This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
My 2001 Chevrolet Suburban has the power steering brief failure problem I read about in the wall street journal. Usually at lower speeds, the power steering stops working momentarily giving one a brief moment of panic.
While driving at highway speeds power steering and brakes fail, resulting loss of power steering and brakes simultaneously. This is due to the failure of the power assist and power steering pump. This is the second time these components have been replaced. This was first noticed and replaced in January 2002. The second time occurred in February 2003. On 6/11/2003 the vehicle again showed indications of a problem with the brakes and steering. The brake pedal began to pulsate, and a high-pitched whine could be heard when turning the steering wheel. The vehicle also experiences problems when braking over rough road, such as rumble strips. As this is a third problem with these critical components, the safety of this vehicle is in question. The last visit to the dealer was said to be loose bolts on the power steering gear box. The power assist design is a known problem with this vehicle. I have spoken with service writers, service managers and have read other reports concerning other incidents like I experienced with this vehicle.
I am writing to complain about the second failure of the "power assist" feature on my 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. The first failure occured during January of 2002, and the power steering pump was replaced at fox Chevrolet dealership in laurel, md. In the 2002 event, I experienced a high pitch whining and vibrations in the steering, as well as the brake pedal. In effecting this repair, Chevrolet replaced the power steering pump. During the latter part of November 2002, the high pitch whining and vibration returned. I took the vehicle to bill seidle's Chevrolet in clermont, fl in November of 2002, and was told that there was nothing wrong with the steering or braking system. Unfortunately, they were wrong. On Tuesday evening, 2/4/2003, while driving with my seven year old, the same high pitch whining, and pulsing in the brake pedal returned. This time it resulted in the total loss of power steering and brakes while exiting a local highway system in the orlando area. Fortunately, I was driving as it took quite a bit of strength, to steer and stop the vehicle after the loss of the power assist system. At what point does the failure of such a critical part of this vehicle get labeled as a defect in this system. The failure of this system, could have caused injury to me and my family (son). Had my wife been driving this truck, the result may have been gravely different. I purchased this vehicle because of the reputation for durability in the industry, with the expectation of purchasing a quality vehicle. I am now fearful of putting my family in this vehicle after a second failure of this critical system. I am requesting that I be contacted as soon as possible by someone that can address my concerns. I am concerned about placing my family in a vehicle that has had the power steering/braking system fail twice.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Bedford, MA, USA