2004 Chevrolet Tahoe

THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEADS FOR THE 5.3L GM MOTORS BUILT BY CASTECH LEAK COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING ENGINE OVERHEAT AND INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURES. GM HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN #060601019B TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. GM WILL NOT OFFER CUSTOMERS ANY FINANCIAL HELP IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. THIS ISSUE EFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SAFETY OF THE PERSONS IN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE FOULED ENGINE OIL CAUSES THE LIFTERS TO FAIL, THE OIL PRESSURE TO DROP AND THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION BY THE FOULED OIL AND THE DRIVER HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING THIS IS HAPPENING AS THERE IS NO EXTERNAL INDICATORS. *TR

I HAVE BEEN SEEING COMMERCIALS ABOUT AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING ON CHEVY VEHICLES. MY DAUGHTER WAS KILLED IN MY 04 CHEVY TAHOE WHERE THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SHE WAS THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE AND ALSO ANOTHER PERSON WAS IN THE CAR AS WELL. AIRBAGS ON THE DRIVERS OR PASSENGERS SIDE DID NOT DEPLOY. THE TRUCK FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DRIVERS SEAT ALSO LIFTED UP AND WAS SPLIT IN TO. WE ASKED THE INVESTIGATORS AND OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO CHECK INTO WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL, BUT WE KNEW OTHERWISE. THEY DID NOT TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION. *TR

THE VOLTMETER DOES NOT READ AND NEEDLE IS STUCK BELOW THE GAUGE AND NOW THE SPEEDOMETER IS STARTING TO GO OUT, THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HOWEVER WE COULD NOT TAKE IT IN UNTIL IT SHOWED SIGNS OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE ACCORD NOW WITH 142,000 WHICH IS OVER THE 80,000 EXTENDED WARRANTY. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND THE BEST GM HAS OFFERED TO DO FOR ME IS TAKE $58.00 OFF A $475.00 REPAIR. I HAVE TALKED TO MY DEALERSHIP ABOUT JUST PAYING FOR THE LABOR IF THEY WOULD REPLACE THE PART BUT NOPE. I JUST MOVED TO THE AREA AND DO NOT HAVE A SERVICE RECORD WITH A DEALER HOWEVER I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED AT ONLY GM DEALERSHIPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AND THE OTHER DEALERSHIP I USE TO GO TO IN MY OTHER STATE OFFERED TO BASICALLY REPLACE THE PART WITH MYSELF PAYING THE LABOR HOWEVER I LIVE OVER 700 MILES AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT DONE. IF THAT CAN BE DONE THERE WHY CAN'T THE DEALERSHIP OFFER THE SAME WHERE I AM NOW? I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW IN GOOD FAITH AND ONLY HAVE PURCHASED CHEVROLET PRODUCTS MY ENTIRE LIFE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GM CANNOT HELP ME OUT, THEY KNOW THIS PART IS FAULTY, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. *TR

BRAKE LINE RUPTURE CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. I WAS SWITCHING THE CARS AROUND IN MY SINGLE WIDE DRIVE WAY WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED ON MY VEHICLE. PULLING THE VEHICLE BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY FROM BEING STOPPED ON THE ROAD SO I BARELY ACCELERATED AND FORTUNATELY HAD VERY LITTLE SPEED WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED, THE PEDAL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, WHILE FAILING TO SLOW/STOP THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK, NO HARM DONE THOUGH NOT A GENTLE STOP. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DIFFICULT AS THE BRAKE LINE HISSED LOUDLY WHERE IT RUPTURED WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. A GREAT DEAL OF CORROSION WAS PRESENT ON ALL OF THE LINES AS WELL AS THE FUEL LINES. *TR

APPROX. 6 MONTHS AGO I WAS DRIVING WHEN A VEHICLE ENTERED THE INTERSECTION IN FRONT OF ME. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CRASH BUT MY VEHICLE JUST BARELY CAME TO A STOP. TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP AND FOUND ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON 3/28/14 I BEGAN NOTICING STRONG GAS FUMES COMING FROM MY VEHICLE. I AGAIN TOOK IT IT IN AND FOUND THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY, ALL THE FUEL HOSES, AND THE STRAPS AND BOLTS THAT HOLD THE FUEL TANK WERE RUSTED OUT. I READ THAT NHTSA WAS DOING A STUDY OF THIS ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND MY VEHICLE IS 10 YEARS OLD AND I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST BUT I OBSERVED A LOT OF RUST UNDER MY VEHICLE. I AM A POLICE OFFICER AND A CRASH RECONSTRUCTIONIST AND THESE RUST ISSUES COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH VEHICLES RESULTING IN CRASHES. I FEEL THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE IT EFFECTS CRUCIAL SYSTEMS LIKE THE BRAKES AND FUEL SYSTEMS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. *TR

DROVE VEHICLE OUT OF TOWN ON CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY TRIP. AFTER BEING PARKED OVERNIGHT STARTING VEHICLE NEXT AM BIG CLOUD OF WHITE GRAY SMOKE UPON START. COOLANT LOW. REFILLED COOLANT AND DROVE HOME. NOW VEHICLE CONSTANTLY LEAKS COOLANT WITH NO APPARENT LEAK UNDER VEHICLE OR IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OIL SLUDGES BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. WHITE SMOKE AFTER A 30 MIN DRIVE EVERY TIME. GM HAS BULLETIN OUT FOR BAD HEADS INSTALLED AND THE PART NUMBER AND SYMPTOMS MATCHED CRACKED HEADS ON MY VEHICLE. DEALER AWARE AND SEES OFTEN NOT ONLY IN THIS VEHICLE BUT ALL 5.3 ENGINES FROM A CERTAIN TIME SPAN. DEALER STATES WILL ONLY FIX AT COST OF CONSUMER EVEN THOUGH BULLETIN IS KNOWN. THIS COULD CAUSE AN OVERHEAT SITUATION OR ENGINE FAILURE AT A BAD TIME OR WORSE. WHY ARE THEY NOT MADE TO STAND BEHIND THIS WHEN PROBLEM IS KNOWN? A QUICK SEARCH ON GOOGLE WILL OVERWHELM A COMPUTER WITH SO MANY ACCOUNTS OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO TELL HOW FAST SHE WAS DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000.