2004 Chevrolet Suburban Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION, THE GEAR SHIFTED INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,000.

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SHORTS OUT AND GEAR INDICATOR GOES BLANK. NO MESSAGE CENTER INFORMATION WARNINGS ARE DISPLAYED. PART IS DEFECTIVE AND CAR MAKERS SHOULD REPLACE IT. NOT KNOWING WHAT GEAR VEHICLE IS IN CAN LEAD TO DEATH IF VEHICLE LEFT IN NEUTRAL AND ROLLS AWAY. GM NEEDS TO FIX THIS EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. ALSO 4L60E TRANSMISSION ON THESE VEHICLES FAILS AND STARTS SLIPPING BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE SUN SHELL AND REAL PISTON SEAL. GM SHOULD RECALL ALL THESE BAD TRANSMISSIONS. WARRANTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOR LIFE. WHY SHOULD SUCH AN EXPENSIVE PART TO REPAIR FAIL UNDER NORMAL USE? RECALL ! BOTH THESE PARTS FAIL WHEN DRIVING. ALL WARNING OF VEHICLE CONDITIONS ARE SENT TO FAILED CLUSTER. VEHICLE WAS MADE IN MEXICO FOR RE-IMPORTATION AND SALE IN USA AND MAYBE PARTS SUPPLIERS IN MEXICO PROVIDED DEFECTIVE PARTS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED FINANCIAL LOSS TRYING TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS, LASTLY, THE EMISSION SOLENOID NEAR THE TANK ALSO FAILS. VEHICLE MAY NOT PASS EMISSION. *TR

THE VEHICLE IS A 4WD SUBURBAN 1500. WITH 2 WD DRIVE SELECTED AND DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 5 MPH TO 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED 7 OR 8 TIMES. EACH TIME WAS IN TRAFFIC WHICH REQUIRED ILLUMINATING EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND PULLING TO SIDE OF ROAD. EVERY TIME PRESENTED A SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS FORTUNATE IT DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ON ONE OCCASION I HAD JUST PASSED A SEMI ON THE INTERSTATE AND HAD JUST PULLED BACK INTO TRUCKS LANE WHEN IT OCCURRED. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETECT A PROBLEM. THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR REMAINS IN "DRIVE", THE DASH SELECTOR REMAINS ILLUMINATED IN 2WD AND I GET NO MESSAGES ON INSTRUMENT PANEL MESSAGE CENTER. TO TROUBLESHOOT I SELECTED "AUTO 4 WD" ON DASH SELECTOR AND OPERATED FOR A WEEK WITH NO PROBLEM. I THEN SELECTED 2 WD AND THE PROBLEM REAPPEARED WITHIN 2 HOURS OF OPERATION. ONCE I STOPPED, I SELECTED 1,2,3 AND R ON GEAR SELECTOR WITH NO EFFECT. SELECTED NEUTRAL AND TURNED IGNITION OFF AND THEN RESTARTED WITH NO EFFECT (ON PREVIOUS OCCASION I HAD SELECTED PARK WITH VEHICLE RUNNING AND NOTICED A GEAR GRINDING NOISE SO DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN WITH ENGINE RUNNING). TURNED IGNITION OFF WITH GEAR SELECTOR IN NEUTRAL AND SELECTED AUTO 4 WD AND THEN RESTARTED ENGINE WHICH TOOK CARE OF PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN DRIVING IT WILL TRY AND ENGAGE THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE LOW. IT HAPPENED A YEAR AGO AND THEN AGAIN THIS WEEK. *TR

TRANSFER CASE HAD TO BE REPLACED BEFORE 70000 MILES DUE TO BEARING. PASSENGER AIR WENT OUT AND ONLY BLEW HOT AFTER A BATTERY CHANGE, HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE AIR SYSTEM. AIR SYSTEM WENT OUT AGAIN WITH 2ND BATTERY REPLACEMENT, BUT DEALER WAS ABLE TO "RESET" IT. SPEEDOMETER ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES. BINDING NOISE IN STEERING COLUMN , HAS BEEN LUBED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE WAITING FOR CHEVY TO ISSUE A RECALL ACCORDING TO DEALER. THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN UNDER 15000 MILES A YEAR. *TR

TRANSFERCASE ON SUBURUBAN BEGAN TO LEAK AROUND 80K MILES WHEN YOU PUT ON LIFT YOU'LL SEE LITTLE PIN HOLES IN THE TRANSFER CASE. THIS IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY DESIGN WHERE THE PUMP RUBS A HOLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE T-CASE TO THE OUTSIDE. NUMEROUS COMPANIES HAVE MADE A MOD KIT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WHICH GM HAS NOT. YOU CAN PUT A TEMP BANDAGE ON IT USING JB WELD BUT THE CASE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING CAUSING A "SHUDDER" AROUND 55 MPH OR LOWER IF I AM HAULING SOMETHING. WE TOOK IN TO DEALER WHO SAID THE TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH IS BAD AND THEY CAN REPLACE IT OR PUT IN A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST TO US OF $3,300. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND TSB #050730017 WHICH OUTLINES THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. I HAVE SEVERAL FRIENDS WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. IF THIS MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS KNOW BY GM I FEEL IT SHOULD BE HANDLED BY THEM. THE TECHNICIAN THAT HANDLED OUR REPAIR SAID THAT THE TRANNY FLUID SHOULD BE CHANGED EVERY 25-30K MILES SINCE WE LIVE IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA AND OCCASIONALLY PULL A SMALL HORSE TRAILER. THE MANUAL STATES THAT IT SHOULD BE CHANGED EVERY 50K MILES WITH NO REFERENCE TO TERRAIN. I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THIS REPAIR SINCE THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HAVE DONE NOTHING TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE ISSUE OR HOW TO CORRECT IT. *TR

VEHICLE IS A 4WD MODEL, EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED TRANSFER CASE. THE CONTROL ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN A SNOWSTORM AND UNABLE TO USE THE 4WD. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I HAD THE CONTROL REPAIRED ONCE, BUT THE PROBLEM QUICKLY RETURNED. I AM TOLD THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 4WD CHEVROLET AND GMC TRUCKS, FOR MANY MODEL YEARS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE FREEWAY AND I NOTICED THAT ON THE COMPUTERIZED DASHBOARD, THE SERVICE TIRE MONITOR WAS FLASHING. I WAS DRIVING 50 MPH AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE SPEEDOMETER, THE GAUGE WENT UP TO 120 MPH AND EVEN THOUGH I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF THE GAUGE IS STILL AT 120 MPH. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY GAUGE IS NOT WORKING, BECAUSE THE GAUGE IS NOT MOVING AT ALL AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE RPM GAUGE, I WAS ONLY PRESSING THE GAS SLIGHTLY, THE RPM GAUGE WENT UP TO THE MAXIMUM LEVEL. WHEN I WAS COMING BACK HOME FROM WORK THE SAME DAY, WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE I FELT IT RIGHT AWAY THAT WHENEVER I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS, THE VEHICLE IS JUST MOVING SLOWLY, UNTIL IT STOPPED MOVING. I HAVE IT TOWED TO BILL HEARD DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION WAS TORE AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I NEED TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE IS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 67,880 MILEAGE AND WE ONLY HAVE THIS VEHICLE FOR 4 1/2 YEARS. FEW MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM, ABOUT A CONDITION THAT MAY DEVELOP ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH IS WHERE ONE OR MORE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGE NEEDLES MAY STICK, FLUTTER OR BECOME INOPERATIVE AND MAY CAUSE INACCURATE READINGS, INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE FUEL GAUGE. I HAVE KEPT THAT LETTER AND CALLED THE GM AND I WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS JUST WANDERING, BECAUSE IT ALL HAPPENED IN ONE DAY. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

I DRIVE A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Z71. WHEN I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE TRANSFER CASE SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL. I DIDN'T TOUCH THE TRANSFER CASE CONTROLS OR ANYTHING IT JUST GOES INTO NEUTRAL. IT WORKS JUST FINE IN AUTO 4WD, 4HI, AND 4LO. THIS ONLY OCCURS WHILE DRIVING IN 2HI. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING FIXED YET BECAUSE ELECTRONICALLY IT APPEARS THAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING NORMALLY. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE APART MY TRANSFER CASE AND I CANT AFFORD IT. I WAS WONDERING IF THIS WAS SOME KIND OF MANUFACTURER DEFECT OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IT DOESN'T DO THIS ALL THE TIME. THE PROBLEM OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE OFF-ROAD OR HAVE HAD TO USE THE 4WD FOR ANYTHING. IT JUST SEEMS ODD BECAUSE THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 70000 MILES ON IT. I WOULD THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE A TRANSFERCASE WOULD BE BUILT TO LAST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. IT HASN'T CAUSED AN ACCIDENT YET BUT HAS COME CLOSE A COUPLE OF TIMES LIKE WHEN IT FAILS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR

2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN 1500 4WD NORMAL DRIVING SECONDARY ROADS. AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED NORMALLY THROUGH SECOND GEAR. IMMEDIATELY AND WITHOUT WARNING THE 2-3 SHIFT RESULTED IN SEVERE SLIPPAGE. THERE WAS NO NOISE, NO FLUID LEAKS OF ANY KIND AND NO FLUID CONTAMINATION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED BY THE SELLING DEALER AND HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AN TWO OCCASIONS BY THE DEALER. A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT ERRATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS AND BEHAVIORS WERE NOTED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND SCHEDULED SERVICE. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEMS COMPLAINED ABOUT. UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE SELLING DEALER AND AUTHORIZING REMOVAL AND TEAR-DOWN OF THE TRANSMISSION WE WERE TOLD IT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND NEEDED COMPLETE REBUILDING. THE VEHICLE WAS PHRASED NEW, HAS HAD ONE DRIVER, NEVER TOWED ANYTHING, HAS HAD COMPLETE AND TIMELY SERVICE BY THE SELLING DEALER. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE WAS 85,000. WE HAD A GM EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH EXPIRED AT 75,000. THE DEALER WON'T COVER IT AND AFTER ASKING THEM TO CONTACT THE CHEVY ZONE OFFICE TO SEEK SOME SUPPORT, I WAS TOLD THAT WAS DENIED. WHEN I ASKED FOR THAT DENIAL IN WRITING THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE ZONE OFFICIAL REFUSED TO DO SO. THEY ARE SEEKING BETWEEN $2800 - $3,400.00 FOR REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 5 AND 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED ON 6 OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER EACH TIME. THIS PROBLEM STARTED IN AUGUST 2005. ON 5 OCCASIONS THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM HOWEVER; ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. ON THE SIXTH OCCASION THE DEALER REPLACED THE PCM MODULE.

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE VEHICLE SWITCHED INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ON ITS ON. *AK

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. WHEN TRAVELING UP HILLS THE TRUCK LOSES ITS POWER, EVEN WHILE ACCELERATING. REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE DEALERSHIP A WEEK AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN 2 OTHER TIMES, THE LAST TIME I WAS INFORMED GM IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE 2004 TAHOES, HOWEVER THERE IS NO FIX. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION, THE BRAKE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PUSHED ON TO PUT INTO GEAR. I WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND TURNED AWAY AND MY 2 YEAR OLD WAS ABLE TO CLIMB INTO THE FRONT SEAT, PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND TURN IT TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION AND INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OUT THE DRIVE UP ON THE CURB, HIT A MAIL BOX AND SINCE THE DOOR WAS OPENED -LUCKILY IT DID NOT RUN INTO THE HOUSE. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WHEN THAT THERE WAS A LAW PASSED THAT STATED YOU HAVE TO PUSH ON THE BRAKE TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HIT THE VEHICLE WITH MY CHILDREN IN IT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A TOWING FEATURE, I PERSONALLY THINK THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THIS IS A COMMON SUV FOR PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN AND IT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO HAVE THIS VEHICLE STOLEN. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE AND PAID SOMEONE TO HAVE THIS FIXED, HOWEVER; I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A DEFECT IN THE 2004 CHEV. TAHOE AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY DAMAGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND IN THE FUTURE IF THIS IS NOT RECALLED OR FIXED - I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING ANOTHER CHEV. VEHICLE AND I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT BE ALSO. *JB

2004 SUBURBAN LT WITH 4 WHEEL DRIVE. OCCAISIONAL LOSS OF POWER WHEN TURNING AND ACCELERATING INTO TRAFFIC. USUALLY LASTS ABOUT TWO SECONDS BEFORE POWER RETURNS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC. CHEVROLET HAS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP , A TIMING DEVICE IN THE TRANSMISSION AND AN AIR SENSOR OVER THE COURSE OF SIX TRIPS TO THE SHOP. I WAS TOLD YESTERDAY THAT THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO GM ENGINEERS AS THE FOUR WHEEL AUTOMATICALLY SENSING A NEED TO SHIFT , AND THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN FIX. I HAVE AND ACTIVE COMPLAINT WITH GM, CASE NUMBER 1-269747819 SINCE 10/21/2004.*AK

VEHICLE WAS ABLE SWITCH GEARS WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WITH A FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD INSIDE. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK *JB

I HAD MY 2004 CHEV SUBURBAN PARKED IN MY GARAGE. MY 8 YEARS OLD DAUGHTER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT LISTENING TO THE RADIO. I HAD THE GEAR IN PARK AND THE KEY IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION SO SHE COULD LISTEN TO THE RADIO. FROM THE BACK SEAT SHE REACHED UP TO TURN OFF THE RADIO AND ACCIDENTLY HIT THE GEAR SHIFT. THE CAR WENT INTO REVERSE. THE DRIVES SIDE REAR DOOR WAS OPEN. WHEN THE SUBURBAN ROLLED OUT OF THE GARAGE THE REAR DOOR CAUGHT ON THE GARAGE DOOR KEEPING IT FROM ROLLING INTO THE STREET, INTO A PEDESTRIAN OR INTO THE HOUSE ACCROSS THE STREET. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I NOTIFIED GM PRODUCT ALLIGATIONS DEPARTMENT, TIM MILLER, ABOUT THE INCIDENT. HE STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE COULD BE PUT INTO GEAR WITHOUT USING THE BREAK WHEN THE KEY IS IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO LOOK INTO THIS AS BEING A SAFETY ISSUE. THE OWNERS MANUAL SUGGESTS THAT YOU USE THE ACCESSORY KEY POSITIONING TO "LET YOU USE THINGS LIKE THE RADIO, POWER WINDOWS AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF". I THINK THAT GM NEEDS TO LOOK AT INSTALLING SOME TYPE OF FEATURE THAT REQUIRES THE BRAKE TO BE ENGAGED TO SHIFT THE GREAR OUT OF PARK EVEN WHEN THE KEY IS PLACED IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION SIMILARY TO STANDARD NO. 102 - TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT - PASSENGER CARS, MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES, TRUCKS, AND BUSES (EFFECTIVE 1-1-68) THIS STANDARD SPECIFIES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, A STARTER INTERLOCK, AND FOR A BRAKING EFFECT OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SHIFTING ERRORS, STARTER ENGAGEMENT WITH VEHICLE IN DRIVE POSITION, AND TO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL BRAKING AT SPEEDS BELOW 40 KM/H (25 MPH). PLEASE ADVISE ON HOW TO PROCEED WITH INSTALLING SOME TYPE OF SAFETY MEASURES IN THE CHEV. SURBAN SO A FATAL INJURY DOES NOT OCCUR.*AK