1996 gmc suburban, caught on fire. Bf ohio traffic crash report #10-0580-91 updated 05/03/10
1996 GMC Suburban electrical problems
18 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- 12v/24v/48v battery8
- Alternator/generator/regulator3
- Wiring2
- 12v/24v/48v battery: cables2
- Wiring: interior/under dash1
- Starter assembly1
- Ignition1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
GMC Suburban electrical problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Battery leaks acid
Odi has received 21 complaints where owners allege that the standard gm factory supplied AC delco battery case failed, resulting in the leakage of sulfuric acid.of the 21 complaint vehicles, six suburban, three tahoes, and one yukon owner(s) complained about a loss of brake fluid from deterioration of the right frontbrake line as a result of sulfuric acid contamination.the remaining 11 complaints pertain primarily to sulfuric acid leakage from the battery case.at least one complainant stated that the replacement battery also failed.several of the complainants note that the leaking acid had come in contact with a wire harness at the frame in the vicinity of the steel brake line.a field inspection by odi indicates that the described harness is the ABS connection to the right front wheel speed sensor.prior to the battery case failure, there is usually no warning (short of an underhood inspection), and the ensuring damage (sulfuric acid contamination) is progressive.of the known battery failures, there may be a temperature correlation, as 60% of the owner complaints came from four states; california, florida, georgia and texas.there is also a product improvement program and engineering change notice to add 1% silver to the battery's positive side terminall, with the earliest implementation date for this being feb 2, 1998.the effect of this design change is as yet unknown; further review is warranted.an ea is being opened to gather further appropriate information, clarify any defect trends, and to assess the safety implications and risks concerning these failures.
PE99073
What 1996 GMC Suburban owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Dt: the contact owns a 1996 gmc suburban. When he purchased the vehicle it had 26,000 miles on it. He was pulling a trailer, with the trailer and the truck it weighs from any where 10-15,000 pounds. There is a bolt that 3 quarters inch long . Put the two cables together and bolted it into the side battery. The bolt became loose. Had all the power necessary to steer or to stop the vehicle. While pulling this trailer it was extremely hard to control the vehicle. The insert in the battery, where the thread section was put the bolt into. If tighten edit it puts a hole in the battery and starts to leak battery acid. Every morning he tightens the bolt a little bit. Consumer spoken with gm , and they ignored it. Also spoke with the dealership . They did not even believe him. One of the people at the dealership replaced one cable because it deteriorated. He has replaced for four batteries since he purchased the vehicle .
While the vehicle was parked and the igniton was off the switch on the drivers door for the side view mirrors suddenly ignited . The keys were not in the car and in fact the car had not been in use for over five hours. Luckily our son went out into the garage and reported back that the car was full of smoke. When I went out the flames were already coming up through the melted holes in the door trim panel.
On going electrial problems, replace battery, battery cable, alternater, due to battery acid leaking down cable and corroded cable.
Electrical wires overheated.
Ea00013. Battery leaked acid and corroded main battery cable.
No summary
Problem started in may with previous owner. Battery leaking, alternator went. Radio went inyo anti-theft. Battery has been replaced 5 times (battery leaking) & altenator 2 times since may. The radio had to be replaced. After anti-theft mode was fixed, only cd would work. Car has just fied again. Saw article in paper referring this problem but when checked with dealer (rt 22-bridgewater) they knew nothing about this.
The battery is leaking acid from the positive terminal, causing vehcile not to start. Engineer analysis# ea00013. Please give any further details.
Vehicle battery went bad. Dealer replaced battery with new gmc orignal and replaced alternator. New battery failed months later. Positive terminal on battery leaked and destoryed connector. Failed whlie driving car on interstate at 65mph. Total electrical failure was able to pull over. Car statred back up. Failure was on and off and hard to detect. Finally failed for good few days later. Dealer wanted to charge $600 for new cables & battery. Battery destoryed all power cables. Had "coming to jesus" talk with dealer. Wasn't going to pay for damage that was done by their battery that they installed under warranty. Agreed painfully to pay for new battery ($79). Installed interstate battery intead. No problems since.
Questions about the 1996 GMC Suburban electrical
Does the 1996 GMC Suburban have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the electrical of the 1996 GMC Suburban, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1996 GMC Suburban electrical problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 1996 GMC Suburban electrical?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the GMC Suburban have the most electrical problems?
The GMC Suburban model years with the most electrical complaints are 1999 (23 complaints), 1997 (21 complaints) and 1995 (18 complaints).
Other 1996 GMC Suburban problems
Brakes 61Visibility 26Tires 18Fuel system 14Transmission 13Engine 8Steering 8Acceleration 7Suspension 4Airbags 3Lights 3Seats 3Body 2Locks 1Wheels 1
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