2001 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON 1/25/2013. COMING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION I WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BY AN 18 WHEELER. I WOKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL ALMOST A MONTH LATER. PICTURES OF MY VEHICLE SHOW THAT MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. GOOD THING I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON. MD SAY THE BRUISING TO HEART OTHER INTERNAL INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JS

MOVING MY BOAT IN THE DRIVEWAY AND WHEN I WENT TO STOP MY BRAKE LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS CONTROLLER FAILED CAUSING NO BRAKING!!! PUMPED THEM LIKE CRAZY AND IT JUST PISSED OUT ALL OF THE FLUID. I HAD MY CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE AREA AND I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THEY WERE NOT KILLED! UPON INSPECTION THE BRAKE LINE ROTTED AT THE POINTS WHERE THEY ARE HELD ONTO THE FRAME BY THE HANGERS! THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND I BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD HAVE SOME LIABILITY IN THIS MATTER. THE VEHICLE IS BARELY JUST OVER 10 YEARS OLD AND THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW IN DESIGN. THE SCARY PART IS THE LINES LOOK GREAT OVERALL BUT WHERE THEY ARE PLACED IN ALL OF THE HANGERS THEY HAD ROT SPOTS IN THEM THAT WAS ONLY APPARENT AFTER DIS-ASSEMBLY. A NORMAL SAFETY INSPECTION WOULD NOT PICK UP ON THE CORROSION HIDDEN WITHIN THE HANGERS. *TR

WHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STOP, A HYDRAULIC LINE SERVING THE FRONT BRAKES RUPTURED CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF FRONT BRAKES. THIS IS THE THIRD HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO LINES TO FAIL WERE ON THE REAR AXLE. ALL OF THE REMAINING HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINES ARE HEAVILY RUSTED AND PITTED, THEY ALL ARE AT RISK OF FAILURE AT ANY TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL VEHICLE. IT POSES A SERIOUS RISK TO THE DRIVERS AND TO THE PERSONS AND PROPERTY OF OTHERS. EVERY ONE OF THE OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT THEIR VEHICLE MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT BRAKE LINES. WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT SHALL BE IS UP TO NHTSA, BUT THE NEED FOR INFORMATION IS GREAT. THIS IS A HEAVY WEIGHT VEHICLE FOR ORDINARY CONSUMER USE. MOST SUCH USERS ARE UNPREPARED FOR A BRAKE FAILURE OF THIS KIND. INTERESTINGLY, GM DOES NOT OFFER REPLACEMENT PARTS. PRECISION FORMED LINES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AFTERMARKET. THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER USES NON-CORRODING COPPER-NICKEL REPLACEMENT LINE, AND FABRICATES THE LINES LOCALLY. THE SAME BRAKE LINE METALLURGY WAS USED IN HIGH END EUROPEAN CARS (VOLVO AND PORSCHE) BEGINNING IN THE 1980S. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH I WAS NEAR MY EXIT AND ACTIVATED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE ROOM TO CHANGE LANES AND PASS MY EXIT AND DOWNSHIFTED TO SLOW AND EVENTUALLY STOP. I HAD TRIED TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND THE CABLE SNAPPED ON THE SPOT. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THAT EVERY BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED AND MOST WERE FAILING. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID IT ISN'T RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE JUST THE LEAKING LINES BECAUSE ONCE THE PRESSURE IS RESTORED, THE REMAINING LINES WOULD THEN LIKELY FAIL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AND I AM WAITING FOR WHAT I AM SURE WILL BE A SIZABLE REPAIR BILL. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 1500 CHEVY SUBURBAN THAT I PURCHASED BRAND NEW. IT WAS 109,000 MILES ON IT. MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING AT 50,000 MILES. WE FOUGHT WITH DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER AND HAD THEM REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE. WELL GUESS WHAT? I HAVE APPR. 59,000 ON THIS TRANSMISSION AND IT JUST WENT OUT ON US ON OUR THANKSGIVING TRIP. WE WERE 4 HRS. FROM HOME WHEN IT STARTED GOING OUT. WHEN WE WERE 3 HRS. FROM HOME WE LOST 3RD GEAR AND DROVE IN 2ND AT 40 MILES PER HR. STOPPING SEVERAL TIMES ALONG THE WAY TO LET IT COOL DOWN. WE MADE IT 2 HRS FROM HOME AND MADE THE DECISION TO PARK IT SOMEWHERE IT WILL BE SAFE TO LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT. THANK GOD OUR SON WAS FOLLOWING US IN HIS VEHICLE TO GIVE US A RIDE HOME. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE HAD TO RETURN TO TOW IT HOME. I AM BEYOND LIVID. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY DRIVEN IN TOWN AND THE OCCASIONAL VACATION OR ROAD TRIP. IT HAS A TOW PKG BUT HASN'T BEEN USED TO PULL THINGS. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED BY MY HUSBAND THAT IS A MECHANIC. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN MISUSED OR ABUSED. SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH CHEVROLET SUBURBAN'S? WE HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER ISSUES WITH IT AND HAVE LOVED THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND NOTICED I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE.. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? HOW DOES CHEVROLET PLAN ON HANDLING THIS ISSUE? THREE TRANSMISSIONS IN ONE VEHICLE WITH THAT LOW OF MILEAGE IS RIDICULOUS. CHEVROLET YOU ARE PRODUCING FAULTY PRODUCTS. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR 2 TRANSMISSIONS GOING ON A 3RD, IN A VEHICLE WITH THAT LOW OF MILEAGE... THIRD TRANSMISSION, REALLY? I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED AND PROMOTED CHEVROLET, BUT NOT ANY MORE. THE TAXPAYERS BAILED CHEVROLET OUT OF BANKRUPTCY AND YOU STILL SCREW OVER THE CONSUMER. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD ANY ISSUES LIKE THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I AM FURIOUS THAT I HAVE TO HAVE A 3RD, YES 3RD TRANSMISSION IN A VEHICLE WITH UNDER 110,000 MILES ON IT.... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,736.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO REDUCE SPEED. THE VEHICLE UNCONTROLLABLY CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THERE WAS NO PERSONAL INJURY; HOWEVER THERE WERE EXTERIOR DAMAGES TO THE BUILDING. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FOUR BRAKE LINES AND GEAR SHIFTER CABLE WERE REPLACED. ALSO, THE ABS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK). THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE ABS HAD BEEN REPLACED A TOTAL OF SEVEN TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

NOTICED NO BOLT HEAD ON DRIVERS SIDE REAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD, WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. THEN FOUND ANOTHER BOLT HEAD IN SKID GUARD DURING OIL CHANGE, THIS WAS FROM THE FRONT BOLT OF SAME EXHAUST MANIFOLD! THE HEADS BROKE OFF CLEANLY FOR NO VISIBLE REASON. FIXED FRONT BOLT BUT REAR ONE REQUIRES EXHAUST MANIFOLD REMOVAL AT COST OF $400.00. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF MORE BREAK! *TR