1997 Chevrolet Suburban

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FULLY LOADED, THE CONTACT NOTICES THAT THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER. HE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC 15 TIMES AND THEY HAVE MADE NUMEROUS REPAIRS, INCLUDING VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE STEERING UNIT, STEERING SENSORS, ACTUATOR, AND ALSO ADDITIONS TO THE SPRINGS OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. ALL OF THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT ADEQUATELY REPAIRED THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,464 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 10/08/08. *LJ UPDATED 10/10/08. *JB

I OWN A1997 CHEVY SUBURBAN LT. WE ASKED A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER TO FIX THE DOORS TO CLOSE PROPERLY, WHICH THEY CLAIMED TO DO. I NOTICED THAT THE DOOR DID NOT LINE UP AND THEY SAID THEY ADJUSTED THE STRIKE PLATE. EVIDENTLY THAT MEANS THEY USED A SLEDGE HAMMER. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ONE OF THE LOCKED DOORS OPENED UP AS SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. LUCKILY MY 4 YEAR OLD SON WAS IN HIS CARSEAT. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE. SHE COULD NOT RECLOSE THE DOOR AND SO SHE TIED IT SHUT. I FOUND THAT THE DOOR LATCH WAS STILL SHUT. I HELD THE HANDLE UP AND MANUALLY LIFTED THE LATCH AFTER WHICH THE DOOR WOULD CLOSE. ANOTHER SAFTEY ISSUE; WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL JERKS SUDDENLY TO THE RIGHT. I LIVE IN A MOUNTAINOUS AND OCCASIONAL SNOW AREA. I WORRY THAT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL JERKING, AND SOMETIMES IT HAS SENT ME TOWARDS THE LANE NEXT TO ME, THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED ONCE AFTER THE SHAFT COMPLETLY SEPERATED FROM THE PUMP WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STEEP MOUNTAIN WITH 7 BOYSCOUTS FROM A CAMPING TRIP IN THE SNOW. LET ME TELL YOU IF THAT HAD BEEN MY WIFE IN THE CAR SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CLIFF. IN 2 1/2 YRS. I HAVE REPLACED THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ACTUATOR, DOOR HANDLES, TRANSMISSION, REAR END SEALS AND AXLE, FRONT END, A/C EVERYTHING,WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH OF SOME SORT,BRAKES EVERY 20,000 OR SO, THEY TELL ME THE HEAD GASKET IS BAD,THERE IS A WHINING SOUND I THINK IS THE FAN CLUTCH,AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE ITS EITHER THE U JOINTS OR THE LIMITED SLIP CLUTCHES, HUB OR BOTH. I DO NOT FEEL THAT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN ARE SAFE IN THIS CAR. ALL LAMB CHEVROLET OF PRESCOTT VALLEY AZ HAS SAID IS THEY WARRANTY THEIR VEHICLES TO 36,000 MILES. THEY OFFERED TO SELL ME ONE OF THEIR NICE NEW TAHOES. WHICH HE CLAIMS THEY HAVE IMPROVED. OH YEA THE SALES PRICE IS 42,000. ON A 36,000 VEHICLE BECAUSE I AM UPSIDE DOWN ON THE CAR THEY SOLD ME 2 YEARS AGO.*AK

VEHICLE CONSTANTLY JERKS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AT ANY SPEED OVER 30 MPH. IT IS VERY HARD TO KEEP ON THE ROAD. IT STARTED AT APROX 15,000 MI. I HAVE CHANGED TIRES AND THAT DID NOT HELP. A LOT OF MY CO-WORKERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRUCK TOO. IF YOU ASK SERVICE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAUSES THIS AND SAY IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED VERY HARD AND MAKE A LOUD "CLUNKING" NOISE WHEN SHIFTING INTO FORWARD GEARS AFTER ABOUT THE FIRST 100 MILES. IT WAS TAKEN IN TWICE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE THIRD TIME I TOOK IT IN IT WAS GETTING EXTREMELY BAD, IT WAS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, AND I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE FRONT END HAS BEEN ALIGNED TWICE WITHIN 15,000 MILES AND STILL PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT. THE ABS SYSTEM HAS FAILED PERIODICALLY OVER A SIX MONTH PERIOD OF TIME - IT WAS REPORTED THREE TIMES. THE THIRD TIME THEY FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT THE SENSOR MODULE ON THE FRONT HUB WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK

I STARTED EXPERENCING PROBLEM AT APPOX. 12000 MILES WHEN THE FRONT BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURLLY,SOME AFTER AT APPOX. 20000 MILE I HAD UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR, ( I WAS TOLD IT WAS MY FAULT) IT WAS THE RIGHT TORSION BAR OUT OF ADJUSTMENT AND EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 27668 MILE I HAD TO PAY 1/2 THE COST APPOX $225.00 AFTER FIGHTING ALL THE WAY TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES,THE SPEED SENSITIVE STEERING STARTED ACTTING UP AT APPOX. 40000 MILES SUDDENLY CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SLIP UNACCPECTEDLY.THIS PART WAS REPLACE N/C , I HAVE GONE THROUGH 3 ALTERNATORS THE FIRST AT APPOX. 38000 MILE STANDING ME IN BUFFALO ,TX 120 MILES FROM HOME ON A SUNDAY NIGHT, THE SECOND AND THIRD HAPPEDED IN THE CITY HOWEVER I NOW CARRY A SPARE ALTENATOR AND TOOLS BECAUSE WHO KNOWS WHEN IT WILL GO OUT NEXT, I HAVE REPLACED THE POSITIVE SIDE BATTERY CABLES TWICE BECAUSE OF DESIGN THE LOOSEN AND THE ACR AND SHORT OUT, THE AUTO MATIC TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 53939 DUE TO COOLENT GETTING INTO THE UNIT I HAD TO PAY 25% OF THIS REPAIR APPOX. $525.00 THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 69015 ONLY 15K+MILES LATER WITH THE WARRENTY CARD IN HAND I THOUGHT MAYBE THIS WAS IT ,AT 107,267 MILES THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WITH ONLY 38K+ MILE ON A UNIT THAT CARRYS A 3YR/50K WARRENTY GM REFUSES TO FIX OR REPLACE THE UNIT MY TRUCK HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE 06/15/2001 WHILE I HAVE BEEN ONCE AGAIN FIGHTING WITH GM TO NO AVAIL ,( I WAS OFFER A CUSTOMER LOYALTY CERT. FOR $500. 00 TO SETTLE THIS ISSUE THE TRANSMISSION COST $2500. TO REPLACE NOT INCLUDING THE MOTOR MOUNT THAT BROKE WHEN THE UNIT LOCKED UP AT APPOX. 35 MPH ALL THE ADVERTISING MILLION AND BILLIONS OF $$$$$ SHOULD BE SPENT MAKING SURE THAT THEN PRESISTENT PROBLEM DO NOT ACCURE, NOT WHEN YOU SPEND 35K- 45K- FOR A VEHICLE. *AK

POWER STEERING IS UNRELIABLE, SURGE/INCREASE IN STEERING POWER IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. FIRST TIME THE DEALER SAID ALIGNMENT WAS PROBLEM, NOT SO. SECOND TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING GEAR BOX, THIS FIXED PROBLEM FOR 4 MONTHS. THIRD TIME THE DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING GEAR BOX, POWER STEERING PUMP AND FLUSHED LINES, THIS FIXED PROBLEM FOR 5 MONTHS. FOURTH TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE EVO SENSOR ON STEERING COLUMN, THIS FIX LASTED 15 MONTHS. FIFTH TIME THE DEALER STATED THAT THE EVO SENSOR MUST BE BAD AND WILL NOT REPLACE UNDER EXTENDED WARRENTY. AFTER MUCH INVESTIGATION, I FIND THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM SPECIFIC TO THE 1997 SUBURBAN WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL ON THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THERE HAVE BEEN IN EXCESS OF 75 REPORTS OF THIS OR SIMILAR STEERING RELATED PROBLEMS. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS PRIOR TO THERE BEING ANY FATALITIES.*AK

THE FIRST TIME I HAD A PROBLEM WAS RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT THE SUBURBAN, IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS, BUT THEY EVENTUALLY ALIGNED THE TIRES ( WHICH THEY SAID IT WAS VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE TO DO THAT FOR A BRAND NEW VEHICLE). OVER THE MONTHS AFTER THE ALIGNMENT, I DID NOT NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS. I CAN NOT TELL YOU EXACTLY WHEN MY CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. MY VEHICLE WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE A VERY LOOSE FEELING IN THE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THINKING IT WAS JUST ME, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT FOR AWHILE. I HAD TIRES PUT ON MY CAR AND THE STEERING FELT DIFFERENT (GOOD), I THOUGHT MAYBE IT HAD SOMETHING TO WITH TIRES AND IT WAS FIXED. EVENTUALLY THE STEERING STARTED DOING THE SAME THING, THE SUDDEN LOOSE STEERING. WE LIVE IN A RURAL AREA 40 MILES FROM OUR DEALER AND BY THE TIME I REALIZED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT NORMAL, AND I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE MY VEHICLE UP FOR A FEW DAYS, MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (MILEAGE) SO I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT I USE, THEY DROVE IT AROUND ON THEIR ERRANDS FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS AND IT FINALLY DID IT FOR THEM. THEY WERE THINKING THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE GEAR BOX, BUT THEY CALLED GM TO CONSULT ABOUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD THEM ABOUT STEERING SENSOR PROBLEMS. ON 9/20/00, I GAVE THEM THE OK TO REPLACE THE SENSOR AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS AS OF THIS DATE. I AM REPORTING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED FOR OTHERS THAT MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, IT IS A VERY SCARY FEELING WHEN THE STEERING CHANGES TO A LOOSE FEELING AND THINKING IF I WERE TO REACT TO AN INCIDENT, I WOULD PROBABLY OVERCORRECT BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM STEERING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK

STEERING WHEEL SOMETIMES JERKS OUT OF MY HANDS AS IF I'VE HIT A PATCH OF ICE. ALSO FEEL THE TRUCK BOUNCING WHILE DRIVING AS IF THERE IS A BUBBLE IN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER ABOUT 7 TIMES WITH NOT RESOLUTION. HAD THE TRUCK CHECKED AT GOODYEAR DEALER 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. GOODYEAR SAID THE THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. SAID THEY WERE CUPPED OR CHOPPED. I PAID $700 DOLLARS TO REPLACE TIRES AFTER DEALER REFUSED TO DO SO, BUT STILL EXPERIENCE BOUNCING SENSATION AT 60-70 MPH. NOTICED BOTH PROBLEMS THE DAY I BOUGHT THE TRUCK.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245/75R16 )