Dt*: the contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering while braking and making turns. The vehicle has been serviced for the power steering issue however the problem persists. The contact expressed the vehicle problem may be a manufacturer defect.
GMC Suburban power steering loss problems
20 of the 1,768 owner complaints about the GMC Suburban describe loss of power steering, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 20
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical mileage
- 50,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Loss of power 9Stalling 3Brake failure 3Transmission failure 2Pulling 1Fuel pump 1
What owners say
Fuel pump/connector failure. Initially engine would shut down intermittently. On last occasion, vehicle engine shut down resulting in loss of power steering, power brakes, etc. Would not restart. Former gm mechanic told me that he witnessed this problem numerous times and found most cases involved failure of electrical connector or ground connection at fuel pump.
Vehicle lost steering while the driver made turns ,making it difficult to control vehicle. It was taken to the dealer for repairs of the steering position sensor.
Power steering assist is erratic at highway speeds. Steering input force will increase until the steering wheel suddenly moves because of an increase in power steering assist. Problem is erratic, and it has only occurred at speeds above 40 MPH. This phenomenom has been occurring for several years with this vehicle.
It is a well known fact that there is a defect with the fuel injection pump on the gm 6.5l diesel engines. I have had a number of these pumps replaced by gm at their cost. However, the problem is not getting resolved. These vehicles die intermittently. When they die (stall), you loose your ability to control your vehicle with the loss of steering and braking (for the most part). There have been numerous times when I have almost been involved in an accident because of this issue. It is extremely dangerous when these vehicles die because of the pump problem. I am in hopes that this complaint could possibly turn into some sort of investigation within gm to have them fix the problem. They seem to keep replacing my bad fuel injection pumps with more soon-to-be bad fuel injection pumps....
While driving the serpentine belt tensioner broke from its mounting and resulted in loss of power steering and other components including charging of the battery. The alternator also shorted out. The manufacturer and the dealer were notified. *ak the consumer was told that the warranty not longer covered the belt. The brakes shuttered while braking from 60 MPH. The dealer replaced the front brake pads and resurfaced the rotors.
1999 gmc suburban, driving down highway slowed to turn into rest stop, applied brakes, pedal went to the floor, steering was difficult, almost went into the ditch, then everything ok. Brake pedal pressure has always been soft - getting worse. This also happened at slow speed in parking lot - pumped brakes then ok.
While driving, the steering became very hard to steer.
Vehicle has been to dealer 5 times. Fuel injector gets clogged, and vehicle will stall in traffic. Dealer says additives in gasoline clogs injector. *ak the engine stalling resulted in loss of steering power and brake failures. The manufacturer extended the warranty admitting the problem. The consumer finally turned in the vehicle to the manufacturer.
On april 10, transmission failed and vehicle was returned to dealership. On april 18, the vehicle was returned to the owner after having replaced the transmission, the transmission cooler, and intake manifold gasket. On april 27, 2000, the engine failed on a busy road as schools were letting out. The engine failure, put both the occupants of the vehicle at risks and the schoolchildren also, as the engine failure resulted in loss of power steering and power brakes. The driver avoided collision but with no steering and loss of braking power, the results could have been catastrophic.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the GMC Suburban power steering loss
Which GMC Suburban years have loss of power steering problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (7 complaints), 1997 (5 complaints) and 1994 (2 complaints).
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