THE HYDRO BOOSTER IS DEFECTIVE. THE CAR TRIGGERS MY BREAKS AND MAKES NOISES MAKE STEERING BRAKING DIFFICULT. IT HAPPENS EVERYFAY THROUGHT THE DAY WHILE IM DRIVING
- NHTSA ID
- 11352858
- Incident
- Jul 22, 2020
- Mileage
- 270,000 mi
Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 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
THE HYDRO BOOSTER IS DEFECTIVE. THE CAR TRIGGERS MY BREAKS AND MAKES NOISES MAKE STEERING BRAKING DIFFICULT. IT HAPPENS EVERYFAY THROUGHT THE DAY WHILE IM DRIVING
TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE (VEHICLE HAS 95,387) MILES) AT 40 MPH IN MOTION. STABIL-TRAC LIGHT INDICATED AT THE TIME OF FAILURE, SERVICE BRAKE INDICATOR ON DISPLAY INFORMATION CONSOLE. . DEPLOYED 4WD LOW, DROPPED TO LOWER GEAR AND HIT EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE ON SHOULDER OF ROAD. GOT OUT OF VEHICLE SAW BRAKE FLUID ALL OVER THE SKIDS AND FRAME. CAUSE: TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP INDICATED THAT BRAKE LINES ON DRIVER SIDE AND LINES GOING TO FRONT WHEEL WERE COMPLETELY RUSTY AND "LIKE PAPER". THIS WAS UNSETTLING I DON'T LIVE NEAR SALTWATER BUT DRIVE THE VEHICLE A LOT IN WINTER. HAD I BEEN IN A DENSELY POPULATED AREA, THERE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN LOSS OF LIFE. THIS VEHICLE WEIGHS OVER 6000 LBS AND NO BRAKES IS LIKE TO TRYING TO STOP A TRAIN. PLEASE INVESTIGATE SIMILAR FAILURES AS THIS FAILURE IN SIMILAR VEHICLES/ANY VEHICLE COULD CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE.
AT FIRST I GOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON WITH CODE P0430, O2 SENSOR LOWER BANK 2, THEN BANK 1. REPLACED THOSE TWO WORK FOR A WEEK THEN RPM AND SPEEDOMETER GAUGE FLUCTUATE UP AND DOWN. I DROVE HOME FROM THE AIRPORT ONE NIGHT AND ALL GAUGE READING WENT ALL THE WAY UP. I WAS TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE WITH A SPEED LIMITED OF 55MPH AND THE READING IN MY CAR WAS OVER 120MPH. TOOK TO IN SHOP, SHOP RECOMMEND I NEED SPEEDOMETER SENSOR REPLACED. REPLACED THAT, NOW ALL THE INSTRUMENT GAUGE JUMP UP AND DOWN. SOMETIME ALL THE WAY FULL SOMETIME ALL THE WAY DOWN. FINALLY GOT TIRE OF TRYING TO FIX IT MYSELF AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS A BAD DASH INSTRUMENT AND BAD CATYLETE-CONVETER. THANKS TO CHEVY IT COST ME HEADACHE, GUESSING TIME, GIVING FALSE READING AND MOST OF ALL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET IT FIX RIGHT. *TR
I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED JUST STARTING TO EXIT OFF RAMP BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR AND DASH LIGHTS CAME ON FOR BRAKES,ALSO STABILITY LOSS MESSAGE CAME ON. COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR HAD SERIOUS ACCIDENT.LUCKY DID NOT BUT IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE.BROUGHT TO SHOP AND WAS TOLD AND SHOWN ALL BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED REAL BAD AND ONE BROKE OPEN WHILE I WAS EXITING THAT OFF RAMP.I CALLED GM BUT THEY DID NOTHING! I WAS VERY UPSET WITH THIS AND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF SOMEONE WHO WILL REALLY LOOK INTO THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL.ALSO MY 1997 CHEVY CONVERSION VAN,AND MY HUSBANDS 2005 CHEVY SILVERADO THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THOSE BRAKE LINES WHILE DRIVING BROKE OPEN DUE TO RUST,LOSING BRAKES WHILE DRIVING.VAN MILEAGE WAS 70000,AND SILVERADO MILEAGE WAS 75000.THIS IS SO DANGEROUS I URGE YOU TO PLEASE CHECK INTO IT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.I RECENTLY SAW ON THE NEWS THAT SUBURU RECALLED CARS IN NORTHERN STATES FOR RUSTED BRAKE LINES SAME AS THIS.GM SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME. *TR
I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AT 60 MPH WHEN THE DISPLAY SAID "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" AND MY VEHICLE DECREASED IN POWER. IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW MUCH I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR WOULD ONLY GO 10 MILES AN HOUR. I PULLED OVER, CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. STARTED IT AGAIN, IT DROVE FINE FOR ABOUT 2 MILES THEN THE SAME MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. I TURNED AROUND AND HEADED HOME DRIVING 10 MILES AN HOUR. *TR
I HAD THE VEHICLE IN PARK, ON A HILL, AND WHEN I SHIFTED IT INTO DRIVE, FELT A POP IN THE PEDAL. THEN THE BRAKES WOULD NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE. I HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME STOPPING THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE. THE BRAKES PEDAL WOULD JUST FALL TO THE FLOOR. MY HUSBAND CAME OUT AND FOUND ONE OF THE REAR BRAKE LINES WAS RUSTED AND LEAKING FLUID. THE BRAKE LINES HAVE VISIBLE RUST ON THE OUTSIDE OF THEM. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY, PEDAL SENSOR, AND WIRING HARNESS WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS. GM WANTS 150 JUST TO PLUG IT INTO THEIR COMPUTER TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN GET DOWN FOR FREE WITH MY BUDDIES CODE READER....NO I WON'T LET MY WIFE OR CHILDREN DRIVE THE CAR. I ONLY DRIVE IT TO AND FROM WORK. HAD TO GO OUT AND BUY A TOYOTA JUST TO KEEP MY MIND AT EASE SO MY WIFE AND OR KIDS WON'T GET KILLED FROM THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS LIKE CHEVY/GMC DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE UNTIL MULTIPLE PEOPLE DIE FROM THIS. I HOPE TO SEE THAT THEY WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. THINKING OF CONTACTING MY CONGRESS REPRESENTATIVE TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP OUT US THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. NOBODY ELSE IS. *TR
THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF AT INTERSTATE AND LOW SPEEDS AND SHOW REDUCED POWER AND STABILITY SYSTEM DISABLED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, I WAS NEARLY KILLED ON THE INTERSTATE BY AND 18 WHEELER COMING UP BEHIND ME WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN.. *TR
THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND IMMEDIATELY THE STABILITY SYSTEM DISENGAGE LIGHT WOULD COME ON ALSO. THE VEHICLE WOULD GO DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 1500 RPM AND DROP THE SPEED TO 50-55 MPH, ON THE FREEWAY. THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65 AND WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF 3 LANES. IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES NOW. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC 3 TIMES. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS RAN EACH TIME AND EVERY TIME THERE DIFFERENT CODES THAT POP UP, ONE DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS. *TR
WAS DRIVING AT A VERY LOW RATE OF SPEED; TRYING TO STOP WHEN WHAT FELT LIKE THE ANTILOCK BRAKES KICKED ON AND THE MESSAGE "TRACTION ACTIVE" APPEARED ON MY CONSOLE. THIS MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THEN WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE, VEHICLE WOULD LUG DOWN AND NOT WANT TO GO. THERE WAS ALSO A NOISE, LIKE A PUMP OR SOMETHING WHEN TRYING TO BRAKE OR ACCELERATE. TURNING OFF THE STABILITRACK SEEMS TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING, WHICH IN TURN MEANS I DO NOT HAVE ANTILOCK BRAKES. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IF TRYING TO MERGE, PASS THROUGH AN INTERSECTION OR WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE REDUCE ENGINE POWER STABILITY WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED AS THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY DECELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY, THROTTLE BODY SENSORS AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 183,632.
WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 70MPH, ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT LANE. ANOTHER CAR SPED UP THE RIGHT LANE TO PASS ME. TURNED STEERING WHEEL BACK TO LEFT LANE AND SUDDENLY HAD NO CONTROL OVER STEERING, BRAKING AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIOLENTLY SHAKING. CAR ROLLED TWICE, OVER METAL MEDIAN AND TURNED 180 DEGREES FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON THE INTERSTATE W/ ROOF CRUSHED IN. NEITHER SIDE OR FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. FRONT AND SIDES SMASHED IN AND FRAME BENT. VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TO BE TOTALED BY STATE FARM. HAVE BEEN DRIVING 40 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT IN MY LIFE. ONLY GOOD THING WAS THE SEATBELT HELD TIGHT AS I WAS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN WHEN THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. THE DAY BEFORE THIS OCCURRED I NOTICED THAT THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD RANDOMLY ENGAGE DURING STRAIGHT DRIVING ON A PERFECTLY DRY SURFACE. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN 2004 AND THE CAR WAS METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED. (IT LOOKED BRAND NEW). *TR
ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY GOES INTO "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" "TRACTION CONTROL DISABLED" FOR NO APPARENT REASON. ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED BY TWO THIRDS. ISSUE HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS NOW. GM/CHEVY DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I'VE HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP OVER 20 TIMES SOME TIMES ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THROTTLE BODY, TAC, BATTERY CABLES, AND OTHER COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO NO AVAIL. SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS ON THE FREEWAY WITH 18 WHEELERS BEARING DOWN ON REAR END WHEN ISSUE HAS OCCURRED. I NO LONGER ALLOW MY WIFE AND KIDS IN THE CAR. I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL EVENTUALLY DIE AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE AND MAYBE THEN GM WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE. HOPEFULLY WHEN IT HAPPENS IT WILL NOT INVOLVE SMALL CHILDREN WHICH IS WHAT SUBURBANS ARE TYPICALLY PURCHASED FOR...TO DRIVE AROUND FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN. CONSUMERS THINKING THEY ARE PURCHASING A GOOD SIZE VEHICLE THAT WILL KEEP THEIR FAMILY SAFE SHOULD STEER AWAY FROM GM PRODUCTS. *TR
IN RESEARCHING ONLINE I'VE NOTICED THIS ON MANY DIFFERENT CHEVY 2004 MODELS. THE TACHOMETER, FUEL GAGE, AND SPEEDOMETER ARE WHAT I NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH AND WHAT OTHERS HAVE SEEN PROBLEMS WITH THOUGH THE SPEEDOMETER IS THE MOST PREVALENTLY NOTICED ITEM. THE GAUGE MOTORS ARE NOT STEPPING BACK DOWN WHEN RPMS, SPEED, OR FUEL LEVELS DROP THUS LEADING DRIVERS TO RESPOND IN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WAYS. IN MY OWN CASE I ALMOST CAUSED A PILE UP WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD LOST MY SENSES AND APPLIED MY BRAKES A LITTLE HARDER THAN I SHOULD HAVE, ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND CERTAINLY AGITATED THE DRIVERS BEHIND ME WHEN THEY ALMOST HIT MY VEHICLE. I DON'T TYPICALLY GET THIS PROBLEM AS I TYPICALLY DRIVE LESS THAN 10 MILES A DAY. WHEN I DO HAVE TO DRIVE MORE THAN 60 MILES I TEND TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED TO BE MORE PREVALENT IN COLD CONDITIONS WHICH FITS WITH THE EXPLANATION I HAVE HAD THAT IT IS THE HOUSING OF THE GEAR MOTORS BREAKING DOWN AND JAMMING THE GAUGE GEARS IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. A PROBLEM WITH THE PLASTIC USED IN THE HOUSING OF THE GEAR MAGNETS; "THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT HOLDS THE PERMANENT MAGNET FOR THE ROTOR OF THE STEPPER MOTOR." NOW THAT I AM AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE ASKED AROUND ABOUT FIXES I HAVE TO STOP THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY AND TURN IT OFF. FROM THERE I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY ENOUGH TO BRING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MOMENTARILY ON AND THEN BACK OFF. IT STEPS THE TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, AND FUEL GAUGE BACK DOWN, (BIT BY BIT WITH EACH TURN OF THE KEY) WHICHEVER IS HAVING THE PROBLEM. THIS SOLUTION HAS BEEN REPORTED TO STOP WORKING AS THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST ESTIMATE OF OVER $450 FROM A PRIVATE SHOP AND AT OVER $800 FROM THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP. A GPS FOR SPEED AND A LOG BOOK W/ CALCULATOR CAN GET TWO OF THE THREE SOLVED FOR ME AT A PRICE OF LESS THAN $200; IT'S JUST NOT SAFE TO BE WRITING LOG BOOK ENTRIES WHILE I'M DRIVING. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER HAS GONE OUT. I HAVE READ MANY ENTRIES ON A WEBSITE THAT THIS WA S AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH CHEVROLET TAHOES., AND THE PRICE TO GET IT FIXED RANGED FROM $400 TO $1000. THAT WAS A BIT TO EXPENSIVE. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL . THIS CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. *AK
ODOMETER FAILED AND I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SPEED. IT COST ME APPROXIMATELY $750.00 TO REPAIR THE 2004 TAHOE. I OWNED SEVERAL VEHICLES AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THIS ITEM HAD TO BE REPLACED IN SEVERAL VEHICLES, BUT AT THIS TIME THERE WAS NO RECALL. SO I HAD TO PAY! *AK
TACHOMETER/SPEEDOMETER FAILED ON 2004 CHEVORLET SUBURBAN. PROVIDED UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS WHERE VEHICLE SPEED WAS AT AN ALL TIME IMPORTANCE. SMALL CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE CAUSED THE DRIVER TO BE MORE ANXIOUS AT THE WHEEL, NOT KNOWING EXACTLY HOW FAST THE VEHICLE WAS GOING ON THE HIGHWAY OR RESIDENTIAL STREET TRAFFIC.*AK
2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN SPEEDOMETER GOES CRAZY,SOMETIMES SET AT 120 MPH WHILE SETTING STILL. WHILE DRIVING I NEVER KNOW THE SPEED I'M GOING. ONE DAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE SPEEDOMETER JUST KEPT CLIMBING TO 120 MPH , THAT IS WHEN IT STARTED. SOMETIMES THE SPEEDOMETER GOES DOWN TO 0 MPH THEN WHILE DRIVING SAY 30 MPH I GUESS IT MAY TAKE YOU TO 60 MPH, 80 MPH WHILE AT THE SAME RPM. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ,IT HAS 44000 MILES THEREFORE MY WARRANTY IS OUT I HAVE TO SEE IF THE EXT WARRANTY I GOT COVERS THIS, ALSO I HAVE BEEN CHECKING THE INTERNET IF ANYONE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE ON TOPIX.NET . THANK YOU FOR YOU'RE TIME. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT READING ON THE DASH PANEL GAUGE. THE INCORRECT DISPLAY WAS CONSTANT AND FAVORED NO PARTICULAR SPEED. HOWEVER THE MOST COMMON EVIDENCE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED THE GAUGE DISPLAYED AN OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH SPEED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
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