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Suburban Tahoe Vibration Problems

135

Comments

  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    meachamd,
    Have you spoke with a dealer or Customer Assistance? Can you please provide your VIN? I look forward to your response.
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Are you still on the original tires? You may want to swing by a tire shop for an evaluation and perhaps rebalancing or an alignment.
  • cat125cat125 Member Posts: 36
    did they fix the vibration ???
  • cat125cat125 Member Posts: 36
    did they fix the problem ???? thinking of purchasing a used 2008 truck but because of the issues with first one having a lot difficulty making up my mind - found a very nice truck but there is vibration at 76 mph -
  • hinsonelectrichinsonelectric Member Posts: 2
    Yes. The dealer had to replace all four tires. It took them a few days to find four tires of equal weight. Make sure you make them do a forced balance on the tires.
  • brycourtbrycourt Member Posts: 9
    edited June 2011
    Saw the vibration messages and I am struggling with a 2010 Suburban LTZ we bought new about a year ago. Has been looked at by Freedom Chevrolet in San Antonio and has two new sets of tires on it and it has not resolved the vibration appearing to come out of the rear of the truck - any assistance would be GREATLY appreciated as I am at wits end with this 50K+ truck. Currently has the 20" Chevrolet rims and the higher end Michelin LTX tires put on last week.
    About an inch away from submitting a Lemon Law claim on the vehicle.
    VIN: 1GNUCKE03AR197361
  • cat125cat125 Member Posts: 36
    what happens is dealerships will address the problem in certain way because their mechanics can only go so far in fixing the problem - in most cases is not the tires or the high force balancing - it has to do with either the drive shaft or the U joint or combination of both - the U joint can wear out in some cases causing the drive shaft to be less balanced - that makes a lot more sense than a tire issue if a car that never vibrated suddenly starts to shake. Another thing that should make sense to them is that the vibration comes from the body of car and not the front end - you feel it in the seats and floor - that is not the tires - I know there is a mechanic in Miami at one Chevy dealership who can fix the problem - he fixed my truck after loosing in arbitration against GM - recommend you either change dealerships and talk to the mechanic in charge of fixing the truck - if he does'not address the drive shaft issue and or u joint don't waste your time and go somewhere else until you find the right one - or talk to the GM customer service rep that's in this site - sold my old Tahoe and so far have looked at three different used ones and they all vibrate - finally giving up - sad because really love the the truck and the way it drives when its ok.
  • seand71seand71 Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone,

    Here is my issue. 2009 Tahoe LT, 35000k miles on it. a year and a half ago, at 5k miles, i rear ended a lady, the hit caused damage on the front passenger side and my wheel as it was turned. Alignment out of wack and stabilizer and traction control were messed up. Body shop fixed the front end, mechanics re-aligned the front. Drove it, still not fixed. brought back and the steering column jumped teeth, so they replaced the entire steering rack. Drive it and now i have an issue that if i hit a bump the front drivers side bounces (not all the way down the street but enough) and the steering wheel shakes also. If i am on the highway and there is a slight turn in the road and i hit a bump, i swear my car is bouncing sideways, like it is skidding on the pavement and it scares the crap out of me. I bring it back, hit the bump for the mechanic and he says the struts are bad, take it back to the dealer as it is under warranty since they didn't think it was the results of the accident. Chevy looks at it, says everything is good underneath, drives it and says it is within specs and couldn't get it to bounce. Said they rotated tires and all was good. Drive it the next day, hit the same bump, does the same damn thing. Take it back (Sucks that Chevy doesn't have loaners so hard to find time to take off work and wait for it.) They test drive with me, can't find a bump to save my life around the dealer. Mechanic bounces on the bumper and the drivers side probably bounces 4 or 5 times before it stops, passenger side bounces 1 or 2 times and that is it. Service manager says it is within specs, can't replace struts. Here i am near my 36000 mile warranty and still the same issue and don't know what to do. Could it be something other then the struts, stabilizer bar or something that i need to look at. If the strut isn't leaking it seems they are saying they aren't bad. I had a 07 tahoe and it drove awesome and smooth at 70k miles and this was the same until i hit this lady. Any help or advice please. Chevy won't help me.

    Thanks everyone.
  • geneygeney Member Posts: 2
    Well, GM has solved the problem with the vibration issues. 24 days ago I bought a brand new 2011 Chevy Suburban 2500LT 4 X 4 Fully Loaded. After 200 miles I had an oil leak, a front end that could not be aligned and yes the vibration problem. It now has 500 miles on it and I have only driven from the dealer, to another dealer back home and yes back to the dealer. GM has solved the problem. Quote from the GM "Specialist" today.... " Vibration Is Considered Normal For The SUV". WOW, I would have never thought that since my 2003 Excursion with 543,000 miles rides perfect. What they meant to say was "shut up and go away peasant, we are GM and you should feel lucky we even sold you a vehicle", now give us more bail out money we deserve jobs. What a joke, my first GM and without a doubt my last. No pride, no appreciation, no ethics, that should be the new GM Chevy slogan.

    PS: I have consulted and hired my own independent former GM employee to inspect the vehicle who tells me they have known about this vibration issue for years and never even made an attempt to diagnose and repair. There are several issues from the 6 speed transmission to the chassis. The GM solution, make a muffler bracket to absorb some of the vibration. Is that american ingenuity or what...

    Research before you buy, don't be an idiot like me and presume if you spend over 50K you will get a vehicle that you can drive without immediate repairs or drive without annoying vibrations.

    Gene Y
    FL USA
    Disgusted
    Disappointed
  • jathlon77jathlon77 Member Posts: 4
    Hey Cat125, i have the same issue with my 2009 Tahoe. They have changed tires and completed high speed balance but I still have a vibration and shakes when i hit any little bump on the road between 65-80mph. I took it to Grand Prize Auto where you took your truck and got it fixed. I told them that it may have to do with the drive shaft. They asked me if i knew what was done with the drive shaft of your vehicle to fix the problem. Can you provide me with that information or can you give the VIN# of your vehicle so that I can give them the information so they can see what excatly was done? I have been talking to George Ruiz at the dealer and hes really trying to help me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This vibration is driving me up the wall. My email is jathlon@hotmail.com Thanks!
  • jathlon77jathlon77 Member Posts: 4
    Hey Brycourt, Can you tell me what mechanic can fix the issue? I live in Miami and took it to Grand Prize Chevrolet where Cat125 took hers and they still havent fixed it. They changed tires and completed high balance. It runs a little better but still vibrates. Please let me know where i can get this fixed. Thanks!
    Tony Z. jathlon@hotmail.com
  • cat125cat125 Member Posts: 36
    Sold my truck and dont have info on hand - it was not George Ruiz who worked the truck - it was someone else - cant remember his name but think it starts with S - let me know how it turns out -
  • jathlon77jathlon77 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the reply Cat! Could it have been Scott? Hes right behind George in the center row of the service dept.
  • brycourtbrycourt Member Posts: 9
    Still messing around with teh 2010 Suburban - 2nd dealership calls the vibration "suspension recovery" and recommended taking it to an aftermarket alignment shop to have the driveline/tires, etc balanced. Also had me drive a 2011 LS in attempts to compare with how my LTZ should be driving - not even the same suspension - absolutely ridiculous. Anyhow - Katie at Chevy customer service has been great and submitted the buyback paperwork and we'll see how that goes.
  • solosolo Member Posts: 48
    That says it all. GM sales people have no idea what GM offers on each model. They are mostly totally ignorant (no training) . They should have suggested you try out an Impala!
  • jberry4jberry4 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2011
    Hello , I am having the same issue with my 2007 Suburban .. I bought the car from a chrysler dealership tho, so should I take it to Gm instead or is Chrysler responsible for the fix and will they even do that ?They already balance the tires 2 times and the vibration is still there but its not as bad as it was before
  • brycourtbrycourt Member Posts: 9
    GM denied the buyback yesterday so I am going to a local shop per the recommendation of the service mgr at the second Chevy dealership (Cavender Chevy) that called the vibration "suspension recovery" - company repairing is Southwest Brake and Alignment and I'll be paying out of pocket to have the mechanical problems fixed. Anywhere from 150.00 up but the tech at Southwest says he guarantees it will resolve the problem, will start with truing the tires and then look at the drive line (drive shaft, u-joints...) - too bad Chevy isn't qualified and couldn't fix it under the factory warranty and can't believe GM won't stand behind their products. Local GM rep did not even give the time of day or even test drive the vehicle, just denied buyback - last GM product I will ever buy, absolute piece of junk!! If that doesn't work have already spoke with a lawyer and it qualifies for the Lemon Law since the truck has less than 20K and has had 3 new sets of tires and countless balancings without success.
  • jathlon77jathlon77 Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2011
    Hey Brycourt keep me posted please! I have about 18k miles on my 2009 Tahoe and still under warranty. My question now is if its under warranty and they know its the suspension why dont they fix it? What does "Suspension Recovery" mean? Is the a maintenance issue? Im completely lost with this. Let me know what the shop does to fix it. Im very aggravated with this. I feel your pain. Thanks
  • meachamdmeachamd Member Posts: 13
    It is not the tires, I had a 2010 Tahoe and they had to replace the entire rear end, but the Tahoe still had the vibration but not as bad as it was. Chevrolet (GM) cheated me out of money over this issue. I finally traded it in after only 14 months of ownership. Good riddens I will never purchase another GM vehicle!!! I hope they go out of business they deserve it, they do not take care of their customers.
  • brycourtbrycourt Member Posts: 9
    "Suspension recovery" is basically just a non-stop vibration out of the rear-end, rattles seats, dash, etc. Think it is just an excuse the service mgr gave me because they can't fix it - never heard of it before either. Still waiting to take Suburban to the alignment shop due to wife being deployed but have also been in contact with the GM at Cavender but still awaiting a call back with his take/resoltion. Wife is back in country mid-Oct and I will definately get it resolved then at the specialized shop and update with the resolution.
  • stan99stan99 Member Posts: 7
    I would like to know what the solution was. I just purchased a 2011 LTZ three weeks ago. Drove off the lot with 22miles on it and returned 1 hour later to get the tires balanced. They then said I needed to get 400-500 miles on the tires so I did and brought back again. they changed tires to another brand and I drove for another 100 miles and returning the truck again today. They are purchasing a new set of tires in lieu of taking off of other trucks on the lot. I will update on what happens.
  • brycourtbrycourt Member Posts: 9
    Taking it in the next two weeks to the speciality shop - never heard back from the owner of the dealership and after several messages left he just tossed it back to the service mgr. Great customer service!! Contacted service mgr again and he stated there is nothing more they can do and it would just take up room in his bays and referred me to another Chevy dealer (#3) or to the Speciality Shop. I will update when the info is available. Good luck - sounds all to familiar.
  • stan99stan99 Member Posts: 7
    Still have vibration....GM contacting me on Monday. I now have 1,200 miles. 2nd Dealer says they feel the vibration but does not know what the issue is....this was my 5th trip to fix the issue.
  • brycourtbrycourt Member Posts: 9
    Check this out - our dealerships(s) would not do it but maybe you will have some luck. Know we have newer models but looks like it could id exactly where the vibration is coming from - was thread #101 I think.

    Models:2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT
    2007-2008 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe
    2007-2008 GMC Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL
    with any of the following Tire RPO's:
    - QSS (P275/55R20)
    - QXT (LT265/70R17)
    - QST (P285/45R22)
    - QIZ (LT245/75R16)
    - QAS / QAN (P265/70R17)
    - QJM / QJP (P265/70R17)

    Attention: Proceed with this bulletin ONLY if the customer has commented about this concern AND the EI number is listed in GMVIS. If the customer has not commented about this condition or the EI does not show in GMVIS, disregard the bulletin and proceed with diagnostics found in published Service Information. THIS IS NOT A RECALL -- refer to Service Bulletin 04-00-89-053A for more detail on the use of Engineering Information bulletins.

    This bulletin is being revised to add tire RPOs QST, QIZ, QAS, QAN, QJM and QJP. In addition, step 11 has been revised to request the 11-digit DOT number of the tire. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 07-03-10-013 (Section 03 -- Suspension).


    Condition
    Some customers may comment on a vehicle/tire vibration.


    Cause
    GM Engineering is attempting to determine the root cause of reported tire vibrations on vehicles equipped with P275/55R20, LT265/70R17, P285/45R22, LT245/75R16 or P265/70R17 tires. GM has a need to obtain information during diagnosis and BEFORE repair. This information will be used by engineering to "root cause" the customer's concern and develop/validate a field fix.

    If the customer's concern can not be duplicated -- disregard this bulletin. If the customer's concern can be duplicated, complete the following steps. Be sure to note the following information on the repair order:

    Verify that the VIN and mileage listed on the repair order is accurate. Describe the customer's concern (i.e. shake, buzz, roughness, tingling). Note when (mph, idle, accel, decel, etc) and where (steering column, seat, etc) the vibration is felt. Document the tire size and manufacturer of the tires currently on the vehicle. Inspect the following components to verify that they are in good working condition. Note any "faults" on the repair order:
    • tire/wheel assemblies
    • steering components
    • suspension components
    Install the J 38792-A (Electronic Vibration Analyzer -- EVA) sensor to the component identified by the customer as the most respondent to the vibration. If no component was identified, install the J 38792-A sensor to the steering column. Select a smooth, level road and slowly accelerate the vehicle up to highway speed. Observe the vehicle for disturbances that match the customer's description and note the following conditions:
    • Vehicle speed
    • Engine RPM
    • Transmission gear range and specific gear
    • Vibration frequency reading, detected by the J 38792-A
    If the sensor was originally placed on the steering column, and the vibration seems to excite a particular component of the vehicle more than the steering column, move the J 38792-A sensor to that component and repeat steps 6 and 7. Does the frequency data clearly fall within the tire/wheel parameters? (Refer to Symptoms -- Vibration Diagnosis and Correction, found in SI).
    • NO -- continue to diagnose and repair the vibration not related to the tire and wheel assembly. • YES -- proceed with Step 10.
    Using the HUNTER GSP9700 Roadforce/Balancer, measure the roadforce variation of each tire/wheel assembly. Also, with the original balance weights still installed, measure the inboard and outboard imbalance. Record the findings on the RO. Record on the repair order, the 11-digit DOT number found on the rim flange of the tire.
    PRIOR to making any repairs, contact the engineer listed below with information from your diagnosis. The engineer will provide direction to repair the customer's concern. For vehicles located in SE Michigan, the engineer may need to physically inspect the vehicle
  • tigsporttigsport Member Posts: 2
    Thanks Stan 99 and brycourt I bought a 2011 avalanche ltz loaded 4 days ago 31 miles. Next day on the interstate from 60-80 started to get pretty substantial vibration sterringwheel shaking took back for balance and alignment next day over 60 same thing called again spoke with svs manager asked if he has been having a similar problem? He said some times tire will have flat side from sitting on lot? They drove and found nothing out of the ordinary vibration I guess these clowns drive washing machines to work! My last 4 vehicles have bee gm envoy, gmc Yukon,Tahoe ltz all brand new never had vibration issues. So Friday I made my annual pilgrimage to ohio from sc to see the outllaws for thankgiving noticed the vibration starts @ 60 comes in intervals every 15-20 seconds last for 25-30 seconds goes away and comes back again? worst 10 hour ride of my life 600 miles now going to dealership in Columbus mon. Any suggestions?
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Tigsport,

    I'm sorry that this vehicle concern interfered with your Thanksgiving trip. Would you be willing to email us more details so we can further check into your vehicle's information? Please include your name/username and the last 8 digits of your VIN.

    Best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • zack05zack05 Member Posts: 5
    This is an update to my post on March 01, 2008 concerning vibrations between 65 - 75 MPH with my Goodyear 17" tires. Dealer re-balanced tires twice, and each time the vibration got better (lower vibration) but still objectionable, indicating to me it was a tire problem. On the third time back to the dealer, he said he could not duplicate the problem and did nothing, a cop-out way to give up. Due to pressing family problems at the time, I did not pursue further with GM to change tires, so I just put up with the vibration which was manageable at 75 MPH. Now with 30,000 miles on the tires and one making noise, the vibration is more managable as the tires wear, and I drive above the speed were it starts to vibrate. When it reaches 40,000 miles, I will change to Michelin tires which have a better history for smooth ride at speed. I wish GM would offer an option for Michelin tires when buying the vehicle new from the dealer.
  • courtlandcourtland Member Posts: 1
    I have developed a rear end vibration between 70-85MPH after haveing new rear brakes and turning rear rotors. I returned to the Goodyear Tire Store (Very Reputable). To eliminate anything they may have done they first balanced all four tires. When this did not work they replaced the rear roters at their cost. Still vibration. They put on a brand new set of tires re balanced. Still not resolved. They owner of the store has a 2010 Youkon XL. He put his tires and wheels on my Suburban and still vibrates. They feel they have done everything that would point at tires,brakes and rotors. I have read about vibrations on Tahoe's and Suburbans. What is the next thing to check in the drive train?
  • solosolo Member Posts: 48
    Check the vibration in the heads of G.M. execs!
    Sorry for joking, but almost every vehicle they produce has a serious flaw.
    Our premier U.S. company has become obsolete, and only aggravates its customers. ( "nothing wrong with your car, they all do it")
  • sabitssabits Member Posts: 2
    Google Propeller shaft phasing, drive line phase. It's funny because the Chev factory manual states how important this is. It even has pictures showing all the drive lines and how they should be phased. So why then when I look under my truck (98 Silverado), is my drive line 45 degrees off? This is a two piece drive line and it does come apart at the spline but it only goes together one way. So my truck and many, many others rolled off the factory floor with out of phase drive lines. W...tf?

    So I just got my truck back today from a local drive line place and it feels great. No vibration. They removed my drive line, cut it, phased it, welded it back together, balanced it and reinstalled it. Guy says he does it a lot.

    Also on the drive home I noticed the tranny was not shifting back and forth. Could it be that the drive line issue was putting "junk" into the data that shifts the tranny? And the pedal response feels better now. I always felt the truck was a little sluggish but shrugged it off as symptomatic of a 3/4 ton 4x4.

    The elliptical (as opposed to perfectly round) rotation of an unbalanced, out of phase drive line robs power and response. I suspect my gas mileage may improve as well. Thanks for reading and I hope this helps some one.
  • meachamdmeachamd Member Posts: 13
    They had to replace the rear end of my Tahoe but that did not fully fix the problem I say do the lemon law.
  • meachamdmeachamd Member Posts: 13
    It's not the tires it the vehicle!!! GM needs to fix it or do the lemon law.
  • cat125cat125 Member Posts: 36
    edited January 2012
    Caron : can you help out - purcahsed another Tahoe 2008 - GM certified and I'm having similar issues with vibration at 72-73 mph. Not as severe as previous Tahoe but still there - let me know please -
  • cat125cat125 Member Posts: 36
    Sabits : Where did you find a drive line place - city -state ??? need help !!
  • chadfromftownchadfromftown Member Posts: 18
    edited January 2012
    I've noticed that this thread is mainly about a different kind of vibration but I'm going to throw my experience out there...
    My wife and I bought our '08 LTZ Tahoe new. It has 48,000 miles on it now and the past 8k it has started with this strange vibration. It only happens when driving about 65 to as fast as you wanna go, but at the same time when you're only lightly on the pedal or gently getting back on the pedal. So on my dashboard I went to the Instant Economy screen and figured out that its vibrating on 4 cylinders. I also have owned an '08 LTZ Avalanche, '07 LTZ Silverado and '09 LTZ Tahoe and from what I remember it also seems like our "current" Tahoe is trying to drive a little more on V4 than I remember any of my past vehicles doing. This tahoe stays at 4 even once you get on the gas and it vibrates and in my past vehicles I remember them instantly switching back to 8 as soon as your foot touches the pedal.
    After a decent trip, your foot will be numb-er than heck and passengers are like "why does the floor keep randomly vibrating?"
    HELP!!
    Why do GM's fall apart after 3yr/36k Bumper to Bumper Warranty expires? This isn't our Tahoe's only funny problem... Makes a weird buzzing/fart noise when put in reverse on cold start that comes from the dash. :confuse: The outside window trim on the back door is no longer in place, it goes up when you roll up the window. And not to mention whenever I go over a bump it sounds like something major is loose in the back (like the third row or spare tire) but I took the 3rd row out and spare tire is tight. Like something in a compartment getting shaken around, but I don't believe there to be anything back there?
  • tigsporttigsport Member Posts: 2
    :mad: Ok i am at 3K just got my 4th set of tires on my 2nd set of rims that were ordered directly from the factory. All four times the service department said they "road force balanced" the tires but when i continue to feel vibration they suggest new tires again. This appears to be an unproductive and frustrating cycle! I also noticed my driver door is labeled "GM of Mexico". Are the new avalanches made in Mexico now?
  • gator53gator53 Member Posts: 1
    There has been a problem with our 2011 Yukon XL since we took delivery on 12/17/11. Wheels have been balanced, tires have been replaced, wheels & tires have been replaced, alignment has been done. Test drove it again today & still same problem. It has less than 1500 miles on it & alot of that has been re-testing it. Service tried to tell us we had to break it in, but I know better. My wife had a 2008 that she wrecked & it drove better than this one after 3yrs & 35,452 with the original Goodyear tires. My 08 GMC Seirra PU with 27,000 miles & orignal 20" Bridgstones still rides better than this new Yukon. If anyone knows of a manufacturer defect that is causing this please let us know. Thanks!!!
  • ukondoitukondoit Member Posts: 28
    I know that you all keep saying that it's not the tires, but I've had two of these trucks and they both came with crappy bridgestone tires. Once I put Mich Latitudes or the X-LT2, both SUVS drove like a totally different car. I've put a runout guage on Bridgestones and measured both radial and lateral runout. Then run the same test on the Michelens and you find that the Bridgestones have excessive runout. I was at numerous dealers over the last few weeks (Cadillac, GMC and Chev) and it seems that they use those Bridgestones on everything.
    Hope that you find the smoking gun.
  • fixallpowerfixallpower Member Posts: 1
    My vibration experience started with a 2005 Tahoe. I had it back to the dealer within 200 miles and the saga began. I had new wheels, tires, driveshaft, rear axle, and finally transmission. Each step seemed to help the problem but I ended up with a vehicle with 120k miles on it simply due to work commitments. At this mileage, a dealer again swapped the entire axle, swapped wheels with a unit on the lot, replaced all the planetary gears due to pitting, and the problem was worse! They could replicate the vibration with the vehicle on the lift, so road force and tires were seemingly excluded. $2000 later they returned it and stated they could not fix it...

    I had the 10-15 sec vibration mentioned here, the constant vibration at 67-77 mph, the low speed shudder and the changes during cool weather, varying surfaces and load. All these issues are mentioned by different people here. I thought I was insane and other people did not believe me until I put them in the car and made them motion sick at 75mph.

    I decided to buy a new SUV and found very few provided the load volume I needed. Based on price, and without too much research, I bought a 2012 Tahoe, brand new. I did a maiden voyage from Tifton, GA to Savannah, GA and promptly turned around and delivered the car back to the stunned dealer. I cancelled the check, grabbed my old Tahoe keys and left. The 2012 vibrated EXACTLY like my old Tahoe and I cannot face going down that road again.

    The dealer called me back a few days later to try and persuade me to take the 'fixed' vehicle. I asked for the shop card and found they'd balanced both rear wheels and had to rotate the tires on the rims to get to 'GM Spec'. What a laugh. Anyone with a brain and Google can see that there is a massive problem with these vehicles. The dealer did not deny this and tried to sell me a Traverse as a replacement. Thanks, but no thanks.

    I've since looked at Durango but the V6 and V8 both have transmission problems that come up on plenty of websites. Expedition is just too old and dated, so I am probably going to pay more (up front) and buy a Sequoia. The state of American-made vehicles (and Nissan made here) is atrocious. The apathy in the system, and in the dealers is ludicrous. I tried buying a Tahoe in Savannah from the local dealer and they treated me like a dog because I would not buy their top-of-range units standing in the lot. They all drove poorly when test driven.

    Don't waste time with tires. The first time you have them rotated / balanced etc. you'll be back where you started. Driveshaft phasing seems to be the answer but GM cannot do more than replace the driveshaft which does not fix it. It needs to be cut and aligned, not an option on a brand new car.

    When my transmission failed at 75k miles, I shared the replacement cost with GM based on my vibration history. I think it helped but it may be the source of the problems too.

    I have a 2007 Trailblazer (wife's car) that rides like a dream but it only has 26k miles so may junk out as well. GM, go to __ll, you have no right to be in the market in 2013 with your compromised engineering, poor service and incompetence. The Chinese are coming and you have no defence if your leave your gloves down like you are doing. As for consumers, go elsewhere folks as this marque is never going to survive without another government bailout, sorry.
  • brycourtbrycourt Member Posts: 9
    Update on the 2010 Suburban 2010 LTZ vibration from a while back - never had a chance to bring it to the brake and alignment shop I was previously discussing. About two weeks ago the truck blew the entire front end of the drive-shaft and left my wife stranded during rush hour. Had it towed to the dealer (same one that said there was no issue before and had "checked" everything) and had it replaced. Truck drives great now and has no issues, although I had no choice to buy the extended warranty.
    Just cannot imagine why all three local dealerships in San Antonio could not id.
  • schoonersschooners Member Posts: 7
    We purchased a brand new Suburban LT less than 3 months ago. We've had it in the shop to be repaired for a vibration issue (I equate it to almost like the white line rumble strips near stop signs and such). They replaced all 4 tires with Bridgestones. Still vibrates. And it vibrates at low speeds, high speeds, and even while idling at a stop light. We called the service manager back (who agreed he felt the vibration issue) and he put in a claim with GM to solve this issue. Two GM engineers were brought to the area to test drive the vehicle and see if the issues were valid or not. They said today that the vehicle issues were "normal" and that they'd call us tomorrow and have a report done.
    We call "b.s." on this issue. 1. I'm afraid to drive it with little kids in it. What is the vibration slowly loosening up?! and 2. I did NOT pay $50K+ for a vehicle that has vibration issues! Absurd!
    Has anyone else run across this with 2012s? Did you fight to get it fixed? Purchased back? We're contacting a lawyer and looking to fight to get this resolved. From what I've read so far on here, seems this has been an issue with older vehicles as well. Hope Chevy tanks and doesn't get another bail-out!
    :lemon:
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Good morning schooners,

    We're sorry to hear about the situation with your Tahoe and understand your concern with the vibration you feel in your vehicle. As GM engineers determined that it was normal, there is likely little more that we at Customer Service could do aside from documenting your concern. If you wanted for us to do so and check to see if there was anything we could do, please email the following information to us at socialmedia@gm.com: your name and Edmunds username, phone and address, the last 8 of your VIN and current mileage, and the name of your dealership.

    Thank you,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • stan99stan99 Member Posts: 7
    My Suburban was purchased back by GM. I am now driving a Tahoe and GM bought back the Suburban via trade and I got all my money back. I drove well over ten 2011 suburban’s including Yukon’s XL and Escalade ESV’s. All have a vibration except the Escalade. The Escalade is the only one with Magnetic ride control. GM acknowledged there was a vibration and said it was normal after two dealerships could not fix it. GM rep said I could look at the Escalade and would be about $7-10 grand more…came down to it and it was $15 grand more. Not an option at that cost. I have everything documented in emails from day one as I would recap every visit and or discussion as they were weekly. I found a Yukon Denali and worked out a deal that I would by $200 over cost which included dealer hold back and all incentives. The dealership that had the truck did not want to take the deal as they had to label truck as to why they have it to sell and did not think GM was giving them enough money as a trade. GM was paying the dealer the difference to what I paid for the truck so I broke even. I ended up back at the same dealer I original purchased the Suburban and purchased a Tahoe. GM could not fix the problem and the best that can be done is to put the Michelin tires with the road force balance matching the wheel to the tire. This will get you 90% but there still will be a slight vibration. My view after spending almost three month talking to a lot of people, reading a lot of articles and driving all these trucks…. The biggest issue is on concrete roads where the dampening system cannot keep up. It is like a resonance starts and just vibrates the whole truck. It seems like the Magnetic ride control is so much faster at adjusting that it dampens the resonance frequency. The part that bothers me is that one GM person said that the way GM gets around the lemon law hassle is to buy back the truck, enter a service order on the truck to show it was fixed then put it on the used car lot with a letter or something saying why it was purchased back. My understanding is they have to disclose why it was there but not labeled as lemon law.
  • schoonersschooners Member Posts: 7
    @Sarah - GM Customer Service Rep:
    First, it's a Suburban, not a Tahoe. Second, with all due respect - I really don't feel comfortable just randomly emailing out my info to someone on a social forum, claiming they are a Customer Service person, that wants my name, address, etc. If GM wanted to "help" I would think the engineers who were flown to our location would provide us with options. Not a flat-out "It's normal. Bye." and nothing more.
    @stan99 - Awesome you got your Suburban bought back! But you had to purchase another GM vehicle to get that deal? I definitely don't feel comfortable with that. We've tried all along to get them to buy back. We had it in the shop once. The service manager agreed it wasn't normal. Replaced all the tires. When we said we still felt it, he rode in it again and felt it still. We'll get it in two more shops and then we'll pursue legal action. Some dealerships are flat-out refusing to even look at it. I don't want to drive it with my little kids in there either - what if this vibration is slowly shaking something loose? Talk about a safety issue!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    All the automakers are using social media (i.e. forums) to reach out to owners and Sarah and Christine are legit.

    If you don't want to communicate by email, there's also a phone number you can call. Or you can use postal mail. And there's a Click to Chat link at the Chevy site (under Help).

    Chevy Contact Information
  • schoonersschooners Member Posts: 7
    I emailed Sarah and haven't heard back. Still no communication with any GM engineers. I called GM today and was told that the case says "Customer requested no further contact" or something along that line. Ummm ... we never told them that. We've been waiting two days for someone to give us their report. This is getting ridiculous! I think BBB needs to be contacted as well - for the dealership. Grrrrr.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Good afternoon schooners,

    Thank you for sending more information our way - you sent it to socialmedia@gm.com , correct? Also, I want to apologize for misreading some parts of your original post that I responded to. I should be more careful, and not that it's an excuse but I see a lot of posts over the course of a day. Again, I apologize for not giving your post my full attention.

    I will check with my coworker Christina to see if she has received your email. In the meantime, have you heard back?

    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • schoonersschooners Member Posts: 7
    Sarah -

    No worries. Yep, sent it to the email you stated in the last post. Let me know if you didn't get it. Thanks!
  • 68mustang68mustang Member Posts: 10
    I have bought Chevy vehicles for over 25 years. I had a 2003 Tahoe and 2005 Suburban and neither shook. Now I bought a 2011 Tahoe and it shakes at both low and high speeds. Have only had it for 9 months and have had it in the shop numerous times. We test drove 4 other vehicles on the lot and they all shake. When we first bought ours they said that there we flat spots in the tires and they would go away. Well after 500 miles and still shaking they replaced the tires. We have been dealing with 2 different dealerships and even have talked to regional GM reps and they aren't making any good offers to help fix the issue. We are looking to use the Lemon Law. Just emailed an attorney tonight. Have you gotten anywhere? (I know it's only been about a week since your post but wondering if you have had any luck).
  • schoonersschooners Member Posts: 7
    Hey 68mustang (and others following this saga) ...
    Well, we've hit a brick wall. GM won't talk to us. Apparently once the engineers look at it and make a decision, they won't even discuss the issue anymore. So we took the Suburban to a second dealership in the area here and were told that: 1. they felt the vibration and recommended swapping out the tires (at a cost to us. reason covered in #3); 2. upon inspection to fix said vibration issue, they noticed that the original shop damaged the rims we have; 3. there was no record in our file that tires were swapped out at the first dealership so we're no longer covered under warranty for tire problems; and 4. oh, but now that you're here, we'll go for a ride with you so you can show us what exactly you're talking about -- "oh THAT? that vibration is normal, so there's nothing we can do to fix it." WTF?
    We met with the owner of the dealership we purchased from and he won't budge on this either. He said that "this is just how they drive." He's offering to swap out the vehicle - for the low trade-in price and paying for the new vehicle - some deal! Hahahahaha!!! Not. Basically, those of us that feel this vibration are a small percentage of the owners that have issue with it. Not enough of a percentage of owners for GM to even care about this problem. Damn us for wanting quality!
    We told the owner that we were going to consult with our lawyer before we make any decisions. I do NOT want another Suburban (or Chevy product) - especially if this is "normal". As of now, it looks like we'll either have to continue to pay for a product that drives us insane, or eat it and unload it. I'm livid.
    The best part was - the two dealerships we had the Suburban at so far, apparently hate each other and talk smack about each other to us. Awesome professionalism!
    Hope you have better luck. I'm waiting to hear back from our lawyer still. Let me know if you find out any other options.
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