1994 Chevrolet Suburban

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE IGNITION OFF. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES, A FIRE STARTED IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY PRECEDED BY THICK WHITE SMOKE. THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC WHEELWELL GUARD AND RIGHT FRONT TIRE ABOUT TWO MINUTES AFTER THE SMOKE WAS NOTICED. THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, DASHBOARD, WINDSHIELD, AND FRONT FLOOR PAN AREA WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. *TR

DT: CONTACT STATED VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY THE NEIGHBOR'S DOGS WERE BARKING, SHE LOOKED OUT , AND THERE WERE SPARKS COMING OUT OF VEHICLE. SHE WOKE UP HER HUSBAND. HEARD A LOUD NOISE. VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE, IT BURNED THE WHOLE MOTOR, MOST OF THE INSIDE, DASHBOARD. NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE FIRE CHIEF SAID IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *AK

PROBLEM: BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR-NO PRESSURE, NO BRAKING. NEAR MISS COLLISIONS. MASTER CYLINDER, ABS COMPUTER, HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AS REQURIED---THIS VEHICLE HAS A DEFINATE BRAKE HISTORY PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, BASED ON INTERNET ARTICLES I'VE RESEARCHED I'M NOT ALONE. I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE AND 3 SMALL CHILDREN. WE'RE BASICALLY AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE.! WHEN THE BRAKES GO DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD WITHOUT ANY PRESSURE, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM---------EVEN THE GUY AT THE CAR WASH WAS SCARED! *AK

THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP (POHANKA CHEVROLET IN VA) 25, YES, 25 TIMES SINCE 1994. I HAVE NOW JUST HAD TO REPLACE THE SECOND COMPUTER SYSTEM IN 2 YEARS. I WILL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF THE NUMBER OF VISITS TO THE DEALER AS WELL AS THE EXPENSIVE COSTS I HAVE INCURRED. HAS THERE BEEN SIGNIFICNAT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND WHAT RECALLS (OTHER THAN WINDSHIELD MOTOR AND ONE OTHER RECALL). MY MECHANIC FEELS THAT CHVROLOET MAY BE AWARE OF THE COMPUTER PROBLEMS IN THIS CAR BECASUE OF ITS URGENT REQUIREMENT TO SEND BACK THE COIL OF THE ORIGINAL. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATES UNEXPECTEDLY, AND WHILE BRAKING THE ENGINE IRACES HIGH. THE RPMS ARE HIGH, AND THE FRONT WHEELS ARE SQUEALING, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. OCCUPANT NEEDS TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO HAVE THE RPMS RETURN TO NORMAL. PREVIOUSLY, HAD A TON OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, BUT SAID IT MAY BE ELECTRICAL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THIS SWITCH FAILED WHILE PARKED, THANK GOODNESS. A BURNING ODOR BECAME OVERWHELMING WHILE PUTTING ON SEATBELTS TO DRIVE AWAY. IT WAS NIGHT, SO I COULD NOT TELL FOR SURE WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. MY NEXT INSTINCT WAS TO TURN THE CAR OFF IN HOPES OF PREVENTING FURTHER DAMAGE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE DOME LIGHT SWITCH WAS MELTED TO THE POINT THAT THE SWITCH, BEZEL AND WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR WERE DESTROYED. I HAVE RECEIVED TWO RECALL NOTICES ON THIS VEHICLE FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, ONE FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AND ONE FOR THE WIPER MOTOR WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM IS SUSPECT IN THIS VEHICLE. WITH ONLY 48,000 MILES WE NOW HAVE THREE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS. OBVIOUSLY PER MY REPORT, THERE WERE NO INJURIES CAUSED BY THE SWITCH BURNING UP. HOWEVER, HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME THAT THE SWITCH MELTED, SHE VERY WELL MAY HAVE ENDED UP WITH A DASH BOARD FIRE ON THE ROAD WITH 5 CHILREN. I AM VERY INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING THE FREQUENCY OF THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT WITH OTHER SUBURBANS AS WELL AS ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES. AS AN ENGINEER IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, I KNOW DARN WELL THAT THET THERE IS NO SUCH THINK AS A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE ON ANY TYPE OF FAILURE AND THIS VEHICLE IS PROVING TO BE A LOSER WHEN IT COMES TO WIRING AND SWITCHES. SORRY FOR BEING SO LONG WINDED. *99V025000. *AK