NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
805 reports18,200 miles · Sep 26, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT A LOW SPEED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. TH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT A LOW SPEED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,200.
NHTSA ODI #10427144
75,000 miles · Sep 17, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
WAS DRIVING ON MY COUNTRY BACK ROAD AROUND 35 MPH AND THE BRAKES WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR WHEN I ENTERED A 4 WAY INTERSECTION LUCKILY NO ONE WAS GOING THRU AT THE TIME COULDNT STOP.BRAKE LINE BLEW FLUID UNDER TRUCK COULDNT BELIEVE THE LINES ARE TOTALLY ROTTED OUT,GM COULD NOT USE STAINLESS LINES THIS COULD OF BEEN TRAGIC THIS IS …
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WAS DRIVING ON MY COUNTRY BACK ROAD AROUND 35 MPH AND THE BRAKES WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR WHEN I ENTERED A 4 WAY INTERSECTION LUCKILY NO ONE WAS GOING THRU AT THE TIME COULDNT STOP.BRAKE LINE BLEW FLUID UNDER TRUCK COULDNT BELIEVE THE LINES ARE TOTALLY ROTTED OUT,GM COULD NOT USE STAINLESS LINES THIS COULD OF BEEN TRAGIC THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE WITH THESE TRUCKS SOMEONE HAS TO PROTECT THE PUPLIC HERE WE NEED HELP.HEY WE WERE THERE FOR THEM DURING THE BAILOUT NOW THEY CAN HELP US OUT WE NEED A RECALL AND GIVE US WHAT WE PAID FOR.I NO THEY ARE LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUES WITH THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES WE JUST NEED SOMEONE TO ACT UPON THESE ISSUES I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE THIS VEHICLE FOR SAFTEY REASONS. *TT
NHTSA ODI #10425879
88,050 miles · Sep 15, 2011
Parking BrakeService Brakes, Hydraulic
THE BRAKE LINES ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO DRAIN OUT AND MAKE THE BRAKES INOPERATIVE. THE BRAKE LINES ARE CONSTRUCTED OF STEEL TUBING, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN STAINLESS STEEL TO AVOID RUSTING. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I TOTALLY DISAGREE. THESE LINES SHOULD HAVE LASTED MUCH L…
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THE BRAKE LINES ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO DRAIN OUT AND MAKE THE BRAKES INOPERATIVE. THE BRAKE LINES ARE CONSTRUCTED OF STEEL TUBING, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN STAINLESS STEEL TO AVOID RUSTING. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I TOTALLY DISAGREE. THESE LINES SHOULD HAVE LASTED MUCH LONGER. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS WHICH HAVE BEEN MANY YEARS OLDER AND HAVE HAD MORE THAN TWICE THE NUMBER OF MILES ON THEM. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING BEFORE. *KB
NHTSA ODI #10425542
134,000 miles · Sep 11, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE SUBURBAN WOULD STALL WHILE WAITING IN DRIVE THRU LINES. SEVERAL TIMES. DIES WHILE IN GEAR, PUT IN PARK AND WOULD THEN START UP. DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. I KNEW I HAD GOTTEN A BAD TANK OF GAS, 2 MONTHS EARLIER. SO WE TRIED FUEL INJECTIONS, ETC... THE SUBURBAN WOULD DIE AND WOULD BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. …
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THE SUBURBAN WOULD STALL WHILE WAITING IN DRIVE THRU LINES. SEVERAL TIMES. DIES WHILE IN GEAR, PUT IN PARK AND WOULD THEN START UP. DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. I KNEW I HAD GOTTEN A BAD TANK OF GAS, 2 MONTHS EARLIER. SO WE TRIED FUEL INJECTIONS, ETC... THE SUBURBAN WOULD DIE AND WOULD BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY DECIDED I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FUEL MODULE. $800 LATER AND IT WAS STILL HAPPENING. THE DEALER WAS DRIVING MY CAR MORE THAN I. PUTTING MILES ON THE CAR AND GMC DECIDED I HAD TOO MANY MILES ON THE VEHICLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. NOW, IT DIES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. ONE YEAR LATER AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND NO ONE HAS FIGURED IT OUT. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND MOSTLY DISSATISFIED THAT I SPENT 45K ON A VEHICLE AND THEN WHEN IT FAILS NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO FIX IT. THEY JUST WANT YOU TO BUY A NEW VEHICLE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10424647
56,000 miles · Sep 9, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER MODE WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER MODE WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FUEL PEDAL ACTUATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE PEDAL WAS REPLACED BUT TO NO AVAIL, AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
NHTSA ODI #10424422
82,000 miles · Sep 8, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
BRAKE LINE RUNNING TO THE REAR RUPTURED UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND ALL BRAKING WAS IMMEDIATELY LOST TO THE VEHICLE. ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE WAS BY USE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10424362
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
90,000 miles · Aug 15, 2011
Unknown Or Other
2003 CHEVY SILVERADO - I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATING AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGE GOING ALL THE WAY UP AND ALL THE WAY DOWN. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT CHEVY HAD A "SPECIAL POLICY" WHICH INTELS "THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE COVERS THE CONDITION DESCRIBED ABOVE FOR A PERIOD OF 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES (110…
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2003 CHEVY SILVERADO - I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATING AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGE GOING ALL THE WAY UP AND ALL THE WAY DOWN. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT CHEVY HAD A "SPECIAL POLICY" WHICH INTELS "THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE COVERS THE CONDITION DESCRIBED ABOVE FOR A PERIOD OF 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES (110,000 KM), WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST, FROM THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP". I HAVE DONE LOTS OF RESEARCH AND THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE "INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER GAUGE NEEDLE FUNCTION" IN A LOT OF CHEVY'S. THAT BEING STATED WHY WOULD THERE NOT BE A RECALL ON ALL?? I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS TRUCK FOR AROUND 2 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM UNTIL NOW. THE "SPECIAL POLICY" STATED "CUSTOMERS ARE BEING INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP TO ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT IF THEY BELIEVE THEIR VEHICLE HAS THIS CONDITION". SO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW HAVING THE PROBLEM AFTER THIS "SPECIAL POLICY' RUNS OUT ARE HAVING TO PAY AROUND $385.00 ON THERE OWN TO FIX CHEVY'S PROBLEM WHICH I THINK IS UNFAIR. FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE CHEVY DEALERSHIPS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THEY ARE HAVING. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!! *TR
NHTSA ODI #10419444
55,000 miles · Aug 8, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
BRAKE FAILURE, 2003 CHEVROLET SIVERADO 1500 LS Z71. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, WENT TO STOP AT INTERSECTION,BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO STEER OFF THE ROADWAY IN TO A GRASSY AREA TO STOP THE VEHICLE. NO PRIOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. VEHILCE ONLY HAS APPROX, 55000 MILES. ONCE STOPPED OBSERVED LEAKIN…
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BRAKE FAILURE, 2003 CHEVROLET SIVERADO 1500 LS Z71. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, WENT TO STOP AT INTERSECTION,BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO STEER OFF THE ROADWAY IN TO A GRASSY AREA TO STOP THE VEHICLE. NO PRIOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. VEHILCE ONLY HAS APPROX, 55000 MILES. ONCE STOPPED OBSERVED LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. BRAKE LINE FOUND TO BE RUSTED THROUGH AND HAD BURST, OTHER BRAKE LINES ALSO HAVE HEAVY RUST AND APPEAR TO BE READY TO BREAK. VEHICLE NOT REPAIRED YET,SINCE FAILURE JUST OCCURED THIS DATE 8/8/11. CHECKED ON LINE FOR POSSIBLE RECALLS AND TSB FOR BRAKE LINE FAILURE / SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. FOUND OTHER COMPLAINTS. FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REPORT MY INCIDENT ALSO. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10418086
17,714 miles · Aug 7, 2011
Structure
MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Z-71. THE CAR IS 8 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 17,714 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT HAS BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE ON MY ASPHALT DRIVE WAY. THE VEHICLE LOOKS TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A NON-GENERAL MOTORS REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE BRAKES LOOKED AT. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN HOISTE…
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MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Z-71. THE CAR IS 8 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 17,714 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT HAS BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE ON MY ASPHALT DRIVE WAY. THE VEHICLE LOOKS TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A NON-GENERAL MOTORS REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE BRAKES LOOKED AT. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN HOISTED UP AND INSPECTED, I WAS ASKED TO LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE FRAME, DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING, BRAKES, CALIPERS, ETC. THE RUST WAS SO BAD THAT IT WAS LITERALLY FLAKING OFF THE FRAME AND DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING. THE MECHANIC WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE. ON JULY 22, 2011, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP (SULLIVANS O'NEILL'S CHEVROLET AND BUICK, INC. IN AVON, CT) THAT I HAD PURCHASED THE TRUCK FROM. I WAS ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE TRUCK A LOT AS IT WAS, IN THE SERVICE MANAGER'S OPINION, UNSAFE. THE SERVICE MANAGER GAVE ME A CUSTOMER SERVICE PHONE NUMBER FOR GM. I CALLED THE NUMBER, SET UP A CASE FILE NUMBER AND WAITED TO HEAR A RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT. NONE OF THE 3 PEOPLE WHO WERE PUT ON THE CASE WOULD EVEN GIVE ME THEIR LAST NAMES. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF, ON AUGUST 2, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM "MARIA" WHO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT GM WOULD DO FOR ME. IT WAS BEYOND THE WARRANTY, ETC. I ASKED FOR A WRITTEN RESPONSE OF THEIR POSITION AND WAS REFUSED. WE ARE NOW LEFT WITH AN OTHERWISE PERFECTLY GOOD TRUCK THAT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS ENOUGH PRIOR WORK PERFORMED ON THE TRUCK BY THE DEALER THAT THE SEVERE RUSTING SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.
NHTSA ODI #10418812
NHTSA investigations
3EA11001 · 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.
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