Three problems related to engine and engine cooling have been reported for the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The car was parked in the driveway. In the middle of the night it burst into flames. Our dogs woke us up. The fire started in the front passenger compartment. By the time the fire department arrived 7 minutes later there was nothing left to the interior of the car. The engine and underside of the car were undamaged by the fire. A tree near the car also caught fire. Chevrolet said there were no recalls on our car. They do not seem interested in examining the car since we settled with our insurance company. Neither the fire department nor the police suspect arson. It would appear to be electrical. If the car had been parked in our garage we would have lost our house.
Sudden unexpected acceleration. At random, a 500 to 1500 rpm increase in engine spead for up to several seconds accompanied by thick black smoke and the smell of raw diesel fuel. Has occurred in drive, neutral, reverse, and park. Has occurred with cruise control turned off. Has occurred with the cruise control fuse removed. Has occurred in park with no operator in vehicle. The truck will accelerate quickly (dangerously) when in drive or reverse.
Heater and ac controls went out twice. Factory replaced them @ $125, then 9 months later it went out again. Factory said it was under 12 months, but I had driven over 12,000 miles so it was not under warranty any longer. Windsheild wiper module goes bad. Wipers will suddenly stop or wont turn on. On 3rd module now. Brakes, constant grinding and weak stops. Have replaced rotors 4 times. Same results. Steering loses tension when steering to the left. Problem is still ongoing but has made me almost lose control several times.