NHTSA Complaint #724477 — 1996 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

FIRST TIME AT 30,000 MILES, SYMPTOMS APPEARED TO BE DEFECTIVE STARTER OR STARTED SOLENOID- FOUND THAT THE BATTERY WAS LEAKING AT THE POSITIVE TERMINAL AND CORRODED/RUINED CABLE CONNECTING TO BATTERY. DEALER IN NORTH CAROLINA [PARKS CHEVROLET, CHARLOTTE REPLACE BATTERY AND CABLES, FREE]. SECOND TIME, AT 50,000 MILES, I CHECKED BATTERY AND FOUND LEAKING AGAIN - SOAKED CABLE CONNECTIONS IN BAKING SODA WATER SOLUTION AND RE-INSTALLED WITH NEW BOLT. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE CLEANED THE CABLE CONNECTION AT BATTERY POSITIVE POST WITH SODA/WATER SOLUTION AT APPROXIMNATELY 10,000 MILE INTERVALS. FROM TALKING TO OTHER OWNERS, IT APPEARS THAT THE BATTERIES ARE THE PROBLEM - LEAKING AT THE POSITIVE BOLT/TERMINAL CONNECTION. AS A FORMER MECHANIC AND FACTORY SERVICE REP, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID A SERIOUS THREAT TO SAFETY BY FREQUENT INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE, BUT THIS IS REALLY A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND MAY HAVE FRIGHTENING RESULTS UNLESS SOME ACTION IS TAKEN TO CORRECT