NHTSA Complaint #10080431 — 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP HAS FAILED AGAIN ON MY 1997 CHEVY SUBURBAN, 6.5 LITER DIESEL ENGINE. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE HISTORY FROM MY DEALERSHIP SHOWS THIS WILL BE THE 6TH FUEL INJECTION PUMP TO BE INSTALLED ON THIS VEHICLE, ALL OF WHICH ARE COVERED BY GM'S 120,000 FACTORY WARRANTY & A 12 MONTH 12,000 MILE SERVICE GUARANTEE AFTER THE 5TH PUMP WAS INSTALLED. AUGUST OF 2003, THE PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD & WAS REPLACED WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS AT 116,503, UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. JUNE 27, 2004, AND MILEAGE OF 128,300 (11,800 MILES LATER) THE PUMP HAS FAILED AGAIN. THE PUMP FAILED ON A VERY BUSY & DARK STREET AT NIGHTTIME ON A BEND IN THE ROAD AS I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY WIFE & TWO KIDS IN THE CAR. WHEN IT FAILED THE ENGINE DIED AND WE WERE STUCK IN TRAFFIC. THE CAR IS BLACK AND IT WAS DARK, UNABLE TO MOVE, WE WERE ALMOST REAR ENDED BY SEVERAL CARS COMING UP THE HILL AND ROUNDING THE BEND IN THE ROAD. EVENTUALLY I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR STARTED AND IT RAN JUST ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO GET THE CAR OUT OF HARM'S WAY BEFORE DYING AGAIN. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT HAD PERFORMED THE LAST FUEL INJECTION PUMP. AT THIS POINT, IT IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THAT INJECTION PUMP HAD GONE BAD AND THAT HE IS CURRENTLY WAITING FOR WARRANTY APPROVAL FOR REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS THE NEW PUMP ITSELF TO ARRIVE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY OWNERS OF CHEVY AND GMC TRUCKS AND SUBURBANS WITH THE 6.5 LITER DIESEL, YEARS 1994-1999, VIA THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE HTTP://THEDIESELPAGE.COM. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT GM SHOULD RESOLVE. TO DATE, GM HAS ONLY INCREASED THE FACTORY WARRANTY FROM 100,000 MILES TO 120,000 IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE GOOD. THIS IS STILL A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOU LOSE POWER AND BECOME A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IN TRAFFIC. GM NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A PERMANENT FIX THAT PREVENTS THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, NOT JUST ONE THAT LASTS FOR A FEW MILES AND THEN HAPPEN ALL OVER AGAIN. *NM