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2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 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

726 reports with mileage · 79 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. Review the 273 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 195 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 151 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

26 crash reports7 fire reports8 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

151 reports
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38,000 miles · Feb 13, 2008
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKES FUNCTION WHEN THE VEHICLE DECELERATED BETWEEN 4-15 MPH. WHEN HE APPROACHED A STOP SIGN, THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE PULSATED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 5-10 FEET. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE CONTACT …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKES FUNCTION WHEN THE VEHICLE DECELERATED BETWEEN 4-15 MPH. WHEN HE APPROACHED A STOP SIGN, THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE PULSATED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 5-10 FEET. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE DID NOT INCLUDE HIS VIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 46,600 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000. UPDATE 04-02-08 *BF

NHTSA ODI #10217920

89,000 miles · Feb 6, 2008
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteering

MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HAS A BRAKING ISSUE WHERE THE BRAKES FAIL TO WORK. THE GENERAL MOTORS CORP HAD A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE IDENTIFYING MODEL YEARS 1999-2002. I CALLED THE GENERAL MOTORS CORP FOR HELP WITH THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD BY THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, I NEEDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE EVALUATED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER, IF THE PR…

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MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HAS A BRAKING ISSUE WHERE THE BRAKES FAIL TO WORK. THE GENERAL MOTORS CORP HAD A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE IDENTIFYING MODEL YEARS 1999-2002. I CALLED THE GENERAL MOTORS CORP FOR HELP WITH THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD BY THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, I NEEDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE EVALUATED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER, IF THE PROBLEM WERE FOUND, THEY WOULD REPAIR IT AT NO COST TO ME. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALER, THEY FOUND AND DOCUMENTED THE ISSUE ON A SERVICE REPORT (I HAVE A COPY). WHEN I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS BACK, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, IT WAS MY PROBLEM TO FIX. I EXPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES THAT THIS IS NOT A WEAR ITEM, THEY HAD A RECALL PREVIOUSLY, THEIR DEALER DOCUMENTED MY VEHICLE AS HAVING THE PROBLEM. STILL, TO NO AVAIL, I WAS TOLD IT IS MY PROBLEM AND THEY WON'T COVER IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T IDENTIFIED UNDER THE RECALL. THEREFORE, WHY WAS I TOLD TO BRING IT TO THE DEALER FOR NO REASON AND A COST TO ME OF $42, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHY ARE THEY NOT CONCERNED THAT MY VEHICLE HAS AN ISSUE WHERE THE BRAKES FAIL TO WORK. GENERAL MOTORS SERVICE BULLETIN # 05068B, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000. THE EVALUATION WAS PERFORMED BY KEIGAN CHEVROLET IN FRANKLIN MA, SERVICE REPORT INVOICE # 82978A. THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 11/02 ALTHOUGH IT IS CALLED A 2003 MODEL. I ONLY SEEK TO HAVE THE BRAKING ISSUE REPAIRED. AS NOTED BY THE SERVICE REPORT, THE FRONT WHEEL HUBS NEED TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE A SECOND ISSUE FOLLOWING THE SAME CHAIN OF EVENTS, THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN RATTLES. THERE WAS ALSO A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS ISSUE, ALSO FOUND TO BE A PROBLEM AT THE DEALER, ALSO DOCUMENTED ON THE SERVICE REPORT, TOLD SAME THING, MY PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE THEM TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN AT THEIR COST. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10217286

Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2008
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

2003 SILVERADO 1500 Z71 PICKUP REAR BRAKE PROBLEM AT 43,000 MILES. RUSTING BRAKE ROTORS CAUSE EXCESSIVE UNEVEN WEAR OF REAR BRAKE PADS. CONDITION LIMITED TO INSIDE SIDE OF REAR ROTORS. ONLY ONE-HALF INCH SURFACE OF ROTOR WAS SHINY AND REST OF ROTOR HAD SEVERE RUST THAT UNDER LOAD RESULTED IN PAD DAMAGE. COMPLAINED TO DEALER T…

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2003 SILVERADO 1500 Z71 PICKUP REAR BRAKE PROBLEM AT 43,000 MILES. RUSTING BRAKE ROTORS CAUSE EXCESSIVE UNEVEN WEAR OF REAR BRAKE PADS. CONDITION LIMITED TO INSIDE SIDE OF REAR ROTORS. ONLY ONE-HALF INCH SURFACE OF ROTOR WAS SHINY AND REST OF ROTOR HAD SEVERE RUST THAT UNDER LOAD RESULTED IN PAD DAMAGE. COMPLAINED TO DEALER TWICE AFTER PURCHASE JULY '03, SPONGY, BRAKING AND SOMETIMES HARD TO STOP. THEY LOOKED AT IT SAID IT WAS NORMAL. ALMOST ALL MY DRIVING IS HIGHWAY, WITH MINIMAL BRAKING. AND THE FEW TIMES DRIVEN IN TOWN HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR COLLISIONS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10216998

53,000 miles · Jan 9, 2008
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THEY WORE OUT. THE SERVICE DEPT AT THE CHEV DEALER SAID THAT RUST HAD PENETRATED INTO THE ROTOR AND HAD CAUSED THE BRAKES TO PULSE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON PICKUPS LIKE MY 2003 SILVERADO K1500. IT SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN PROBLEM SINCE CHEVROLET SWITCHED FROM REAR DRUM BRAKES TO R…

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THE BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THEY WORE OUT. THE SERVICE DEPT AT THE CHEV DEALER SAID THAT RUST HAD PENETRATED INTO THE ROTOR AND HAD CAUSED THE BRAKES TO PULSE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON PICKUPS LIKE MY 2003 SILVERADO K1500. IT SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN PROBLEM SINCE CHEVROLET SWITCHED FROM REAR DRUM BRAKES TO REAR DISC BRAKES. CHEVROLET STARTED THE PROBLEM BY SWITCHING FROM DRUM BRAKES TO DISC BRAKES. OWNERS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR BAD ROTORS WHEN IT IS A CHEV DESIGN FAULT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10214304

60,000 miles · Oct 23, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGES DURING LOW SPEED STOPS-EVEN ON DRY ROADS. STOPPING DISTANCE IS UNPREDICTABLE. THIS IS A RECALL ITEM ON SILVERADO'S AND YUKON'S OF DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. WE LIVE IN A SALT ROAD ENVIRONMENT. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10206686

3,002 miles · Sep 17, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

AT 3,002 MILES, I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP OF THE WEAK, MUSHY BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS TOLD (OFF THE RECORD) THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING. NOTHING WAS DONE. I REPLACED THE FRONT & REAR PADS AND ROTORS IN 2006 WITH ?ULTRA PREMIUM? ROTORS AND ?CERAMIC SAFETY STOP? PADS FOR ALL THE WHEELS FROM NAPA. I NOW HAVE 22,0…

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AT 3,002 MILES, I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP OF THE WEAK, MUSHY BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS TOLD (OFF THE RECORD) THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING. NOTHING WAS DONE. I REPLACED THE FRONT & REAR PADS AND ROTORS IN 2006 WITH ?ULTRA PREMIUM? ROTORS AND ?CERAMIC SAFETY STOP? PADS FOR ALL THE WHEELS FROM NAPA. I NOW HAVE 22,000+ MILES AND TOOK THE TRUCK TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP IN CASE THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT GM KNOWS ABOUT THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ABS KICKING IN AT LOW SPEED AND WAS TOLD THE FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSORS WERE DIRTY AND NEEDED CLEANED. THAT COST ME $420.93 AND MY BRAKES ARE STILL THE SAME. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED ?SEVERE DUTY METALLIC? PADS, SO I SPENT ANOTHER $388.36 AND THE PEDAL IS STILL MUSHY AND THE STOPPING POWER IS STILL NOT THERE. THE GVWR FOR MY TON 4WD EXTENDED CAB WITH 8 FOOT BED IS 6,700 LBS. THE DIAMETER OF THE FRONT ROTORS IS 12 INCHES. A COMPARABLE DODGE RAM COULD WEIGH AS MUCH AS 6,500 LBS, BUT THE DIAMETER OF THEIR FRONT ROTORS IS 13.23 INCHES. FORD USES A FRONT ROTOR WITH A DIAMETER OF 12.120 INCHES. WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLES WITH BRAKE PROBLEMS AND NOT FORD OR DODGE? I WOULD THINK THAT SHOULD RAISE SOME EYEBROWS. THIS TRUCK AND MANY OTHER GM VEHICLES ARE A DANGER. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? *JB

NHTSA ODI #10203273

5,000 miles · Aug 3, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

POOR STOPPING/BRAKING DISTANCE ON 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO. TRUCK WILL NOT STOP IN A REASONABLE DISTANCE AND HAS FORCED ME TO EITHER STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION OR PROCEED THRU THE INTERSECTION BECAUSE I CANNOT STOP. STOPPING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS EVEN MORE TERRIFYING. TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO DEALER IN 2005 FOR POOR BRAKES AND B…

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POOR STOPPING/BRAKING DISTANCE ON 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO. TRUCK WILL NOT STOP IN A REASONABLE DISTANCE AND HAS FORCED ME TO EITHER STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION OR PROCEED THRU THE INTERSECTION BECAUSE I CANNOT STOP. STOPPING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS EVEN MORE TERRIFYING. TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO DEALER IN 2005 FOR POOR BRAKES AND BRAKES WERE NO BETTER AFTER VISIT. I HAVE JUST REPLACED THE REAR ROTORS AND PADS ON 8/1/07 WITH 28,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. THE ROTORS/PADS HAD WORE SEVERELY WITH ONLY CONTACT AT THE CENTER PORTION OF THE ROTOR. BRAKING HAS NOT NOTICEABLY IMPROVED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10198462

60,000 miles · May 19, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE ABS MODULE FAILED, LEADING TO THE ABS PUMP RUNNING ALL THE TIME. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10191229

Mileage unknown · May 8, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 4WD - THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM REPEATEDLY ENGAGED AT SLOW SPEEDS, LESS THAN 10 MPH WHEN COMING TO A STOP, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP. TRUCK WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ,AND HAD TO HAVE REPAIRED. THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT INITIATED A RECALL 05V37900 ON 2002 AND EARLIER MODELS. THIS SAME PR…

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OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 4WD - THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM REPEATEDLY ENGAGED AT SLOW SPEEDS, LESS THAN 10 MPH WHEN COMING TO A STOP, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP. TRUCK WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ,AND HAD TO HAVE REPAIRED. THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT INITIATED A RECALL 05V37900 ON 2002 AND EARLIER MODELS. THIS SAME PROBLEM WAS NOW OCCURRING ON MY 2003 MODEL , BUT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY RECALL. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 13,000 MILES. LAST SUMMER WHEN THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 11,000 MILES THE ENTIRE BRAKE ASSEMBLY AREA RUSTED , LEADING TO REPLACEMENT OF ALL THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES AND ROTORS. THE TRUCK WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS VEHICLE HAS A SERIOUS RUST PROBLEM, AND IT WAS MAKING THE BRAKES VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10190162

57,000 miles · Mar 27, 2007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE SPEED SENSORS FAILED ON MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH BECAUSE THE ABS SYSTEM CAME ON UNEXPECTEDLY. THE RECALL ONLY EXTENDS TO THE 2002 MODEL YEAR, AND GM WILL NOT FIX MY VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH THIS CAUSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. GM DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS OR CARE ABOUT THE…

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THE SPEED SENSORS FAILED ON MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH BECAUSE THE ABS SYSTEM CAME ON UNEXPECTEDLY. THE RECALL ONLY EXTENDS TO THE 2002 MODEL YEAR, AND GM WILL NOT FIX MY VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH THIS CAUSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. GM DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS OR CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. OVER 200 ACTUAL CRASHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. DO NOT BUY A GM VEHICLE UNLESS YOU ENJOY CAR CRASHES AND POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. NOW I AM PAYING $500 ON A LEASED TRUCK TO FIX SOMETHING THAT WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10186266

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

3

EA11001 · Brake Line Corrosion Failure

Opened Jan 5, 2011 · Closed Apr 8, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

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.