1996 GMC Suburban Fuel system Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER STALLING, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EASILY RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FUEL INJECTOR PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 12/18/2006 - THE INJECTOR PUMP WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL FAILED AGAIN. *NM THE CONSUMER ALSO WANTED TO RECALL FIXED, HOWEVER THE DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL. RECALL NUMBERS 96V057000 AND 03V159000. UPDATED 03/21/07. *JB

NHTSA ID

10174069

Incident

Nov 22, 2006

Mileage

208,671 mi

WE HAVE A 1996 6.5 TURBO DIESEL GMC SUBURBAN. WE HAD SEVERE STALLING PROBLEMS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AT THEIR COST AND INSTALLED AT OUR COST, NEW GLOW PLUGS, GLOW PLUG SENSOR, BATTERY, AND BATTERY CABLES SUSPECTED TO BE THE PROBLEM. IT CONTINUED TO STALL. WE RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE PUMP AGAIN AT THEIR COST, BUT WE HAD TO PAY TO DROP THE TANK TO CHECK FOR CONTAMINATION. THERE WAS A DETERIORATED SCREEN WE PAID TO REPLACE. IT STILL STALLED. ONLY THIS TIME IT STALLED WHEN I WAS GOING 50 MPH AND APPROACHING CURVES ALONG THE RIVER. I LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. ME AND MY FIVE YOUNG KIDS ALMOST ENDED UP IN THE RIVER. HAD IT BEEN NORMAL WINTER ROADS, WE WOULD HAVE. ALL ALONG WE'VE DONE RESEARCH AND HAD IT REDIAGNOSED BY A PROFESSIONAL DIESEL MECHANIC, SO WE KNEW TO TELL OUR DEALER (AUTOMALL IN BRATTLEBORO VERMONT) TO REPLACE THE PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER (PMD) SOMETIMES CALLED A FUEL SOLENOID DRIVER (FSD). AFTER PROBLEMS WHERE AUTOMALL TRIED TO RIP US OFF FOR A FAKE $100 DEDUCTIBLE, THEY WILL INSTALL IT AT NO CHARGE TOMORROW (1/7/04). WE HAVE DRIVEN JUST OVER 1000 MILES TOTAL. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FROM ALL THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE, WEVE DISCOVERED MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE SAME DANGEROUS ACCOUNTS OF STALLING. SEVERAL REPORT HAVING ALMOST HAD SERIOUS ACCIDENTS LIKE I HAD TWO DAYS AGO. ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, PMD FAILURES ARE THE MOST COMMON PART TO FAIL ON GM 6.5 DIESELS. THE PMD OVERHEATS BECAUSE OF PLACEMENT NEAR THE ENGINE. THERE IS A SIMPLE, YET COSTLY FIX THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO BE SAFE. A PUMP DRIVER COOLER (PDC) CAN MOUNT ON THE FIREWALL (NOT THE ENGINE) TO MOVE THE PMD AWAY FROM THE HEAT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ISSUE A RECALL TO INSTALL PDC'S ON THESE ENGINES SO WE CAN ONCE AGAIN BE SAFE IN OUR VEHICLES. MY FAMILY OF 7 CANT AFFORD ANOTHER STALL, ESPECIALLY DURING THESE WINTER MONTHS, AND NEW PDCS ALONE CANT GUARANTEE SAFETY. THANK YOU.*AK

NHTSA ID

10052489

Incident

Jan 4, 2004

Mileage

87,947 mi

IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP ON THE GM 6.5L DIESEL ENGINES. I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF THESE PUMPS REPLACED BY GM AT THEIR COST. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM IS NOT GETTING RESOLVED. THESE VEHICLES DIE INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THEY DIE (STALL), YOU LOOSE YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL YOUR VEHICLE WITH THE LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING (FOR THE MOST PART). THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN I HAVE ALMOST BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN THESE VEHICLES DIE BECAUSE OF THE PUMP PROBLEM. I AM IN HOPES THAT THIS COMPLAINT COULD POSSIBLY TURN INTO SOME SORT OF INVESTIGATION WITHIN GM TO HAVE THEM FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY SEEM TO KEEP REPLACING MY BAD FUEL INJECTION PUMPS WITH MORE SOON-TO-BE BAD FUEL INJECTION PUMPS.... *LA

NHTSA ID

10047661

Incident

Nov 25, 2003

Mileage

105,650 mi

CONSUMER STATES WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS. DEALER STATES FUEL INJECTOR IS CLOGGED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10033574

Incident

Aug 5, 2003

VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVEING GM KNOWS OF PROBLEM AND HAS REPLACED INJECTION PUMP AND PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER 3 TIMES SO FAR GM SPECIAL POLICY C00064 FOR 11YRS OR 120000 MILES. THE SAME PROBLEMS STILL EXSIST I HAVE A 9 PASSENGER IN ORDER TO TAKE MY KIDS AND FRIENDS TO SPORTING EVENTS ON ONE SUCH OCCASTION. THE TRUCK SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING A TRACTOR TRAILER WAS BEHIND US THANK GOD HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND NO ONE WAS HURT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT IS NATION WIDE FOR 6.5 TURBO DIESEL OWNER. DT

NHTSA ID

770216

Incident

Nov 26, 2002

WHILE REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP TO TRY TO FIX MY PROBLEM, I FOUND THE POWER WIRE (GRAY), MELTED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK. MAYBE IT GROUNDED OUT SOMEHOW, BUT THE WHOLE WIRE HARNESS IS BURNT, AND THE WIRE IS BRITTLED AND BURNT.*AK

NHTSA ID

761167

Incident

Apr 24, 2002

THE WIRING IN THE FUEL TANK FOR THE FUEL PUMP GOT HOT AND MELTED SHORTING OUT THE FUEL PUMP. NLM

NHTSA ID

785696

Incident

Sep 29, 2001

ARCING CONNECTOR INSIDE FUEL TANK CAUSES FUEL PUMP TO FAIL AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. GM TECHNICAN REPORTED THAT HE PERFORMS AT LEAST 2 REPLACEMENT SENDERS + FUEL PUMPS/WEEK- INDICATING THAT " THE SENDER/FUEL PUMP CONNECTOR IS ALWAYS FRIED WHEN THE PUMP GOES". AS AN ENGINEER, I BELIEVE THERE IS AN EMINENT DANGER OF A FUEL TANK EXPLOSION PROVIDED PROPER AIR/FUEL RATIO IS ACHEVIED. VEHICLE HAS 42 GALLON TANK. MODEL YEARS 1999 ONWARD HAVE THIS ASSEMBLY ENCASED IN FIBERGLASS CYLINDER WHICH WOULD PREVENT FIRE/EXPLOSION. *AK

NHTSA ID

721213

Incident

Apr 1, 2000

FUEL INJECTION PUMP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHICH NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION. THE INJECTION PUMP COMPUTER HAS BEEN FAILING CONTINUOUSLY FOR 3 YEARS, GMC IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND IS ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR IT. *AK.ET.

NHTSA ID

855107

FUEL PUMP FAILED, UPON INSPECTION OF THE UNIT MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE INSULATION WAS BURNED ON THE WIRING INSIDE OF THE TANK. WE HAVE HAD THIS NONE FUNCTIONING FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT COMPLETELY QUIT AND WOULD NOT START. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT AMP DRAW ENOUGH TO MELT BACK WIRE INSUALTION INSDE THE FUEL TANK SHOULD BE FUSE PROTECTED! LAST TIME THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START THE DEALERSHIP WE USE IN CLINTON MO ( RAYSICK GMC, CLINTON MO) TOWED THE TRUCK IN AND ONCE INSIDE IT STARTED. BUT THE TRUCK HAS LEFT US STRANDED NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE. *AK

NHTSA ID

707772

Incident

Jun 18, 1999

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE DIES. WHEN TAKEN TO A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY. GM DEALERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE GM DEALER 4 TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ID

836142

Incident

Apr 5, 1999

PRESSURE REGULATOR/ FUEL INJECTORS/ FRONT DIFFERENTIAL SEAL FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

781301

Incident

Oct 1, 1998

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE DIES AND WOULD NOT RESTART. REPLACED BATTERY, BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

538326

Incident

Jun 1, 1998

ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA ID

603006

Incident

Oct 1, 1996