Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
| 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 | |
| 010856002A | 06/01/2001 | 010856002 | 623100 | Some vehicles may exhibit a security lamp illuminated on the instrument panel, engine stall, no start condition, and diagnostic trouble code b2960. *tt | 10/26/2001 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||||
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 12/14/2008 | 94550 | 1 | |
| Went to visit inlaws in canada for chrismas, arrived late at nite. got up in the morning truck will not start, local mechanic diagnosed it as the anti-theft system,{ passlock } he got it running and said i need to go to the nearest dealer to get it reprogrammed be fore it happens again. next morning was going to dealer it would not start again. three days latter it finally started. dealer charged $330 to reprogram {passlock} two days latter when i was going home it would not start again. i haven't got it running yet. was supposed to be back to work in texas three days latter. i got fired , and i'm still stuck in canada and broke now. thank you chevrolet!! *tr | |||
| 12/03/2008 | 125842 | 1 | |
| 1999 chevy tahoe a/c blower motor inoperative. mechanic traced related electrical circuits. pinpoint immediate problem to faulty a/c control head and burnt connector. this problem was a fire hazard and had to resolved or completely disabled to eliminate the possibility of fire. labor and parts cost $700.00. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 90000 | 1 | 04/10/2003 |
| Fuel pump went out on 1999 tahoe. took to dealer to service under extended warranty. i was told that there is a service bulletin about the wiring harness with a warning that they can be faulty and short out the fuel pump, in which case the new fuel pump would not be covered under warranty unless the wiring harness was replaced. i was also told that there is a recall coming out on this very problem but only for 2000-2003 (or 2004?) tahoes. my concern is that if this is a know problem that happen to thousands upon thousands of 1999 tahoes why aren't the 1999 tahoes being included in the recall that is soon to be released? i was told this by my dealer. | |||
| 09/03/2004 | 88677 | 1 | |
| Corrected steering problem. concerned that the design and function of speed sensitive steering on this vehicle could be a safety hazard. *bf the vehicle steering became loose while making right hand turns, 3244 miles. the dealer replaced the speed sensor that controls the speed sensitive steering. the upper brake lamp shorted at 15311 miles. the battery failed load test at 22085 miles. the left front speaker was inoperative at 30715 miles. the mirror switch was hot to the touch at 32291 miles. *nm | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 3244 | 6 | |
| Experienced problems during right hand turns where a complete loss of steering feedback occurred. *bf (speed sensitive steering) this was an intermittent problem. the upper lamp shorted, battery failed load test, left front speaker was inoperative, the mirror switch was hot to touch, dome light stayed on and the radio button were hot to touch. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc | |||
| 1 | 11/24/1999 | ||
| Upon starting the vehicle there was a ticking noise. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer said that the manufacturer told them not to touch the vehicle. the reason is unknown. *nlm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 04/09/2001 | 3 | 04/01/2001 | |
| Additional components replaced, these included:alternator replaced twiced, battery replaced, injectors plugging treated three times, tail shaft leaking - replaced, intake manifold replaced, stereo replaced, tall lamp circuit board replaced (both, intrument cluster replaced twice - unsure in current mileage readings are correct, head lamps continue to flicker whil edriving replaced three times, water pump replaced, ball joints replaced, and sterring components replaced. continual problems and no answers. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 05/15/2005 | 57740 | 2 | 05/30/1999 |
| Ac delco battery leakagae. second time | |||
| 06/17/2004 | 37037 | 2 | 05/30/1999 |
| Ac delco battery leakage twice in the last two years. both as a result of acid leak from the positive terminal. | |||
| 09/07/2004 | 2 | ||
| Second time the positive terminal from an delco battery has leaked causing the battery cables to melt. acid leaks have caused rusting on the frame and near brake and a/c lines | |||
| 07/01/2002 | |||
| Battery acid leaks from positive post, causing corrosion in brake line.*ak | |||
| 04/09/2001 | 3 | 04/01/2001 | |
| Additional components replaced, these included:alternator replaced twiced, battery replaced, injectors plugging treated three times, tail shaft leaking - replaced, intake manifold replaced, stereo replaced, tall lamp circuit board replaced (both, intrument cluster replaced twice - unsure in current mileage readings are correct, head lamps continue to flicker whil edriving replaced three times, water pump replaced, ball joints replaced, and sterring components replaced. continual problems and no answers. | |||
| 12/05/2001 | 2 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Problem: battery acid is leaking from the positive terminal. the acid released falls on pressurized a/c lines and the right front brake lines and fitting connecting the brake hose. this is the second battery to be replaced in my vehicle. this problem was found in when disconnecting the first battery (3/2001) for charging. acid released from the orginal battery was contained and neutralized immediately. this second instance was not found until, acid was found on the garage floor. extensive corrosion has occured on all metal parts below the battery. dealers has stated this problem is prelavent in all 1999 chevrolet with continuous head light operation. two gm dealers have stated they are seeing leaking batteries in one or two vehicles per day. the service manager at hallowell chevrolet in clovis, ca, stated that gm has been working on a new battery design to correct the problem for 8 to 10 months. the uncontrolled release toxic substances poses both an environmental and safety hazard. one failed battery may be an expected probability, although the prevalence of the numbers scene at two dealers and two instances in my vehicle, warrant and require governmental action and oversight. the leaking acid is affecting the integrity of the air conditioning system (not a seafety problem, ulness the escaping r-134/ | |||
| 02/14/2001 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| Truck was taken in repeatedly for brakes, transmission, air conditioner and headlights prior to warranty expiration and was told they could not duplicate the problem or it was under chev specs or we were experiencing anti-lock brakes. water pump began leaking and had to be replaced 2200 miles outside of warranty. entire brake system, lines-calipers, everything had to be replaced because foreign fluid corroded the system. no one has touched the brakes but the dealer. we repeatedly complained about the brakes taking too long to stop the vehicle, having a spongy feel and absolutely no confidence that they would stop in an emergency situation. overall, the brakes just did not feel safe and we reported this when the vehicle was still under warranty. intake manifold is leaking and needs to be replaced. battery exploded and leaked battery acid everywhere damaging other engine parts. transmission is in need of an overhaul/replacement either as a direct result of the battery exploding or mere coincidence considering we have always complained that something was wrong with the transmission and you could push the truck while in park a full foot. the air conditioner has always leaked after driving approx. 2 hr as well as the driver's side high beam headlight always has water in it. detailed complaints have been filed with the attorney generals of az and fl, as well as copies sent to the dealer, manufacturer and leasing company involved. chevrolet should be ashamed of the shoddy product that rolled off their assembly line and the manner in which they conduct business surrounding consumer complaints generated as a direct result from poor workmanship at one of their factories. there is a long list of cosmetic defects as well. for instance, the custom leather seats that we paid extra for are wearing holes in them; the driver's side door handle is cracked, drink holders are rusting, and the list goes on and on. | |||
| 03/06/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| The battery positive leaked onto the brake line which in turn ate through the brake line and a loss of brake fluid and brakes without warning happened. i was traveling at 40mph when went to apply the brakes and they went slowly to the floor as i was stopping and then dropped to floor and i went thru the middle of a intersection (i thank god that traffic was light). i see that in this data base that this is common problem and i can't believe that this is not a recall. how many people have to be hurt of killed before gmc does something about this. i have purchased 8 new gm vehicles in the last 10 years and if this is the way they are going to treat customers, i will not buy another. needless to say the vehicle will be for sale as soon as it is fixed and another brand will be considered. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Battery post broke loose from battery and battery acid leaked from battery onto frame members and electrical wire harness dirfectly below battery with considerable corrosion to insulation. dealer replaced defective battery under warranty with same battery model, but accnowledged that gm had redesign a new battery (plantinum) due to heat and virbration problems from 1995 to current on truck and suv's. dealer said that gm had not recall on existing batteryies or any policy to replace at owner request the old defective designed batteries with the new redesigned plantinum model. dealer inc ca, , in montana and aaa acknowleged that these batteries are failing in large quanties. i filled a formal complaint with gm customer service on faillure of gm to recall and to offer new model battery to owners with failues....today no response on corrective action received for gm. gm magaizne article also wrote on new improved delco plantinum battery's improved design for both heat and affects of vibration. failure of battery appearently is cause by gm having added the second battery cable to the positive post which fails under normal road vibration due to the extra stress on the post assembly. our dealer did not repair the damage to the frame protective coatings or the wiring harness. | |||
| 10/28/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| The positive terminal on the original delco battery broke off, leaking acid down the wheel well onto the right front brake lines and the abs electrical connector to the right front brake. the acid corroded the brake line, electrical connector, and removed the paint on the frame and lower a-frame. the failure occured in our driveway and the vehicle was disabled. had to buy a new battery and 2 cans of battery acid cleaner to remove the acid in the right side engine compartment and lower frame assembly. the brake problem occured as my wife was driving home. she said that the steering was shaking and rumbling. it was pulling to one side. i found the left front caliper had seized in the cradle assembly and worn the outer pad to less than a tenth of an inch. she said it had been squealing for a couple of days. the right side was ok, but, i changed all front pads any how. i had to clean rust from the caliper and mount to allow movement in the assembly. i still have the bad battery and the brake pads. *ak | |||
| 10/09/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| The battery in my 1999 tahoe has started leaking from the postive post and has done $ 480 damage to the cables and starter motor. the service rep said that it had been leaking for a while. i had it in for service just 10 days before, and nothen was said about a leak. reailable said that the battery is a 6 yr. battery, but when it is put into a new vehicle the warrenty is for 3 yrs or 36,000 miles. he said that delco has a problem with their side post batterys and they are changing out a lot of them, but because i have over 36,000 miles, i will have to pay for my work. when i bought the vehicle, i was told that it would not need a tune up for 100,000 miles and it has a maintance free battery. here it is 28 months later and only 59,000 miles and the battery has done $480.00 of damage, and i find out it is happing a lot with delco batterys. this can be a hazard, because the acid gets on driveways and kids play there. when i bought the vehicle, i ask fro a gm extented warrenty. i paid $540.00 for this and now i find out that i got some other warrenty, not the gm one and it doesn't cover batterys. what is the consumer suppose to do. i have had the regular maintance require by gm done at reliable and only 10 days eariler it was in their shop for oil change and greased and i was not notified of this damage. any help you can give me will be appreciated. to make thing worse, i was charged $34.95 by reliable to run a diagnosis test to determine the battery was leaking from the post. the service rep raised the hood when i carried it in and said it is leaking from the post, this is a problem with delco batterys. i don't see why a test was then ran. | |||
| 08/30/2000 | 1 | ||
| Battery has leaked acid onto brake line, causing all fluid to leak, amd a loss of braking power. deaelr has been contacted.*ak the battery acid corroded the brake line. *yh | |||
| 07/29/2000 | 0 | ||
| Vehicle was parked in front of consumer's house. she got inside of vehicle and attempted to start it up, but vehicle would not start. her husband opened the hood, and battery had exploded, and leaked battery acid all over the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 06/20/2000 | 04/01/2000 | ||
| Battery leak. caused positive post to corrode/disconnect. truck is only 1 year old, with less that 15,000 miles. battery acid all over engine and hoses. *ak | |||
| 09/24/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Engine died while driving in st louis traffic approx 2 pm- traffic was light but if this occurred 10 mins earlier would have been on i 170 or 30 mins later on i 270 deal :er says :loose battery connection: sounds like a :loose explanation to me as i did have warning flashers when ocurred. am i driving a time bomb ?? | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 07/25/2000 | 0 | ||
| Fuse burned out and there was no turn signals. dealership changed the fuse. they didn't know what the problem was. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 147 | 1 | ||
| The distributor cap and the housing that holds it is made out of plastic. when cap was tightened it cracked the housing without excessive force being used.*ak | |||
| 06/25/2003 | 38000 | 1 | 07/01/2000 |
| Vehicle has a no start condition which will persist for 1 to 4 hours.vehicle will start and then immediately die. it appears to have something to do with humidity or damp weather. several repair shops have ran diagnostics and reveal a theft deterrent code which comes up on computer. the vehicle has been in for repairs at least 10 times to different shops for the same problem with no results. it is currently at the shop and has been there for over two weeks. this problem has occurred at least 30 times in the last 3 years .my towing insurance is rising and my patience is thin. i am at wits end, help please. *ak | |||
| 06/19/2003 | 37000 | 30 | 07/05/2000 |
| Vehicle starting/ ignition problem. *nlm | |||
| 07/06/2002 | 2 | 03/01/2002 | |
| We would drive the tahoe up north around 150 miles park the tahoe camp for 2 days not using the tahoe during the 2 days pack up to go home and the tahoe won't start it turns over trying to start but does'nt it's getting gas, 3hours later the tahoe will start,this also happened about 5weeks ago,we had it hauled to a dealer ,they whet to put it on a scope to check it but the tahoe started,when it's working the scope check shows nothing wrong with the tahoe, ??????*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||
| 09/08/2004 | 50000 | 6 | |
| Consumer stated that ignition anti-theft controller was defective. when starting it will not crank, and consumer needed to wait at least 20 or 30 minutes before the problem with the ignition will work. consumertowed vehicle to the dealer at least 5 times. while at dealersthe modulator was changed, and the problem will be corrected, but only temporarily. currently, the problem recurred. *ak | |||
| 08/19/2004 | 82650 | 10 | 04/30/1999 |
| My 1999 chevrolet tahoe intermittently fails to start. the engine cranks and then dies. it will do this, then i will let it sit for a while (45 min. to several hours) and i'll go back out and it will start right up. mechanics have told me there's nothing that can be done until it does it consistently. on 8/19/04, i tried to start it @ 7:45 a.m. it took me until 8:25 a.m. to start it, after which i drove to work (late). i went back out to leave the office @ 10:30 a.m. - no start. had it towed to dealership - started right up. according to the bcm, a code of dtc1626 showed up, which indicates something like the theft deterrent system is preventing the fuel enable signal from being received. the dealership soldered the wiring connections on the theft deterrent harness (previously, connections were crimped), which they said had helped several other tahoe owners. two days later, my husband was stranded with my non-starting tahoe and my receipt for $161.84 for fixing the problem. there has to be a fix for this problem!! there are at least 6 other similar complaints on this website as well as 4 service bulletins, but no one seems to have a clue as to why this is happening or how to prevent it! i've owned 2 silverados and 1 yukon since 1984 and have been extremely happy with gm's products, but this tahoe takes the cake! if it hadn't been an anniversary gift from my husband, i would have sold it by now! *ak | |||
| 06/10/2004 | 40000 | 6 | 04/16/2002 |
| I have owned a 1999 chevrolet tahoe for a little over 2 years. on at least 6 occasions, the vehicle won't crank up. the engine doesn't even turn over as if to crank, but if you wait 1 to 12 hours, it will crank right up. the engine decides how long it will take to reset itself and allow us to crank it. we asked a friend who is a chevrolet mechanic about the possible cause of this problem. he said that it was a common problem with tahoes of that year. he said that the vehicle alarm system thinks that it has been broken into, and tries to protect itself from theft and won't crank. on none of the occasions that it has disabled itself have we had the alarm system disrupted. our mechanic friend says he has seen it several times, but the chevrolet company says that they never heard of this problem. it costs several hundred dollars to fix the problem, therefore i live with it every day. on a recent vacation to the mountains, i was afraid to turn the vehicle off when we got out of it to take pictures for fear that it wouldn't start back up. is there any information on this problem? have you heard it before?*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 08/02/2002 | |||
| Ignition switch is unable to be switched off due to an electrical short in steering column. vehicle at dealer for repairs. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| When starting vehicle it starts sometimes, and sometimes has to wait 1 to 4 hours before it starts. contacted dealer. keys were not programmed for car. reprogrammed vehicle, problem reoccurred 1 year later.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 12/08/2005 | 97000 | 1 | 04/26/2003 |
| Fire in drivers sidr door area-defective circuits not fused. *nm | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 90000 | 1 | 04/10/2003 |
| Fuel pump went out on 1999 tahoe. took to dealer to service under extended warranty. i was told that there is a service bulletin about the wiring harness with a warning that they can be faulty and short out the fuel pump, in which case the new fuel pump would not be covered under warranty unless the wiring harness was replaced. i was also told that there is a recall coming out on this very problem but only for 2000-2003 (or 2004?) tahoes. my concern is that if this is a know problem that happen to thousands upon thousands of 1999 tahoes why aren't the 1999 tahoes being included in the recall that is soon to be released? i was told this by my dealer. | |||
| 07/19/2004 | 2 | 08/15/1999 | |
| Fuse in fuel pump circuit blew, shutting down engine. problem caused by internal wiring to fuel pump in fuel tank shorting together. fuel pump replaced and old pump discarded. recently read in washington post that this may be a common problem in gm products. *jb | |||
| 02/07/2004 | 122000 | 1 | 02/06/2004 |
| My 1999 tahoe caught on fire at the remote mirror switch in the driver door, burned all around the mirror switch, i was able to use a fire extinguisher and get the fire out. i noticed there was a recall for a specific problem with a mirror switch, but not with tahoes, just chevrolet trucks, suburbans. gm refuses to accept any blame for this faulty switch, and insist it happened due to high miles. they want to pass the buck; however, i don't buy it. my tahoe was manufactured in sept. 1998 and the other vehicles were 1997 - 1998 models. i think it could be possible that my tahoe received one of the faulty mirror switches. i would like for it to be checked out more thoroughly. i would like to know how many other people have had a problem of this nature.*ak | |||
| 04/21/2003 | 78951 | 1 | 10/01/1999 |
| The brake lights on the vehicle failed because a wire in the system burned out. there is no current recall for this harness but the replacement part is of heavier gauge wire. the circuit is fused but the fuse was stronger than the circuit it is supposed to protect. i think that in some cases this could be a fire hazard and in any case the loss of brake lights is certainly dangerous. *jb | |||
| 04/09/2001 | 1 | ||
| Failure of the electrical wiring in the door caused a fire in the passenger compartment, claim 05-4614-070. *slc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 114238 | 1 | 09/28/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the air conditioning and heater fan switch, connector plug and attached insulation to the wiring overheated and melted, while traveling 55 mph. the service dealer and manufacturer were notified. | |||
| 02/07/2004 | 7800 | 12 | |
| 1999 chevrolet 4x4 2 door tahoe, corrosion and shorting of pin connections in high/low beam headlight dimmer switch. on going problem for 3 mo. of headlight failure when operating at night. found switch on steering assembly to have corrosion and indication of wires overheating due to excess heat. turned on headlights and move connector wires at switch, headlights failed. headlights also fail when steering column is tilted. problem is due to poor contact of pin connections at switch due to corrotion in connection possible poor construction of connector. arcing can be heard when connection on switch is moved. this is a very well maintained vehicle driven by my wife. i am a federal government employee with 30 years experince in automotive and equipment inspection, repair and rebuild with extensive knowledge in diognostics and use of tmde. *ak | |||
| 04/09/2001 | 3 | 04/01/2001 | |
| Additional components replaced, these included:alternator replaced twiced, battery replaced, injectors plugging treated three times, tail shaft leaking - replaced, intake manifold replaced, stereo replaced, tall lamp circuit board replaced (both, intrument cluster replaced twice - unsure in current mileage readings are correct, head lamps continue to flicker whil edriving replaced three times, water pump replaced, ball joints replaced, and sterring components replaced. continual problems and no answers. | |||
| 12/27/1999 | 2 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Pinion bearing failed at less than 2000 miles. drivers side door mis-aligned. bad seals at connections for tranmission coolin glines. clunk when accel. from stop and shifting hard. reoccurring noise in passenger side dashboard. reoccurring fan type noise under hood. reoccurring failure of exhaust gaskets. | |||