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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 complaints

273 reports
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57,250 miles · Feb 10, 2013
Service Brakes

MY SON WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK TO COLLEGE AND PULLED INTO THE PARKING GARAGE AND WHEN LOOKING FOR A SPACE TO PARK THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. HE WAS ABLE TO KEEP GOING LONG ENOUGH FOR THE VEHICLE TO COAST INTO A PARKING SPOT BUT THE BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY OUT. G.M. STATES THAT THE SALT THAT THEY TREAT THE ROADS…

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MY SON WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK TO COLLEGE AND PULLED INTO THE PARKING GARAGE AND WHEN LOOKING FOR A SPACE TO PARK THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. HE WAS ABLE TO KEEP GOING LONG ENOUGH FOR THE VEHICLE TO COAST INTO A PARKING SPOT BUT THE BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY OUT. G.M. STATES THAT THE SALT THAT THEY TREAT THE ROADS WITH ALONG WITH THE WEATHER CAUSED THE LINES TO RUST OUT. IF THAT WAS THE CASE THAT WOULD BE HAPPENING TO ALOT MORE VEHICLES. I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LINES THAT WERE INSTALLED ON THESE VEHICLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10497658

68,507 miles · Feb 5, 2013
Service Brakes

I WAS TOWING A NEW RANGER BASS BOAT HOME FROM FISHING. I WAS COMING DOWN HILL TOWARD A STOP SIGN AT A INTERSECTION AND WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES. THE CHECK BRAKES CAME UP ON INFO CENTER. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD TO JAM IT DOWN IN TO FIRST GEAR AND USE PARKING BREAK TO GET IT SLOWED ENOUGH TO TURN. IT WAS ALSO A 55MPH SPEED…

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I WAS TOWING A NEW RANGER BASS BOAT HOME FROM FISHING. I WAS COMING DOWN HILL TOWARD A STOP SIGN AT A INTERSECTION AND WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES. THE CHECK BRAKES CAME UP ON INFO CENTER. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD TO JAM IT DOWN IN TO FIRST GEAR AND USE PARKING BREAK TO GET IT SLOWED ENOUGH TO TURN. IT WAS ALSO A 55MPH SPEED LIMIT ROAD. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS COMING. I GOT PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CHECKED WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE HARD BREAK LINE GOING TO THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WAS BLOWN APART. IT HAD RUSTED COMPLETELY IN HALF. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE LINES THEY ARE ALL IN EXTREMELY BAD SHAPE. THEY ARE ALL RUSTED AND NOW STARTING TO LEAK IN PLACES. ALONG WITH THAT MY GAS LINE IS NOW RUSTED IN HALF AND NOW LEAKING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10496425

62,000 miles · Jan 24, 2013
Service Brakes

2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 4X4 PICKUP. SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING APPEARED ON DASH DISPLAY. BRAKES ALMOST WENT TO THE FLOOR. CHECKED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND FOUND A MAJOR BRAKE FLUID LEAK FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LINE. ALSO DISCOVERED THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND CORRODED. AN ONLINE WEB SEARCH REVEALED TOO M…

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2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 4X4 PICKUP. SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING APPEARED ON DASH DISPLAY. BRAKES ALMOST WENT TO THE FLOOR. CHECKED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND FOUND A MAJOR BRAKE FLUID LEAK FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LINE. ALSO DISCOVERED THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND CORRODED. AN ONLINE WEB SEARCH REVEALED TOO MANY INCIDENTS REGARDING THE SAME TOPIC. ANY MALFUNCTION OF A VEHICLES BRAKING SYSTEM IS A MAJOR DEFECT AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10494640

164,500 miles · Jan 20, 2013
Service Brakes

THIS IS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO, REGULAR CAB, 5.3L V-8. IT HAS ABOUT 164500 HIGHWAY MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR. THE BRAKE LINES ROTTED OUT, AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT OTHER VEHICLES...WITHOUT WARNING. GM WILL NOT OFFER ANY HELP, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM BASED ON RESEARCH AND JUST HEARING OTHERS TEL…

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THIS IS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO, REGULAR CAB, 5.3L V-8. IT HAS ABOUT 164500 HIGHWAY MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR. THE BRAKE LINES ROTTED OUT, AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT OTHER VEHICLES...WITHOUT WARNING. GM WILL NOT OFFER ANY HELP, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM BASED ON RESEARCH AND JUST HEARING OTHERS TELL OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD RECALL ALL OF THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM; AND REIMBURSE THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FINANCIAL HARDSHIP REPAIRING AN OBVIOUS FLAW THAT IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10493590

133,056 miles · Dec 2, 2012
Service Brakes

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO ON A RURAL BUT RESIDENTIAL ROAD WITH A STEEP DECLINE AT ABOUT 35 MPH. I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BUT WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE SERVICE BRAKES LIGHT CAME ON. IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS AIR IN THE BRAKE LINES SO I ATTEMPTED PUMPING THE BRAKES HOPING TO PREVENT AN…

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I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO ON A RURAL BUT RESIDENTIAL ROAD WITH A STEEP DECLINE AT ABOUT 35 MPH. I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BUT WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE SERVICE BRAKES LIGHT CAME ON. IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS AIR IN THE BRAKE LINES SO I ATTEMPTED PUMPING THE BRAKES HOPING TO PREVENT ANY MORE ACCELERATION DOWN THE HILL AND THAT IS ABOUT ALL I GOT. I COULD NOT STOP AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RIDE IT OUT UNTIL I CROSSED THE BRIDGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND STARTED UP THE OTHER SIDE.WHEN MY TRUCK FINALY CAME TO A STOP I QUIKLY PUT IT IN PARK TO PREVENT IT FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL. I POPPED THE HOOD AND GOT OUT. I CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID AND IT WAS ALMOST FULL SO I DIDN'T KNOW HOW AIR COULD GET IN THE BRAKE LINES.UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS SNOWING OUT SO I COULDN'T TELL IF I HAD A LEAK. I WAS ONLY A MILE FROM MY HOUSE SO I DECIDED I WOULD DRIVE IT HOME ON A DIFFERENT "FLAT" ROAD AT VERY LOW SPEED, ABOUT 10MPH. ONCE HOME I WAS ABLE TO HAVE MY WIFE PRESS ON THE BRAKES WHILE LYING UNDER THE TRUCK AND I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE SUPPLYING THE REAR BRAKES WAS RUSTED OUT AND HAD A SEVERE LEAK. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED A FEW MINUTES LATER I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON A STATE HIGHWAY DOING 45 TO 50 MPH WITH OTHER VEHICLES. WHY ISN'T CHEVY/GM BEING MADE TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS ? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10486751

78,696 miles · Dec 2, 2012
Service BrakesCrash

APPLICATION OF BRAKES UPON SLOW DOWN OF GETTING OFF OF EXIT RAMP WAS SOFT AND FARTHER THEN NORMAL. 3 OR 4 APPLICATIONS FOR TURNS SEEMED OK. FINAL APPLICATION TO TURN INTO PROPERTY HAD BRAKE FAIL APPEAR AND BRAKE GO TO FLOOR AND VEHICLE NOT SLOW QUICKLY ENOUGH AND TRUCK RUNNING INTO MY FENCE SCRAPPING THE SIDE OF MY TRUCK DOWN …

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APPLICATION OF BRAKES UPON SLOW DOWN OF GETTING OFF OF EXIT RAMP WAS SOFT AND FARTHER THEN NORMAL. 3 OR 4 APPLICATIONS FOR TURNS SEEMED OK. FINAL APPLICATION TO TURN INTO PROPERTY HAD BRAKE FAIL APPEAR AND BRAKE GO TO FLOOR AND VEHICLE NOT SLOW QUICKLY ENOUGH AND TRUCK RUNNING INTO MY FENCE SCRAPPING THE SIDE OF MY TRUCK DOWN FENCE. UPON INSPECTION FOUND RESERVOIR EMPTY AND FLUID LEAKING FROM RUPTURED RUSTED LINE ON LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE AT DRIVERS DOOR. INSPECTION FOUND MANY AREAS OF THE LINES BADLY RUSTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10486719

69,745 miles · Dec 1, 2012
Service Brakes

CAME TO A STOP BUT THE PEDAL FELT SOFT, WENT TWO MORE MILES TO MY DESTINATION AND BRAKES FELT EVEN SOFTER. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE I NOTICED A PUDDLE UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR, I PUT SOME ON MY FINGER TO SMELL IT AND KNEW IT WAS BRAKE FLUID. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS A BLOWN BRAKE LINE CAUSED BY RUST, HE SAID HE HAS…

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CAME TO A STOP BUT THE PEDAL FELT SOFT, WENT TWO MORE MILES TO MY DESTINATION AND BRAKES FELT EVEN SOFTER. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE I NOTICED A PUDDLE UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR, I PUT SOME ON MY FINGER TO SMELL IT AND KNEW IT WAS BRAKE FLUID. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS A BLOWN BRAKE LINE CAUSED BY RUST, HE SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS ON ALOT OF SILVERADOS. I CALLED MY CHEVY DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T OFFER ANY RECALLS OR DISCOUNTS SO I HAD MY MECHANIC REPLACES ALL THE BRAKE LINES BECAUSE THEY WERE RUSTED AS BAD AS THE BLOWN LINE , ALSO HAD TO REPLACE TWO CALIPERS BECAUSE THE BLEEDERS WERE SO RUSTED THEY COULDN'T BE REMOVED. TOTAL COST 850.00 I'VE HAD ALOT OF TRUCKS WITH ALOT MORE MILES AND NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE LINES. I THINK G.M. SHOULD REIMBURSE AT LEAST 50 % OF THE COST. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10486646

82,000 miles · Nov 24, 2012
Service Brakes

BRAKE LINES ON TRUCK ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED, AREAS AFFECTED ARE CROSSING THE REAR END ALONG THE CHASSIS AND UNDER THE HOOD WHERE NO MOISTURE IS PRESENT. ALL LINES ON TRUCK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AS THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10485928

50,352 miles · Nov 18, 2012
Service Brakes

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND RUPTURED A BRAKE LINE,WHEN I INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES THEY WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED. I'VE OWNED SEVERAL CHEVROLETS AND HAVE HAD BRAKE LINE PROBLEMS WITH THE LAST THREE I'VE OWNED ,ALL RUSTED PREMATURELY IN MY OPINION. I THINK WITH A SAFETY ISSUE SUCH AS THIS GM SHOULD RECALL AND REP…

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I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND RUPTURED A BRAKE LINE,WHEN I INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES THEY WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED. I'VE OWNED SEVERAL CHEVROLETS AND HAVE HAD BRAKE LINE PROBLEMS WITH THE LAST THREE I'VE OWNED ,ALL RUSTED PREMATURELY IN MY OPINION. I THINK WITH A SAFETY ISSUE SUCH AS THIS GM SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE WITH STAINLESS BRAKE LINES ALL VEHICLES OF LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10485061

75,000 miles · Nov 16, 2012
Service Brakes

AUG. 1,2012 RIGHT FRONT LINES BURST. NOV.15,2012 LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINES BURST. SHOP RECOMMENDED THAT ALL BRAKE LINES CORRODED AND NEEDED REPLACED. ESTIMATED $1600 TO 1800 PER RACETRACK AUTO BERLIN MARYLAND. I HAVE ALREADY PAID $200 FOR THE RIGHT BRAKE LINE AND EXPECT APPROX THE SAME BILL FOR THE LEFT CORRODED LINE. PLEASE HELP,…

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AUG. 1,2012 RIGHT FRONT LINES BURST. NOV.15,2012 LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINES BURST. SHOP RECOMMENDED THAT ALL BRAKE LINES CORRODED AND NEEDED REPLACED. ESTIMATED $1600 TO 1800 PER RACETRACK AUTO BERLIN MARYLAND. I HAVE ALREADY PAID $200 FOR THE RIGHT BRAKE LINE AND EXPECT APPROX THE SAME BILL FOR THE LEFT CORRODED LINE. PLEASE HELP, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10484947

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.