1997 GMC Jimmy Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 GMC JIMMY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210,000.

NHTSA ID

10621744

Incident

Feb 28, 2014

Mileage

210,000 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILURE / REPLACED TRANSMISSION - UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE / REPLACED UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINTS - REAR WINDOW WIPER FAILURE / INOPERABLE AT THIS POINT - EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENTS WITH NO OLD PARTS AVAILABLE AT THIS POINT. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE I CAN ONLY ATTRIBUTE TO SEVERELY POOR MANUFACTURING OF PRODUCTS, THERE WAS NO OPERATING MISUSE OR ABUSE. ALSO OTHER PARTS THAT HAVE FAILED AND HAVE SINCE BEEN REPLACED ARE THE: ALTERNATOR, FUEL PUMP, FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND COOLING SYSTEM FAILURES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10135766

Incident

Nov 15, 2004

Mileage

70,000 mi

THE 1997 GMC JIMMY JUST SHUTS OFF. THIS OCCURS AT NO SPECIAL TIMES AND WITH NO IDENTIFIABLE CIRCUMSTANCES PRECEDING THE SHUTDOWN. THE ENGINE AND ALL CONTROL SYSTEMS SIMPLY STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THERE IS NO RYHME NOR REASON FOR THE FAILURE. IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN A SINGLE EVENING AND THEN GONE MONTHS BEFORE RECURRING. COMPUTER DIAGNOSES, NO CODES FOUND BY MECHANIC. SINCE IT HAS ALWAYS FAILED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, USUALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE BECOMES A REAL CONCERN. LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAN EASILY CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE JIMMY ALWAYS RESTARTS EASILY AFTER TEN SECONDS OR SO. OF COURSE AT 70-75 MILES PER HOURS THAT CAN SEEM LIKE A VERY LONG TIME INDEED. *LA

NHTSA ID

10080869

Incident

Sep 4, 2003

UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINT SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING HAD TO REPLACE BOTH ALONG WITH IDLER ARM PITMAN ARM & TIE ROD ENDS , HAD RECEIVED NOTICE ABOUT POSSIBLE FAILURE ON THESE WHEN I CALLED GMC THEY REPORTED MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS POSSIBLE RECALL. COST OF 1500.00 ALSO FUEL PUMP FAILED COST OF 700.00 NOW DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS DEFECTED WILL NOT CLOSE , PROBEMS WITH ELECTRICAL SYSTEM LOCKS ,WINDOWS, LIGHTS INTERIOR & EXTERIOR,WIPERS WILL ONLY WORK OCCASIONALLY, FUEL GAUGE STICKS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10052763

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE LOWER BALL JOINTS AND PITMAN ARM. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE IS DIFFERENT PROBLEMS WITH THE LOWER BALL JOINTS SEPARATING AND THE PITMAN ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT HER VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. *PH

NHTSA ID

10031784

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING THE STEERING BOLTS ARE LOSE, AND IT IS CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO JUMP AROUND, MAKING IT HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10024782

Incident

Apr 15, 2003

1997 GMC JIMMY - STEELING FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT LOW RATE OF SPEED AS APPROACHING A CURVE IN ROAD. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE IN THE STEERING AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY VEERED OFF ROAD AND CRASHED INTO TREES.

NHTSA ID

10000917

Incident

Sep 17, 2001

Mileage

60,187 mi

THE DEALER KNEW ABOUT THE DEFECTS TO THIS VEHICLE AND REFUSED TO FIX THEM AFTER RECEIVING 3 SEPARATE ESTIMATES. 2 DAYS AFTER I REPEATEDLY WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO REPORT THESE SAFETY HAZARDS THE DEALER CONTINUED TO REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEMS AND I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. THE DEALER COMPLIANCE BOARD HAS A CURRENT CASE AGAINST THE DEALER AND HE HAS ONLY AGREED TO TAKE HIS VEHICLE BACK. THE DEALER HAS REQUESTED THE DAMAGE FROM THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT NOT BE FIXED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DAMAGE PRIOR TO THE SALE WAS SO EXTENSIVE FROM WATER OR FLOOD DAMAGE THAT THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY RUINED. IT WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS. MY FEAR IS THAT THE NEXT UNSUSPECTING CONSUMER WILL BE DECEIVED BY THIS DEALER AND THIS VEHICLE AND I BELIEVE THE NEXT PERSON WILL NOT BE AS LUCKY. I SHOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED AND I BELIEVE IT SHOULD HAVE, WHICH MAY ALSO INDICATE THAT THEIR IS ALSO SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THERE MAY NOT EVEN BE AN AIR BAG IN THIS VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT STATES THERE IS ONE. THIS DEALER WILL GET THIS VEHICLE BACK AND I AM SURE THAT INSTEAD OF SELLING IT AS A SALVAGE VEHICLE HE WILL AGAIN SLAP A PRICE TAG ON IT AND RE-SELL IT IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT FIXING IT. DT

NHTSA ID

770359

Incident

Oct 24, 2002

WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY, UPPER BALL JOINTS FELL APART WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO BE FIXED AND WAS TOLD ABOUT RECALL 01 I 018 000 THAT DEALS WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM CONCERNING UPPER BALL JOINTS. *AK LEFT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS MISSING. REPLACED INNER CV BOOT. *YH

NHTSA ID

8003367

Incident

Oct 11, 2000

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN IDILING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND HAS REPLACED FUEL INJECTORS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK THE HEATING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO HEATING CORE FAILURE. THE A/C WAS NOT BLOWING WARM AIR. THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AREA BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS LEAKING FLUID. THE VEHICLE LEANS TO THE LEFT DUE TO TORSION BAR OUT OF ADJUSTMENT. FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT AXLE SEALS WERE LEAKING. TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING. BACK WINDOW HAD AIR LEAK. THE REAR WIPER STICKS DUE TO WIPER MOTOR FAILURE. FRONT END MAKES CLUNKING NOISE DUE TO BALL JOINT FAILURE. THERE WAS CLUNK NOISE WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR DUE TO REAR D-SHAFT AND U-JOINT FAILURES. THE INTAKE GASKET WAS LEAKING AND WAS REPLACED. THE THROTTLE STICKS. THE SERPENTINE BELT FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. *YH

NHTSA ID

8002671

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

VEHICLE HAD NO DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS UNTIL AFTER VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP.*AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE IDLER ARM TO PASS INSPECTION, CONSUMER COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 39,532 WOULD NEED SUCH PARTS, CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED THAT GMC WOULD REPLACE THE PARTS AT NO CHARGE DUE TO THEIR GOODWILL PROGRAM, HOWEVER CONSUMER STILL HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR CHARGE, CONSUMER WAS THEN INFORMED BY A FRIEND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR UPPER BALL JOINTS, BUT WHEN CONSUMER CONTACTED GMC SHE WAS TOLD THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*JB

NHTSA ID

898244

Incident

Feb 1, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

752581

Incident

Oct 12, 1999

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE...UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS A SPUR OF THE MOMENT PURCHASE. ALTHOUGH USED, WITH ONLY 39,000 MILES, I THOUGHT I WOULD BE OK SINCE IT HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TILL 72,000. I HAVE REPLACED BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS, IDLER ARM, ALTERNATOR, BELT TENSIONER, IGNITION SWITCH, 4WD SENSORS, GAS GAUGE SENSOR, LEFT REAR AXLE SHAFT AND BOTH REAR AXLE BEARINGS. AT LEAST THESE WERE ALL COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, BUT NOT THE RENTAL CARS FOR ALL THE TIME THE TRUCK SPENT IN THE SHOP. NOW THE VEHICLE HAS 90,000 MILES AND THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT THE RECALL FOR THE BALL JOINTS DOES NOT PERTAIN TO MY TRUCK (THE VIN # IS NOT INCLUDED), THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK IS RUSTED (I'VE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS BUT NO RECALL), MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS SEVERELY (ALSO NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS), AND I'VE ALREADY REPLACED (OUT OF POCKET COST OF $1700) A COMPLETE REAR END. I OWE MORE THAN THIS VEHICLE IS WORTH...BUT WILL NEED TO GET RID OF IT SOON BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY SON AROUND IN IT. MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT...

NHTSA ID

752579

Incident

Dec 11, 2000

WHILE DRIVING READ A NOISE AND LOST POWER STEERING. THEN, STARTED DRIVING SLOWLY. TENSIONER BROKE AND PART OF BELT ALSO BROKE.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

893414

Incident

May 29, 2001

WHEN APPLYING ABS BRAKES WHEN ON A ICY SURFACE, POWER STEERING LOCKS UP UNTIL YOU COME TO A FULL STOP. ALSO AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT AT 30 MPH INTO SLATE MOUNTAIN. WHEN CHANGING A TIRE, JACK SLIPPED OUT OF THE LOCKED POSITION AND DROPPED THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

740641

Incident

Jan 8, 2001

FRONT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT AND IDLE ARM NEEDED REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID

721628

Incident

Dec 29, 1999

PAN GASKET FAILED CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO LEAK. MJS

NHTSA ID

547339

Incident

Aug 25, 1998

WHILE DRIVING STEERING GEAR BOX BECAME INOPERATIVE, CAUSING SEVERE DIFFICULTY IN MANEUVERING AND CONTROLABILITY. DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING GEAR BOX. *AK

NHTSA ID

811400

Incident

Apr 16, 1997