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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

Structure complaints

27 reports
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82,950 miles · Jun 14, 2014
Service BrakesStructure

HIT BRAKES AND A LINE BLEW ALMOST HIT CAR INFRONT OF ME. LIKE ALL GM TRUCKS IN SNOW COUNTRY MY BRAKE LINES RUSTED THRU ALONG WITH MY REAR BACKING PLATES RUSTING OFF. GM DEALERS ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS BUT NOTHING IS EVER DONE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE KILLED FROM BLOWN BRAKE LINES FOR THEM TO DO ANYTHING. I GUESS ALOT…

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HIT BRAKES AND A LINE BLEW ALMOST HIT CAR INFRONT OF ME. LIKE ALL GM TRUCKS IN SNOW COUNTRY MY BRAKE LINES RUSTED THRU ALONG WITH MY REAR BACKING PLATES RUSTING OFF. GM DEALERS ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS BUT NOTHING IS EVER DONE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE KILLED FROM BLOWN BRAKE LINES FOR THEM TO DO ANYTHING. I GUESS ALOT SINCE THEY HELD OFF TEN YEARS ON THERE CURRENT PROBLEM. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WHEN ACOUPLE OF PEOPLE GET HURT OR DIE AND YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A PROBLEM IT ISN'T DELT WITH. MAYBE BECAUSE ALL OF YOU ARE IN BED TOGETHER AND IT WILL COST SOME ONE SOME MONEY. THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *JS

NHTSA ODI #10598283

100,000 miles · Jun 7, 2014
Service BrakesStructureSuspension

EXCESSIVE CORROSION ALL BRAKE LINES ROTTED OUT AND REPLACED, ROCKER PANELS TOTALLY ROTTED, AND EXCESSIVE RUST ON FRAME VERY COMMON WITH THIS YEAR G M FRAME ,G M SAYS THEY ONLY COVER FOR ONE YEAR. SO I AM FILING A COMPLAINT TO SEE IF THIS CAN RECTIFIED BEFORE SOME ONE IS INJURED DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE. PLEASE HELP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10596870

88,000 miles · May 23, 2014
Service BrakesStructureCrash

WHILE DRIVING HOME ON 5/1/2014 TRAFFIC STOPPED SHORT. I HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP. THE TRUCK STOPPED OK. TRAVELED ABOUT ANOTHER 2 BLOCKS AND WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE PEDEL TO STOP. IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I AD NO BRAKES. I HIT THE BACK OF ANOTHER CAR DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP, AFTER THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP IT WAS FOUND …

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WHILE DRIVING HOME ON 5/1/2014 TRAFFIC STOPPED SHORT. I HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP. THE TRUCK STOPPED OK. TRAVELED ABOUT ANOTHER 2 BLOCKS AND WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE PEDEL TO STOP. IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I AD NO BRAKES. I HIT THE BACK OF ANOTHER CAR DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP, AFTER THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE RUSTED, BROKEN BRAKE LINE. THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK NOT TO STOP. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WOUND UP TOTALING THE TRUCK DUE TO THE DAMAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10593609

124,000 miles · Mar 14, 2014
StructureTires

I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY BECAUSE I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE FREEWAY AND WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE AUCTION THAT I WAS ATTENDING. WHEN I HEARD A NOISE I PARKED THE TRUCK AND LOOKED BACK TO SEE A WOMAN ROLLING A TIRE TOWARDS ME. SHE SAID YOU LOST YOUR TIRE. SURE ENOUGH THE TIRE ALONG WITH THE MECHANISM THAT DROPS AND RAIS…

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I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY BECAUSE I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE FREEWAY AND WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE AUCTION THAT I WAS ATTENDING. WHEN I HEARD A NOISE I PARKED THE TRUCK AND LOOKED BACK TO SEE A WOMAN ROLLING A TIRE TOWARDS ME. SHE SAID YOU LOST YOUR TIRE. SURE ENOUGH THE TIRE ALONG WITH THE MECHANISM THAT DROPS AND RAISES THE TIRE CAME OFF THE FRAME. I`M SO GLAD IT HAPPENED IN THE PARKING LOT AND NOT ON THE FREE WAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10572496

188,000 miles · Jan 16, 2014
Structure

THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF IN BIG SPOTS. THE TRUCK IS ALWAYS CLEAN AND WAXED. THE PAINT IS NOT STICKING TO THE PRIMER. HAVE HEARD OF OTHER GM TRUCK OWNERS SAYING THE SAME THING. JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME TROUBLE. LOVE MY TRUCK BUT IT LOOKS RAGGED OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10560212

137,882 miles · Nov 11, 2013
Fuel System, GasolineService BrakesStructure

WELL ABOUT MID 2012 THE BRAKE LINES JUST RUST OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRUCK AND THE REAR. MY GIRL FRIEND WAS DRIVING IT TO WORK AND LOST ALL THE PEDAL PRESSURE. THANK GOD SHE WAS GOING UP IN THE PARKING GARAGE. RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING TO REPLACE LINE FUEL LINES. IT JUST STARTED POURING GAS OUT AFTER I JUST GOT TO WORK. I NURSED I…

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WELL ABOUT MID 2012 THE BRAKE LINES JUST RUST OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRUCK AND THE REAR. MY GIRL FRIEND WAS DRIVING IT TO WORK AND LOST ALL THE PEDAL PRESSURE. THANK GOD SHE WAS GOING UP IN THE PARKING GARAGE. RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING TO REPLACE LINE FUEL LINES. IT JUST STARTED POURING GAS OUT AFTER I JUST GOT TO WORK. I NURSED IT HOME AND MADE IT. THE RETURN LINE IS JUST ALL RUSTED OUT. THEN I NOTICED ALL THREE LINES WHERE ALL RUSTED OUT. IT'S TO BAD NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET I CAN'T AFFORD THIS! IT IS WELL KNOWN AND UNDERSTOOD BY MANY THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM. ALSO TO TOP THAT THE FRAME LOOKS MORE RUSTED THAN THE 1989 DODGE I JUST GOT RIDE OF. I WASH UNDER THE TRUCK THROUGH OUT WINTER AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S SO BAD ALREADY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10551832

81,232 miles · Jun 25, 2013
Service BrakesStructureCrash

IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC FOR APROX 4 MINS AND STOPPING AND STARTING HIT THE BRAKES , PEDDLE GOES TO FLOOR HITTING CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE NO BRAKES. AFTER ACCIDENT POLICE OFFICERS NOTICED FLUID COMING FROM UNDER TRUCK, CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK BECAUSE NO BRAKES AT ALL, WHEN ON TOW TRUCK{ FLAT BED} THEY SAW THAT BRAKES LINES …

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IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC FOR APROX 4 MINS AND STOPPING AND STARTING HIT THE BRAKES , PEDDLE GOES TO FLOOR HITTING CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE NO BRAKES. AFTER ACCIDENT POLICE OFFICERS NOTICED FLUID COMING FROM UNDER TRUCK, CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK BECAUSE NO BRAKES AT ALL, WHEN ON TOW TRUCK{ FLAT BED} THEY SAW THAT BRAKES LINES THAT RUN ALONG FRAME WERE TOTALLY ROTTED OUT AND POPPED CAUSING THIS ACCIDENT. TRUCK AT THE SHOP AS WE SPEAK GETTING ALL NEW LINES INSTALLED AT THE COST OF 1000.00. ALWAYS BOUGHT A AMERICAN VEHICLE ALL MY LIFE 55YRS BUT WHEN I GET THIS BACK IT WILL BE FOR SALE....NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A CHEVY OR ANY OTHER AMERICAN MADE VEHICLE.....I BEEN A UNION PIPEFITTER 40 YRS 3RD GENERATION,,,,,AND WILL BE SPREADING THE WORD..................... *TR

NHTSA ODI #10521731

113,407 miles · Apr 25, 2013
Structure

THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED 3 YEARS AGO. AFTER THE FIRST MONTH OF PURCHASE I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE RETAILER WITH PEELING ON ALL FOUR SIDEWALLS. I CHOOSE TO HAVE THESE TIRES MOUNTED WITH THE WHITE LETTERING TO THE OUTSIDE AND THE PEELING WAS ON THE BLACK PART OF THE TIRES ALL OVER EVEN BETWEEN THE LETTERING. THE MANAGER INF…

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THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED 3 YEARS AGO. AFTER THE FIRST MONTH OF PURCHASE I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE RETAILER WITH PEELING ON ALL FOUR SIDEWALLS. I CHOOSE TO HAVE THESE TIRES MOUNTED WITH THE WHITE LETTERING TO THE OUTSIDE AND THE PEELING WAS ON THE BLACK PART OF THE TIRES ALL OVER EVEN BETWEEN THE LETTERING. THE MANAGER INFORMED ME I HAD RAN AGAINST SOME CURBING-NOW HOW DOES ONE RUN UP AGAINST CURBING WITH ALL FOUR TIRES AT ONE TIME AND NOT EVEN SCAR UP THE TIRE OR THE LETTERING? IN MY ESTIMATION THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN. HE INFORMED ME IT WAS A COSMETIC DEFECT AND WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. THE SITUATION BECAME INCREASINGLY WORSE THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF TIME WITH NUMEROUS FLATS, UNEVEN WEAR AND EXTREME VIBRATION. THIS IS A COMPANY VEHICLE AND DUE TO LIABILITY REASONS AND LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE RETAILER, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONLY 10,000 MILES PER YEAR ON THESE TIRES. MY EMPLOYEE CALLED AND INFORMED ME OF A FLAT ON THE VEHICLE AND THE OTHER 3 TIRES WERE AT THE POINT WHERE THE STEEL BELTS WERE SHOWING THROUGH. AT THIS POINT I CONTACTED THE MANAGER AT THE RETAILER ONLY TO BE TOLD I WOULD BE GIVEN CREDIT OF $49.00 PER TIRE EVEN THOUGH I HAD TROUBLE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE THESE TIRES SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE RECALL LIST FROM THE VERY BEGINNING BUT NOW I WILL BE FORCED TO PAY FULL PRICE AT ANOTHER DISTRIBUTOR FOR ANOTHER SET OF TIRES. THE TIRES ON OUR VEHICLES ARE OUR LIVELIHOOD SINCE THIS IS A SALESMEN VEHICLE AND MANY MORE DOLLARS IN SALES COULD HAVE BEEN MADE HAD I NOT BEEN AFRAID FROM A LIABILITY STANDPOINT. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T AFFORD TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS SINCE NEW TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN BUDGETED FOR THIS VEHICLE AND WE HAVE NO EXTRA ONES AT THIS TIME. FOR DISCOUNT TIRES SAKE I HOPE THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10509576

89,000 miles · Sep 28, 2012
Fuel System, GasolineService BrakesStructure

WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK VEHICLE AND CAMPER TRAILER DOWN INCLINED DRIVEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD ABSOLUTE MINIMUM BRAKING FORCE. WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE BEFORE IT AND TRAILER WENT OVER THE HILL, (AN APPROXIMATE 15 - 20 FOOT DROP IF IT HAD OCCURRED). UPON INSPECTION I FOUND BRAKE FL…

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WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK VEHICLE AND CAMPER TRAILER DOWN INCLINED DRIVEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD ABSOLUTE MINIMUM BRAKING FORCE. WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE BEFORE IT AND TRAILER WENT OVER THE HILL, (AN APPROXIMATE 15 - 20 FOOT DROP IF IT HAD OCCURRED). UPON INSPECTION I FOUND BRAKE FLUID ON THE DRIVEWAY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THAT A BRAKE LINE LEADING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS CONTROLLER WAS LEAKING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED AND READY TO FAIL. I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH RUST IS PRESENT ON THE BRAKE LINES AND THE FUEL LINES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10477437

88,000 miles · Sep 20, 2012
Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BODY WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BODY WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10476552

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.