2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 SUBURBAN I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE. THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING ACTION. AS THE TRUCK CONTINUED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN (THANK GOODNESS NO OTHER CAR WAS CROSSING) I ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BREAK WHICH FAILED TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP AS WELL. I THEN INTENTIONALLY TURNED TO TRUCK OVER A CURB INTO A GRASSY AREA AS TO STOP THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO ROLLING DOWN THE HILL INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. UPON EXAMINING UNDER THE TRUCK I DISCOVERED AN AREA UNDER A CLAMP LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. IT APPEARS THAT IT HAD CORRODED THROUGH. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE AND FUEL LINES WERE RUSTED SEVERELY. IN ADDITION, THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER EXHIBITED RUST CORROSION AND WAS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.

OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, THE COVER ON ALL THREE SEAT BELT LATCHES IN THE SECOND ROW OF OUR SUBURBAN HAVE FAILED. THEY ARE MADE OF 2 PIECES OF PLASTIC THAT CLIP TOGETHER TO COVER THE MECHANISM AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR THE SEAT BELT TAB TO BE INSERTED INTO THE LATCH. NOT HAVING THE LATCH COVERED MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE ANY SEAT BELT FOR PASSENGERS IN THE SECOND ROW. IT IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE THE SEAT BELTS EVEN FOR AN ADULT. NONE OF OUR CHILDREN CAN SECURE THEIR SEAT BELT WHEN RIDING IN THIS CAR. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE EACH TIME WE GET IN THE CAR TO ASSIST THEM. IN ADDITION, IT IS EASY TO SCRAPE AGAINST THE EXPOSED METAL OF THE LATCH MECHANISM WHEN ENTERING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY RECALLS OR OTHER INQUIRIES ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN DOWN THE ROAD AND MY SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. I LOOKED ONLINE AND I FOUND OVER 40 INCIDENTS ON WWW.SAFECAR.GOV ALONE. WHATS THE PROBLEM WITH GETTING THIS SAFETY PROBLEM FIXED. I CAN GO TO THE DEALER AND GET IT FIXED FOR $500 OR MORE. DO PEOPLE NEED TO GET HURT OR DIE BEFORE THIS PROBLEM IS NOTICED BY CHEVROLET OR GMC? *TR

AS I WAS BACKING MY VEHICLE FROM MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION I NOTED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE LINE LEADING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE REAR ABS CONTROLLER WAS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL THE BRAKE LINES ARE REPLACED. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES ON THIS 2003 SUBURBAN ARE HEAVILY CORRODED AND LOOK READY TO FAIL AT ANY MOMENT. *TR

JUST FINISHED DRIVING VEHICLE FOR 1 HOUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT INCIDENT. PARKED CAR FOR 5 MINUTES, UPON TRYING TO RESTART, THE CAR DISPLAYED "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION CONSOLE. APPROXIMATELY 8 RESTARTS AND THE MESSAGE DID NOT DISPLAY. DROVE CAR 5 MINUTES AND PARKED IT FOR 1 HOUR, UPON RESTART DISPLAYED SAME MESSAGE, CAR WAS VIRTUALLY UNDRIVEABLE. 3 RESTARTS LATER MESSAGE NO LONGER DISPLAYED. THIS MESSAGE HAS NOW INTERMITTENTLY OCCURRED EVER SINCE SEEMINGLY WITHOUT ANY PATTERN. THE MESSAGE IS RELATED TO A FAILURE IN THE "DRIVE BY WIRE" SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF A PHYSICAL CABLE FROM THE GAS PEDAL. IT CAUSES THE CAR TO BE COMPLETELY UNDRIVEABLE UNTIL SEEMINGLY RANDOMLY FIXING ITSELF. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A PAVED HIGHWAY, WHEN THE UPCOMING INTERSECTION LIGHT TURNED RED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY SOFT AND JUST KEPT GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AFTER THE PEDAL WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR THEN THE RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION AND LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME. IF THERE HAD BEEN, I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. I DROVE TO A NEARBY TRUCK STOP AND GOT SOME BRAKE FLUID, THE VEHICLE TOOK THE WHOLE CONTAINER. I HAD NO FORE-WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I CAREFULLY DROVE HOME AND BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES, MY BRAKE FLUID WAS DOWN AGAIN AND THE BRAKES WERE FAILING AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVE. AGAIN, THE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AT ANY TIME UNTIL I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MY HUSBAND LOOKED AT THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING AND THE REAR BRAKE LININGS WERE CORRODED AND LEAKING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LAP BELT FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE SECOND ROW CENTER OCCUPANT SEAT BELT ROUTING HAD BECOME SNUG ON THE PASSENGER'S HIPS AND ALLOWED THE LAP BELT TO RIDE UP ON THE PASSENGER'S ABDOMEN INSTEAD OF FITTING LOW AROUND THE HIP BONE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V163000 (SEAT BELTS: REAR) BUT THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PREPARED. THEY OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH WHEN I SAW A DEER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DIDN'T RESPOND PROPERLY. INSTEAD, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT NEARLY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE TOOK A LONG TIME TO SLOW TO A STOP. I BEGAN DRIVING AGAIN AND TESTED THE BRAKES; THEY DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. I HAD TO PRESS THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE VEHICLE TO BRAKE, AND EVEN THEN IT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT THIS POINT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED AND RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STORED INDOORS AND DRIVEN VERY LITTLE IN THE WINTER MONTHS. THIS INCIDENT UPSET ME GREATLY AS IT PUT MY FAMILY IN SERIOUS DANGER. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES OF THAT MODEL YEAR. I HAVE OWNED 25 AUTOMOBILES OVER 45 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE. I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE WILL BE INJURED OR KILLED, IF THIS HASN'T ALREADY OCCURRED, AND I IMPLORE YOU TO CONSIDER A SAFETY RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR *JS