Suburban Problems
Question:
First of all, I don’t think it is GM’s customer service that you need to worry about, but a very common complaint, the dealer’s. What I would try is to get together all of your documentation from your last repair orders, try and track down a Service Manager that you can get some rapport with, tell your story, and see what they can do to help. If after all of this, THEN get ahold of GM, through say, their customer assistance and try that. Axle seals are common in most any truck, sometimes dependent upon loads, but sometimes they just happen. We see it in Fords and GMs alike. Compared to your other problem, quite minor. We have quite a few customers with high mileage Subs who love them and have had great success. Good luck in getting your problem tended to in the CORRECT manner.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We have a ‘97 ‘Burb with 68K. We use the vehicle mostly for travel so > most of the mileage has been on the highway. We don’t do a lot of driving > around town(Seattle) with it. Recently I had to have the rear axle seals > replaced. I’ve never had to have these replaced on any vehicle we’ve ever > owned. We keep our cars until they reach 150-200K on the average before we > get rid of them. We’ve never had a major problem with any other car other > than normal wear and tear. A friend of mine with a ‘96 ‘Burb had to have his > rear seals replaced at 30K and again at 60K. Does this seem to be a common > problem with Suburbans? If so, why hasn’t GMC done anything to correct the > malfunction? > Another problem which has developed lately seems to have something to do > with the torque converter. While on vacation two months ago we had the > "Service Engine Soon" light come on. I took the car into the local GM dealer > for a check. They diagnosed some sort of transmission problem at the time. > After performing a basic transmission service the light went out and they > told me it was now fine. A month later while traveling in Idaho the SES > light came back on and the transmission was slipping slightly in the lowest > gear. I stopped in Hamilton, MT at a GM truck dealer. They basically told me > they didn’t want to touch it and I should drive carefully back to Seattle. > Not the kind of thing I wanted to hear since I had just started the trip. I > wasn’t real happy with their customer service to say the least. Ultimately I > got it back to a dealer here in Seattle where they finally diagnosed a valve > problem on the transmission. Cost to fix was $825. On top of that they then > told me that there was also likely a problem with the torgue converter(this > is what they think caused the valve to go bad) which was going to cost a lot > more to check and adjust/replace if necessary. > I know the vehicle is beyond warranty, but it’s only 2 years and 4 > months old. I can’t believe these kinds of problems are happening and I’m > wondering if they’re happening to others also. I’m also completely pissed > off about the way the GM dealers have handled it. > 1. First dealer misdiagnoses problem. > 2. Second dealer doesn’t want to touch it. > 3. Third dealer seems to attack the problem back asswards and I end up > paying through the nose for the whole thing. > At this point I sure wouldn’t recommend a ‘Burb to any of my friends and > I know I won’t likely buy another unless GM develops better customer > service. > Ron Rathnow > 425 430-9264
Response:
We have a ‘97 ‘Burb with 68K. We use the vehicle mostly for travel so most of the mileage has been on the highway. We don’t do a lot of driving around town(Seattle) with it. Recently I had to have the rear axle seals replaced. I’ve never had to have these replaced on any vehicle we’ve ever owned. We keep our cars until they reach 150-200K on the average before we get rid of them. We’ve never had a major problem with any other car other than normal wear and tear. A friend of mine with a ‘96 ‘Burb had to have his rear seals replaced at 30K and again at 60K. Does this seem to be a common problem with Suburbans? If so, why hasn’t GMC done anything to correct the malfunction? Another problem which has developed lately seems to have something to do with the torque converter. While on vacation two months ago we had the "Service Engine Soon" light come on. I took the car into the local GM dealer for a check. They diagnosed some sort of transmission problem at the time. After performing a basic transmission service the light went out and they told me it was now fine. A month later while traveling in Idaho the SES light came back on and the transmission was slipping slightly in the lowest gear. I stopped in Hamilton, MT at a GM truck dealer. They basically told me they didn’t want to touch it and I should drive carefully back to Seattle. Not the kind of thing I wanted to hear since I had just started the trip. I wasn’t real happy with their customer service to say the least. Ultimately I got it back to a dealer here in Seattle where they finally diagnosed a valve problem on the transmission. Cost to fix was $825. On top of that they then told me that there was also likely a problem with the torgue converter(this is what they think caused the valve to go bad) which was going to cost a lot more to check and adjust/replace if necessary. I know the vehicle is beyond warranty, but it’s only 2 years and 4 months old. I can’t believe these kinds of problems are happening and I’m wondering if they’re happening to others also. I’m also completely pissed off about the way the GM dealers have handled it. 1. First dealer misdiagnoses problem. 2. Second dealer doesn’t want to touch it. 3. Third dealer seems to attack the problem back asswards and I end up paying through the nose for the whole thing. At this point I sure wouldn’t recommend a ‘Burb to any of my friends and I know I won’t likely buy another unless GM develops better customer service. Ron Rathnow 425 430-9264
Response:
My father owns a 93 burb, he has 194,000 miles on it and the axle seals just started leaking. I don’t know if it is a prob on the newer ones. At 193,000 miles the tranny started slipping, it cost him 1,435 bucks to have it rebuilt with a master rebuild kit and a brand spanking new converter (at local tranny shop). He got a 12,000 mile warrenty(spl). Sorry to say, it sounds like they saw you coming.
Response:
You are not alone. Ever since American Gear and Axle took over what was formerly an entirely in-house operation, there have been lots of rearend problems in light duty trucks. I work in a GM plant and naturally a lot of employees purchase GM product. I can name 5 personal friends in the plant whose late model GM trucks have suffered total rearend failure, and know of many more people who have had the same problems. The problem is so bad it has been mentioned in the GM board meetings! (Yes, I have an excellent source, don’t bother asking.Thanks.) We’re not talking about old, high mileage trucks here, these are one and two year old , driven by 40 and 50 year old men and women. GM has started using a synthetic lube in the last couple of years to try to help these rears. This 8.5" corporate rear has been very reliable in years past, a rearend was something you never ever worried about. I have a lot of miles on my old ‘92 pickup, but the rear has a tremendous amount of ring gear backlash compared to any high mileage GM vehicle I have ever owned. This problem is not enough to make me forsake GM products, but I am disappointed in the direction quality has gone, regarding these rearends. I believe GM would have better control of the problem if it was still "in house". IRONDOG
