1998 GMC Suburban

COULDN'T START VEHICLE. ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE OEM DELCO BATTERY WITH NEW BATTERY AND FOUND ACID HAD LEAKED FROM POSITIVE SIDE TERMINAL, TOTALLY CORRODING BATTERY BOLT, TERMINAL AND CABLES. ACID HAD LEAKED ONTO HIGH PRESSURE A/C LINE, ELECTRICAL WIRING AND BRAKE LINES, CORRODING THEM. SIGNIFICANT CORROSION ON BODY METAL. REPAIR ESTIMATES RUN IN EXCESS OF $500. NEGOTIATING WITH GMC FOR REPAIRS UNDER A PRODUCTS LIABILITY CLAIM.*AK

DURING SUMMER OF 1999, I NOTICED BATTERY ACID RESIDUE BELOW BATTERY ON LINES AND WIRES. CLEANED OFF WITH OIL. BRAKES WERE MUSHY. IN OCTOBER, 2000 BRAKES SLOWED VEHICLE BUT REQUIRED ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO STOP. NOTICED ADDITIONAL BATTERY ACID BUILD UP ON LINES AND WIRING. BRAKES FAILED NOV. 22, 2000. ADDED BRAKE FLUID. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START ON NOV. 28, 2000. POSITIVE BATTERY POST SEPARATED FROM BATTERY. SPENT TWO HOURS REMOVING BROKEN-OFF BATTERY FROM BATTERY BOLT,CABLES AND INSTALLING BATTERY. POURED BAKING SODA WATER ON AFFECTED AREA OF LINES AND WIRES. *AK

CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY WHICH CULMINATES WITH A COMPLETE SET OF REAR DRUMS TO BE REPLACED AT 3 TO 4000 MILE INTERVALS. DEALER HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL TROUBLE-SHOOTING THIS PROBLEM AND BELIEVES THAT THE AXLE FLANGE THAT RECEIVES THE DRUM IS TO SMALL, ALLOWING THE DRUM TO FLOAT WHEN BRAKE PRESSURE IS APPLIED. THIS CAUSES SEVERE VIBRATIONS FROM THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY WHICH IS SIMILIAR TO A PULSING SENSATION ONLY MORE SEVERE. UPON INSTRUCTIONS FROM GM, THE DEALER ORDERED NEW AXLES AND DRUMS BUT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REPLACEMENT DRUMS FIT ON THE NEW AXLE FLANGE THE SAME, HAVING APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH OF SPACE BETWEEN THE DRUM AND THE FLANGE. ON 09/13/00 A GM ENGINEER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALER, AND DETERMINED THAT THE REAR DRUMS NEED TO BE REPLACED, A NEW AND IMPROVED BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLY INSTALLED ALONG WITH A FRONT TO REAR PROPORTIONING VALVE IS TO BE INSTALLED. AT THIS TIME I AM JUST WAITING FOR THESE COMPONANTS TO BE INSTALLED AND AM AT THE MERCY OF GM. I APPRECIATE THE DEALERS FORTITUDE IN RESOLVING THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE NOT PURSUED ANY LEMON LAW ACTIONS UNTIL THIS POINT. A SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME IS HOW THIS PULSING OF THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM INTERACTS WITH THE VEHICLE'S HANDLING DURING OPERATION ON WET ROADS. WITH BRISK AND FIRM APPLICATIONS OF THE BRAKES, THE REAR WHEELS WILL MOMENTARILY LOCK UP CAUSING AN UNSETTLING OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ONCE BECAUSE OF THIS BUT FORTUNATELY DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. MY WIFE AND I ARE NOW EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHEN OPERATING DURING WET CONDITIONS BUT FEEL THAT WE ARE AT GM'S MERCY. PLEASE CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. THOMAS DOWLING

PE-00-020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1998, GMC SUBURBAN, TIRE SIZE LT24575R16. TIRES HAVE 40 THOUSAND MILES ON THEM. WHEN DRIVING ON A TWO WAY HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH RIGHT REAR TIRE OUTER RUBBER SEPARATED FROM TIRE, TIRE STAYED INFLATED, RUBBER WRAPPED AROUND HEATER HOSE, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK, RESULTING IN VEHICLE OVERHEATING. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. *AK