1997 CHEVROLET TAHOE Electrical System Problems

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1997 CHEVY TAHOE. THE OTHER DAY WHILE LISTENING TO THE EXPANDING RECALL OF GM VEHICLES I TRIED TO REMOVE MY KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. TO MY SURPRISE ONCE THE VEHICLE IS STARTED I CAN REMOVE MY KEY, SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR AND DRIVE WITHOUT A KEY IN THE IGNITION. MAYBE THIS IS DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, BUT IT HAS ONLY 148000 MILES ON IT. THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW. COULD VIDEO THIS ISSUE IF YOU ARE FURTHER INTERESTED. *TR

Mileage: 140,000

I BOUGHT THIS CAR AT CAR HOP IN ARLINGTON TX. I WAS SOLD IT WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS, NO HAZARDS, BAD TIRES, BAD BRAKES, ONE OF THE BACK DOORS WILL NOT OPEN, BAD BATTERY, BAD INSPECTION, NO COVER FOR FUEL FILTER, DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, KEEPS DYING, SPARE TIRE FLEW OFF ON HIGHWAY AND BRAKES WENT OUT WHILE MY KIDS AND I WERE DRIVING. I AM A DISABLED MOTHER OF TWO AND THEY KNEW THEY GAVE ME A BAD CAR. THE FIRST I HAD 5 KIDS WITH ME AND IT WAS A KIA MINI VAN DIDNT EVEN MAKE IT HOME, THEY HAD TO COME TOW IT. THEN THAY GAVE ME THIS TAHOE. PLEASE HELP ME I HAVE NO OTHER CAR AND IT SCARES ME AND THEY WILL NOT HELP ME. I AM PAYING EVERY MONTH ON THIS VEHICALE AND WENT ALL THE WAY TO CORPORATE. THEY SENT ME TO THEIR MEHCANIC AND HE EVEN WROTE A E-MAIL DESCRIBING THE CONDITION AND STILL DID NOT CARE CAR HOP. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!! GOD BLESS. *TR

THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WILL STOP WORKING ALL OF A SUDDEN. IT IS NOT ALL OF THE TIME, BUT SOMETIMES, WHEN I HAVE THE WINDOW DOWN, AND I PUSH THE POWER SWITCH TO CLOSE OR OPEN THE WINDOW IT WILL NOT WORK. THIS COULD LEAD TO A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, IF FOR SOME REASON I AM UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND THEN THE WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN. WE LIVE IN MICHIGAN AND YOU RECENTLY RECALLED VEHICLES BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCH CAUSING FIRES IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, WHICH ENDED UP MELTING AND/OR BURNING THE DOOR. THERE MUST BE CORROSION OF THE WIRING IN MY VEHICLE THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM WITH MY WINDOW. I KNOW THAT YOUR RECALL WAS NOT FOR THE SAME YEAR AS MY VEHICLE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND I DON'T WANT TO END UP HAVING MY CAR DOOR CATCH ON FIRE, ESPECIALLY IF ME OR MY FAMILY ARE IN IT, OR IF IT IS PARKED IN OUR GARAGE IT COULD BURN OUR ENTIRE HOUSE DOWN. WHEN WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS BRAND NEW, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER OWNERS. *TR

Mileage: 130,000

BATTERY CASE CRACKED, FLUID LEAKED OUT AND CORRODED AND THUS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY CABLES AND THE BATTERY. I FEEL THAT THE ORIGINAL BATTERY CABLE IS TOO SHORT CAUSING STRESS ON THE BATTERY CASE AT THE CABLE MOUNT TO THE BATTERY, RESULTING IN A CRACKED CASE AND SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE. REPAIR COSTS AT DEALER $285.53. I SEE THAT INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM HAS ALREADY BEGUN. *JB

Mileage: 125,000

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY FAIL ON MY 1997 CHEV TAHOE. ALSO, HAVE EXPERIENCED TEMPORARY POWER LOSS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. OBSERVABLE AFFECTED COMPONENTS ARE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS, HEAD LAMPS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS, ACCOMPANIED BY BUZZING SOUNDS. HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE. HAS CAUSED NEAR ACCIDENTS DURING RAINY WEATHER AND IN POORLY LIT ROADWAYS. *JB

Mileage: 62,000

THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE RUNNING PERFECTLY,NO LEAKS OR SMELLS OR WARNING, 65MPHIN CRUISE CONTROL AND ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. I WAS TOWING A VERY LIGHT TRAILER, EMPTY. I HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT IT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE FIRE. 1997 TAHOE, 97,000 APPROX MILES, BOUGHT USED SUMMER 03. PREVIOUSLY A FEDERAL VEHICLE IN WELL MAINTAINED CONDITION AS FAR AS I COULD TELL.*AK

Mileage: 97,000

CONSUMER STATES THE TURN SIGNALS ARE INOPERATIVE, THE FUSES KEEP BLOWING OUT, ALSO HAZARD LIGHTS DO NOT WORK, THE DEALER HAS ALREADY REPLACED FUSE ONCE ALREADY, BUT THE TURN SIGNALS STILL DO NOT WORK.*AK. CONSUMER STATED THE TURN SWITCH ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED.*SLC

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE WILL NOT START INTERMITTENLY DUE TO A SHORT THAT DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE IT WAS. THIS DEFECT CAUSED BATTERY TO DIE, CONSUMER HAD REPLACED BATTERIES 3-4 TIMES. ALSO, ALTERNATOR AND DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM WERE REPLACED. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START DUE TO DELCO BATTERY FAILURE,WHICH RESULTED FROM THE BATTERY LEAKING ACID AND IN SECURELY INSTALLED. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FAILED DUE TO THE RESERVIOR AND CONNECTION LINES DAMAGED BY THE LEAKING BATTERY ACID. *YH

THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY 3 TIMES AND REMOVED AN ADD ON FEATURE THAT THEY BLAMED FOR THE DRAIN ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I REQUESTED COPIES OF ALL RECORDS FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT WERE NEVER GIVEN THEM.*AK

STEERING GETS LOOSE WHEN WARM, MAYBE SOMTHING WRONG WITH VARIABLE ASSIT SYSTEM, CAN CAUSE DANGEROUS LANE CHANGES. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

WIRES INSIDE THE FUEL TANK BECAME SO HOT THAT THEY MELTED THE INSTALLATION ON THE WIRES GOING TO THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CUT OFF TWICE. ONCE AT 55 MPH, AND ONCE AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THE DEALERS HAVE CHANGED THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY UNDER WARRANTY. *AK *ML

MY STEERING HAS LOCKED ON ME WHILE DRIVING, MY CAR WOULD NOT START DUE TO CRACK IN THE BATTERY AND ACID LEAK, MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP DUE TO STARTER CABLE POPPING OFF. CURRENTLY, I AM STRANDED DUE TO MY BRAKES LOSING POWER SOMEHOW. *AK

MY STEERING HAS LOCKED ON ME WHILE DRIVING, MY CAR WOULD NOT START DUE TO CRACK IN THE BATTERY AND ACID LEAK, MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP DUE TO STARTER CABLE POPPING OFF. CURRENTLY, I AM STRANDED DUE TO MY BRAKES LOSING POWER SOMEHOW. *AK

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. YH

STARTER FAILED. YH

GENERATOR ASSEMBLY FAILED RESULTING IN NOISE.

ON 3/24/98 MY 1997 CHEVROLET TAHOU WAS 10 MONTHS OLD WITH 5400 MILES ON IT WHEN THE TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASH WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND WAS TOTALLY DISTROYED. WHEN THE FIRE STARTED IT WAS LATE ON MY WAY HOME FROM A MOVIE WITH MY WIFE . WE SMELLED SMOKE AND I STOPPED BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. WE HAD GONE A LITTLE DISTANCE WHEN FIRE STARTED FALLING AT MY FEET, I RAN OFF THE ROAD AND HIT SOME SMALL TREES TO TRY TO STOP THE TRUCK THEN TRUNED ACROSS THE ROAD AND FINILLY HIT A TREE BIG ENOUGH TO STOP THE TRUCH. WHERE I GOT OUT AND HAD TO PULL MY WIFE OUT AND CALLED 911 ON MY CEL PHONE. MY WIFE HAD HIT HER HEAD AND WAS A LITTLLE OUT OF IT AND PASSED OUT ON THE GROUND. SHE PASSED OUT AGAIN JUST BEFORE THE MEDICS GOT THERE. THE TRUCK CONTENUIED TO BURN UNTILL THE FIRE DEPT. GOT THERE TO PUT IT OUT. GM CLAIMS THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY OTHER CLAIMS OF CHEVROLET TRUCKS CATCHING FIRE FROM THE DASH IN '97 OR ANY OTHER LATER YEAR TRUCKS AND WOULD NOT TAKE ANY RESPONCEALILITY FOR THE FIRE. IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD ANY THING LIKE THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. R.W. PARKER

HAD COME TO A STOP, WAS MAKING LEFT TURN, STEERING FAILED TO OPERATE & COULD NOT MAKE TURN. VEHICLE COULD GO STRAIGHT. BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE TOWED TO MECHANIC. NOTICED TENSIONER BELT HAD BROKEN. HAD NO WARNING THAT IT BROKE. *AK

BATTERY FAILED DUE TO POSITIVE POST SEPARATING FROM CASE. THIS CAUSED BATTERY ACID TO LEAK ONTO FRONT BRAKE LINE CAUSING BRAKES TO FAIL. CHEVROLET CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED BUT NOT CONCERNED WITH POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM. HAD SPEED BEEN INCREASED, THE POSSIBILITY OF DEATH/SERIOUS INJURY WAS IMMINENT. SEVERAL MECHANICS IN LOCAL AREA STATED THAT ACDELCO BATTERIES HAVE A HISTORY OF THIS TYPE FAILURE.

HAVE SPEED SENSITIVE STEERING, WHILE DRIVING TENSION ON WHEEL WOULD DECREASE & WOULD LOSE CONTROL; WOULD SWERVE OFF ROAD; SPEED WOULD VARY; HAPPENS ON STRAIGHTAWAYS, BUT OFTEN ON CURVES; HAPPENS INTERMITTENLY; TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED WORKING LIKE IT SUPPOSE TO. *AK