Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 990602012D | 04/01/2002 | 990602012C | 634218 | Subject regarding rust in cooling system, heater inoperative, blows cold air, engine overheats (flush cooling system). nlm | 09/28/2002 |
| 990602012C | 06/01/2001 | 990602012B | 623086 | Some customers may comment that the heater is inoperative, blows cold air, engine may exhibit an overheat condition or the coolant reservoir has rust in it. *tt | 10/26/2001 |
| 990602012B | 02/01/2000 | 990602012A | 611277 | Some customers may comment that the heater is inoperative, blows cold air, engine may exhibit an overheat condition or the coolant reservoir has rust in it. *tt | 05/31/2000 |
| 990602012A | 01/01/2000 | 990602012 | 609717 | Some customers may comment that the heater is inoperative, blows cold air, engine may exhibit an overheat condition or the coolant reservoir has rust in it. *tt | 04/07/2000 |
| 990602012 | 06/01/1999 | 606523 | Conditions with heater inoperative, blows cold air, engine overheats, and rust in the coolant system. *tt | 08/26/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 030601024 | 08/01/2003 | 10004371 | Rattle noise in engine. *tt | 12/04/2003 | |
| 030601024A | 03/01/2004 | 030601024B | 10004301 | Rattle noise in engine. *tt | 12/01/2003 |
| 676114A | 03/01/1997 | 52601 | Engine noise (install valve stem oil seal). *tw | 08/21/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 020605002 | 05/01/2002 | 634729 | Some customers may comment on an exhaust boom / groan noise in the passenger compartment. *tt | 10/07/2002 | |
| 311001 | 10/31/2001 | 628070 | Some vehicles may exhibit an exhaust noise, rattle noise at 550 rpm. *tt | 03/05/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 776512 | 04/01/1997 | 52347 | Engine rough, miss, and oxygen sensor dtc's (replace oxygen sensor jumper harness). *tw | 07/24/1997 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 03/03/2003 | 1 | ||
| Problems with vehicle's ball joints. mr the consumer heard a sound coming fromt the left front tire area. the radiator, power steering pump, oil cooler lines and engine all leaked. *jb | |||
| 09/10/2004 | 136000 | 2 | |
| While driving vehicle stalled intermittently. consumer pulled over, and had vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 09/04/2003 | 100 | ||
| The 1997 gmc jimmy just shuts off. this occurs at no special times and with no identifiable circumstances preceding the shutdown. the engine and all control systems simply stop. this has happened numerous times and there is no ryhme nor reason for the failure. it has happened many times in a single evening and then gone months before recurring. computer diagnoses, no codes found by mechanic. since it has always failed while the vehicle was in motion, usually at highway speeds, controlling the vehicle becomes a real concern. loss of power steering can easily cause a loss of control and a serious accident. the jimmy always restarts easily after ten seconds or so. of course at 70-75 miles per hours that can seem like a very long time indeed. *la | |||
| A/c compressor failures other- intake manifold coolant leak due to use of plastic intake manifold master cylinder failure (loss of pedal/leal). replaced master cylinder short time later same problem and dealer reported failure of anti lock computer at cost of $1200.00. repair refused and after a few weeks had them recheck master and they replaced the unit. no problem several months later. | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 0 | ||
| Reddish liquid leaking from under engine and engine appeared to be overheating, temperature needle going all the way up, then down, bad smell. mechanic told me he has seen this problem with these vehicles before due to dex-cool used which gunks up the cooling system. water pump had to be replaced due to the damage from this stuff. i was very disappointed in the response i received from the people from gmc who apparantly know about this problem and are doing nothing about for their customers. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 11/15/2004 | 70000 | 10 | 03/30/2000 |
| Transmission failure / replaced transmission - upper & lower ball joint failure / replaced upper & lower ball joints - rear window wiper failure / inoperable at this point - extremely expensive replacements with no old parts available at this point. events leading up to failure i can only attribute to severely poor manufacturing of products, there was no operating misuse or abuse. also other parts that have failed and have since been replaced are the: alternator, fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator and cooling system failures. *jb | |||
| 04/01/2002 | 50000 | 2 | 08/20/1998 |
| Heater started to fail at about 50,000 miles, no heat at all by about 80,000 miles. have been told the heater core needs to be replaced; also have been informed that this is a common problem. *la | |||
| 36000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle continuously overheats due to corrosion in engine that plugs up the radiator heater cord. *ak | |||
| 05/26/2003 | 75000 | 0 | 07/09/2002 |
| I have had to replace 1 upper ball joint and two lower ones , i was told my vin number did not match for the recall listed on your site. i have also had to replace both of my oil cooling lines that started leaking badly, this is part of the towing package offered by gmc. *nlm | |||
| 03/07/2003 | 52000 | 0 | |
| The coolant temperature gauge would rise and fall quickly in an erratic manner. upon inspection the radiator was found to be full of a thick reddish substance. the mechanic said that this is a know issue related to the dex cool coolant. he also said that there is a tsb that instructs the mechanic to flush and replace the fluid. my complaint is with the oem for not informing me of the problem with the coolant. if i would have known of the problem, then i would have had the service performed before damaging my coolant system. the damage cost me about $2000 in repairs to replace the radiator, water pump and sensors. *nlm | |||
| 06/25/2002 | 06/01/2000 | ||
| Coolant has failed and is gelling up in engine. gm has stated the coollant should last 5 years or 100000 miles. the coolant system now needs an acid flushh and repair parts which will cost $440. gm states this is m=not a flaw , but the dealer states that it is only occurring in the jimmy and chevy s-10 vehicles. they have received a serevice bulletin on how to deal with the problem.*ak | |||
| 2 | 02/22/1997 | ||
| When both back windows are down and driving at approximately55-65 mph vehicle will shake and steering wheel will vibrate . there is no solution, but vibration will stop if all the windows are up or if all are down. also, at only 48,000 miles rust is developing in cooling system possibly due to radiator . dealer claims rust is normal,and that the cause is due to engine block. but, the engine block is made out of aluminum which does not rust.*ak | |||
| 01/21/1999 | 11/01/1996 | ||
| I have had my jimmy serviced per the owners manual maintenance schedule and only at a gmc dealership, martin gmc in lake charles la. in january of 1999 the cooling system started getting a heavy build-up of rust deposits in the coolant reservoir and radiator. i brought it in to martin gmc on 1/21/99 (30,253 miles) and was told that it was caused by a break down of the dex-cool coolant in the system and that this was normal and would cause no problems later. i brought my jimmy to and independent auto repair shop that same day and was told that the cooling system was badly rusted and it needed to be flushed and refilled. i brought it back to martin gmc and was again told that this rust was normal and would cause no problems. after this the jimmy was serviced by martin gmc 3 more times in 1999.on 5/2/00 (43,773 miles)i brought the jimmy in and had it serviced. i was told that the transmission level couldnt be checked because they were unable to get the dipstick out of the dip stick tube. the rubber/plastic gasket on the dipstick had heated and sealed to the metal dip stick tube. soon after this, while driving the jimmy, i started hearing loud water flowing sounds inside under the front dash. i brought it back to martin gmc 5/31/00 to have this checked out and was told that the cooling system was clogged with rust and needed to be flushed. they said that they believed the wrong type of coolant was put in the system causing this. i told them that i had made them aware of the rust problem long before now and that i believe that this rust problem also caused poor cooling of the engine which resulted in the problem with the dip stick. *ak | |||
| 04/15/1999 | 1 | 09/08/1997 | |
| Water pump failed resulting in leakage. mjs | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||
| 04/11/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2001 | |
| My car began leaking a significant amount of oil in front of and behind the left front tire. my local dealer suggested i bring the car in to be inspected. it was diagnosed as having a badly leaking oil cooling line. they said the parts for this repair are on a 7-10 day back order because the problem is so common. i am extremely concerned that this is such a common problem in vehicles of my class, but gmc has not recalled or sent out a service notice. i am really glad that i noticed the leak when i did. i was about an hour away from leaving on a trip. i am 7 months pregnant and would have been traveling with my 3 year old daughter. that would have been a very difficult situation for me to be in, had the oil line blown. i had noticed approximately 12 drips of oil on my garage floor where i park the car, over the last 30 days. that wasn't much oil compared the the grapefruit sized puddles now leaking from my car. i think that gmc is aware that this is a serious problem and they should send a service notice to their patrons.*ak | |||
| 01/16/2002 | |||
| Engine cooling line to filter and cooling line to radiator are leaking, dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/27/2003 | 15 | 01/30/2003 | |
| The paint of the car is chipping, the electical is not working (brake lights, turn signals, and interior lights), the windshield wipers are not working (motor), and the fuses keep breaking, and the seat beal buckles are not working as well.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 3 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Transmission has a history of shifting hard between 1st and 2nd, especially when warm. during a routine oil change, mechanic noticed a rusted trans dip stick. though protested by gm as a defect, extended warenty covered. i had to go elsewhere for trans flush, dealer did not have equipment. problem persists through 2000. trasmission overheated on hwy causing overflow and slipage. dealer found rust in radiator and debrise in trans. had to replace radiator/flush engine and trans. at my expense 1/2001. now, with warmer weather, trans. oil is varnished and shift hard between 1 & 2nd again just 5000 miles later. engine lite on. found multible simular complaints at http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/g/gm_toc.htm. gm is not recognizing what appears to be an expensive, chronic problem with transmission and associated cooling components. i am not prepared to spend another $1-$2k on a $30k that has been well cared for when gm knows about these problems. i called gm customer relations and sent letters to gm directors and got no intellect or sympathy assigned to my case. please read the web site, there are many cases of 1995-1997 jimmy/s10/blazers with the exact symptoms.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 05/14/2003 | 1 | ||
| The anti-lock brakes activated without warning, which caused the consumer to lose control of the steering, and then the engine stopped. *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| The vehicle stalled intermittently when accelerating or braking. *jb | |||
| 11/01/1996 | |||
| I had complaints of engine knock since purchase new, dealer comment could not duplicate, finally took to another dealer and the could hear knock, dealer installed new crankshaft, vehicle still has knock in engine, also had to have radiator cleaned and coolant jug replaced due to rusty contamination, abs causes skids at slow speeds on wet pavement | |||
| 08/25/1998 | 1 | 09/08/1997 | |
| Pan gasket failed causing transmission to leak. mjs | |||
| 08/11/1998 | |||
| Consumer was driving, stopped and heard noise, no steering, no warning, belt tensioner broke, causing the engine belt to come off. dealer replaced the tensioner belt. tensioner breaking was caused by fatigued metal. manufacturer cannot duplicate the problem. | |||
| 06/10/1998 | |||
| The engine is defective and the vehicle cuts off while driving with no notification, dealer urges to drive vehicle until it gets worse. dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 10/24/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2002 | |
| The dealer knew about the defects to this vehicle and refused to fix them after receiving 3 separate estimates. 2 days after i repeatedly went back to the dealership to report these safety hazards the dealer continued to refuse to fix the problems and i had a car accident due to the defective vehicle. the dealer compliance board has a current case against the dealer and he has only agreed to take his vehicle back. the dealer has requested the damage from the motor vehicle accident not be fixed by the insurance company. the damage prior to the sale was so extensive from water or flood damage that the engine is completely ruined. it will not pass emissions. my fear is that the next unsuspecting consumer will be deceived by this dealer and this vehicle and i believe the next person will not be as lucky. i should be dead right now. the airbag never deployed and i believe it should have, which may also indicate that their is also something wrong with the airbag system. there may not even be an air bag in this vehicle even though it states there is one. this dealer will get this vehicle back and i am sure that instead of selling it as a salvage vehicle he will again slap a price tag on it and re-sell it immediately without fixing it. dt | |||
| 10/12/2001 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 08/12/2001 | 07/01/2000 | ||
| Engine cranks fine but fails to start. once started it will continue to start until it sits for 2 hours or more. dealer found no codes stored. this problem has persisted for 7 months.*ak | |||
| 10/12/2001 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle suddenly accelerated when idiling. dealer has been contacted, and has replaced fuel injectors. please provide further details.*ak the heating system malfunctioned due to heating core failure. the a/c was not blowing warm air. there was a clicking noise from the engine area because the power steering pump was leaking fluid. the vehicle leans to the left due to torsion bar out of adjustment. front left and right axle seals were leaking. transmission was leaking. back window had air leak. the rear wiper sticks due to wiper motor failure. front end makes clunking noise due to ball joint failure. there was clunk noise when shifting into gear due to rear d-shaft and u-joint failures. the intake gasket was leaking and was replaced. the throttle sticks. the serpentine belt failed and was replaced. *yh | |||
| 09/29/2001 | 5 | 11/01/1998 | |
| Engine shuts off when leaving signal light, turning or changing direction of travel. also has occurred when traveling at highway speeds. cannot make it happen, it just happens whenever it wants to happen. numerous complaints have already been reported; 816911, 863413, 825902, 730158, just to list a few. this needs to be corrected before a fatality occurs. in one instance, if i had not been aware of the possiblity of this occuring i would have paniced an d been broadsided! as it was, i was able to steer hard right and paralell the traffic that would have hit me if i had stopped! | |||
| 12/01/2000 | 1 | 06/12/1997 | |
| While driving the truck, the engine shut down due to anti freeze leaking onto the oil shaft, consumer is requesting financial assistance or total compensation for engine repair work that will need to be done. *cj | |||
| 03/20/1998 | 5 | ||
| Experienced problem with stalling only at higher altitudes. vehicle been in dealer shop on five occasions, and unable to resolve problem. feel free to provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 06/04/2000 | 1 | 10/18/1999 | |
| Vehicle just stopped without prior warning. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and problem could not be duplicated. *ak | |||
| 12/20/1996 | 1 | 12/13/1996 | |
| Oil seal leakage. | |||
| 09/18/1997 | 0 | ||
| Vehicle dies when consumer is coming to or taking off from a stop. it also dies when he is not driving at a certain speed. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 01/07/2002 | 9 | 01/25/2000 | |
| The truck i have is 1997 gmc jimmy 4x4 slt model i purchased the truck in 2000 knowing it was a pre owned vehicle for the first two years the vehicle was nice but the next two years i have have had nothing but troubles so far with this vehicle i have replaced 1) ignition switch that costed 700.oo 2) pulley 3) alternator 4) heater core 5) compressor for a/c is gone havent replaced 6) fuel pump is gone havent replaced 7)winshield wipers work when they want to usual on clear days but when its storming they dont work which has resulted in me getting drenched 8) tailgate doenst want to go up i have had two years of problems with my truck and still contine to do so i purchased my truck with 21,252 mi and i now have 70,329 mi i need ball joints which i have not replaced in my opinion this is the worst vehicle i have ever ownmed and i believe ever made. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle suddenly accelerated when idiling. dealer has been contacted, and has replaced fuel injectors. please provide further details.*ak the heating system malfunctioned due to heating core failure. the a/c was not blowing warm air. there was a clicking noise from the engine area because the power steering pump was leaking fluid. the vehicle leans to the left due to torsion bar out of adjustment. front left and right axle seals were leaking. transmission was leaking. back window had air leak. the rear wiper sticks due to wiper motor failure. front end makes clunking noise due to ball joint failure. there was clunk noise when shifting into gear due to rear d-shaft and u-joint failures. the intake gasket was leaking and was replaced. the throttle sticks. the serpentine belt failed and was replaced. *yh | |||
| 06/26/1999 | |||
| Belt tensioner broke, causing water pump/ fan belt and alternator not to work. also, vehicle overheated. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 10/24/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2002 | |
| The dealer knew about the defects to this vehicle and refused to fix them after receiving 3 separate estimates. 2 days after i repeatedly went back to the dealership to report these safety hazards the dealer continued to refuse to fix the problems and i had a car accident due to the defective vehicle. the dealer compliance board has a current case against the dealer and he has only agreed to take his vehicle back. the dealer has requested the damage from the motor vehicle accident not be fixed by the insurance company. the damage prior to the sale was so extensive from water or flood damage that the engine is completely ruined. it will not pass emissions. my fear is that the next unsuspecting consumer will be deceived by this dealer and this vehicle and i believe the next person will not be as lucky. i should be dead right now. the airbag never deployed and i believe it should have, which may also indicate that their is also something wrong with the airbag system. there may not even be an air bag in this vehicle even though it states there is one. this dealer will get this vehicle back and i am sure that instead of selling it as a salvage vehicle he will again slap a price tag on it and re-sell it immediately without fixing it. dt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 08/28/2004 | 68000 | 50 | 04/10/2000 |
| Windshield wipers do not work all the time. i was in a bad rainstorm last night and had to pull off the road because we couldn't see anything. scary - this is a potential big law suit for gmc if anyone dies in an accident due to this common complaint. my gmc mechanic revealed that this happens on almost all gmc jimmy's, yet there is no recall to replace the defective part to date. transmission - slipped badly. i paid to have it replaced and sometimes it still slips. this transmission repair shop said that this is common with the jimmy, as well as a faulty gas gauge, faulty ball joints and oxygen sensors. i did have to replace the oxygen sensor, but i consider that normal repairs. *jb | |||
| 11/05/1997 | 1 | 10/15/1996 | |
| Engine sensor failed causing service engine light to illuminate. mjs | |||