1989 CHEVROLET C1500 Recalls, Complaints & Safety

EQUIPMENT

CERTAIN HONEYWELL FRAM RACING BRAND HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 25, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2007, AND SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR VEHICLES LIST ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FILTERS ARE MARKED WITH A DATE CODE A61451 THROUGH A72571 SEQUENTIALLY. THE DATE CODE AND PART NUMBER APPEAR ON THE FILTER HOUSING. FRAM RACING HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS NOT BEARING A DATE CODE IN THIS RANGE ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. THE GASKET OF THE OIL FILTER BECOMES MORE PLIABLE UNDER HIGH TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES.

Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.

121,680 vehicles affected

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. (TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SIZES, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.

Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).

88,303 vehicles affected

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

TRUCKS CAN CONTAIN INCORRECT INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PROPERLY ADJUST REAR SEAT LAP-SHOULDER BELTS AS REQUIRED BY FMVSS 209.

Remedy: PROVIDE OWNER'S MANUAL INSERT CONTAINING THE CORRECT REAR LAP-SHOULDER BELT INSTRUCTIONS.

194,243 vehicles affected

BRAKE LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. *TR

1989 CHEVROLET C-1500 CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING. *TS THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD. *NM

Fire

THE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE REPLACED TWICE, CONSUMER FOUND ON THE NHTSA WEB PAGE, MANY CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

WIPER MOTOR SOMETIMES WORKS WHEN THE SWITCH IS NOT ON, UNTIL THE FUSE IS REMOVED OR THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VOLT GAUGE FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN, AND THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. ALSO SOMETIMES WIPERS DON'T WORK WITH SWITCH TURNED ON. WHEN THE WIPERS DON'T MOVE WHEN THE SWITCH IS TURNED ON, THE VOLT GAUGE FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN. THESE INSTANCES HAPPEN USUALLY DURING RAIN OR SNOW. THE TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH DELAY WIPERS.*AK

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR. HAD BRAKES CHECKED, AND WORKED ON, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DEPLOYS WHEN TOWING A TRAILER AND BRAKING. THIS "MOVES A BLOCK" IN THE MASTER CYLINDER, ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC, WHICH THEN DISABLES THE FRONT BRAKES UNTIL A MECHANIC RESETS IT. I THE MEAN TIME, THE DRIVER IS UNAWARE OF THE EVENT, AND IS OPERATING THE VEHICLE WITH THE 1/2 OF THE BRAKES DISABLED, CAUSING UNEVEN AND INADEQUATE BRAKING, AND EXTREME WEAR ON THE REMAINING BRAKES. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WITH THE ANIT LOCK BRAKE DEVICE ON THE MASTER CYLINDER, AND THE ADDED WEIGHT OF A TRAILER WHEN BRAKING. (EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK CAME WITH THE "TOWING PACKAGE" AND THE TRAILER IS EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC BRAKES). *AK

STOPPING ON SLIPPERY SURFACE IS POOR! FRONT WHEELS LOCK UP AND REAR WHEELS FREE-WHEEL. DEALER SAYS SYSTEM OK.*AK

WAS DRIVING 70MPH WHEN FELT SOMETHING HITTING THE UNDERBODY OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE STARTED TO SWERVE. VEHICLE WAS CONTROLLABLE. PULLED VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD & STOPPED. NOTICED TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT REAR TIRE. THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED & HAD NOT BLOWN. DURALON RADIAL BAJA WHITE TRACK P235/75R15 WITH 25,000 MILES, DOT VDHLFOX. A GENERIC BRAND. ON A 1989 CHEVEROLT TRUCK C1500.*AK DURALON P235/75/R15 *MW

THE SCISSOR JACK BROKE WHILE VEHICLE WAS JACKED UP. IT WAS IMPROPERLY DESIGNED OR PUT TOGETHER. THE SWIVEL PART ON THE TOP, SWIVELED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK AND ALLOWED THE TRUCK TO FALL. THE GEARS DO NOT FIT TOGETHER CORRECTLY. *AK

1ST TIME STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE AND MECHANIC TIGHTEN IT UP (HE STATED THAT HE HAD DONE THIS TO SEVERAL VEHICAL OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL). THE SECOND TIME IT CAME LOOSE ( ABOUT 4 MONTHS LATER) BEFORE I COULD GET IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC, THE COLUMN BROKE WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN IN AN INTERSECTION, SHUTING OFF THE MOTOR CAUSING ME TO HAVE TROUBLE STOPPING THE VEHICAL. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW THE POLICE HAD TO DIRECT TRAFFIC AROUND ME.

BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON WHEN PEDAL WAS RELEASED. CAUSED MULTIPLE BULB REPLACEMENTS ALONG WITH 4 BATTERIES. THE PAINT ON THE BODY HAS STARTED TO PEEL TWO YEARS AGO. IT WAS SMALL IN NATURE BUT LAST YEAR REALLY STARTED TO EXPAND. IN TALKING WITH A DEALER ABOUT REPAINTING THE PICK-UP, HE INDICATED THAT THE TIME TO BE REPAINTED WAS OVER BY THE MANUFACTURE. WHY DID GM/CHEVROLET NOT SEND ANY INFORMATION OUT ON EITHER OF THESE PROBLEMS TO OWNERS? I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY 89 WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEM UNTIL TALKING WITH SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS. THE PAINT PROBLEM I HAD SEEN ON OTHER CARS BUT AGAIN DID NOT KNOW OF ANY COMPANY PROGRAM OR THAT IT HAD EXPIRED. *AK

WHITE PAINT IS PEELING FROM THE GRAY PRIMER THROUGH OUT THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK

CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE AND OTHER PARTS MALFUNCTIONED. ALSO, THE SHIFTER MALFUNCTIONED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHTS SHORTING OUT DUE TO DEFECTIVE SOCKETS. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK

TILT STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, COULD NOT MOVE, CAUSING ACCIDENT AND SEVERE INJURIES. *AK

Crash

DURING REAR IMPACT AT 40 TO 45 MPH, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK. *AK SEAT BELTS DID NOT PREVENT DRIVER AND PASENGER FROM BEING THROWN FORWARD RESULTING IN FACE AND LEG INJURY. *YD

Crash 2 injured

THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

SEAT BELTS FAILED.

LEFT REAR WHEEL BROKE LOOSE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.

BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR WITH EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. MASTER CYLINDER REPAIRED, HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.

CLUTCH FAILURE. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT CUT LOOSE WHILE AT A STAND STILL.OWNER NOTES FATIGUE FAILURE AFFECTED STRESS RISERS ON SEAT TRACKS.OWNER VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK

STEERING COLUMN STARTS GETTING LOOSE IN THE AREA WHERE IT NORMALLY TILTS. *AK

BS BRAKES FAILED. DEALER ALSO REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER/CALIPERS AND ROTORS/BRAKELINES AND DRUMS. *AK

TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED ONTO CATALYTIC CONVERTOR, CAUSING FIRE.

Fire

FRONT BRAKES WORK, BUT REAR BRAKES HAVE PROBLEMS. OWNER HAD MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED, BUT THAT DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. OWNER HAS HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM AND IS CONCERNED FOR HIS SFETY. *AK

KELSEY/HAYES ABS FAILURE, ON ANY ROAD CONDITIONS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE REAR BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION, PREVENTING THE VEHICLE TO STOP IN TIME.. TAKEN TO GM DEALER TWICE, DEALER STATED THAT IT IS A NORMAL FUNCTION. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, UNDER THE HOOD ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, WILL PROVIDE THE FIRE REPORT. *AK

Fire

THERE IS A NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION, THE BEARINGS ARE WEARING OUT, NEED TO BE REPLACED, CAN'T ORDER THE BEARINGS. DEALER SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO ORDER A NEW TRANSMISSION . *AK

SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED DUE TO BROKEN PLASTIC COVER.

ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THERE IS A LOUD BANG AT THE SAME TIME. THE SYSTEM HAS ABS. *AK

WHEN STOPPING THERE IS A NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION . *AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN TAKING TAKING FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE, A CLUNKING NOISE COMES FROM THE REAR END WITH JERKING MOTION, CHEVROLET STATES THE PROBLEM IS A BUSHING AND ANOTHER DEALER STATES THERE ARE SPLINE GEARS THAT NEED TO BE LUBED WITH A SPECIALIZED LUBRICANT. *SLC

THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE POWER STEERING BELT, THE TWO BOLTS BROKE . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK