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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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110,000 miles · Mar 1, 2015
Service Brakes

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO DOWN THE ROAD AND WHEN I WENT TO SLOW DOWN MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AFTER GETTING PULLED OVER INTO A PARKING LOT I INSPECTED THE LINES AND SAW THAT THEY ALL HAD BUSTED AND WERE ALL VERY RUSTY I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE STATED IT WASN'T WORTH FIXING DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE RUST ON …

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I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO DOWN THE ROAD AND WHEN I WENT TO SLOW DOWN MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AFTER GETTING PULLED OVER INTO A PARKING LOT I INSPECTED THE LINES AND SAW THAT THEY ALL HAD BUSTED AND WERE ALL VERY RUSTY I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE STATED IT WASN'T WORTH FIXING DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME AND GAS LINES IT WOULD COST MORE THAN THE TRUCK WAS WORTH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10691321

144,000 miles · Feb 28, 2015
Service BrakesCrash

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, I HAD JUST LEFT A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY AND PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT WHEN MY BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. THE BRAKE PETAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND RATHER THAN RISKING A COLLISION WITH ANY CARS OR PEOPLE, I DROVE INTO A SNOW BANK. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK TO LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM, THE METAL BRAKE LINE HAD S…

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AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, I HAD JUST LEFT A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY AND PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT WHEN MY BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. THE BRAKE PETAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND RATHER THAN RISKING A COLLISION WITH ANY CARS OR PEOPLE, I DROVE INTO A SNOW BANK. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK TO LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM, THE METAL BRAKE LINE HAD SPLIT AND WAS LEAKING FLUID. WHEN THE BRAKES FAIL ON YOUR CAR, IT ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN YOU NEED THEM LEAVING YOU TO MAKE SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS, AND IN MY CASE THAT CONSISTED ENTIRELY OF NAVIGATION AS THERE WAS NO TIME TO THINK ABOUT USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AN HOUR BEFORE OR AFTER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY. MY TRUCK IS WELL MAINTAINED, AND IS FREQUENTLY SERVICED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER WHERE I ALWAYS HAVE ANYTHING REPAIRED THAT THEY SUGGEST FIXING. AS THIS TRUCK CARRIES BOTH FAMILY AND EMPLOYEES, SAFETY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE AND THIS IS A FRIGHTENING PROBLEM THAT SHOULD RESULT IN A RECALL. I AM HAVING ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES REPLACED TODAY...IT IS GOING TO COST ME ALMOST $2000 AND THAT IS BECAUSE MY CHEVROLET DEALER IS NOT CHARGING ME FOR THE TOW, OR LABOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10691221

103,000 miles · Feb 12, 2015
Service BrakesCrash

ATTEMPTED TO STOP VEHICLE, BRAKES FAILED (LATER FOUND TO BE DUE TO CORROSION) CRASHED INTO GARAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10683075

108,850 miles · Feb 11, 2015
Service Brakes

DRIVING MY '03 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 (108,850 MILES ON THE VEHICLE) ON MY WAY TO GET MY OIL CHANGED, MY BRAKES SEEMED TO ALL OF A SUDDEN LOOSE MOST OF THEIR STOPPING ABILITY. I FIRST NOTICED IT APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AFTER TRAVELING ON A STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AT 45 MPH. I HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IN MUCH FURTHER THAN NORMAL. N…

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DRIVING MY '03 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 (108,850 MILES ON THE VEHICLE) ON MY WAY TO GET MY OIL CHANGED, MY BRAKES SEEMED TO ALL OF A SUDDEN LOOSE MOST OF THEIR STOPPING ABILITY. I FIRST NOTICED IT APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AFTER TRAVELING ON A STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AT 45 MPH. I HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IN MUCH FURTHER THAN NORMAL. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON INDICATING A PROBLEM. THE NEXT SET OF LIGHTS, MAYBE A 1.5 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, SAME THING, PUTTING THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO STOP. THIS TIME A "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" LIGHT FLASHED FOR A SECOND THEN WENT AWAY. I HAVE NOW TRAVELED ABOUT 6 MILES FROM THE FIRST INDICATION OF PROBLEMS TO WHERE I WAS GETTING MY OIL CHANGED. AS I PULLED INTO THERE PARKING LOT, VERY SLOWLY (LESS THAN 5 MPH), I ONCE AGAIN HAD TO PUT THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO COME TO A STOP. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK TO NOTICE FLUID DRIPPING FROM THE BRAKE LINE UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE MECHANICS THERE SAID THE LINE WAS SHOT AND RECOMMENDED NOT DRIVING IT TIL IT WAS FIXED. THEY WERE NOT SETUP TO WORK ON BRAKE LINES AT THIS SHOP, SO I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. MY BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERALLY RUSTED. THE THING THAT CONCERNED ME THE MOST WAS HOW QUICKLY THIS ALL HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING, AND BY THE TIME THE WARNING LIGHTS DID COME ON I ALREADY HAD NO STOPPING ABILITY IF I WAS TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEEDS. GM REALLY NEEDS TO CONSIDER THIS POOR DESIGN IN THE MATERIAL THEY USE FOR THEIR BRAKE LINES, BEFORE SOMETHING LIKE THIS LEADS TO SOME ONES DEATH. VERY DANGEROUS!!! SPEND THE TIME AND MONEY TO PUT A QUALITY BRAKING SYSTEM ON YOUR VEHICLES, IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU DO. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10682725

109,000 miles · Feb 3, 2015
Service Brakes

SECOND FAILURE OF BRAKE LINES DUE TO ROAD SALT. FIRST TIME BACK BRAKE LINES. THIS TIME FRONT BRAKE LINE. MECHANIC SAID BRAKE LINES HE USES NICKEL AND WILL NOT ROT. HOW COME THE TRUCK IS NOT MADE WITH NICKEL BRAKE LINES? THIS WILL COST ME CLOSE TO ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! EVERY MECHANIC I TALKED TO REPAIRS SEVERAL OF THESE PROBLEMS …

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SECOND FAILURE OF BRAKE LINES DUE TO ROAD SALT. FIRST TIME BACK BRAKE LINES. THIS TIME FRONT BRAKE LINE. MECHANIC SAID BRAKE LINES HE USES NICKEL AND WILL NOT ROT. HOW COME THE TRUCK IS NOT MADE WITH NICKEL BRAKE LINES? THIS WILL COST ME CLOSE TO ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! EVERY MECHANIC I TALKED TO REPAIRS SEVERAL OF THESE PROBLEMS A MONTH. SOME JUST A FEW YEARS OLD. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THIS TIME WITH MY KIDS AFTER SLED RIDDING AND COMING DOWN A HILL TO A BUSY INTERSECTION READY TO STOP THEN NO BRAKES. WHEN YOU USES THE BRAKES YOU SHOULD HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT ARE GOING TO WORK. NOT GO TO THE FLOOR AND NOT WORK. WHY CUT CORNERS ON BRAKE LINES. IN CASES GM DOES NOT KNOW YOU NEED BRAKE LINES TO STOP. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10680997

107,000 miles · Jan 23, 2015
Service Brakes

LUCKILY WE WERE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE BRAKES WENT OUT ON THE TRUCK. WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED A WEEK EARLIER WHILE WE (MY FAMILY OF 4) WERE TRAVELING ON RT 70 HAULING A GOLF CART WE AND/OR ANOTHER FAMILY MAY HAVE SUFFERED SEVERELY OR POSSIBLY DIED BECAUSE OF RUSTY, CORRODED BRAKE LINES. W…

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LUCKILY WE WERE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE BRAKES WENT OUT ON THE TRUCK. WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED A WEEK EARLIER WHILE WE (MY FAMILY OF 4) WERE TRAVELING ON RT 70 HAULING A GOLF CART WE AND/OR ANOTHER FAMILY MAY HAVE SUFFERED SEVERELY OR POSSIBLY DIED BECAUSE OF RUSTY, CORRODED BRAKE LINES. WE LIVE IN MARYLAND, HAVE SERVICE AT LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND MAINTAIN OUR VEHICLES WHICH INCLUDES WASHING/CLEANING THE VEHICLE, SO THERE IS NO REASON THAT AT 107000 MILES THE BRAKE LINES SHOULD HAVE CORRODED. OUR ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR OF BRAKES/BRAKE LINES IS 1681.00. WE WILL GET THE VEHICLE FIXED BUT AFTER READING OTHER REPORTS ABOUT CHEVY TRUCKS AND BRAKES I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO SEND IN MY COMPLAINT. LUCKILY NO LIVES WERE LOST BUT GM SHOULD CONSIDER A RECALL BEFORE THEY GET SLAPPED WITH LAW SUITS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10678645

17,700 miles · Jan 13, 2015
Service Brakes

AT LESS THAN 18000 ODOMETER MILES, THE DTC CO265-EBCM MOTOR RELAY CIRCUIT HAD A FAULT. THE THREE: ABS, BRAKE AND SERVICE BRAKE NOW LIGHTS CAME ON. ON 1/12/2015 THE RUSTED EBCM GROUND HAD BEEN REMOVED AND CLEANED AS PER THE 2003 CHEVROLET K SILVERADO - 4WD SERVICE MANUAL DOCUMENT ID:2245394. THIS PROCEDURE DIDN'T SOLVE THE BRAK…

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AT LESS THAN 18000 ODOMETER MILES, THE DTC CO265-EBCM MOTOR RELAY CIRCUIT HAD A FAULT. THE THREE: ABS, BRAKE AND SERVICE BRAKE NOW LIGHTS CAME ON. ON 1/12/2015 THE RUSTED EBCM GROUND HAD BEEN REMOVED AND CLEANED AS PER THE 2003 CHEVROLET K SILVERADO - 4WD SERVICE MANUAL DOCUMENT ID:2245394. THIS PROCEDURE DIDN'T SOLVE THE BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEM. THE SYSTEM IS APPARENTLY THE SAME IN 1999 TO 2007 SILVERADO YET GM ONLY RECALLED AND REPLACED COMPONENTS THROUGH THE 2002 MODEL. IT APPEARS TO ME TO BE ANOTHER GM MANUFACTURING COVER UP AND NHTSA SHOULD BE PRESSING GM TO COVER THIS SITUATION. BRAKES ARE GOOD TO HAVE IN MINNESOTA ABS BRAKES EVEN BETTER, I PAID FOR THEM, BUT THEY WERE NOT PROVIDED BY GM! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10672275

222,000 miles · Dec 22, 2014
Service Brakes

THIS TRUCK HAS MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES SO THE BRAKES ARE NOT OVERUSED. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT THE BRAKE LINE BROKE AND MY PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN LOOKING ONLINE TO SEE IF THIS IS NORMAL I FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR BRAKE LINE BREAK IN THE SAME SPOT. A TRUCK SHOULD BE BUILT TO LAST MORE THEN 10 YEARS SI…

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THIS TRUCK HAS MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES SO THE BRAKES ARE NOT OVERUSED. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT THE BRAKE LINE BROKE AND MY PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN LOOKING ONLINE TO SEE IF THIS IS NORMAL I FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR BRAKE LINE BREAK IN THE SAME SPOT. A TRUCK SHOULD BE BUILT TO LAST MORE THEN 10 YEARS SINCE THEY WILL BE SOLD AND RESOLD MANY TIMES IN IT'S LIFESPAN. I DO LIVE IN SALT BELT, HOWEVER I ALWAYS SPRAY THE SALT OFF MY TRUCK AFTER I DRIVE ON SALTY ROADS. AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE RUST UNDER MY TRUCK EXCEPT THE BRAKE LINES. THIS IS CRAZY THAT A 5000 LB WORK TRUCK HAS CHEAP BRAKE LINES ON IT, JUST SO CHEVY CAN SAVE $5 PER VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE A MIN REQUIREMENT ON PARTS THAT AFFECT THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. AND AS TO HAVING THE LINES INSPECTED? HOW CAN SOMEONE INSPECT A LINE AND VISUALLY SEE THAT IT IS ABOUT TO BREAK. YOU CAN SEE THAT YOUR BRAKE PADS ARE GETTING LOW AND THEY NEED CHANGED. CAN I SEE THAT THE METAL IS GETTING PRETTY THIN ON MY BRAKE LINES AND THEY NEED CHANGED?? NO. ALL BRAKE LINES GET A DEGREE OF RUST ON THEM, HOW CAN SOMEONE TELL IF THEY NEED CHANGED, TILL THEY BURST. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10667777

Mileage unknown · Dec 19, 2014
Electrical SystemService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

I WAS DRIVING ON A DOWN HILL ROAD WITH A STOP SIGN AT THE BOTTOM. I BEGAN TO PRESS THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I COULD NOT GET THE TRUCK STOPPED AND ENDED UP IN AN EMPTY FIELD TO AVOID A WRECK WITH IMPACT. THERE WAS A HUGE WET SPOT ON THE STREET WHERE BY BRAKES FAILED. VERY SCARY WITH MY YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE …

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I WAS DRIVING ON A DOWN HILL ROAD WITH A STOP SIGN AT THE BOTTOM. I BEGAN TO PRESS THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I COULD NOT GET THE TRUCK STOPPED AND ENDED UP IN AN EMPTY FIELD TO AVOID A WRECK WITH IMPACT. THERE WAS A HUGE WET SPOT ON THE STREET WHERE BY BRAKES FAILED. VERY SCARY WITH MY YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE TRUCK WITH ME. THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALL RUSTED AND HAD GIVEN WAY. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP (AND THE INTERNET) THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES. I AM ALSO NOW HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY INSTRUMENT PANEL GOING CRAZY. THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SAY I AM TRAVELING 110 WHEN I AM ROLLING UP TO A STOP SIGN. THE FAN BLOWER WILL BE ON 0 AND IT WILL BLOW OUT AT FULL FORCE AND WILL NOT TURN OFF, EVEN AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. THIS ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN A DEAD BATTERY. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE SEVERAL JUMP STARTS. THIS ISSUE ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC IS A "KNOWN ISSUE" WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, MY VIN # PRODUCES NO RESULTS FOR RECALLS. SO LIKE MY SILVERADO BREAK DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ISSUES, THE SEARCH RESULTS HAVE LEFT ME STRANDED AS WELL, ONLY THIS TIME I AM NOT WALKING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY SMALL CHILDREN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10667225

26,910 miles · Dec 18, 2014
Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

I LEFT MY HOME AND DROVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES BEFORE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT. I WAS AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES.UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ENGAGED THE TRANSMISSION. AT THIS POINT THE PEDAL SEEMED TO TRAVEL FURTHER THAN USUAL. I LEFT THE PARKING LOT AND DROVE ABOUT 200' BEFORE …

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I LEFT MY HOME AND DROVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES BEFORE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT. I WAS AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES.UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ENGAGED THE TRANSMISSION. AT THIS POINT THE PEDAL SEEMED TO TRAVEL FURTHER THAN USUAL. I LEFT THE PARKING LOT AND DROVE ABOUT 200' BEFORE HAVING TO STOP; THIS TIME THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD BUT SLOWED THE VEHICLE SOMEWHAT.(AT THIS POINT THE DASH SHOWED A CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM).BY DRIVING UNDER 30 MPH I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. THE LINES WERE RUSTED AS WERE THE CALIPERS. PARTS AND LABOR=$1700 THE TRUCK IS 12 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 26,910 MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10667114

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.