2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Complaints

I BELIEVE YOUR RECALL SYSTEM IS BROKEN. MY VEHICLE WAS RECALLED FOR A BRAKE PROBLEM. I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY PROBLEMS BUT I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL ANYWAY. THE SERVICE PERFORMED WAS INADEQUATE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. 3 MONTHS WENT BY AND THE WHEEL SENSORS FAILED. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK FOR SERVICE THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE I ALREADY HAD ADDRESSED THE RECALL. THIS WOULD SUGGEST I SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE PROBLEM TO EXIST BEFORE ADDRESSING THE RECALL. *NM

THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE BRAKE PROBLEMS... PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT WORK PROPER NOW OR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEW. GM HAS CONTINUOUSLY DENIED THAT THIS WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES TAKE A LONG DISTANCE TO STOP. (SINCE REAR BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT MUCH QUICKER THAN FRONT PADS, IT APPEARS ANTI LOCK BRAKES ARE NOT APPLYING MUCH PRESSURE TO FRONT PADS). *JB

I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE IN MY 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND A TERRIBLE BUZZING NOISE CAME OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I DETERMINED THE ENGINE FAN WAS NOT RUNNING AND (AFTER NEARLY AN HOUR) DISCOVERED THE ABS MODULE WAS RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY. I FINALLY DISCONNECTED THE ABS FUSE UNDER THE HOOD BEFORE THE WHOLE THING CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE TRUCK ONLY HAD 55,000 BUT WAS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID THE ABS MODULE SHORTED-OUT INTERNALLY. ONLY $975 LATER FOR PARTS AND LABOR I HAD ABS BRAKES AGAIN. GM HAS HAD DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS ON THE '02 AVALANCHE BUT SO FAR HAS ONLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR NORTHERN STATES, BLAMING THE PROBLEM ON ROAD SALT RATHER THAN THE OBVIOUS DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE DEFECT. ROAD SALT DIDN'T CAUSE THIS ABS FAILURE BECAUSE WE DON'T USE IT IN OKLAHOMA. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE WHOLE U.S. A CRITICAL SAFETY PART SHOULD NOT SHORT OUT AT 55,000 MILES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NHTSA SHOULD ADDRESS WITH A MANDATORY RECALL FOR ALL '02 CHEVY AVALANCHES. GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM RATHER THAN A WARRANTY ISSUE. IT WAS ONLY BY LUCK THAT THE ABS DIDN'T GO OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE THERE IS A SMALL BULGE ON THE SIDEWALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT WITH THE LEFT REAR TIRE. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED AND THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE TIRE LINE IS GOODYEAR P26570R17.

I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT LAST NIGHT (10148159) AFTER FINDING THE DEFECTIVE PART TO MY VEHICLE. I SEARCHED THE NHTSA SIGHT AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME ISSUE, THOUGH THE PERSON MAKING THE COMPLAINT DID NOT KNOW THE RESOLUTION TO THE ISSUE. I'M THINKING THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT SHOULD BE ISSUED A RECALL FOR IS GOING UN-NOTICED BY THE NHTSA BECAUSE THE PERSON MAKING THE COMPLAINT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE AND CORRECTLY DESCRIBE IT. BECAUSE OF THIS THE NHTSA MAY OVERLOOK THAT THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE. THE FOLLOWING LINK WILL TAKE YOU TO THE CHEVY AVALANCHE FAN CLUB FORUM WHERE THE ISSUE IS DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED. HTTP://WWW.CHEVYAVALANCHEFANCLUB.COM/CAFCNA/INDEX.PHP/TOPIC,39437.0.HTML MANY OF THE FORUM MEMBERS ARE BEING TOLD BY CHEVY DEALERS THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH IS IN MOST CASES INCORRECT. THIS IS CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PAY TO $1000.00 FOR PARTS AND REPAIRS THAT ARE NOT NEEDED. THE COST FOR REPAIR OF THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR IS $110.00 FOR PARTS AND $170.00 FOR LABOR, AND THIS RESOLVES THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HAVE THE INVESTIGATOR TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEBSITE GIVEN ABOVE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART THAT IF UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE. WITH TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON A 6,600LBS TRUCK I FOUND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AND VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. CHEVY HAS ALSO RE-DESIGNED THE PART PROVING EVIDENCE THAT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS/IS DEFECTIVE. I SEE THIS AS A MORE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE THAN THE TAIL GATE STRAP RECALL AND AT LEAST AS EQUAL OR HIGHER OF AN ISSUE AS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE DEFECT WHICH THE NHTSA HAS ISSUED RECALLS FOR. *JB

(1) - NORMAL DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS (2) - INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. LACK OF STARTING CAN BE SEVERAL SECONDS TO FIVE OR MORE MINUTES WHILE THE POSITION SENSOR COOLS ENOUGH TO RETURN TO ALIGNMENT AND ALLOW THE ENGINE TO START. SHUT DOWN HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. WITH LUCK I WAS NOT HIT DURING THESE UN-EXPECTED SHUT DOWNS AND IN MOST CASES WAS ABLE TO EITHER GET THE ENGINE STARTED AGAIN OR WAS ABLE TO PULL OF THE ROAD. (3) REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSOR WHICH CHEVY HAS SINCE RE-ENGINEERED FROM THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. *JB

IN FEB OF 2004 I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT (#10058789). IT WAS ABOUT MY TAILGATE THAT FELL COMPLETELY OFF WITH ME ON IT. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE TAILGATE STILL AND I TALKED TO A DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT ONE YEAR AGO. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GET BACK TO ME AND THEN I LET IT FALL BY THE WAISTSIDE. I NEED HELP PUSHING THEM TO REPAINT MY TAILGATE, AND REPLACE SOME PLASTIC MOLDING. HOW DO I DO THIS? THEY DON'T SEEM TO THINK IT IS THEIR ISSUE. THE TAILGATE IS DAMAGED DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE CABLES THAT THEY HAD A RECALL ON. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AROUND A CURVE THE VEHICLE SLID OFF THE ROAD AND THROUGH GRAVEL INTO A METAL TELEPHONE POLE AND A TREE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIRBAGS AND THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES ALONG WITH BRUISES AND PAIN. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHICH DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS BY VISUAL INSPECTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A SERVICE DEALER OR THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS WAS THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE AIR BAGS. THE CONTACT HIT A DEER AT 65 MPH AT AN EARLIER DATE, AND ALL THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT AND SUSTAINED NO INJURIES DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE GRILL, HEADLIGHTS AND FRONT BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A DEALER AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR PRIOR TO THE AIR BAG FAILURE IN EITHER ACCIDENT. *AK UPDATED 01/25/06. *JB

ON 12/23/05 I HAD MY 2002 CHEV AVALANCHE IN FOR A ABS RECALL PROCESSING, WHERE THE ABS SYSTEM WOULD INCORRECTLY OPERATE UNDER CERTIAN CURMSTANCES WHEN TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 10 MPH. DURING THIS RECALL THE DEALER CALL TO TELL ME THAT A VERY CRITICAL REAR BRAKE SHEILD HAD RUSTED OFF AND MUST BE REPLACED (AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $300). THE VEHICLE HAS 52,332 MILES ON IT. WITH THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, AND MILAGE, I DO NOT FEEL "VERY CRITICAL" SAFETY RELATED COMPONENTS SHOULD BE RUSTING OFF. *JB

I WENT OFF ROAD AT 45 MPH AIRBORN STRUCK A VERY LARGE TREE WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER VIOLENTLY LANDING ON ITS TOP. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BOTH MY WIFE AND I WERE EJECTED FROM THE SEAT BELTS ONSTAR WAS NOT NOTIFIED. I NOTICED BRAKES ACTING STRANGE JUST BEFORE LEAVING THE ROAD, THEY DIDN'T SLOW THE VEHICLE AND DIDN'T "CLICK" LIKE ANTILOCK BREAKS SHOULD. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS, WINDSHIELD AND DRIVERS WINDOW BROKE, SEVERE BUCKLING OF HOOD, PASSENGER SIDE PUSHED BACK TO THE TIRE, FRAME TORN IN SEVERAL AREAS, DUCT AND LOWER DASH AREA DISPLACED, SDM WAS DOWNLOADED SHOWING INCOMPLETE DATA, SDM DATA DOES NOT SUPPORT THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE AND KNOW FACTS. MY WIFE HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED TO TRAUMA CNTR WITH SERIOUS INJURIES, MY INJURIES WERE PUT ON HOLD SO THAT I COULD BE WITH HER. *NM