1999 Chevrolet Suburban

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Defect Petition DP10-003 on March 2, 2010, requesting the investigation of model year (MY) 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD pickup trucks for corrosion failures of the vehicle brake lines.DP10-003 was granted and on March 30, 2010, Preliminary Evaluation PE10-010 was opened on more than six million model year 1999 through 2003 light trucks and sport utility vehicles manufactured and sold by General Motors Corporation (GM).On July 2, 2010, ODI received GM's response to an information request, which included GM's assessment of the frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect. GM stated that:(1) the brake system of the subject vehicles is split front/rear and should a brake pipe suddenly fail for any reason, the affected vehicle would be capable of stopping with the pressure supplied by the remaining circuit; (2) the subject vehicles were designed to meet the hydraulic circuit partial failure requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 105 and 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems; and (3) should a brake fluid leak occur for any reason, the brake system malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) would illuminate and warn the driver before the brake fluid level was low enough to cause a loss of line pressure.ODI's and GM's analysis indicates that 85 percent of the complaints occurred on vehicles used primarily in States that use salt on the roads during Winter months (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin).Overall the complaint rates per 100,000 vehicles for Salt Belt States is 43.0 and Non-Salt Belt is 3.0.In approximately 25 percent of the complaints the brake pipe failure occurred suddenly, with no warning (i.e., no MIL, Brake Fluid Loss Warning), and resulted in extended stopping distances.In 30 of these the increase in stopping distance that resulted was a factor in the crash and in 10 others the vehicle was intentionally steered off the road or into another lane of travel in order to avoid a crash.This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA11-001) for subject vehicles sold or currently registered in Salt Belt States to further assess the scope, frequency and safety risks associated with sudden failures of corroded brake pipes that can result in decreased brake effectiveness. ODI will continue to gather information on subject vehicles outside the Salt Belt as well.

IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 29, 2005, GM NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT WAS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 C/K PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CORROSION THAT MAY RESULT IN UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKING (RECALL 05V-379).GM'S RECALL COVERS APPROXIMATELY 804,000 VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING 14 SALT-BELT STATES:CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, AND WEST VIRGINIA.THE RECALL PROCEDURE WILL INVOLVE REMOVING THE SENSOR, CLEANING THE MOUNTING SURFACE, APPLYING A RUST INHIBITOR (ZINC-X) TO THE SURFACE, AND REINSTALLING THE SENSOR.IF NECESSARY, THE SENSOR WILL BE REPLACED. THE POPULATION AND FAILURE REPORT DATA GIVEN IN THIS RESUME ARE FOR THE FULL REGION THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY ODI AS THE SALT-BELT.THAT INCLUDES DELAWARE, IOWA, MARYLAND, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN ADDITION TO THE 14 STATES INCLUDED IN 05V-379.THE STATES COVERED BY GM'S RECALL HAVE THE HIGHEST INCIDENT RATES FOR THE SUBJECT CONDITION, ACCOUNTING FOR 91% OF THE INCIDENTS, BUT ONLY 24% OF SUBJECT VEHICLE SALES IN THE UNITED STATES.ODI'S ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT 840 OF THE COMPLAINTS, 244 OF THE CRASHES, AND 16 OF THE INJURIES IDENTIFIED IN THIS INVESTIGATION OCCURRED IN THOSE STATES.THE RESULTING INCIDENT AND CRASH RATES ARE 96.2 AND 28.0 PER 100,000 VEHICLES RESPECTIVELY (NOTE:RATES ARE BASED ON VEHICLE SALES, NOT REGISTERED VEHICLES). THE CORRESPONDING NUMBERS IN THE EXCLUDED PORTIONS OF THE SALT-BELT ARE 399,000 VEHICLES, 81 INCIDENTS (20.3 PER 100,000 VEHICLES), 3 CRASHES, AND NO INJURIES.THE STATISTICS IN THE REMAINING 30 STATES ARE 2,406,000 VEHICLES, 168 INCIDENTS (7.0 PER 100,000 VEHICLES), 31 CRASHES, AND ONE INJURY.GM AND ODI ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE PROBLEM EXPERIENCE IN STATES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.GM WILL PROVIDE ODI WITH UPDATED COMPLAINT, FIELD REPORT, AND WARRANTY DATA IN NOVEMBER 2005.ODI AND GM WILL REVIEW THAT DATA AND ASSESS THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE CURRENT SCOPE OF THE RECALL AT THAT TIME.

THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

I purchases a set of new Michelin Defender LTX M/S LT265/75R16 (123/120R) tires for my 1999 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 in June 2023 and I am attempting to register the tires with Michelin. None of the tires have a date code on them. The DOT code of these tires is 1M3 4N 00KX, there is NO date code on any of the four (4) tires.

NHTSA ID

11535356

Incident

Jun 6, 2023

The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost power steering and power braking functionality. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the security system that controlled the fuel pump and fuel injectors had been activated. The contact pulled off the highway and could not restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a service station where he inspected the vehicle and became aware that the distributor had disintegrated causing the vehicle to lose motive power and stall. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer or to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact recently had a mobile mechanic install an aftermarket distributor cap and rotor from an auto parts dealer. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 183,613.

NHTSA ID

11481012

Incident

Aug 16, 2022

Mileage

183,613 mi

I contacted Chevrolet corporate and they confirmed an open government ordered recall. They told me to contact a local dealer. I have contacted 2 dealers in the San Diego area, Bob Sall Chevrolet and Courtesy Chevrolet. Both refuse to fix the recall issue. I was told by Bob Stall Chevrolet that I could pay myself to have the work done

NHTSA ID

11474028

Incident

Jul 11, 2022

The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of Police Officers. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that fuel was leaking onto the ground and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred two more times while driving. The vehicle was then towed to the independent mechanic, who replaced the fuel pump two more times. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 06E043000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was bouncing while sitting in the seats and while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the tires and aligned the vehicle several times; however, the failure had been reoccurring. The contact also stated that the dashboard was fractured. The contact also stated that water was leaking through the top of the windshield whenever it rained. The windshield was replaced twice. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side seat belt and passenger’s seat belt failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the seat belts would fail to come out of the housing or they would be twisted whenever they came out of the housing. The contact also stated that the seat belt latches were not working. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11458724

Incident

Mar 28, 2003

Mileage

70,000 mi

Rear brakes started grabbing and locking up about 9,009 miles after a drum, shoe and hardware replacement. Rear skids and slides.

NHTSA ID

11454511

Incident

Feb 28, 2022

MY SUBURBAN HAS 43,700 MILES, AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM HAS NOT WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THAT THE SYSTEM IS UNREPAIRABLE, THE ONLY THING THEY CAN RECOMMEND IS TO PULL THE FUSE AND DISABLE THE ABS SYSTEM ENTIRELY. I CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL PARTS STORE, AND THEY TELL ME THAT THE EBCM- ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE- WAS THE MODEL KH310, MANUFACTURED BY KELSEY-HAYES, AND IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. FURTHER, THAT THERE ARE NO USED, REPAIRED OR REMANUFACTURED UNITS AVAILABLE. I CHECKED THE INTERNET, AGAIN, THERE ARE NO UNITS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE, NO ONE MANUFACTURES A REPLACEMENT, IN FACT THAT MODEL, THE KH 310, IS "UNREPAIRABLE." YET I'M PRETTY SURE THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE SUBURBANS STILL ON THE ROAD TODAY, MANY WHICH HAVE NON-FUNCTIONING AND NOW TOTALLY UNREPAIRABLE ABS BRAKES. IT IS A HEAVY VEHICLE- WEIGHS ABOUT 5,300 POUNDS, AND WITH ITS FOUR WHEEL DRIVE IS OFTEN USED IN THE WINTER, ESP IN SNOWY PLACES LIKE WI WHERE I LIVE. I FEEL IT IS DANGEROUS, PERHAPS EVEN IRRESPONSIBLE, TO SAY TO THE OWNERS OF ALL THESE VEHICLES; "SORRY, WE CAN'T FIX IT, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO PULL THE FUSE AND GO WITHOUT ABS." I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE GOVERNMENT TELL GM, OR KELSEY-HAYES, THAT AT THE LEAST THEY NEED TO MAKE A COMPATIBLE REPAIR UNIT AVAILABLE FOR SALE. IF I LEAVE THE FUSE PLUGGED IN, THE "ABS" WARNING LIGHT GOES OFF, BUT THE TRUCK WANTS TO ROLL THROUGH A STOP LIGHT SINCE THE ABS RELEASES THE BRAKES, ERRONEOUSLY THINKING THE TRUCK IS SKIDDING, AND YOU HAVE TO QUICKLY JAM HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE THE TRUCK STOP, AND HOPE THAT THE EXTRA TWO FEET YOU ROLL DOESN'T SEND YOU INTO THE REAR BUMPER OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU. MY FATHER GERHARD IS GIVING ME THIS VERY TRUCK BECAUSE HE HAS BECOME AFRAID TO DRIVE IT.

NHTSA ID

11325853

Incident

May 24, 2020

Mileage

43,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN EQUIPPED WITH CORNELL 1000 TIRES, SIZE: P235/75R15. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHOOK SEVERELY, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRAVELING UP TO 65 MPH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TWO FRONT WHEELS WOBBLED, WHICH WERE MOVED TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AFTER A TIRE ROTATION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRE SIDEWALLS WERE WORN. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD BE DUE TO THE COMPOUND OR THE BELT RUBBER AND REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17T019000 (TIRES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 194,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

NHTSA ID

11291535

Incident

Jan 4, 2019

Mileage

194,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER OF A 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH DOWNHILL, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT FAILED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE REACHED SPEEDS OF BETWEEN 95-100 MPH BEFORE CRASHING INTO A BUILDING WITH AN ALUMINUM STRUCTURE. THE CRASH WAS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED LACERATION OVER THE RIGHT EYE WHICH REQUIRED SEVERAL STITCHES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED REGAL DODGE LOCATED AT 1223 BLUE VALLEY DR, PEN ARGYL, PA 18072, (610) 863-6900, WHERE IT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE DIAGNOSED WHICH WAS STILL PENDING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.

NHTSA ID

11252008

Incident

Aug 25, 2019

Mileage

175,000 mi

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.  The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.  E version update is to add administrative details.

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.  The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.