NHTSA Complaint #761813 — 1997 GMC SUBURBAN

MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED ON MY VEHICLE AT 67,000 MILES AND PROBABLY WELL BEFORE THIS BUT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL PICKED UP ON ROUTINE MAINTENACE CHECK. NORMALLY, I WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM AND MOVE SINCE I HAVE GMPP (EXTENDED WARRANTY) WITH NO OUT OF POCKET COSTS. NOT IN THIS CASE. THE PROBLEM HERE WITH THE MANIFOLD GASKET IS NOT ABOUT NOISE POLLUTION. IT IS ABOUT CARBON MONOXIDE AND OTHER NOXIOUS GAS LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE. BEFORE THE LAWYERS AT GMC PICK UP THEIR PENCILS AND START TAKING NOTES, THE END RESULT IN MY CASE WAS ONLY ONE OF FEELING TIRED AT THE WHEEL. PROBLEM SOLVED WHEN THE NEW MANIFOLD GASKETS WERE INSTALLED. EVERYONE HAPPY, NO ACCIDENTS--NOT QUITE SO FAST.. WELL HERE IS THE PROBLEM: I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC TO THIS SERIES OF VEHICLE AND TO BE EXPECTED EVERY 36,000. IF TRUE, THEN THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE DRIVING 1997 AND EARLIER GMC SUBURBANS AROUND TIRED OR WORSE. AS A PHYSICIAN, I AM WELL AWARE THAT THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO LOW LEVELS OF VEHICLE EMISSIONS IS UNHEALTHY. I WOULD LIKE GMC TO PRODUCE DATA TO THE NHTSA ON THE FREQUENCY OF MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKS IN THIS SERIES VEHICLE/ENGINE, THE LIKLIHOOD OF SUCH LEAKS SENDING EXHAUST EMISSIONS INTO THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBABILITY OF SUCH LEAKS PRODUCING CATASTROPHIC RESULTS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE NEXT TIME I PICK UP A PAPER AND READ THAT SOMEONE DRIVING A GMC VEHICLE "FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL" I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT IT WAS AN ACCIDENT UNRELATED TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.*AK