1997 Chevrolet Suburban Engine Problems

MY 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN C-2500 IS LEAKING OIL FROM UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE AND MAKING ENGINE VERY "HOT". THIS HAPPENS WHEN I'M DRIVING THIS VEHICLE.I TOUCH THE ENGINE HOOD AND FEEL THAT IT'S VERY, VERY HOT. I JUST WENT HOME TO PREVENT ANY FIRE OR ACCIDENT. MY MECHANIC SAID IT'S NOT ORDINARY FOR THIS HEAVY DUTY TRUCK TO LEAK OIL WITH ONLY 77,000 MILES. I NEED YOU TO INVESTIGATE MY PROBLEM AND CONTACT GM. YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT [XXX] FOR AN UPDATES REGARDING THIS PROBLEMS. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON. THANKS. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

10846449

Incident

Oct 2, 2014

Mileage

76,900 mi

THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IT BURST INTO FLAMES. OUR DOGS WOKE US UP. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED 7 MINUTES LATER THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. THE ENGINE AND UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR WERE UNDAMAGED BY THE FIRE. A TREE NEAR THE CAR ALSO CAUGHT FIRE. CHEVROLET SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON OUR CAR. THEY DO NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN EXAMINING THE CAR SINCE WE SETTLED WITH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY. NEITHER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NOR THE POLICE SUSPECT ARSON. IT WOULD APPEAR TO BE ELECTRICAL. IF THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED IN OUR GARAGE WE WOULD HAVE LOST OUR HOUSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10236456

Incident

Jul 11, 2008

Mileage

164,000 mi

DT: THIS MORNING HIT THE BRAKES COMING DOWN THE HILL AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN, COULD NOT CONTROL STEERING AND BRAKES DIDN'T WORK EITHER. THE ELECTRIC AND POWER FAILURE, COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE VEHICLE. IT HASN'T BE CHECKED BY DEALER YET.*AK

NHTSA ID

10125452

Incident

Jun 16, 2005

Mileage

138,000 mi

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN AND IT BLEW THE COUPLING ON THE HEATER HOSE WHILE DRIVING THIS PAST SATURDAY. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AND THE REPAIR WAS 93.00. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME MOTOR THAT ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CHEVROLET DEALER SAID THAT THERE PROBABLY SHOULD BE A RECALL SINCE THIS HAPPENS SO FREQUENTLY. THE LOCAL SHOP THAT MADE THE REPAIR HAS SO MANY TO COME IN WITH THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY NOW STOCK THE PART.

NHTSA ID

10120527

Incident

May 7, 2005

Mileage

142,000 mi

SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. AT RANDOM, A 500 TO 1500 RPM INCREASE IN ENGINE SPEAD FOR UP TO SEVERAL SECONDS ACCOMPANIED BY THICK BLACK SMOKE AND THE SMELL OF RAW DIESEL FUEL. HAS OCCURRED IN DRIVE, NEUTRAL, REVERSE, AND PARK. HAS OCCURRED WITH CRUISE CONTROL TURNED OFF. HAS OCCURRED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL FUSE REMOVED. HAS OCCURRED IN PARK WITH NO OPERATOR IN VEHICLE. THE TRUCK WILL ACCELERATE QUICKLY (DANGEROUSLY) WHEN IN DRIVE OR REVERSE.

NHTSA ID

10069434

Incident

Aug 15, 2003

Mileage

160,000 mi

HEATER AND AC CONTROLS WENT OUT TWICE. FACTORY REPLACED THEM @ $125, THEN 9 MONTHS LATER IT WENT OUT AGAIN. FACTORY SAID IT WAS UNDER 12 MONTHS, BUT I HAD DRIVEN OVER 12,000 MILES SO IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER. WINDSHEILD WIPER MODULE GOES BAD. WIPERS WILL SUDDENLY STOP OR WONT TURN ON. ON 3RD MODULE NOW. BRAKES, CONSTANT GRINDING AND WEAK STOPS. HAVE REPLACED ROTORS 4 TIMES. SAME RESULTS. STEERING LOSES TENSION WHEN STEERING TO THE LEFT. PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING BUT HAS MADE ME ALMOST LOSE CONTROL SEVERAL TIMES.

NHTSA ID

10068904

Incident

Apr 15, 2001

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE TRUCK STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE PDM DRIVER OVERHEATING AND SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE ENGINE MOTOR TO SHUT OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10048636

Mileage

124,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THIS CAUSED LOST OF STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES IN A HALF AN HOUR. *AK THE CONSUMER NOTED HE WAS NOT TOWING ANYTHING AT THE TIME WHICH COULD'VE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THERE WAS A LOST OF STEERING AND BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A LOCAL SHOP WHEN THIS OCCURRED AT 60,000 MILES. *PH *JB

NHTSA ID

10044410

Incident

Oct 17, 2003

Mileage

120,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL SLAM INTO GEAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED VEHICLE NEEDED A VALVE COVER. *AK *YH

NHTSA ID

8011439

Incident

Jun 2, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

750982

Incident

Aug 15, 2001

ARE THERE ANY RECALLS OR KNOWN FAILURES OF THE HEAD GASKET IN THE SUBURBANS. I AHVE HAD MANY VEHICLES WITH MORE THAN 100K MILES AND NEVER A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. THIS SUV IS USED FOR LIGHT DUTY TO AND FROM WORK, 60 MILES R/T.*AK

NHTSA ID

739713

Incident

Jan 19, 2001

FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT MELTED AND SHORTED OUT CAUSING CAR TO STALL ON THE ROAD.TORQUE CONVERTOR REPLACED/ TRANS RECONDITIONED, POWER STEERING BOX LEAKING/ REPLACED. BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS REPLACED,AC COMPRESSOR REPLACED. NUMEROUS COOLANT LEAKS FIXED. WINDSHIELD REPLACED DUE TO DEFECT. BATTERY REPLACED DUE TO ACID LEAK. WHATS NEXT? *AK

NHTSA ID

721938

Incident

May 4, 1998

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAS TO TURN ENGINE OFF. THEN SWITCH PARKING PAWL TO NEUTRAL, AND RESTART ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

858777

Incident

Mar 17, 2000

POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHILCE NOT TO START AFTER IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN, AND THEN PARKED, A SHORT DISTANCE FRON CONSUMERS HOME. DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR BUT FOUND NO REMEDIES. NLM

NHTSA ID

551128

ENGINE KNOCKING OCCURS AT COLD TEMPERATURES 35F OR BELOW SOUNDS COME FROM LOWER ENGINE RODS POSSIBLY OR CRANKSHAFT . --DEALER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE BOTH PROBLEMS

NHTSA ID

715681

Incident

Dec 6, 1999

DRIVING AT 70MPH NOTICED SMOKE IN REAR VIEW MIRROR STARTED TO STOP ENGINE QUIT AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FILLED WITH SMOKE. GOT VEHICLE STOPED AND PASSENGERS OUT TRIED TO PUT FIRE OUT WITH TWO EXTIGUISHERS BUT SPREAD TO FAST.

NHTSA ID

713286

Incident

Oct 9, 1999

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN VEHICLE LOST POWER. NO PRIOR WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ID

848000

Incident

Sep 8, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

702249

Incident

Sep 7, 1998

ENGINE OIL COOLING ASSEMBLY FAILED, ALLOWING OIL TO SPILL INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID

534717

Incident

Apr 18, 1998

INTERMITTENT STALLING PROBLEM. FUEL PUMP REPLACED IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUES.

NHTSA ID

522456

Incident

Jul 16, 1997

CONSUMER TURNED VEHICLE OFF, WENT INTO STORE THEN HEARD A STORE PAGE THAT THERE WAS A TRUCK ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. (FIRE DEPT. INCIDENT #97013984 RIVERSIDE FIRE DEPT., CITY OF RIVERSIDE 3601 NINTH STREET RIVERSIDE CA 92501, GARY FIEGENER 909-782-5804). *AK CONSUMER HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM CHEVROLET. *SLC

NHTSA ID

815801

Incident

Aug 24, 1997