Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 GMC Suburban submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 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
GM PASSLOCK SYSTEM FAULTY LEAVING ME STRANDED FAR FROM HOME.THANKFULLY, I WAS NOT IN THE ROAD. MY VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED IT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SUBURBAN. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AND BOTH REAR DOOR HANDLES FAILED ON FIVE OCCASIONS. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND REAR BARN DOORS FAILED TWICE. AS A RESULT, THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY. THE ELECTRIC DOORS WOULD WORK SPORADICALLY, BUT ALSO WOULD NOT WORK FOR DAYS AT A TIME. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURES. THE OCCUPANTS SEATED IN THE THIRD ROW AND REAR SEATS ARE TRAPPED WHEN THE FAILURES OCCUR. THE DOORS ARE UNABLE TO BE OPENED WITHIN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE OCCUPANTS MUST CLIMB OUT OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER OR DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS. CURRENTLY, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HAS COMPLETELY FAILED AGAIN AND THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPERATES RANDOMLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE CYLINOID LOCKS ON THE DOOR, WHICH TEMPORARILY REMEDIED THE FAILURE FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 208,000. UPDATED 06/12/09 *BF THE POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED. UPDATED 06/16/09
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE GAS GAUGE LOCATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. ALSO, WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE, THERE WAS A LIQUID OBSERVED ON THE FLOOR. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING.
DOOR ACUATORS FAULTY. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. FUEL GUAGE FAULTY. SECURITY SYSTEM OVERRIDES STARTER WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO BE STARTED. WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE "SERVICED" THREE TIMES FOR "DOOR ACTUATORS" AS WE WERE TOLD THIS IS WHAT WAS CAUSING SECURITY SYSTEM TO SHUT DOWN VEHICLE. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. GMC NATIONAL SERVICE CENTER WAS NOT HELPFUL. THEY DID NOT RETURN CALLS OR SET-UP SPECIAL SERVICE APPOINTMENT AT LOCAL DEALER AS THEY PROMISED. THERE ARE SEVERAL INCIDENT DATES OF WHEN WE COULD NOT START OUR VEHICLE. WILL USE JULY 29TH AS ONE DATE, UNABLE TO START VEHICLE WHILE ON SUMMER VACATION IN LAKE TAHOE AREA. IF THIS HAPPENS DURING REAL EMERGENCY IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE.
HAVE HAD TO REPEATEDLY REPLACE CIRCUIT BOARD LOCATED IN LEFT REAR TAILLIGHT WHICH CONTROLS THE BRAKE LIGHT/TURN SIGNAL. *JB
THE RIGHT REAR TRANSMISSION SEAL BROKE TWICE AND LEAKED FLUID ONTO THE REAR BRAKE. THIS RESULTED IN LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL LEAKED ACID AND CAUSED THE BATTERY TRAY TO RUST *MR *AK
ENGINE FAILED TO START NUMEROUS TIMES. ENGINE BACK FIRED AND DAMAGED STARTER. FOUND OEM BATTERY HAD LEAKED ACID FROM POSITIVE TERMINAL ALL OVER ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS, RUBBER HOSES, AC TUBING, FRAME AND DISSOLVED PROTECTIVE HOSE WEAR SHIELDS. DEALER SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS A LOT AND TO CALL GMC AS THE BATTERY ONLY HAD 36 MONTH WARRANTY. BATTERY WARRANTY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LEAKING ACID AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO WIRING AND HOSES.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DELCO AC FREEDOM BATTERY WAS REPLACE DUE TO A FAULTY BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. NOW AT THE PRESENT TIME THE SECOND REPLACEMENT IS LEAKING BATTERY ACID UNTO THE BATTERY CABLE. NLM
SINCE PURCHASING SUV NEW, I HAVE HAD 3 FAILURES TO CRANK DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE HOT LEAD CABLES THAT ATTACH TO THE BATTERY. THE LEAD WASHER USED BETWEEN THE TWO LEADS BECOMES MISSHAPED AND LOSES THE ABILITY TO CAUSE A CONNECTION. THE DANGER TO HUMAN LIFE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO WHERE THE DRIVER HAPPENS TO BE WHEN THIS CONNECTION FAILS TO OCCUR. I HAVE BROKEN DOWN AT HOME (WHICH WAS SAFE) , 200 MILES FROM HOME AT A HOTEL (WHICH WAS NOT SAFE) AND IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THE MANY I KNOW THAT HAVE GMC SUV'S OR TRUCKS THAT USE THIS DUAL HOT LEAD SYSTEM. IT IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN BECAUSE THE LEAD WASHERS THEY USE BECOME MISSHAPED OVER TIME. AS YOU CAN SEE I HAVE LESS THAN 35,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. A VEHICLE WITH THAT MILEAGE SHOULD BE MORE DEPENDABLE. GMC SHOULD FIX THE DEFECT OR EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THESE FAILURES.*AK
REPEATED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON FRONT BRAKE PADS AND NOW ON REAR BRAKE DRUMS. WE ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE DRIVERS AND TYPICALLY GET 80-100,000 MILES ON A SET OF BRAKES. THIS IS OUR SECOND SET OF FRONT PADS. WE DO TOW HEAVY LOADS. THE SUBURBAN IS EQUIPPED WITH A HEAVY DUTY TOWING PACKAGE . IT HAS ALREADY HAD THE STEERING GEAR BOX REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE FRONT PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND THE REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED, ALSO THE MASTER CYLINDER HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE BRAKES JUST DO NOT SEEM OF SUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO STOP A VEHICLE OF THIS MASS TOWING LOAD. WE'VE OWNED SUBURBAN'S SINCE 1973 SO WE DO FEEL WE HAVE A DEGREE OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA. FINALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND A BUMP IS HIT, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTS OUT FOR APPROXIMATELY 1/6-1/5 OF A SECOND CAUSING EVERYTHING TO GO DARK. I SUSPECT AN EXPOSURE IN A WIRING HARNESS. *JB *****DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS****763731
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
AT THE TIME OF STARTING VEHICLE BATTERY EXPLODED, SPREADING ACID ALL OVER ENGINE COMPARTMEN. BATTERY HAD BEEN ALREADY REPLACED BEFORE DUE TO ACID LEAK. AC, DELCO. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK
SMOKE CAME FROM BEHIND DOOR PANELS AND DASH AREA, CLAIM 46-0355-298. *SLC
SMOKE CAME FROM BEHIND DOOR PANELS AND DASH AREA, CLAIM 46-0355-298. *SLC
CONSUMER'S CAR WAS PULLING TO RIGHT AND BRAKING TO LEFT. TOOK TO DEALER, AND AND THEY ALIGNED FRONT END, AND DID REPAIRS ON BRAKES AND KNUCKLES. *AK THE STEERING WHEEL WOBBLES WHEN THE VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP. THERE WAS WIND NOISE FROM RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE IDLES ROUGH DUE TO DIRTY INJECTORS. THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AT SPEEDS OF 80-90 MPH DUE TO BENT WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START DUE TO A WEAK BATTERY. THE STEERING MOANS WHEN TURNING DUE TO FAILURE OF EVO SENSOR ON STEERING COLUMN. *YH
#7 SPARK PLUG WOULD FAIL. ALSO, CHANGED INTAKE MANIFOLD & HEAD GASKETS. PROBLEM WAS NOT INTERMITTENT. HAPPENED ALL TIME. TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP FOR REPAIRS & PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
THE BATTERY FAILED COMPLETELY AND SUDDENLY. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING FINE. THEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO POWER. ON INSPECTION, THE OEM DELCO BATTERY CASE HAD CRACKED AND ACID SPILLED. POSITIVE BATTERY POST WAS LOOSE IN CASE. GMC DEALER REPORTS MANY SIMILAR FAILURES.*AK
WE HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR JUST OVER A MONTH AND IT HAS LEFT US STRANDED 5 TIMES (UNSAFE/UNRELIABLE) AND WE HAVE HAD IT TOWED 3 TIMES. THE VEHICLE DID NOT START ALL THOSE TIMES. THE DEALER HAS GIVEN US A BIG RUN AROUND TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH WE DID BUY IT USED IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. OUR MAIN CONCERN IS THAT WE KNOW ARE AFRAID THAT IT HAS BEEN IMPORTED FROM CANADA AND WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING THE PAST HISTORY ON THE VEHICLE. WE WENT TO CARFAX AND THEY ONLY HAVE RECORDS FROMT THE DEALER TO US AND NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. IT REALLY IS DISTURBING TO NOT KNOW IF THEY PREVIOUS OWNER WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IS THIS A LEMON? WILL IT STOP RUNNING AS WE ARE DRIVING? WILL IT LEAVE US STRANDED IN A BAD SECTION OF TOWN? PLEASE DIRECT ME AS TO WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION IN CANADA. THANK YOU VALERIE. *AK
PE99073; BATTERY LEAKS ACID; THE BATTERY IS LEAKING ACID, WHICH CAUSES INTERIOR CORROSION. ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE SAME REASON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN FIRST STICKING KEY IN IGNITION THE VEHICLE ENGINE DOES NOT TURN OVER. IT JUST MAKES A CLICKING NOISE. VEHICLE HAS TO BE RESTARTED A COUPLE OF TIMES IN ORDER TO START. DEALER HAS NOT SEENVEHICLE. *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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