1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Power Trainautomatic Transmissiontorque Converter Problems

5 NHTSA complaints on file

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Power Trainautomatic Transmissiontorque Converter Issues in the 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

5 power trainautomatic transmissiontorque converter complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. Of these, 0 involved a crash, 1 involved a fire, and 0 resulted in injury.

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

All Power Trainautomatic Transmissiontorque Converter Complaints

#10052620 | January 7, 2004 Fire

THE TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH RELAY IN THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE PRESSURE, WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO PUSH THE DIP STICK UP OUT OF THE DIPSTICK TUBE. THEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ESCAPED. TRAVELING DOWN THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HIT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND IGNITED INTO A FLAME THAT BURNED ALONG THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE (INCLUDING THE STEEL PLATE UNDER THE GAS TANK) AND EXTENDED TWO FEET BEYOND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE FORCED TO EVACUATE OURSELVES AND OUR FOUR CHILDREN FROM THE VEHICLE ALONG SIDE THE HIGHWAY. FOUR OTHER VEHICLES WERE FORCED OFF THE ROAD AS WHITE SMOKE HINDERED THEIR FIELD OF VISION. THE MIL INDICATOR (I.E., CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) HAD A CODE OF P1870 (TRANSMISSION SLIPPING). THIS CODE HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HUNDREDS OF TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH RELAY FAILURES IN GM/CHEVY FULL-SIZE PICK-UPS, SUBURBANS, AND TAHOES (DISCOVERED BY SEARCHING FOR "P1870"...

#10050929 | December 22, 2003

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES GRINDING/RUMBLING WHILE IN HIGHEND TORQUE SITUATIONS (I.E. GOING UP SLIGHT GRADES NOT STEEP ENOUGH TO CAUSE DOWNSHIFT). STOPS WHEN I BUMP ACCELERATOR. REPLACED U-JOINTS, BUT DID NOT FIX. WAS TOLD BY GM TECH IT WAS PROBABLY TORQUE CONVERTOR FAILING.*AK

#721938 | May 19, 2000

FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT MELTED AND SHORTED OUT CAUSING CAR TO STALL ON THE ROAD.TORQUE CONVERTOR REPLACED/ TRANS RECONDITIONED, POWER STEERING BOX LEAKING/ REPLACED. BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS REPLACED,AC COMPRESSOR REPLACED. NUMEROUS COOLANT LEAKS FIXED. WINDSHIELD REPLACED DUE TO DEFECT. BATTERY REPLACED DUE TO ACID LEAK. WHATS NEXT? *AK

#710482 | August 25, 1999

OUR CHEVY SUBURBAN HAS JUST OVER 50,000 MILES AND IS PAST THE WARRANTY MILEAGE. ON A TRIP TO LAS VEGAS, THE TRUCK STARTED TO JERK FIERCLY INTO GEAR. WHEN I ACCELERATED, THE TRUCK WOULD JERK INTO GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST THAT DID THE REPAIRS ADVISED US THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD GONE OUT, AND SHRAP METAL WAS GETTING INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF 1 DAY. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO ADVISED US THAT HE HAD PERFORMED THE SAME REPAIRS ON 3 OTHER CHEVY SUBURBANS THAT DAY ALONE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO A TRUCK WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES. I TOOK THE TRUCK IN TO GET THE TIRES BALANCED, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE TECHNICIAN WAS BEGINNING TO REMOVE THE BRAKE PADS- HE NOTICED...

#710314 | August 21, 1999

TRANSMISSION: TORQUE CONVERTER BLEW UP.....FUEL PUMP FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, WIRING OVERHEATED AND INSULATION MELTED OFF INSIDE FUEL TANK .....STEERING: ERRATIC WHILE MAKING RIGHT TURN

Other 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Problem Areas

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