NHTSA Complaint #11457631 — 2018 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

I had noticed an intermittent chirping noise coming from the vehicle, but no warning lights were on and it did not seem significant, I thought maybe it was a squeaky belt that I would have checked at our next routine maintenance. My husband drove the vehicle next for an approximately 12-mile round trip. He noticed the noise get more consistent and louder, and while pulling into our driveway, I observed that the sound was very loud and smoke was coming from the right side wheel well. As soon as he put the vehicle in park, coolant flooded the driveway. We had an independent mechanic come to our home to diagnose the vehicle. He stated that the water pump completely blew and the pulley was loose. The mechanic emphasized that a car this age should not have had a loose water pump/pulley and that this was a manufacturing issue. He was very concerned that if it had blown while driving, it would have shut off the engine entirely and could have caused a catastrophic accident. He recommended a new water pump and thermostat.