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2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 525.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

385 reports with mileage · 83 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 147 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 133 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

48 crash reports5 fire reports20 injury reports

Wheels complaints

10 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2023
Wheels

My spare tire hoist cable broke causing the spare tire to fall away from vehicle into traffic.

NHTSA ODI #11533584

Mileage unknown · Jul 8, 2023
Wheels

The exterior of the wheel well separated from the interior cylinder of the wheel well. The issue appears that the wheel well (usually one piece) has cracked/separated into two pieces, likely due to rust. The car was parked at a store and made a loud popping sound, which could be heard from inside the store. The popping sound cam…

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The exterior of the wheel well separated from the interior cylinder of the wheel well. The issue appears that the wheel well (usually one piece) has cracked/separated into two pieces, likely due to rust. The car was parked at a store and made a loud popping sound, which could be heard from inside the store. The popping sound came from the loud separation of these pieces as shown in the attached images. This separation was powerful enough to bend and distort the entire exterior of the wheel/hub cap. The vehicle required a tow. This issue could have been a lot worse if the car was driving while the incident occurred. Upon inspection, the other wheel wells are likely to have the same thing occur due to similar appearance. For further details please see file number 529550.

NHTSA ODI #11531069

154,000 miles · Jun 29, 2023
TiresWheels

The contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped with Kelly Tires, Tire Line: Edge, Tire Size: 245/75/R16, DOT Number: PJUYJH1R1918. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, there was a loud boom sound that came from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the front passenger’s side tire had e…

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The contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped with Kelly Tires, Tire Line: Edge, Tire Size: 245/75/R16, DOT Number: PJUYJH1R1918. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, there was a loud boom sound that came from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the front passenger’s side tire had exploded. The contact stated that there was an excessive amount of rust between the rim and the tire. An independent mechanic was sent to the location and a spare tire was placed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the explosion of the tire caused the rim to be bent. The was concerned that the tire had been mounted improperly. The defective tire was not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 154,000. The tire failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ODI #11529550

230,000 miles · Jul 28, 2019
Exterior LightingService BrakesWheelsCrashInjury

I'VE HAD MULTIPLE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THIS VEHICLE OVER 2 YEARS. ONE OF THE FIRST CONCERN WAS MY HEADLIGHT DAYTIME BULBS MELTED TO THE HARNESS AND THE ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MELTED THRU THE NUMBER SO I STARTED CARRYING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT. BUT ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS INDECENT HAPPENED W…

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I'VE HAD MULTIPLE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THIS VEHICLE OVER 2 YEARS. ONE OF THE FIRST CONCERN WAS MY HEADLIGHT DAYTIME BULBS MELTED TO THE HARNESS AND THE ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MELTED THRU THE NUMBER SO I STARTED CARRYING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT. BUT ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS INDECENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY WHEEL BEARING HUB GAVE OUT N THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO SUPPORT THE TIRE ONTO THE TRUCK SO MY FRONT DRIVER TIRE WENT FLYING OFF N MY TRUCK COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP INTO THE GROUND CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY SELF, MY FINDER, THE WHEEL SENSOR, N THE DRIVER DOOR. AFTER GETTING ALL THAT FIXED I'M AFRAID OF THE OTHER HUBS GIVING OUT. ALSO WHEN I HIT MY BRAKES IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS AIR IN THE PEDAL N THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BC THE SENSOR GOT DAMAGED OR IF THE ABS BOX IS DAMAGE FROM CORROSION AND MY EMERGENCY BRAKE HAS NEVER SEEM TO DO ANYTHING. I HAVE REPLACED MANY OF PARTS ON THIS TRUCK N WHEN I DO IT SEEMS LIKE ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER.

NHTSA ODI #11235344

Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2016
Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

EVAPORATED SYSTEM.

NHTSA ODI #10915372

Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 2014
Air BagsSteeringStructureCrashInjury

SOMEONE RAN A RED LIGHT AND CREAMED INTO US AT ABOUT 50-55 MPH. THE IMPACT AREA WAS THE PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AREA AND THE IMPACT WAS SO VIOLENT THAT IT SMASHED EVERYTHING OVER AND INCLUDING THE STARTER... OUR AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I ALWAYS WONDERED IF IT WAS BECAUSE THE CRASH SMASHED THE STARTER AND HAD SOMETHING TO DO …

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SOMEONE RAN A RED LIGHT AND CREAMED INTO US AT ABOUT 50-55 MPH. THE IMPACT AREA WAS THE PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AREA AND THE IMPACT WAS SO VIOLENT THAT IT SMASHED EVERYTHING OVER AND INCLUDING THE STARTER... OUR AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I ALWAYS WONDERED IF IT WAS BECAUSE THE CRASH SMASHED THE STARTER AND HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GM RECALLS NOW. BOTH MY SON AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME AFTER THAT CRASH AND NEITHER OF US CAN EVEN SLEEP IN A BED FROM NECK AND BACK PAIN... WE BOTH HAD BRAIN INJURIES AND MINE WAS RATHER SEVERE WHERE I LOST MY SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE AND PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY...AND HAD SEVERE LANGUAGE AND SPEECH PROBLEMS... IT WAS ALMOST LIKE I WAS DYSLEXIC AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME. BOTH OUR HEALTH DETERIORATED SINCE... I WAS TOLD 'OUR AIR BAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED' IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HARD IMPACT (WHICH IT WAS), SINCE THE MAN'S CAR WAS TOTALED FOR HOW HE HIT US WITHOUT EVER BRAKING OR SLOWING DOWN... SINCE THE IMPACT WAS THE PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AREA AND CORNER BUMPER CLEAR OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE AND EVEN BROKE THE STARTER, I WONDER IF THE IGNITION DID SOMETHING TO MAKE THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOY. I ALWAYS FELT THERE WAS MORE TO THIS ACCIDENT, BUT NO ONE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR US. NOW WITH ALL THESE GM RECALLS, I WONDER IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS ACCIDENT. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF OUR AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED WITH SUCH A VIOLENT CRASH AND IF WHEN THE CRASH BROKE THE STARTER IF IT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE AIR BAGS FROM DEPLOYING? THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10598990

108,516 miles · Jun 11, 2012
Service BrakesSuspensionWheelsCrash

I WAS PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE AND THERE WAS NO BRAKES ALSO HAPPENED WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT OF STORE .I TOOK TO GM DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH HUB BEARINGS WERE LOOSE AND THAT IS WHAT CAUSED ME TO LOSE ALL MY BRAKES. I HIT A CONCRETE HANDICAP SIGN WAS LUCKY NOT ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WHY WOULD GM MAKE A …

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I WAS PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE AND THERE WAS NO BRAKES ALSO HAPPENED WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT OF STORE .I TOOK TO GM DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH HUB BEARINGS WERE LOOSE AND THAT IS WHAT CAUSED ME TO LOSE ALL MY BRAKES. I HIT A CONCRETE HANDICAP SIGN WAS LUCKY NOT ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WHY WOULD GM MAKE A TRUCK THAT WOULD LOSE ITS BRAKES IF A BEARING WAS LOOSE I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE TRUCK THAT THE SAME THING MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN AND MAYBE THE NEXT TIME I WON'T BE SO LUCKY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 4 DAYS EARLIER MY ABS LIGHT FLICKERED ON THEN OFF 1 TIME. REMAINED OFF AFTER THAT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10461227

Mileage unknown · Oct 31, 2011
Service Brakes, HydraulicWheels

WHEEL SPEED SENSORS REPLACED UNDER RECALL FAILED AGAIN FAILING TO STOP VEHICLE IN SAFE DISTANCE UNDER 10 MPH. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH WHEEL SPEED SENSORS AGAIN. WAS TOLD BRAKE LINES ALSO CORRODED. HAVE FOUND THAT A COMMON COMPLAINT ON CHEVY SILVERADO. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10433751

100,000 miles · Dec 2, 2010
Wheels

I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT MY 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS RECALLED ONCE AND REPAIRED ONLY TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCUR A YEAR LATER. CHEVROLET REFUSES TO RESOLVE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE AT NO COST SINCE IT WAS ALREADY REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS WHEEL SPEED SENSOR ISSUE HAS…

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I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT MY 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS RECALLED ONCE AND REPAIRED ONLY TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCUR A YEAR LATER. CHEVROLET REFUSES TO RESOLVE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE AT NO COST SINCE IT WAS ALREADY REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS WHEEL SPEED SENSOR ISSUE HAS OCCURRED. AM I TO HAVE NO BRAKES UNLESS I PAY A DEALER TO FIX THIS EVERY YEAR? HOW IS THIS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10368626

80,000 miles · Sep 20, 2007
Wheels

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH OR GREATER, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FELT THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS CAUSED THE FAILURE. HE STATED THAT THE SEALS FOR THE …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH OR GREATER, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FELT THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS CAUSED THE FAILURE. HE STATED THAT THE SEALS FOR THE WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. AS OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2007, THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

NHTSA ODI #10203519

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

EA04011 · Parking Brake Failure

Opened Apr 9, 2004 · Closed May 10, 2005

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake; Parking Brake:conventional; Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical; Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical:linkage And Cable

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Parking Brake:conventional

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical:linkage And Cable

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Parking Brake

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

PE03057 · Parking Brake Failure

Opened Dec 8, 2003 · Closed Apr 9, 2004

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake

ODI OPENED PE03-057 TO ASSESS PARKING BRAKE INEFFECTIVENESS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FOUR WHEEL DISC BRAKES THAT INCORPORATE A SINGLE-SHOE DRUM-IN-HAT PARKING BRAKE INDEPENDENT OF THE SERVICE BRAKES.COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA INDICATE THAT THE PARKING BRAKE LININGS TEND TO WEAR OUT EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE (AT AN AVERAGE OF 24 MONTHS IN SERVICE), REDUCING THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM'S TORQUE BELOW THAT NEEDED TO IMMOBILIZE THE VEHICLE.GM HAS ATTRIBUTED THIS ACCELERATED WEAR TO FOREIGN MATERIAL INTRUSION AND A FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SHOE TO PROPERLY SELF-CENTER WITHIN ITS BRAKE DRUM.EFFECTIVE WITH THE START OF MY 2003 PRODUCTION, A NEWER REDUCED FORCE HOLD-DOWN CLIP WAS INTRODUCED TO FACILITATE BRAKE SHOE DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE DRUM SURFACE.THIS PART IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE SERVICE LEVEL FOR THE MY 1999-2002 VEHICLES.GM HAS INDICATED THAT THE PAKING BRAKE IS INTENDED TO OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TRANSMISSION TO IMMOBILZE PARKED VEHICLES, AND THAT IN MANY CASES, ACCELERATED PARKING BRAKE LINING WEAR IS CAUSED BY ROUGH USE, VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS, AND DRIVING WITH THE PARKING ENGAGED. ODI HAS UPGRADED THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO GATHER FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING PARKING BRAKE USAGE FACTORS AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE SEVENTEEN REPORTED VEHICLE CRASHES.