IllustrationDRIVING DOWN HILL LIGHT TURNED YELLOW, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES PEDDLE HELD FOR A SECOND THEN WENT TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS WAITING TO COME THROUGH INTERSECTION, UPON INSPECTION FOUND BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH. COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. *TR
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
290–25K
3825–50K
7150–75K
8075–100K
102100–150K
65150K+
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
What owners actually said
468 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN MAKING ANY TURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 192,000.
BROUGHT A 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 IN FOR A SLOW LEAK IN THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. UPON MECHANIC TACKING TIRE OFF THE VEHICLE THE INSPECTION REVEALED THE INSIDE SIDE WALL SEAM IS SEPARATING AND ACTUALLY HAS A GAPS MEASURING 3/16' WIDE BY A FEW INCHES LONG ALL ALONG THE SEAM. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVE…
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BROUGHT A 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 IN FOR A SLOW LEAK IN THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. UPON MECHANIC TACKING TIRE OFF THE VEHICLE THE INSPECTION REVEALED THE INSIDE SIDE WALL SEAM IS SEPARATING AND ACTUALLY HAS A GAPS MEASURING 3/16' WIDE BY A FEW INCHES LONG ALL ALONG THE SEAM. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ALSO REVEALS THE SAME SIDE WALL SEPARATION TEARS IN THE SEAM. THIS IS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER SR-A , P245-75-16. WITH A MANUFACTURERS DATE OF 2009. *TR
THIS IS THE 4TH TIME I HAVE BLOWN A LINE ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST 3 WERE WITHIN THE LAST 2 YEARS. FIRST, PULLED UP TO A LIGHT AT 25 MPH AND MANAGED TO STOP AFTER I RAN THE LIGHT. NO TRAFFIC, NO CRASH, AND I AM NOT SURE OF THE MILEAGE. SECOND, PARKING TRUCK AT HOME, BLEW A LINE. LESS THAN 5 MPH, NO DAMAGE, AGAIN, NOT SURE OF MI…
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THIS IS THE 4TH TIME I HAVE BLOWN A LINE ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST 3 WERE WITHIN THE LAST 2 YEARS. FIRST, PULLED UP TO A LIGHT AT 25 MPH AND MANAGED TO STOP AFTER I RAN THE LIGHT. NO TRAFFIC, NO CRASH, AND I AM NOT SURE OF THE MILEAGE. SECOND, PARKING TRUCK AT HOME, BLEW A LINE. LESS THAN 5 MPH, NO DAMAGE, AGAIN, NOT SURE OF MILEAGE. THIRD, PULLING TRUCK INTO A GARAGE TO REPLACE A U-JOINT, BLEW A LINE. LESS THAN 5 MPH, NO DAMAGE, NOT SURE OF MILEAGE. I HAD ALL OF THE REMAINING LINES REPLACED AT THIS TIME. FOURTH, YESTERDAY (OCTOBER 23, 2010) DRIVING IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON THE HIGHWAY, 40-45 MPH, CAME UP ON SLOWER TRAFFIC, BLEW A LINE, REAR-ENDED THE SMALL TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME AND SHOVED HIM DOWN THE ROAD. BOTH VEHICLES DAMAGED, MINE SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DAMAGE. I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK FEBRUARY 1, 2007 WITH 60,119 MILES ON IT. I GENERALLY DRIVE MY VEHICLES MANY YEARS. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS MANY BRAKE LINE ISSUES. MY FORD TRUCK WITH 135,000 NEVER HAD A LINE BLOW, 1995 THUNDERBIRD WITH 125,000 ONE LINE BLEW, 1991 T-BIRD, 214,000 MILES NEVER BLEW A LINE, I COULD GO ON, BUT NONE OF THE OTHERS HAVE BLOWN LINES EITHER. *TR
ALL THE STEEL BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE TRUCK IS RELATIVELY RUST FREE, BUT THE STEEL BRAKES LINES ARE ROTTED OUT AND I DON'T HAVE SAFE BRAKES TO STOP ANYMORE. BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR WHEN A LINE IS RUPTURED AND CAN'T STOP. NONE OF MY OTHER VEHICLES THAT ARE DRIVEN IN SIMILAR CONDITI…
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ALL THE STEEL BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE TRUCK IS RELATIVELY RUST FREE, BUT THE STEEL BRAKES LINES ARE ROTTED OUT AND I DON'T HAVE SAFE BRAKES TO STOP ANYMORE. BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR WHEN A LINE IS RUPTURED AND CAN'T STOP. NONE OF MY OTHER VEHICLES THAT ARE DRIVEN IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS SHOW THIS MUCH CORROSION ON THE BRAKE LINES AS THIS TRUCK DOES. THERE IS NO CORROSION PROTECTION ON THESE BRAKE LINES AT ALL.. I HAVE A BAD BACK AND IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO REPLACE THE LINES MYSELF, AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY A SHOP TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, SO I'M PRETTY MUCH PARKING IT FOR NOW.. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED AN ERRONEOUS READING OF EMPTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL SENSING UNIT HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. T…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED AN ERRONEOUS READING OF EMPTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL SENSING UNIT HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,496. UPDATED 11/14/12*LJ UPDATED 11/19/2012 *JS
FUEL GAUGE GOES TO FULL,BACK TO EMPTY. LOW FUEL LIGHT COMES ON. THIS GOES ON ALL THE TIME YOU DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *TR
WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES TO GO FROM PARK TO REVERSE, THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY SANK TO THE FLOOR. AFTER TOWING THE VEHICLE TO A GM DEALERSHIP, I LEARNED THAT IT WAS A BRAKE LINE FAILURE WHICH WAS DUE TO A RUPTURE IN THE CORRODED STEEL BRAKE LINES. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR TRUCK. THE RUP…
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WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES TO GO FROM PARK TO REVERSE, THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY SANK TO THE FLOOR. AFTER TOWING THE VEHICLE TO A GM DEALERSHIP, I LEARNED THAT IT WAS A BRAKE LINE FAILURE WHICH WAS DUE TO A RUPTURE IN THE CORRODED STEEL BRAKE LINES. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR TRUCK. THE RUPTURED LINE WAS REPLACED WITH A NON-CORROSIVE COPPER/NICKEL LINE. FORTUNATELY I WAS PARKED AT THE TIME OF THIS FAILURE OR THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A SEVERE ACCIDENT. I QUESTION WHY GM WOULD USE CORROSIVE STEEL FOR A LIFE-SAFETY COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE AND HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE EITHER THROUGH RECALL OR SAFETY BULLETIN. *TR
I WAS STOPPED AT THE MAILBOX REACHING OUT FOR THE MAIL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK ROLLED FORWARD ABOUT A FOOT. I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY GET UP THE DRIVEWAY AND FOUND THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH. HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE LINES. *TR
METAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION WITH MASSIVE LOSS OF FLUID. EXPERIENCED LOSS OF BRAKES AT LOW SPEED, AND USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. HAD LINE REPLACED. IN AUGUST 2012 I EXPERIENCE A SECOND FAILURE, AGAIN DUE TO METAL BRAKE LINE CORROSION BUT ON DIFFERENT LINE, AGAIN WITH MASSIVE LOSS OF FLUID AND LOSS OF BRAKE…
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METAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION WITH MASSIVE LOSS OF FLUID. EXPERIENCED LOSS OF BRAKES AT LOW SPEED, AND USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. HAD LINE REPLACED. IN AUGUST 2012 I EXPERIENCE A SECOND FAILURE, AGAIN DUE TO METAL BRAKE LINE CORROSION BUT ON DIFFERENT LINE, AGAIN WITH MASSIVE LOSS OF FLUID AND LOSS OF BRAKES, LUCKILY AT LOW SPEED AGAIN. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED OR WITH A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER, IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE AND INJURY OR FATALITY. THIS TRUCK IS LOCATED IN VA AND OTHER THAN THE BRAKE LINES HAS LITTLE UNDERSIDE CORROSION. I AM HAVING TO REPLACE ALL THE BRAKE LINES AT HIGH COST TO ENSURE SAFETY. THESE BRAKE LINE FAILURES ARE NOTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET ON LATE 90'S TO EARLY 2000'S CHEVY TRUCKS- THEY SEEM TO BE VERY COMMON. I HAVE VEHICLES THAT ARE DECADES OLD AND HAVE THEIR ORIGINAL BRAKE LINES. I SUSPECT DEFECTIVE BRAKE LINE MATERIALS ON THE TRUCK. *TR
Official recalls
0No 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
2EA04011 · 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.