IllustrationI WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND THE PEDAL JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. I WAS FORCED TO STEER INTO THE DITCH TO AVOID A COLLISION. AFTER HAVING THE TRUCK TOWED HOME I DISCOVERED A BRAKE LINE HAD POPPED DUE TO RUST. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES
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
Service Brakes complaints
84 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, THE BRAKES WERE ABRUPTLY APPLIED TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND AND THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, THE BRAKES WERE ABRUPTLY APPLIED TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND AND THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.
METAL BRAKE LINE UNDER TRUCK BURST . LOOKS LIKE IT RUSTED THROUGH. ALL OTHER LINES RUSTED ALSO. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY.
DRIVING ON ICY ROAD ANTI LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATED AND BRAKE LINE RUPTURED, ADN WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP.
HARD METAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE DURING EMERGENCY, HIGH PEDAL PRESSURE, STOP. NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO AVOID ENTERING AN INTERSECTION, AS THE LEAD CAR. BRAKING WAS FIRM, BEFORE PEDAL DESCENDED STEADILY TOWARD THE FLOOR. PUMPING PROVIDED SOME FRICTION, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE A MINORITY OF THE SYSTEM'S CAPACITY. …
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HARD METAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE DURING EMERGENCY, HIGH PEDAL PRESSURE, STOP. NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO AVOID ENTERING AN INTERSECTION, AS THE LEAD CAR. BRAKING WAS FIRM, BEFORE PEDAL DESCENDED STEADILY TOWARD THE FLOOR. PUMPING PROVIDED SOME FRICTION, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE A MINORITY OF THE SYSTEM'S CAPACITY. THE FAILURE WAS A HOLE DEVELOPED IN THE LINE, ALONG ITS PATH TO THE PASSENGER FRONT BRAKE CALIPER. THE BRAKE LINES SHOWED ALARMING CORROSION LEVELS, WHICH WHILE POTENTIALLY UNDERSTANDABLE FOR A 13 YEAR OLD NORTHEAST OUTDOOR WINTER TRUCK, WAS A SYMPTOM OF CATASTROPHIC POTENTIAL. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE TOWING A 6000 POUND TRAILER AND DESCENDING DOWN A HILL AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE INTO A FIELD TO EVENTUALLY STOP THE V…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE TOWING A 6000 POUND TRAILER AND DESCENDING DOWN A HILL AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE INTO A FIELD TO EVENTUALLY STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 CHEVY TAHOE TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE WITHOUT ANY WARNING BRAKES TOTALLY WENT OUT, GOD MUST HAVE BEEN WATCH OVER HER BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY, THANK GOD FOR EMERGENCY BRAKES. GM STATE THAT THE VEHICLE WILL STOP WHEN THE BRAKE LINE GIVE AWAY WILL THAT BULL [XXX]! THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THA…
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MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 CHEVY TAHOE TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE WITHOUT ANY WARNING BRAKES TOTALLY WENT OUT, GOD MUST HAVE BEEN WATCH OVER HER BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY, THANK GOD FOR EMERGENCY BRAKES. GM STATE THAT THE VEHICLE WILL STOP WHEN THE BRAKE LINE GIVE AWAY WILL THAT BULL [XXX]! THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE HAD BRAKES LINE GO OUT ON FIRST MY 2002 CHEVY SILVERADO WITH 41000 MILES ON IT AND NOW OUR 2003 CHEVY TAHOE WITH APPROXIMATELY 90'000 BOTH WITHIN A WEEK OF ONE OTHER. ALSO MY STEPSON HAS A 2006 CHEVY SILVERADO THAT THE BRAKES WENT OUT ON TWO WEEKS AGO IS A HOSPITAL PARKING LOT THAT WAS ALMOST DEVASTATING. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED 9/05/2014. SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED 09/06/2015. FIRST INCIDENT BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED AND FLUID POOLED UNDER TRUCK. BRAKE LINE BROKE IN DRIVEWAY. SECOND INCIDENT THE BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED AND THE TRUCK WAS DRIVING 20MPH WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR ON A BUSY STREET. THERE WERE NO BRAKES TO BE USED.
RUSTED BRAKE LINES RESULTING IN FAILURE OF BRAKING SYSTEM. BRAKE LINES SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN THE SERVICE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. HENCE NO BRAKE LINES SHOULD EVER BE MADE OUT OF STEEL. ESPECIALLY ON ON A SYSTEM AS CRITICAL AS THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE COSTED ME MY FAMILY. THE THE ETHICAL THING…
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RUSTED BRAKE LINES RESULTING IN FAILURE OF BRAKING SYSTEM. BRAKE LINES SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN THE SERVICE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. HENCE NO BRAKE LINES SHOULD EVER BE MADE OUT OF STEEL. ESPECIALLY ON ON A SYSTEM AS CRITICAL AS THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE COSTED ME MY FAMILY. THE THE ETHICAL THING FOR ANY COMPANY TO DO. IS RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WOULD BE AN ISSUE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON A VEHICLE THAT BY ITSELF WEIGHS 5,000 POUNDS. WITHOUT A TRAILER OR ANY PAYLOAD ATTACHED TO IT.MANY OF PEOPLE HAVE NOT BEEN AS FORTUNATE AS MYSELF. THE VEHICLE IS. OTHERWISE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. TO THIS DAY.IF FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES GET RECALLED IT'S COMMON SENSE TO RECALL A BRAKE ISSUE. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAIL WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I HAVE BEEN BUILDING CARS SINCE I WAS A KID.AND THIS IS A FIRST. TO SEE A BRAKE LINE BURST. BECAUSE OF THE CORROSION. IF GM DOESN'T WANT TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES. THE AT LEAST LET THE OWNERS BUY THE PARTS AND GM INSTALL THEM. AND FOR GM TO STATE THAT THIS A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME ANYBODY THOUGHT TO CHECK FOR RUSTED OUT BRAKE LINES WHEN. THEY WERE CHANGING THE OIL OR DOING A TUNE UP .OR CHANGING BRAKE PADS OR TIRES. THOSE ARE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OWNER MAINTENANCE ISSUES. MY 2004 FORD F350 HAS 220 THOUSAND MILES. RUNS GREAT TO BUT THE BRAKE LINES AREN'T ROTTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WHAT GM IS CLAIMING IS A EXTREMELY WEAK ARGUMENT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED BY CORRODED BRAKE LINES. INCIDENT OCCURRED AT BOAT RAMP, COULD HAVE EASILY LOST TRUCK IN WATER. MASTER CYLINDER NEARLY EMPTY AND NO INDICATION OF ISSUE PRIOR TO FAILURE. THE TRUCK GIVES WARNING WITH LOW WASHER FLUID BUT NOT BRAKE FLUID? MECHANIC REPAIRING BROKEN LINES, BUT HOW SOON UNTIL ANOTHER HAS ISSU…
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BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED BY CORRODED BRAKE LINES. INCIDENT OCCURRED AT BOAT RAMP, COULD HAVE EASILY LOST TRUCK IN WATER. MASTER CYLINDER NEARLY EMPTY AND NO INDICATION OF ISSUE PRIOR TO FAILURE. THE TRUCK GIVES WARNING WITH LOW WASHER FLUID BUT NOT BRAKE FLUID? MECHANIC REPAIRING BROKEN LINES, BUT HOW SOON UNTIL ANOTHER HAS ISSUE?
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.