IllustrationSPEEDO FAILED. NEEDLE STUCK AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONTACTED GM. NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. GUESS SOMEBODY HAS TO DIE BEFORE THEY WILL TAKE ANY ACTION. *TR
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
560–25K
11025–50K
15450–75K
15275–100K
175100–150K
79150K+
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
What owners actually said
805 reportsPOWER 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
SPEEDOMETER STARTED WORKING SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES STICKS BELOW 0, SOMETIMES MOVES SPORADICALLY AND DOES NOT INDICATE CORRECT SPEED. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT IS IT ONLY VALID FOR VEHICLES UNDER 80K MILES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IN TH…
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SPEEDOMETER STARTED WORKING SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES STICKS BELOW 0, SOMETIMES MOVES SPORADICALLY AND DOES NOT INDICATE CORRECT SPEED. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT IS IT ONLY VALID FOR VEHICLES UNDER 80K MILES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IN THAT THE DRIVER DOES NOT ACCURATELY KNOW THE VEHICLE SPEED AND DOES NOT KNOW IF HE/SHE IS TRAVELING AT A SAFE SPEED. WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER READS LOWER THAN THE ACTUAL SPEED (IT MAY READ 5 OR 10 MPH BELOW THE ACTUAL SPEED, OR MAY BE MUCH LOWER, AS THE INDICATED SPEED IS UNRELIABLE), THE DRIVER MAY BE GOING FASTER THAN HE/SHE REALIZES INTO A CURVE OR TURN, WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO A CRASH, POSSIBLY INJURY OR DEATH. CHEVROLET ADVERTISES THAT THEY BUILD THE LONGEST LASTING TRUCKS. ISN'T IT REASONABLE TO EXPECT SOMETHING AS BASIC AS A SPEEDOMETER TO WORK PROPERLY FOR MORE THAN 80K MILES? DEALER SAID A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS NEEDED TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT. SINCE THE VEHICLE IS BEYOND 80K MILES, THIS WOULD COST THE OWNER APPROXIMATELY $500. *TR
WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CAUSING ABS TO FALSELY ACTIVATE AT 8 MPH. SAME PROBLEM THAT GM HAS RECALLED FOR 1999-2002 MODEL YEAR OF SILVERADO. *TR
ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER, ENGINE TROUBLE / CHECK ABS LIGHTS ALWAYS ON. NO SPECIFIC EVENT, JUST STARTED REGISTERING VERY HIGH SPEEDS OR VERY LOW SPEEDS THAT DID NOT MATCH ACTUAL SPEED OF VEHICLE. CHANGES EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON OR WHEN STOPPED. UNABLE TO GAUGE AND MAINTAIN SPEED PRUDENT FOR WEATHER CONDI…
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ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER, ENGINE TROUBLE / CHECK ABS LIGHTS ALWAYS ON. NO SPECIFIC EVENT, JUST STARTED REGISTERING VERY HIGH SPEEDS OR VERY LOW SPEEDS THAT DID NOT MATCH ACTUAL SPEED OF VEHICLE. CHANGES EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON OR WHEN STOPPED. UNABLE TO GAUGE AND MAINTAIN SPEED PRUDENT FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS IN OUR AREA, WHICH IS USUALLY SNOW, SLEET, RAIN, OR ALL THREE AT ONCE. DANGEROUS CONDITION NOT KNOWING SPEED AND CAUSES ANXIETY FROM WORRY AND POSSIBILITY OF SPEEDING TICKET. CANNOT CONCENTRATE ON ROAD AHEAD TRYING TO DETERMINE SPEED FROM PASSING OBJECTS. TROUBLE LIGHTS JUST CAME ON AND STAYED ON. UNABLE TO REMEDY. *TR
CHEVY SILVERADO 5.3 L ENGINE. REDUCED ENGINE POWER MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED. VEHICLE WILL NOT RUN ABOVE 20 MPH. MUST PULL OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY GM. DEALER TRIED TWICE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT. I REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR AND THE THROTTLE BODY BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXI…
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CHEVY SILVERADO 5.3 L ENGINE. REDUCED ENGINE POWER MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED. VEHICLE WILL NOT RUN ABOVE 20 MPH. MUST PULL OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY GM. DEALER TRIED TWICE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT. I REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR AND THE THROTTLE BODY BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH MY TRUCK FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS. AGAIN, NO SUPPORT FROM GM. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR
JUST BOUGHT A 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 4X4 WITH A 5.3LT ENGINE . PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE, IT WORKED WHEN TEST DROVE AT DEALER AND AFTER BUYING THE TRUCK IT STOPPED ON THE WAY HOME!!!! BEEN TOLD IT WILL COST HUNDREDS TO FIX !!!! AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE NET I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM TRUCKS,AND NOT ONLY W…
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JUST BOUGHT A 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 4X4 WITH A 5.3LT ENGINE . PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE, IT WORKED WHEN TEST DROVE AT DEALER AND AFTER BUYING THE TRUCK IT STOPPED ON THE WAY HOME!!!! BEEN TOLD IT WILL COST HUNDREDS TO FIX !!!! AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE NET I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM TRUCKS,AND NOT ONLY WITH 2003 TRUCKS BUT MANY OF OTHER YEARS!!!!!!!! AND ALSO SOME CAR MODELS NOW WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS CANNOT BE A COINCIDENCE!! IF YOU WANT PROOF JUST READ THE GM FORUMS IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING GAS GAUGE PROBLEMS !!!!!!!!! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THIS, AS WELL AS ALL THE PEOPLE ON A NUMBER OF GM CHAT FORUMS, EVERYONE IS WONDERING WHY GM (GOVERNMENT MOTORS)HAVE NOT SENT OUT A RECALL EITHER !!!!!!!! I DID NOT BUY A TRUCK FOR THOUSANDS SO I COULD TURN AROUND AND SPEND HUNDREDS TO GET IT FIXED, WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY A DESIGN PROBLEM !!!!!!!! THEY DO A RECALL FOR THE GM TAILGATES BUT NOT FOR SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS A FUEL GAUGE ?!?!?!?!?! DO SOME RESEARCH AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT !!! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS EXPENSIVE PROBLEM SOON. *TW
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN DECEMBER 2009. SINCE THE ACCIDENT, THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. THE NEEDLE ON THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER MOVED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN DECEMBER 2009. SINCE THE ACCIDENT, THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. THE NEEDLE ON THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER MOVED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE SO AT HER EXPENSE. SHE HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO-DATE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,000.
2003 CHEVY SILVERADO LT 1500 4WD EXT.CAB. BRAKES CHANGED X2 WITH 35,000 MILES ON NOW. LINES RUSTED CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. ABS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TOTAL FAILURE TO STOP. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN APPROX. ONE MONTH. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT KILL MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. COST APPROX. $600. 35,000 MILES. T…
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2003 CHEVY SILVERADO LT 1500 4WD EXT.CAB. BRAKES CHANGED X2 WITH 35,000 MILES ON NOW. LINES RUSTED CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. ABS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TOTAL FAILURE TO STOP. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN APPROX. ONE MONTH. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT KILL MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. COST APPROX. $600. 35,000 MILES. THIS IS A TRAVESTY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT???? *TR
THE CABLE MECHANISM THAT IS FASTENED TO THE FRAME OF THE UNDERSIDE OF MY PICK-UP TRUCK ALONG WITH THE SPARE TIRE FELL FROM MY TRUCK ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THIS MECHANISM IS WHAT HOLDS SPARE TIRE UNDER MY TRUCK BED AND HAS A WINCH WITH CABLE THAT RAISES AND LOWERS THE TIRE. THE MECHANISM SLIDES UNDER STEEL SUPPORT ON SIDE AND IS SEC…
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THE CABLE MECHANISM THAT IS FASTENED TO THE FRAME OF THE UNDERSIDE OF MY PICK-UP TRUCK ALONG WITH THE SPARE TIRE FELL FROM MY TRUCK ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THIS MECHANISM IS WHAT HOLDS SPARE TIRE UNDER MY TRUCK BED AND HAS A WINCH WITH CABLE THAT RAISES AND LOWERS THE TIRE. THE MECHANISM SLIDES UNDER STEEL SUPPORT ON SIDE AND IS SECURED WITH A BOLT ON OTHER SIDE. THE STEEL BASE AROUND THE BOLT CRACKED AND BROKE LOOSE. FORTUNATELY I LOST MY SPARE TIRE DURING DAYTIME CONDITIONS AND ON LIGHTLY TRAVELED ROAD OR A VEHICLE BEHIND ME COULD SUSTAINED DAMAGED AND PASSENGERS COULD BE HURT. MY TRUCK IS A CHEVROLET 2003 SILVERADO 1500 2WD WORK TRUCK MODEL. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW AND HAVE HAD FEW PROBLEMS WITH IT. I HAVE JUST OVER 80,000 ACTUAL MILE ON THE ODOMETER OF MY TRUCK.*CW
Official recalls
0No 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
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.