NHTSA Complaint #10052489 — 1996 GMC SUBURBAN

WE HAVE A 1996 6.5 TURBO DIESEL GMC SUBURBAN. WE HAD SEVERE STALLING PROBLEMS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AT THEIR COST AND INSTALLED AT OUR COST, NEW GLOW PLUGS, GLOW PLUG SENSOR, BATTERY, AND BATTERY CABLES SUSPECTED TO BE THE PROBLEM. IT CONTINUED TO STALL. WE RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE PUMP AGAIN AT THEIR COST, BUT WE HAD TO PAY TO DROP THE TANK TO CHECK FOR CONTAMINATION. THERE WAS A DETERIORATED SCREEN WE PAID TO REPLACE. IT STILL STALLED. ONLY THIS TIME IT STALLED WHEN I WAS GOING 50 MPH AND APPROACHING CURVES ALONG THE RIVER. I LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. ME AND MY FIVE YOUNG KIDS ALMOST ENDED UP IN THE RIVER. HAD IT BEEN NORMAL WINTER ROADS, WE WOULD HAVE. ALL ALONG WE'VE DONE RESEARCH AND HAD IT REDIAGNOSED BY A PROFESSIONAL DIESEL MECHANIC, SO WE KNEW TO TELL OUR DEALER (AUTOMALL IN BRATTLEBORO VERMONT) TO REPLACE THE PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER (PMD) SOMETIMES CALLED A FUEL SOLENOID DRIVER (FSD). AFTER PROBLEMS WHERE AUTOMALL TRIED TO RIP US OFF FOR A FAKE $100 DEDUCTIBLE, THEY WILL INSTALL IT AT NO CHARGE TOMORROW (1/7/04). WE HAVE DRIVEN JUST OVER 1000 MILES TOTAL. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FROM ALL THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE, WEVE DISCOVERED MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE SAME DANGEROUS ACCOUNTS OF STALLING. SEVERAL REPORT HAVING ALMOST HAD SERIOUS ACCIDENTS LIKE I HAD TWO DAYS AGO. ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, PMD FAILURES ARE THE MOST COMMON PART TO FAIL ON GM 6.5 DIESELS. THE PMD OVERHEATS BECAUSE OF PLACEMENT NEAR THE ENGINE. THERE IS A SIMPLE, YET COSTLY FIX THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO BE SAFE. A PUMP DRIVER COOLER (PDC) CAN MOUNT ON THE FIREWALL (NOT THE ENGINE) TO MOVE THE PMD AWAY FROM THE HEAT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ISSUE A RECALL TO INSTALL PDC'S ON THESE ENGINES SO WE CAN ONCE AGAIN BE SAFE IN OUR VEHICLES. MY FAMILY OF 7 CANT AFFORD ANOTHER STALL, ESPECIALLY DURING THESE WINTER MONTHS, AND NEW PDCS ALONE CANT GUARANTEE SAFETY. THANK YOU.*AK