This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
My 1996 GMC Jimmy began blowing cold air last winter. We had the radiator flushed and refilled with dexcool. The company told us the dexcool had turned to a sludge and damaged the thermostat. The thermostat was replaced as well. Six months later we have had to have the radiator flushed again because of overheating in the summer. Again the fluid had turned to sludge and we have to get the thermostat replaced again. It appears from what I have been reading that the entire system will have to be replaced soon because of these dexcool issues.
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system. Engine coolant has broken down at 60,000 miles 10/1/2001, 70,000 miles 6/1/2002, 79,000 1/30/2003 and has became sludge. Owner's manual states 100,000 mile maintenance. Dealer (GMC)wants to replace thermostat, radiator, heater core at my expense. System has been super flushed, cleaned and new dex-cool coolant per dealer recommendations. Dealer even states coolant is bad. GMC states iit is my fault.
The GMC antifreeze keeps breaking down forming sludge so bad I had to replace the radiator. 6months later it happened again the dealer says that some one put the wrong antifreeze in the system my mechanic says that he has seen antifreeze mixed it it doesn't look like what keeps happening in my cooling system is any one else reporting this problem? my radiator has been repaired by the dealer once replaced by my mechanic once and system flushed. I with in the month had to replace the water pump the dealer did that repair and power flushed the system. It makes me wonder if this isn't a GMC problem like the time they filled the faulty cadilac engine blocks with stop leak to be able to sell them.GMC claims that this anti freeze is supposed to be god for 100000 miles what gives.
- Rochester, NY, USA
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GMC/GM filled my Jimmy at the factory with dexcool. Dexcool is invasive and destructive to the vechicle I paid over 35 K for GMC/GM has sent service sheets to their dealerships with instructions to be followed exactly to purge the contamination from the cooling system. GMC/GM has hidden this problem because of the number of vechicles involved. GMC/GM has used the consumer as their scapegoat. Blammed the consumer for the 100,000 mile plus coolant they have used. Go to the internet Explorer type in dexcool in search. Cooling system is the subject.www.scuderiaciriani. com is the location. Go to antifreeze then scroll to date:sun 2 Apr 2000 23:42:41-0500 the applications engineer is very specfic about the affect. Ford had transmissions, Firestone had tires. Will it take someone or someone's wife and children to become at a disadvantage due to the cooling system and be injured attacked or killed for this factory issue to be addressed? the first time I reached my wife the problem was a covered up $700 repair. There is a damm good posibility that their have been injuries because this problem hasn't been addressed and the people you are supposed to be saving have no clue the problem could have been avoided if they only knew!
Consumer states that the coolant looks like mud, cooling system was flushed, coolant leaking into right front floor, radiator and thermostat replaced, engine light illuminated, engine is noisy, tension belt and tensioner belt replaced, vehicle was overheating.
When towing my 3000lb travel trailer the engine will make pre-ignition noises and the check engine light comes on. Light will stay on for days afterward, then go off. Coolant was changed when I purchased it used because it was black. Within 25,000 miles it's black again.
I noticed heater was not heating to full potential. Checked coolant and saw that the dextron orange coolant was a sludge type substance. I went to a shop to have radiator flushed and replenished with proper coolant. I was informed that the coolant inside radiator could not be replaced by the establishment and that it had turned into something that was not good for the engine. The establishment said they had turned away two other customers due to the same reason. Dextron orange could only be replaced by the dealership and that at 40000 miles left before replacement it should not look that way. I have talked to other GMC Jimmy and Chevy Blazer owners and they have had the same complaint. This seems to be a repeating complaint among these owners in my region. I request you investigate the dextron orange coolant that needs to be changed every 5 years or 100000 miles.
The dealership had done all the service work since I owned the vehicle, at 47,000 miles the anti-freeze had the consistency of syrup and was clogging up.after much complaining the dealer pulled the radiator had it flushed and refilled.approx. 30,000 miles later the same thing.they flushed and filled again.it's doing the same thing again in less then a year.they refuse to correct the problem.they informed me I had to pay for it myself.it was never corrected to begin with.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Boise, ID, USA