1995 GMC Jimmy

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING AND WILL NOT START FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE GAS SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED, NEW COIL AND DISTRIBUTOR, OIL, AND STILL IT STOPS. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAD TO PARK THEIR JIMMY DUE TO THE UNSAFE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, THE JIMMY HAS BEEN TO 3 DEALERS WHO CHARGED A LOT OF MONEY BUT NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 GMC JIMMY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND THE AIR WOULD ONLY FLOW OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD VENTS, NOT THE DASHBOARD PANEL VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP TO BE REPAIRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR. DURING SOME OF THE FAILURES, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY AT LOW SPEEDS ONLY. THE CONTACT ALSO PERFORMED REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE HIMSELF BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 01/19/11 *BF UPDATED 03/28/11

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION: WE HAD A 1995 GMC JIMMY THAT TWICE HAD A "STUCK" ACCELERATOR, SPEEDING UP WAY BEYOND THE SPEED LIMIT; ONCE IN GILLETTE, WY RETURNING FROM A TRIP EAST, AND LATER THAT SUMMER AT HOME NEAR LA GRANDE, OREGON. I HAD TO LITERALLY "STAND" ON THE BRAKE TO BRING IT TO A STOP BOTH TIMES, THEN AT MY HUSBAND'S DIRECTION, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. WE WERE FORTUNATE BOTH TIMES THAT IT DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO STRAIGHT ROADS AND LITTLE TRAFFIC, JUST SCARING US BOTH TO DEATH. WE REPORTED IT TO POLICE THE 2ND TIME. GMC DEALERS IN EITHER LOCATION SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, WHICH WE TRADED IN 2004. *YT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 GMC JIMMY. THE CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE ABS ON HER VEHICLE AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS NEARLY OBSOLETE. SHE PLACED MORE FLUID IN THE VEHICLE AND IT APPEARED TO QUICKLY EVAPORATE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS WITH THE ABS. THE CONTACT ADVISED HER TO CALL THE DEALER. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND THEY EXPLAINED THE ISSUE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 99I006000 AND 99V193000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK). ANOTHER DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THAT VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 129,700.

I HAD BOUGHT A CAR WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT HAVING A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A NEW ONE JUST PUT IN. ABOUT 3-4 DAYS LATER THE CAR BROKE DOWN BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION HAD GONE BAD. I GAVE THE CAR BACK TO THE PERSON I BOUGHT IT FROM BECAUSE HE SAID HE WOULD FIX IT FOR ME ,AND IT HAS BEEN 8 MONTHS WITHOUT MY MONEY OR THE CAR, AND WON'T ANSWER MY PHONE CALLS. *AK

I COMPLAINED TO TWO GM DEALERS IN MY AREA THAT THE PLASTIC HOUSING SHROUD ON THE FIREWALL THAT ENCAPUSULATES THE AC/HEATER CORE AND SEALS AGAINST THE FIREWALL WAS CRUMBLING AND FALLING APART. WHAT WAS ONCE A HARD PLASTIC COMPOUND IS NOW A PILE OF DISINTEGRATED PIECES SCATTERED ABOUT. WITHOUT THIS SHIELD, TOXIC GASES ARE ALLOWED TO FLOW INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I'VE GOTTEN HEADACHES AND BECOME DROWSY AND SICK ON HOT DAYS I HAVE TO KEEP THE WINDOWS UP WITH THE AC ON. DEALER TECHNICIANS SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN FAILURE LIKE THIS BEFORE AND IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. THIS WAS FIRST NOTICED EARLY IN 2000. TODAY IT IS ALMOST ENTIRELY GONE. I USE SIMPLE CALK TO TRY AND PREVENT FUMES FROM COMING INTO THE INTERIOR. UNFORTUNATELY, CALK HARDENS WITH THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE SO CLOSE, AND FAILS TO EFFECTIVELY SEAL VERY WELL.

BOTH OUTSIDE MIRRORS HAVE FALLEN OFF BEFORE 90K MILES. THIS WAS DUE TO THE PLASTIC DETERIORATING AT THE JUNCTION WHERE THE MIRROR "FOLDS AWAY." REPLACED EGR VALVE SEVERAL TIMES. THE FIRST THREE WERE UNDER WARRANTY, THE REST HAVE BEEN ON ME. IN ADDITION, MOST MAJOR FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, OR REPAIRED. THE IDLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ROUGH, AND IT WILL ON OCCASION, SMOKE AND OMIT STRONG ODORS OF UNBURNED FUEL. WIPERS FAILED AT 20K MILES. I RESOLDERED THE CIRCUIT BOARD TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. DRIVERS SEAT WILL NOT STAY IN A LOCKED POSITION, WHICH CAUSES ME SOME CONCERN. BY THE WAY, THE FIRST WEEK I HAD THE CAR (BOUGHT IT NEW), THE SEAT WOULD NOT STAY LOCKED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND WAS PROMPTLY TOLD THAT "IT IS A NORMAL CONDITION." HMMM, AS A DESIGN ENGINEER I HAVE TO WONDER ABOUT THE LOGIC BEHIND THIS; AS ANY FORWARD OR REARWARD IMPACT WOULD ALLOW THE SEAT TO FLEX WHICH COULD MAKE A MINOR NON-INJURY ACCIDENT SOMETHING FAR WORSE. THE WATER PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, ALTERNATOR TWICE, BATTERY FIVE. ALL PARTS WERE REPLACED WITH ORIGINAL PARTS THROUGH GM. I HAVE HAD ALL BRAKE COMPONENTS REPLACED THREE TIMES, AND STILL THERE IS A PAINFUL CHATTER OF THE PEDAL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, WHICH IS OUTSIDE THE ABS PARAMETERS. WIND NOISE IS QUITE LOUD, AS THE FIT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR IS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, TERRIBLE. THE PLASTIC WHICH COVERS THE A/C WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS BROKEN AND FALLEN AWAY, PIECE BY PIECE, SOMETIMES LODGING ITSELF ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, CAUSING SOME RATHER UNPLEASANT ODORS. OH, AND SINCE THERE IS NO LONGER ANY COVERING OVER THE A/C, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE COLDNESS, WHICH WAS THE SAVING GRACE OF THIS VEHICLE, HAS BEEN REDUCED TO THAT OF A GLORIFIED FAN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES WHEN THE ABS WAS ACTIVATED ON ROUGH ROAD CONDITIONS. THE BRAKES GRINDED WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED ON ROUGH ROADS BUT WORKED FINE ON SMOOTH PAVEMENTS. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 99I006000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.