IllustrationSPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. GM NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR
2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Tahoe years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe are substantially higher than the model-year median of 246.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tahoe 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
590–25K
5825–50K
8850–75K
7375–100K
89100–150K
41150K+
408 reports with mileage · 99 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 193 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports9 fire reports13 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
193 reportsWHEN I WHEN TO PULL OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY 3 OR 4 WEEKS AGO I TURNED ON MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL AND THE FOUR HAZARDS STARTED FLASHING! IT STOPPED AND STARTED BACK UP AGAIN AND NOW DOES IT ALL THE TIME! *TR
YESTERDAY WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND CAME TO A ROUND ABOUT, SLOWED DOWN AND VEHICLE DIED (ALTERNATOR GAUGE WENT BELOW 14, OIL PRESSURE DROPPED BELOW 40, AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON). I LOST ALL STEERING AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS STIFF. NOW VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY IDLES ROUGH AND WILL STALL OUT IF NOT ON THE THROTTLE, IDLES 500 AND LO…
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YESTERDAY WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND CAME TO A ROUND ABOUT, SLOWED DOWN AND VEHICLE DIED (ALTERNATOR GAUGE WENT BELOW 14, OIL PRESSURE DROPPED BELOW 40, AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON). I LOST ALL STEERING AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS STIFF. NOW VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY IDLES ROUGH AND WILL STALL OUT IF NOT ON THE THROTTLE, IDLES 500 AND LOWER. I HAVE REPLACED MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, AIR FILTER, PLUGS, WIRES, O2 SENSORS, FUEL FILTER, EVAP CANISTER, ALTERNATOR, AND HAD THROTTLE BODY CLEANED. SEE THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS FILED OF THE SAME ISSUES AND WONDERING IF ANYONE AT GM HAS FOUND A SOLUTION. ALSO HAVE NOTICED GM HAS RECALLED THE INTAKE GASKET BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING ON THIS RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE GAUGES FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL GAGE AND IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. T…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE GAUGES FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL GAGE AND IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 08/12/14*LJ GM INFORMED THE CONSUMER, SINCE HE WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 08/14/14
ABS, BRAKE SERVICE LIGHT COMES, DOOR LOCKS CYCLE REPEATEDLY, LOSES POWER AND WON'T START. *TR
NOT SURE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY CAR BUT IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN IT HAPPENS. SHORTLY AFTER I START MY CAR AND IT IS WARMED UP, WHEN I AM DRIVING IT AND I PUT THE BRAKES ON TO SLOW DOWN ON A CORNER OR AT A INTERSECTION, MY CAR WILL SHUT OFF. I CAN'T STEER AND THE BRAKES ARE HARD TO PUSH. PLEASE HELP, DON'T WANT TO KILL MYSELF OR M…
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NOT SURE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY CAR BUT IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN IT HAPPENS. SHORTLY AFTER I START MY CAR AND IT IS WARMED UP, WHEN I AM DRIVING IT AND I PUT THE BRAKES ON TO SLOW DOWN ON A CORNER OR AT A INTERSECTION, MY CAR WILL SHUT OFF. I CAN'T STEER AND THE BRAKES ARE HARD TO PUSH. PLEASE HELP, DON'T WANT TO KILL MYSELF OR MY FAMILY. *TR
MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BAD WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PART BUT ONLY UP TO 7YEARS OR 70, 000 MILES. FROM WHAT I KNOW, GM WAS WELL AWARE THAT THEY MADE DEFECTIVE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND DON'T WANT TO REPLACE THEM. I HAVE 6 CHILDREN TO TRANSPORT BACK AND FORTH FROM SCHOOL AND PRA…
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MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BAD WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PART BUT ONLY UP TO 7YEARS OR 70, 000 MILES. FROM WHAT I KNOW, GM WAS WELL AWARE THAT THEY MADE DEFECTIVE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND DON'T WANT TO REPLACE THEM. I HAVE 6 CHILDREN TO TRANSPORT BACK AND FORTH FROM SCHOOL AND PRACTICE, MY SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING IS UNSAFE FOR MY CHILDREN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BLOWER RELAY RESISTER MODULE FAILED. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO FAIL AND IT SMELLED LIKE PLASTIC WAS BURNING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN RE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BLOWER RELAY RESISTER MODULE FAILED. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO FAIL AND IT SMELLED LIKE PLASTIC WAS BURNING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 135,000. *TR
WE NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE BATTERY WAS LOSING CHARGE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAD ALTERNATOR AND STARTER CHECKED BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM. DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER CAUSE COULDN'T AFFORD IT THE COMPUTER ANALYZING COST. LOOKED UP ON COMP…
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WE NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE BATTERY WAS LOSING CHARGE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAD ALTERNATOR AND STARTER CHECKED BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM. DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER CAUSE COULDN'T AFFORD IT THE COMPUTER ANALYZING COST. LOOKED UP ON COMPUTER AND IN 2009 THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE "CLUSTER" OF THE 2003 TAHOE AND WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. CHEVROLET NOW SAYS THE RECALL HAS EXPIRED. WE DID NOT CHANGE ADDRESSES AT ALL DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. (I ALSO HAVE A FRIEND WITH A 2003 TAHOE AND SHE DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE OF RECALL EITHER AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS). WHAT DO I DO ABOUT GETTING THIS PROBLEM FIXED WITHOUT IT COSTING ME A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. IF THEY KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES THEY SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE HAS A VEHICLE WITH A PROBLEM AND NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. *TR
WHEN DRIVING, I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED AROUND 80 AND IT WAS ON A ROAD THAT I NORMALLY GO ABOUT 55. MANY OTHERS WERE PASSING ME, AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE WOULD BE GOING 90 OR 100. AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T FEEL I WAS GOING 80. I SLOWED DOWN TO 55, AND I WAS CRAWLING. I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, AND MY SPEEDOMETER WEN…
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WHEN DRIVING, I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED AROUND 80 AND IT WAS ON A ROAD THAT I NORMALLY GO ABOUT 55. MANY OTHERS WERE PASSING ME, AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE WOULD BE GOING 90 OR 100. AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T FEEL I WAS GOING 80. I SLOWED DOWN TO 55, AND I WAS CRAWLING. I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, AND MY SPEEDOMETER WENT DOWN TO 15 AT A STAND STILL. I SPED UP AGAIN, AND THE SAME THING. NOW IT IS STUCK AT 40 WHEN SITTING STILL AND GOES TO ABOUT 100 WHEN I DRIVE. APPARENTLY GOOGLING THIS, IT APPEARS TO BE A MASSIVE PROBLEM AND NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HASN'T BEEN ISSUED. THE DEALER TOLD ME A BAD CLUSTER AT $650 TO REPAIR. THIS NEEDS TO BE ESCALATED AND CHEVROLET NEEDS TO COVER THIS PROBLEM. IT IS AN EXTREME HAZARD ON THE ROAD, AND PROBABLY HAS CAUSED MANY ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES BECAUSE OF FAULTY READINGS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN DO TO GET RESOLUTION. *TR
Official recalls
405V163000 · Seat Belts:rear/other
Apr 22, 2005
ON CERTAIN CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE 2ND ROW CENTER OCCUPANT SEAT BELT ROUTING MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO POSITION THE LAP PORTION OF THE SAFETY BELT LOW AROUND THE HIPS OF OCCUPANTS, ESPECIALLY SMALLER OCCUPANTS, SEATED IN THIS POSITION. APPROPRIATE USE OF A CHILD SEAT OR BOOSTER SEAT, AS RECOMMENDED FOR SMALL CHILDREN, DOES IMPROVE THE FIT CONDITION FOR THIS USER GROUP. IN ADDITION TO INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPER INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD RESTRAINT (WITH CHILD SEATS OR BOOSTERS), SPECIAL VERBIAGE FOR RESTRAINING OLDER CHILD IS INCLUDED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ALSO, THE SUGGESTED SEAT BELT FIT/ROUTING FOR ADULTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF SEATING POSITION, IS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TEXT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A LAP PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT ROUTING THAT IS NOT LOW AND SNUG ON THE HIPS CAN ALLOW THE LAP BELT TO RIDE UP ON AN OCCUPANT'S ABDOMEN INSTEAD OF FITTING LOW AROUND THEIR HIPBONES, AND THEREFORE, CAN EXPOSE THEM TO MORE RISK OF ABDOMINAL AND INTERNAL ORGAN INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL CUT OPEN THE GUIDE LOOP, REMOVE A PORTION OF THE LOOP, AND THEN THE REMAINING TWO SIDES SHOULD BE FOLDED OVER AND SECURED WITH A RETAINER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 21, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493.
04V045000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Feb 4, 2004
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND PASSENGER VANS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, ?PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS.? SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH AN OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION BRAKE HYDRO-BOOST HOUSING RELIEF VALVE BORE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CONSEQUENTLY, THE VALVE O-RING SEAL MAY FRACTURE. STEERING EFFORTS MAY BE SLIGHTLY INCREASED WHILE BRAKING OR PARKING. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, A FRACTURED SEAL MAY REQUIRE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE APPLIED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT TO ACHIEVE THE SAME VEHICLE DECELERATION RATE AS PRIOR TO THE SEAT FRACTURE.
Remedy: DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE HYDRO-BOOST RELIEF VALVE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 18, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; GMC AT 1-866-996-9463; OR HUMMER AT 1-866-486-6376.
03V094000 · Structure
Mar 7, 2003
CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCK, VAN, AND MINI VAN CONVERSIONS EQUIPPED WITH SOUTHERN COMFORT BUILT RUNNING BOARDS THAT CONTAIN CERTAIN COURTESY LIGHTS MANUFACTURED BY AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS, INC. THESE UNITS CONTAIN A COURTESY LIGHT OR LIGHTS THAT MIGHT OVERHEAT WHEN THE WIRE HARNESS IS EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE MOISTURE AND ROAD SALT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE RUNNING BOARD TO MELT OR CAUSE A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE RUNNING BOARDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 7, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SOUTHERN COMFORT AT 1-800-745-6096.
03V037000 · Structure:body:door:hinge And Attachments
Feb 6, 2003
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 214, "SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES ARE BUILT WITH FOUR WELDS ON THE REAR DOOR UPPER HINGE. ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, ONE OR TWO OF THE WELDS MAY NOT BE TO SPECIFICATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AS A RESULT, THE DOOR STRENGTH MAY BE DEGRADED DURING A SIDE IMPACT VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WELDS ON THE LEFT REAR DOOR UPPER HINGE. IF A WELD IS FOUND OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION, A BOLT WILL BE INSTALLED TO SECURE THE HINGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 17, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
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
DP05009 · Parking Brake Failure
Opened Dec 20, 2005 · Closed May 31, 2006
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake; Parking Brake:conventional; Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical
ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Parking Brake:conventional
ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical
ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Parking Brake
ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.
PE03026 · Steel Wheel Rim Fracture
Opened Jun 12, 2003 · Closed Nov 3, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Wheels; Wheels:multi Piece; Wheels:rim
THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Wheels
THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Wheels:multi Piece
THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Wheels:rim
THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.