 mile i had unusual tire wear, ( i was told it was my fault) it was the right torsion bar out of adjustment and even though the vehicle had only 27668 mile i had to pay 1/2 the cost appox $225.00 after fighting all the way to the executive offices,the speed sensitive steering started actting up at appox. 40000 miles suddenly causing the steering wheel to slip unaccpectedly.this part was replace n/c , i have gone through 3 alternators the first at appox. 38000 mile standing me in buffalo ,tx 120 miles from home on a sunday night, the second and third happeded in the city however i now carry a spare altenator and tools because who knows when it will go out next, i have replaced the positive side battery cables twice because of design the loosen and the acr and short out, the auto matic transmission went out at 53939 due to coolent getting into the unit i had to pay 25% of this repair appox. $525.00 that transmission failed at 69015 only 15k+miles later with the warrenty card in hand i thought maybe this was it ,at 107,267 miles that transmission failed and with only 38k+ mile on a unit that carrys a 3yr/50k warrenty gm refuses to fix or replace the unit my truck has been sitting at the dealership since 06/15/2001 while i have been once again fighting with gm to no avail ,( i was offer a customer loyalty cert. for $500. 00 to settle this issue the transmission cost $2500. to replace not including the motor mount that broke when the unit locked up at appox. 35 mph all the advertising million and billions of $$$$$ should be spent making sure that then presistent problem do not accure, not when you spend 35k- 45k- for a vehicle. *ak (dot number: don't know tiresize: 245r16lt) | |||
| 12/10/1998 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| I started experencing problem at appox. 12000 miles when the front brakes wore out prematurlly,some after at appox. 20000 mile i had unusual tire wear, ( i was told it was my fault) it was the right torsion bar out of adjustment and even though the vehicle had only 27668 mile i had to pay 1/2 the cost appox $225.00 after fighting all the way to the executive offices,the speed sensitive steering started actting up at appox. 40000 miles suddenly causing the steering wheel to slip unaccpectedly.this part was replace n/c , i have gone through 3 alternators the first at appox. 38000 mile standing me in buffalo ,tx 120 miles from home on a sunday night, the second and third happeded in the city however i now carry a spare altenator and tools because who knows when it will go out next, i have replaced the positive side battery cables twice because of design the loosen and the acr and short out, the auto matic transmission went out at 53939 due to coolent getting into the unit i had to pay 25% of this repair appox. $525.00 that transmission failed at 69015 only 15k+miles later with the warrenty card in hand i thought maybe this was it ,at 107,267 miles that transmission failed and with only 38k+ mile on a unit that carrys a 3yr/50k warrenty gm refuses to fix or replace the unit my truck has been sitting at the dealership since 06/15/2001 while i have been once again fighting with gm to no avail ,( i was offer a customer loyalty cert. for $500. 00 to settle this issue the transmission cost $2500. to replace not including the motor mount that broke when the unit locked up at appox. 35 mph all the advertising million and billions of $$$$$ should be spent making sure that then presistent problem do not accure, not when you spend 35k- 45k- for a vehicle. *ak | |||
| 09/03/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Battery acid leak 1997 suburban | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 03/24/1998 | 1 | 04/05/1997 | |
| Vehicle fire due to electrical failure in the dashboard area. | |||