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2002 Chevrolet Z71

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Limited mileage data: 15 of 24 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Parking Brake. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

4 reports
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22,000 miles · Feb 16, 2010
Air BagsCrash

MY WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN AN CRASH WHEN SHE WENT TO SLEEP WHILE DRIVING HER 2002 Z71 TAHOE. SHE HIT AN OAK TREE DEAD CENTER OF THE FRONT GRILL AND BUMPER. THE DRIVERS AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10310760

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2004
Air BagsCrashInjury

NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN A MODERATE TO SEVERE ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED TOTALED. FOUR PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THREE OF THE FOUR WERE MODERATELY INJURED. WE WERE ALL WEARING OUR SEATBELTS. THANK GOD. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS TOTALLY SHATTERED AS WELL A THE RIGHT PASSENGER WINDOW. …

Read full complaint

NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN A MODERATE TO SEVERE ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED TOTALED. FOUR PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THREE OF THE FOUR WERE MODERATELY INJURED. WE WERE ALL WEARING OUR SEATBELTS. THANK GOD. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS TOTALLY SHATTERED AS WELL A THE RIGHT PASSENGER WINDOW. THE FRONT HOOD WAS SEVERELY BUCKLED THE ENGINE WAS COMING THROUGH THE DASHBOARD. THE WHOLE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS CRUSHED IN. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED THREE OTHER CHEVEROLETS. I WOULD LIKE ANSWERS ON WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE SINCE OURS WAS DECLARED TOTALED. WE ARE VERY HESITANT TO GO BACK WITH CHEVROLET. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10054919

57,000 miles · Sep 22, 2003
Air BagsCrashInjury

VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED. DRIVER SIDE NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10040236

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2002
Air Bags

CONSUMER STAES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAGS ON THE VEHICLE. PLEASE ADD MORE INFORMATION. MR

NHTSA ODI #8021186

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

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.

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.