1991 GMC SUBURBAN

2 recalls, 33 complaints - 4 TSBs

SEATS

Defect Description

THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL VETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE.

Consequence

IF BOLT FAILURE OCCURS TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WOULD ALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE, AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FOAM AND/OR VINYL FROM BETWEEN THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME "SOFT" JOINT AND REPLACE THE RECLINER BOLTS.

32,596 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Defect Description

UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.

Consequence

THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy

INSTALL A LONGER TRANSMISSION VENT HOSE ROUTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE.

1,702,880 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

Complaint Statistics

33 total complaints 2 crashes 4 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP	8
SEATS	8
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER	3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR	2
TIRES:TREAD/BELT	2
TIRES	2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS	1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE	1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS	1

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS TRAVELING AT 30 MPH. PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT CAME UNBOLTED FROM THE FLOORBOARD. AS A RESULT, PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BACK INJURY. *AK

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jan 25, 1996

(LA SUPERIOR COURT,CASE NO.PC018776) A POLICE OFFICER BECAME A PARAPLEGIC AFTER THE GOODYEAR WRANGLER HT (LT235/85R16) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED, RESULTING IN VEHICLE ROLLOVER ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE OFFICER WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. ATTORNEY IS WRITING IN WITH SEV... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Jan 25, 1996

1 injured

Incident date: Oct 27, 2000

RECALL FOR COLLAPSE OF DRIVER SEAT,RECALL DONE, SEAT COLLAPSED AFTER RECALL REPAIR???*AK

Incident date: Sep 21, 2000

I WAS DRIVING ON THE 405 IN LOS ANGELES AT 65 MPH LAST THURSDAY NIGHT AT 10 PM. MY LEFT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO COME APART AS IF THE SKIN WAS COMING OFF OF IT. I DID NOT CRASH BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY ONTO AN EXIT. THE TIRE APPEARS TO BE SHREDDING LIKE THE ONES I HAVE SEEN ON TELEVISI... Read more

Incident date: Sep 21, 2000

Incident date: Aug 14, 2000

THE PROBLEM: THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD COME ON, AND THE BRAKES WOULD LOSE POWER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO GET FIXED. THE BRAKE LIGHT DOESN'T COME ON ANYMORE. THE DEALER HAS CHANGED ALL THE COMPONENTS ON THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. NOW THE BRAKES ARE REALLY MUS... Read more

Incident date: Aug 14, 2000

HAD RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 96V226000. CONTACTED DEALER. TOOK VEHICLE ON DATE GIVEN. PICKED VEHICLE UP. RECALL WORK NOT DONE. VEHICLE IN SAME LOCATION. BOLTS WERE NEVER REPLACED. ORIGINAL BOLTS STILL ON SEAT & STILL RUSTY. SEATBACK HAD BROKE. *AK

REAR PASSENGERS RESTRAINTS DO NOT RETRACT OR PULL OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

FRONT SEAT BOLTS FAILED.

Incident date: Sep 13, 1997

ENGINE FAILED.

WHEN TRAVELING ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENT, UPON MAKING A GRADUAL STOP THE REAR BRAKES LOCK UP, VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD. ABS LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. *AK

Incident date: Jul 14, 1997

THE BOLT HOLDING SEAT RECLINER BROKE PRIOR TO/AFTER SERVICE RECALL. *AK *SLC

WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS THE BRAKES FADE, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED WITH PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS PUSHED, NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES WOULD KICK IN, DEALER HAS TURNED ROTORS TWICE, REPLACED ROTORS ONCE, REPLACED ABS BRAKE MODULE, AND REPLACED ABS PUMP VALVE. *SLC

THE SURFAC EHARDENING TECHNIQUE UTILIZED DURING THE MANUFACTURING OF THE RING GEARS BEARINGS AND ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS WERE NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH. DURING 1991 THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE AXLE COMPONENTS DUE TO LABOR NEGOTIATIONS WHICH WERE HELD, AND THERE WERE A SIGNIFI... Read more

Incident date: Jan 10, 1997

THE ABS REAR BRAKES DID NOT PERFORM FROM TIME OF PURCHASE. WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES ONLY THE FRONT BRAKES WORKED. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REAR BRAKE NEVER WORKED.

Incident date: Sep 1, 1996

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT FAILED , CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

Incident date: Jul 1, 1997

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, WOULD HEAR NOISES; THEN LOST STEERING CONTROL DUE TO FRAME ATTACHED TO GEAR BOX WAS CRACKED. TOOK TO DEALER & REFUSED TO REPAIR CRACKS; SAID IT SHOULDN'T BE DRIVEN BECAUSE IT WOULD COME LOOSE & SOMEONE COULD BE INJURED. *AK

Incident date: Mar 18, 1997

RECALL #96V226000, MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE VEHICLE REPAIRED. DROVE 30 MILES TO DEALER, WAITED I HOUR AND DEALER CAME OUT AND SAID HE DIDI NOT HAVE THE PARTS. *AK

Incident date: Sep 23, 1996

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK BOLT BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT TO RECLINE BACKWARDS, RECEIVED RECALL# 96V226000. *AK

1 injured

Incident date: Jan 1, 1993

ABS BRAKE FAILURE, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHILE DRIVING. *AK

Incident date: Jul 7, 1996

THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS ON THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AND MIDDLE SEATS GET STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR AND WILL NOT RELEASE PROPERLY UNLESS THE DOOR IS OPENED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

Incident date: Aug 1, 1992

THE TRUCKS FRONT BRAKES DO NOT OPERATE, THEY WEAR OUT QUICKLY AND CAUSE GREATER STOPPING DISTNACE.*AK

Incident date: Aug 1, 1992

THE TRUCKS FRONT BRAKES DO NOT OPERATE, THEY WEAR OUT QUICKLY AND CAUSE GREATER STOPPING DISTNACE.*AK

Incident date: Jun 9, 1996

DRIVER'S SEATBACK RECLINER BOLT SHEARED OFF, CAUSING SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS INTO THE REAR. *AK

Incident date: Feb 3, 1996

ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. TT

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BOLT SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING. TT

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKE TRUCK DIDN'T STOP IT SLOWS THE TRUCK . TT THE BRAKES WORK, BUT NOT THE ABS FEATURE, THE ROAD WAS WET AND IF THE ABS HAD BEE OPERATIVE THE ACCIDENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.*JB

Crash

Incident date: Sep 14, 1995

DRIVER'S BUCKET SEAT BACK COLLAPSED COMPLETELY BACKWARDS, WHILE DRIVING; TWO BOLTS THAT HOLDS SEAT UPRIGHT SHEARED OFF. TT

Incident date: Dec 2, 1994

DRIVER'S SEAT BACK ANCHOR BOLT SHEARED OFF PRIOR TO RECALL (93V-187), CAUSING SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 479576) *SKD

Incident date: Aug 2, 1991

ABS BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED DURING EMERGENCY STOPPING, PEDAL FADED AND WQENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, REPLACED ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. TT

Technical Service Bulletins, 1991 GMC SUBURBAN

4 manufacturer communications from 4 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
063200 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE	1
061100 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE	1
103400 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT	1
100000 POWER TRAIN	1

103400 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

DIAGNOSIS OF CRACKED OR BROKEN TRANSMISSION CASE. *TT 2006 AND PRIOR CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT

100000 POWER TRAIN

DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION FOR INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT, SLIP, BUSY/CYCLING TCC OR NOISY COOLING FAN. *TT

061100 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

COLD ENGINE KNOCK. *TW

063200 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

NEW CAST IRON EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND STAINLESS STEEL GASKET TO CORRECT ENGINE NOISE CONDITION. *TW

NHTSA Safety Investigations, GMC SUBURBAN

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

PE, Closed , Model Year: 1988

SEAT BACK FAILURES