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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

Steering complaints

56 reports
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25,000 miles · Sep 4, 2011
Steering

THERE IS A RUBBING AND THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. IT ONLY DOES IT AT LOW SPEEDS OF 5 TO 25 MPH, OR WHEN I TRAVEL OVER A ROUGH ROAD, OR IN OR OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. IT'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. CHEVY OR GM WON'T REPAIR IT WITHOUT ME FORKING UP THE MONEY FIRST. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS AN…

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THERE IS A RUBBING AND THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. IT ONLY DOES IT AT LOW SPEEDS OF 5 TO 25 MPH, OR WHEN I TRAVEL OVER A ROUGH ROAD, OR IN OR OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. IT'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. CHEVY OR GM WON'T REPAIR IT WITHOUT ME FORKING UP THE MONEY FIRST. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH 1999 THROUGH ABOUT 2007 CHEVY AND GM TRUCKS. GM SHOULD TAKE THE RESPONSIBLY FOR THIS AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE VEHICLE OWNER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10423224

22,889 miles · Jul 1, 2011
Electrical SystemExterior LightingSteering

STEERING CLUNKS ON TURNS. DEALER REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT UNDER WARRANTY PER TSB. PROBLEM RESURFACED ON 09/29/2006 AT 44,045 MILES. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY . PROBLEM SHOWED UP AGAIN ON 06/17/2007 AT 54, 451 MILES. DEALER WANTED $280 FOR THE JOB. HAVE NOT REPAIRED. THE PROBLEM IS NOW WORSE AT 84,618 …

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STEERING CLUNKS ON TURNS. DEALER REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT UNDER WARRANTY PER TSB. PROBLEM RESURFACED ON 09/29/2006 AT 44,045 MILES. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY . PROBLEM SHOWED UP AGAIN ON 06/17/2007 AT 54, 451 MILES. DEALER WANTED $280 FOR THE JOB. HAVE NOT REPAIRED. THE PROBLEM IS NOW WORSE AT 84,618 MILES. PROBLEM # 2 STOP LIGHT SOCKETS HEAT UP AND LOOSE CONTACT TO THE BULB. DEALER WANTS AROUND $75 FOR EACH OF THE TWO SOCKETS REQUIRED. PROBLEM #3 RECEIVED NOTICE FROM GMAC STATING THERE MAY BE AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PROBLEM. DON'T COME TO THE DEALER UNLESS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. GM EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES. NATURALLY, MY GAUGES FAILED AT 79,000 AND 7 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS. DEALER WANTS OVER $400 FOR PARTS ALONE. UPDATED 07/05/11 *BF UPDATED 02/03/12

NHTSA ODI #10411129

85,000 miles · Dec 9, 2010
Steering

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3-4 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED; THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE GEAR BOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO REFER…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3-4 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED; THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE GEAR BOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO REFERRED HIM TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,190.

NHTSA ODI #10369769

65,000 miles · Nov 30, 2010
Steering

I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 4X4 AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING ROD ONCE ALREADY AT ABOUT 65,000 MILES DUE TO A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE AND LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING. THIS SET ME BACK ABOUT $300.00 PARTS AND LABOR. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THEY HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THIS PART. I AM STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS AS IT S…

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I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 4X4 AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING ROD ONCE ALREADY AT ABOUT 65,000 MILES DUE TO A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE AND LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING. THIS SET ME BACK ABOUT $300.00 PARTS AND LABOR. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THEY HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THIS PART. I AM STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS AS IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE "WANDERING" WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD. I NOW HAVE 108,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK AND PLAN ON KEEPING IT FOR WHILE LONGER BUT THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN OF MINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10368383

Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2010
Steering

2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 SERIES. STEERING PROBLEMS EVERY YEAR OR TWO SINCE WE HAVE HAD IT. I THINK ALMOST THE WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM HAS BEEN WORKED ON OR REPLACED SINCE WE HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK, BUT NEVER A RECALL ON IT FOR THIS PROBLEM. DATES OF WORK: 9-23-04,10-18-04, 9-29-06,10-23-0811-10-08 AND ALSO SOMETIME AROUND AUGUST OF…

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2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 SERIES. STEERING PROBLEMS EVERY YEAR OR TWO SINCE WE HAVE HAD IT. I THINK ALMOST THE WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM HAS BEEN WORKED ON OR REPLACED SINCE WE HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK, BUT NEVER A RECALL ON IT FOR THIS PROBLEM. DATES OF WORK: 9-23-04,10-18-04, 9-29-06,10-23-0811-10-08 AND ALSO SOMETIME AROUND AUGUST OF 2009. I AM ALREADY HAVE MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME THING AGAIN. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN ANY RECALL ON THIS MATTER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10335119

48,000 miles · Mar 2, 2010
Steering

POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING WHEN TURNING LEFT CUTS OUT INTERMITTENTLY. THIS STARTED OCCURRING WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST NEW AND STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT DIDN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIRS. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, IT HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. AT L…

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POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING WHEN TURNING LEFT CUTS OUT INTERMITTENTLY. THIS STARTED OCCURRING WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST NEW AND STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT DIDN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIRS. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, IT HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. AT LOWER SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY UNDER 25 MPH, THERE IS OFTEN LITTLE OR NO POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING. THIS MAKES IT ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO GO AROUND CORNERS AND MANEUVER IN PARKING LOTS. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2000-2006 SILVERADO AND SIERRA PICKUPS, AS WELL AS TAHOES, SUBURBANS AND YUKONS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT IN THAT THE POWER ASSIST CAN SUDDENLY CUT OUT WHEN GOING AROUND A CURVE OR CORNER, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON COURSE AND AVOIDING STRIKING STATIONARY OBJECTS OR PEDESTRIANS. AS THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, THE DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1000 TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING RACK TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. TRUCK IS PARKED AND NOT BEING USED NOW, AS IT IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10315948

78,000 miles · Aug 20, 2009
EquipmentParking BrakeService Brakes, Hydraulic

2003 CHEVY SILVERADO - POOR STEERING- I HAVE REPLACED THE GEARING BOX W/FRONT END ALIGNMENT DUE TO HAVING 4 ESTIMATES AND ADVISED THAT THE GEAR BOX WAS DEFECTED. 6 MONTHS LATER - I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY SEVERAL CERTIFIED MECHANICS THAT THE GEAR BOX THAT WAS PUT IN IS ALSO DEFECTED. POOR STEERING CONTROL, TRUCK PULLS ALL OVER THE…

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2003 CHEVY SILVERADO - POOR STEERING- I HAVE REPLACED THE GEARING BOX W/FRONT END ALIGNMENT DUE TO HAVING 4 ESTIMATES AND ADVISED THAT THE GEAR BOX WAS DEFECTED. 6 MONTHS LATER - I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY SEVERAL CERTIFIED MECHANICS THAT THE GEAR BOX THAT WAS PUT IN IS ALSO DEFECTED. POOR STEERING CONTROL, TRUCK PULLS ALL OVER THE ROAD WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. IF THE STEERING BOXES FOR THIS YEAR/MAKE VEHICLES ARE DEFECTED, WHY NOT COMPENSATE THE OWNERS FOR ALL THE EXPENSES. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THESE PARTS FOR THIS YEAR VEHICLE IS IN FACT DEFECTED. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS/ACCIDENTS/INJURIES DOES IT TAKE BEFORE THESE ISSUES ARE ACKNOWLEDGED? I HAVE SPENT OVER $1,500.00 JUST IN THE BRAKING AND STEERING REPAIRS AND YET FACED AGAIN WITH MORE COST OR EITHER GET RID OF MY TRUCK THAT I HAD FOR 1 YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10281208

101,000 miles · Jul 17, 2009
Steering

2003 CHEVY 1500HD TRUCK, THIS TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH 4 WHEEL STEERING. THE TRUCK BEGAN TO STEER INCORRECTLY. IT WAS TAKEN TO GM DEALER. WORK WAS DONE TO FIX PROBLEM ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THE REAR WHEELS WERE NOW TURNED TO THE LEFT MAKING THE TRUCK GO DOWN THE ROADSOME WHAT SIDEWAYS ABOUT 6 TO10 INCHES..THIS MEANS THE FRO…

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2003 CHEVY 1500HD TRUCK, THIS TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH 4 WHEEL STEERING. THE TRUCK BEGAN TO STEER INCORRECTLY. IT WAS TAKEN TO GM DEALER. WORK WAS DONE TO FIX PROBLEM ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THE REAR WHEELS WERE NOW TURNED TO THE LEFT MAKING THE TRUCK GO DOWN THE ROADSOME WHAT SIDEWAYS ABOUT 6 TO10 INCHES..THIS MEANS THE FRONT END IN YOUR LANE AND THE BACK END IN SOMEONE ELSE'S. THIS COULD NOT BE STOPPED BY TURNING THE SYSTEM OFFA SAFETY FEATURE. GM WOULD NOT FIX OR ADMIT IT HAD A PROBLEM, SO I HAD THE TRUCK REPAIRED AGAIN AT MY COST. THIS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE FIX IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOME ONE DIE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10277156

41,000 miles · Jul 11, 2009
Steering

STEERING BOX WENT OUT IN MY 2003 CHEVY 1500 SILVERADO ALL OF A SUDDEN AND I COULDN'T TURN TO THE LEFT WHILE PULLING OUT OR AT SLOW SPEEDS. DIDN'T NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS IN STEERING UP TO IT GOING OUT. JOHNSON CHEVY GARAGE HAD TO REPLACE STEERING BOX TO FIX. THE TRUCK HAS ONLY 41,000 MILES ON IT AND THEY ALSO SAID GM KNOW THERE IS A…

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STEERING BOX WENT OUT IN MY 2003 CHEVY 1500 SILVERADO ALL OF A SUDDEN AND I COULDN'T TURN TO THE LEFT WHILE PULLING OUT OR AT SLOW SPEEDS. DIDN'T NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS IN STEERING UP TO IT GOING OUT. JOHNSON CHEVY GARAGE HAD TO REPLACE STEERING BOX TO FIX. THE TRUCK HAS ONLY 41,000 MILES ON IT AND THEY ALSO SAID GM KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAD A TBS OUT ON IT BUT IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER A RECALL. I BOUGHT A BOX FROM ADVANCE AUTO FOR 350.00 AND PAID JOHNSON CHEVY GARAGE 157.00 FOR LABOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10276411

101,000 miles · May 19, 2009
Steering

STEERING GEAR BOX FAILS TO WORK AT SLOW SPEEDS/LOW RPM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10269321

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.