1992 GMC Suburban Owner Complaints

TRANSMISSION CAUGHT FIRE UNDERNEATH MY 1992 GMC K2500 SUBURBAN IT BURNED TRANNY UP IF I DIDN'T HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN FULLY ENGULFED 1 PERSON RECEIVED A NON SUTURED LACERATION ON FOR HEAD FELL WHEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE TO GET AWAY FROM FIRE AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE NOTHING YET HAS BEEN DONE ON TRANNY PROBLEM THE ONLY THING THAT GOT DAMAGED WAS MY SUBURBAN TRANSMISSION I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IT DID TO THE UNDERNEATH I HAVE TO CHECK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10261461

Incident

Feb 28, 2009

Mileage

194,236 mi

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WORKS ONLY OCCASIONALLY AND USUALLY FAILS WHEN IT IS WET OR HUMID. HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE SHORT TIME I'VE HAD IT. ALSO WAS A CONSISTANT PROBLEM ON THE 89 SHEVY 1 TON PICKUP I HAD BEFORE.

NHTSA ID

10005005

Incident

Jan 29, 2003

Mileage

146,000 mi

BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALWAY DOWN TO FLOOR, AND VEHICLE MAKES NOISES. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

886047

Incident

Apr 2, 2001

CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT 'HITCH PLATFORM' WHICH IS USED TO PULL AN AIRSTREAM TRAILER, 8900 LBS, IS CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

882782

Incident

Feb 7, 2001

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHILE MAKING A STOP, AND ALL BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON.*AK

NHTSA ID

882582

Incident

Oct 1, 2000

I HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THE BRAKES WOULD LOSE HOLD AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD AS IF IT WERE ON ICE. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID COLLISIONS THROUGH LUCK AND ALSO BY BEING VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND LEAVING EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. VARIOUS DEALERS MISDIAGNOSED THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. FIRST TIME, FRONT BRAKE JOB, SECOND TIME, REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT. THIRD TIME, THEY SAID THE PUMP WAS BAD. MIRACULOUSLY THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN THE DEALERSHIP. $900 LATER I HAVE A NEW ABS PUMP. NOW THE TRUCK PULLS TO THE RIGHT. IT DID NOT DO THIS BEFORE. DEALER SUSPECTED THAT THE ABS PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. UPON REPLACEMENT, THE TRUCK STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THEY NOW SUSPECT THAT THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE HOSE IS BREAKING DOWN INTERNALLY AND CAUSING UNEVEN PRESSURE TO THE FRONT CALIPERS CAUSING THE PULLING SENSATION. THEY ARE NOT SURE, SO THIS WILL BE MORE $ OUT OF MY POCKET FOR A TRIAL AND ERROR THAT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. I HAVE OVER $1300 IN BRAKE REPAIRS AND THIS VEHICLE STILL DOES NOT STOP PROPERLY. I AM RUNNING OUT OF PATIENCE AND MONEY. YOUR HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED. THANKS. *AK

NHTSA ID

740355

Incident

Mar 15, 2000

WINDSHIELD WIPERS SOMETIMES WILL NOT TURN ON, THE CONSUMER TAPS ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR AND THIS WILL GET IT WORKING FOR A WHILE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

557611

THE WBCCI, A CONSUMER ASSOCIATION STATED THAT THE OEM TRAILER TOWING HITCH PLATFORMS HAD FAILED AND CONSUMER HAS AN REQUESTED INVESTIGATION. (OEM TRAILER TOWING HITCH PLATFORMS ON 1992-1999) *YH

NHTSA ID

556288

DUE TO WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILURE WIPERS CUT OF DURING RAIN STORMS OR LIGHT DRIZZLE. YH

NHTSA ID

550275

IN DECEMBER OF 1993, I WAS INVOLVED IN A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT. WHILE I DID NOT CREATE THE ACCIDENT, I DID CONTRIBUTE BY CRASHING INTO THE REAR OF ONE OF THE CARS. THE CAUSE - MY BRAKES SIMPLY WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A NORMAL AMOUNT OF TIME. THE ABS SYSTEM MADE ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING NOISES. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP SIMILAR TO OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDING MY PREVIOUS SUBURBAN THAT I HAD OWNED AND DRIVEN. FOLLOWING REPAIRS, I TOOK THE SUBURBAN TO A GMC DEALER WHO REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER (AT MY COST) AND IDD A TEST DRIVEL THE MECHANIC SAID THE BRAKES WERE WORKING PROPERLY. THEY WERE NOT! AND STILL DO NOT WORK AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES WITH OR WITHOUT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. RECENTLY I WAS MAKINA A RIGHT TURN WHEN A YOUNNSTER SHOT THRU THE INTERSECTION ON A BICYCLE. I JUMPED ON THE BRAKES AND AGAIN HEARD THAT SICKENING GROAN BUT NO BRAKE ACTION. FORTUNATELY THE BRAKES EVENTUALLY DID GRAB AND THE YOUNG MAN SWERVED TO AVOID A COLLISION. THIS RECENT INCIDENT CAUSED ME TO RE-READ A SYNDICATED NEWS REPORT FROM LAST JULY. THE NHTSA WAS WORKING WITH GM TO RECALL AND REPAIR ABS SYSTEMS IN VARIOUS SUV'S. THE ARTICLE ALSO SAID A SECOND INVESTIGATION WAS UNDER WAY INVOLVING MY '92 SUBURBAN. I'D LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT INVESTIGATION. AT PRESENT I STILL DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND I KNOW IT WILL NOT STOP IN NORMAL STOPPING DISTANCE. I HAVE STARTED TO INVESTIGATE REMOVING THE ABS SYSTEM AND INSTALLING SOMETHING SAFER. ANY ADVICE YOU MIGHT PROVIDE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ID

715621

Incident

Dec 2, 1993

WHILE DRIVING, WAS COMING TO A ROLLING STOP, ABS BRAKES WERE APPLIED & THEY WOULD LOCK UP ON THE 2-WD. BEEN TO DEALER & THE ABS BRAKES REPAIRED ON 3/16/98. THE LOCKING OF ABS BRAKES HAS RETURNED. MANUFACTURER SHOWS NO RECALL OF BRAKE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

852260

Incident

Mar 16, 1998

UPON APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES VEHICLE PULLED RIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL HAD GONE TO FLOOR IN AN EMERGENCY STOP OR WHILE JUST WATING AT LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. PRESSURE WOULD CAUSE PEDAL TO GO TO FLOOR. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK ABS SYSTEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

848584

Incident

Aug 24, 1998

WIPERS DO NOT COME ON WHEN CAR IS HOT, ONLY WHEN CAR HAS JUST BEEN STARTED, AND NOT ALL THE TIME THEN. THEY WILL STOP AT RANDOM AND VERY SELDOM WORK AT ALL. NEIGHBOR ALSO WITH 1992 SUBURBAN HAS SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

711334

Incident

Mar 5, 1999

TOWING BRAKES WERE ERRACTIC. ABS LIGHT KEPT FLASHING AFTER ENTERING GAS STATION. WASN'T TOWING. ABS LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, RED LIGHT CAME ON FOR ABS. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIME ON ABS SYSTEM & EACH TIME WAS INFORMED OWNER'S PROBLEM DUE TO THE TOWING THAT WAS DONE. *AK

NHTSA ID

845959

Incident

Jul 20, 1999

WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED VEHICLE SHOT AHEAD AND THEN BEGAN TO STOP. ALL INCIDENCES OF FAILURE SEEMED TO OCCUR WHEN THE REAR WHEELS MOMENTARILY LOST CONTROL WITH PAVEMENT, I., GOING OVER A MANHOLE COVER THAT WAS RECESSED/PAVEMENT DEPRESSIONS AT EXPANSION JOINTS OR HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF WATER. IN THE ROADWAY. WHEN VEHICLE ENCOUNTERED ONE OF THESE CONDITIONS UNDER HEAVY BRAKE PRESSURE, THE ABS BRAKES WOU;LD EMIT A LOUD GROANING NOISE, AND VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE AHEAD. THEN AFTER ONE OR TWO CAR LENGTHS WOULD GRAB HOLD AND TRY TO STOP. IN ALL OF THESE CASES, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ID

843533

Incident

Jul 1, 1994

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAIL WHEN IN A POTENTIAL SLIDING SITUATION (GOING ONTO A SLICK SURFACE, LIKE ICE OR WET PAVEMENT). THE ABS ACTUALLY ATTEMPTS TO WORK, AND THEN SHUTS OFF, LEAVING ONLY THE REGULAR BRAKES. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. EACH TIME WE HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE SOMETHING RESET, OTHERWISE THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH , SAYING THERE IS A BRAKE PROBLEM, REMAIN ON. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER (SEVERAL TIMES) THAT IT DOESN'T HURT TO DRIVE IT LIKE THIS, BUT THE ABS ARE NOT WORKING AS LONG AS THOSE LIGHTS ARE ON. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING - AT THE TIME THE ABS ARE NEEDED, THEY FAIL, EVERY TIME. I'M TIRED OF THEM NOT WORKING, AND PAYING TO HAVE THEM RESET.

NHTSA ID

709068

EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES HARDER THAN NORMAL THE ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. THERE WAS SOME VIBRATION IN THE PEDAL. DRIVER HAD TO DRIVE SUBURBAN OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID A CRASH. THIS HAPPENED ON DRY PAVEMENT AND WET PAVEMENT. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM, AND RESET THE COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER WAS RESET TWICE FOR THIS REASON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

842912

WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

838822

WHILE ENGINE COLD WIPERS WORK. WHEN HOT, WIPERS SIMPLY STOP AND WILL NOT RESTART UNTIL ENGINE COLD. LAST TIME WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN HEAVY RAIN ON INTERSTATE. ACCIDENT AVOIDED BY GETTING OFF ROAD QUICKLY. AM TOLD RECALL EXISTS BUT CANNOT FIND SAME. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

706261

Incident

Sep 1, 1998

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING BRAKES, THEY GRIND LOUDLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

835954

Incident

Jul 1, 1995

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY, 65-70MPH, FOOT FELT HEAT, TURNED HEAT OFF, VAN STARTED SMOKING AND WHEN EVERYONE WAS OUT OF VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, REPORT WAS TAKEN, NO INJURIES. VEHICLE TOTALLED. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

835208

Incident

Feb 21, 1999

BRAKES DO NOT WORK ON SLICK SURFACES & BUMPY SURFACES THEY EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES.

NHTSA ID

538798

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT SLOW RATES OF SPEED THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

825054

Incident

Jun 7, 1998

REAR BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA ID

532993

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED FOUR TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ID

533182

Incident

May 1, 1996