Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED BOTH REAR TAIL LIGHT CIRCUIT BOARDS HAVE BURNED OUT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THIS CAUSED NO REAR BRAKE LIGHTS AND NO REAR TURN SIGNALS. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CIRCUIT BOARDS NEED TO BE REPLACED. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE RIGHT EXTERIOR HOUSING MATERIAL OF THE HEADLIGHT WAS FILLED WITH RAIN WATER AND DEBRIS. THE MOISTURE CAUSED THE HALOGEN BULB TO BLOW OUT WHICH EXPOSED THE ELECTRODES AND SHORTED OUT THE LIGHTING CIRCUIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW THE RAIN WATER FILLED THE HOUSING. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE CRACKS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING NEW HOUSING MATERIAL. *AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS AND THE WIRING HARNESS . WHEN DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE ABS ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AT LEAST SIX TIMES. BEFORE THE WIRING HARNESS BURNED THE DASHBOARD WAS HOT. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, AND CRUISE CONTROL WERE NOT WORKING. *AK
TURN SIGNAL (MULTI-FUNCTION) SWITCH STARTED STAYING ON AND FLASHER KEPT CLICKING AFTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. SWITCH THEN STARTED TO FUNCTION WITHOUT DRIVER ACTIVATION. WHEN SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT AROUND THE HAZARD BUTTON I CALLED THE CHEVROLET DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE MILEGE IS 83076. DEALER ADVISED CALLING GM CUSTOMER SERVICE. SECURED SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER 1-327411227. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. REPAIR WAS MADE NEXT DAY. COST $680.99. PAID BY CREDIT CARD. HAVE SECURED INFORMATION THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER GM SAYS THIS VEHICLE VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. HISTORY ON THIS VEHICLE: 06/23/00 9891 MILES AC COMPRESSOR FAILED 12/19/00 17149 MILES POWER STEERING PUMP SHAFT BROKE 06/09/01 25227 MILES BATTERY SHORTED OUT 08/16/03 59362 MILES FUEL GUAGE STOPPED WORKING 01/17/05 78571 MILES LIGHT SWITCH BROKE OFF 04/12/05 83076 MILES MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED THESE ARE ALL ITEMS WHICH SHOULD EXPECT A MUCH LONGER LIFE SPAN THAN OCCURRED. IN FACT, I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPT THAT THE STEERING SHAFT IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, WHICH IS MY PRESENT COMPLAINT IS THE SAME SWITCH WHICH IS UNDER RECALL, HOWEVER THEY SAY MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT EFFECTED. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH EFFECTED THE RECALL. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE SWITCH, NOT THE VEHICLE. WHATS THE DIFFERENCE, WHICH VIN THE VEHICLE CARRIES?
THE HAZARD FLASHERS SWITCH ON MY 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HAVE STOPPED WORKING. THIS CAUSES THE TURN SIGNALS AND BRAKE LIGHTS TO ALSO BE SPORADIC. THIS IS LOCATED IN A MASTER SWITCH WHICH COSTS $350 PLUS LABOR TO REPAIR. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW WHICH NEEDS CORRECTED. SAFETY IS INVOLVED WHEN WARNING LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT WORK .*AK
THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH THAT CONTROLED THE HAZARD LIGHTS, BRAKE STOP LIGHT AND THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DID NOT TO OPERATE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISE THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE CONSUMER S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK *NLM
REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY BURNED OUT. THE PART NUMBER IS 16511565-1. *AK
WHILE CONSUMER IS DRIVING HEADLIGHTS WILL FAIL TO OPERATE ON A RANDOM BASIS. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER, BUT IS TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT FIND A MALFUNCTION. PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR WHILE DEALER IS IN POSSESSION OF VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
TRUCK PULLS TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING AND PULLS HARD TO THE LEFT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, ALTHOUGH SOME MODIFICATIONS HAVE HELPED THE TRUCK CONTINUES TO PULL LEFT, HARD LEFT, ESPECIALLY IN A PANIC BRAKING SITUATION, MODIFICATIONS INCLUDED ROTORS MACHINED, REPACKED WHEEL BEARINGS, PADS DEGLAZE, NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS INSTALLED, FRONT ROTORS SWITCHED. CJ
HEADLAMPS HAVE FAILED ON 2 OCCASIONS: 1. WHILE DRIVING AT DUSK HEADLIGHTS WERE SWITCHED ON, BUT FAILED TO POWER ON. LIGHT SWITCH WAS CYCLED WITHOUT RECOVERY OF HEADLAMPS. DAYLIGHT HEADLAMPS DID NOT FAIL AND WORKED WHEN SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. TRIP WAS COMPLETED WITH LIGHT SWITCH TURNED OFF USING DAYLIGHT HEADLAMPS. 2. ON SECOND OCCURANCE LIGHT SWITCH WAS SWITCHED ON AND HEADLAMPS DID NOT COME ON. SWITCH WAS CYCLED AND HEADLAMPS CAME ON WHEN SWITCH WAS IN MARKER LIGHT POSITION. SWITCH WAS TURNED TO HEADLIGHT POSITION AND HEADLAMPS TURNED OFF. TRIP WAS AGAIN COMPLETED WITH DAYLIGHT HEADLAMPS. *AK
WE HAVE A ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS DIMMING OR FLICKERING AT NIGHT. WE HAVE HAD IT INTO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS 3 TIME FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO VERIFY THE PROBLEM, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE CHECKING IT IN THE DAYTIME, BUT DID REPORT TO US UPON PICKUP OF THE VEHICLE ON LAST VISIT, THAT THEY HAVE 3-4 OTHER SURBURBANS IN THEIR DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME REPORTED PROBLEM. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT AS OF YET HAS NOT LOCATED THE PROBLEM OR HAVE A SOLUTION FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFTY ISSUE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, OTHER MAY THINK THAT YOU ARE FLASHING YOU LIGHTS AT THEM OR HAVE AN EMERGANCY, OR THE LIGHT MAY HAVE TOTAL FAILURE IN THE FUTURE. OBVOUSLY, A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. NO CAUSE OR CURE AS OF YET. ANOTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IS THAT ON 3 SEPERATE OCCASIONS THE RADIO HAS REMAINED ON AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF AND KEY REMOVED. (2 OR MORE HOURS EACH OCCASION) ONLY TEMPORARY TURN OFF WAS WHEN OPERATING THE WINDOW BUTTON, BUT RADIO CAME BACK ON AS SOON AS WINDOW BUTTON WAS RELEASED. OCCASIONAL PROBLEM, VERY ANNOYING, PERHAPS CONNECTED TO HEADLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OR NOT? VERY CONSERNED THAT THERE MAY BE A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM! *AK
ON THREE OCCASIONS, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP DUE TO HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. ON ONE OCCASION THEY FOUND A BRACKET THAT WAS BROKEN AND REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. HOWEVER, OCCASIONALLY THE DASHLIGHTS, DOMELIGHT, AND STEREO DISPLAY EXPERIENCE FAILURE WHICH MAY BE THE RESULT OF A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *YC
HEADLIGHTS OPERATE ERRATICALLY. WHEN NEEDED THEY FLICKER ON AND OFF. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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