2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Complaints

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE 8.1L ENGINE DIED AT BOTH LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS (65 MPH) RESULTING IN LOST OF POWER BRAKES AND STEERING. COULD NOT SHIFT TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL. DIAGNOSED BY DEALERSHIP SHOP FOUND THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR WAS FAILING. MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSES OVER COURSE OF FAILURES DID NOT SHOW THE SENSOR TO BE FAILING. OEM REPLACEMENT OF SENOR INVOLVED COMPLETE REMOVAL AND DISMANTLING OF ENGINE. *JB

2002 AVALANCHE WITH APPROX. 40,000 MILES...CANNOT LOCK OR UNLOCK THE BACK TAILGATE. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERS REPAIR SHOP AND HAD IT FIXED AND PAID FOR IT. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH ME ON IT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT AND SO CLOSE TO MY WARRANTY EXPIRATION. NOW AT 81,000 MILES WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND CANNOT LOCK OR UNLOCK THE BACK TAILGATE. I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BREAK MY KEY OFF IN THE LOCK IF I FORCE IT TOO HARD. I HAD THE AVALANCHE AT THE SAME SERVICE CENTER FOR RECALL WORK AND MENTIONED THAT I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN..THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT TO FIX IT AGAIN. I TOLD THEM DON'T BOTHER. *NM

CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AT 36,000 MILES. THOUGHT IT WAS A BLOWN FUSE SO I HAD IT LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT APPROX. 40,000 MILES WHEN I HAD IT IN FOR ANOTHER PROBLEM. SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME IT WAS A BAD CHIP AND IT WOULD COST US $500.00 FOR A NEW ONE. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH US OR CONTACT GM TO SEE IF THEY MIGHT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR SINCE IT HAPPENED SO CLOSE TO THE TIME OUR WARRANTY EXPIRED. SO WE STILL HAVE NO CRUISE CONTROL ON OUR "$40,000 DOLLAR" VEHICLE! *NM

2002 AVALANCHE WITH 81,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE...STARTED A FEW MONTHS AGO WITH A VERY LIGHT HUM IN THE BACK END. ON 12/8/05 MADE SEVERAL LARGE CLUNKING NOISES AND DIED (STOPPED TURNING). THE GARAGE STATED THAT A MAIN BEARING HAD BROKEN APART SENDING METAL THROUGHOUT THE REAR AXLE AND DESTROYED THE DRIVE SYSTEM. $2000.00 JOB TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BACK AXLE DRIVE SYSTEM WITH A USED ONE. MECHANIC SAID NO REASON FOR THAT TO HAPPEN WITH THIS VEHICLE AND SUGGESTED I SPEAK WITH THE DEALER BEFORE I HAD THE WORK DONE. DEALER DID NOTHING EXCEPT QUOTE ME $3000.00 FOR THE SAME REPAIR AND SAME USED PART. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH REAR ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE ROTORS WERE TURNED. THE SURFACE OF THE ROTORS THEN DISINTEGRATED, LEAVING THE ROTORS USELESS. THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY INSISTED THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH FAILURES THEREFORE OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. *AK UPDATE 1/11/2006 - *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05V379000 CONCERNING THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP GETTING REPAIRED. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THE HUB NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THE HUB IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THE CONTACT WILL HAVE TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK

I HAVE A 2002 AVALANCHE AND I AM REALLY DISGUSTED THAT WISCONSIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR THE ABS PROBLEM I.E. WI IS NOT A "SALT BELT" STATE. I HAD A MISHAP ON JAN 3RD THIS YEAR THAT I REAR ENDED SOMEONE AT A STOP SIGN AFTER THEY STARTED TO GO AND THEN STOPPED SUDDENLY. NOW I'M WONDERING IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS WAS FIXED. *JB

ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, I HAD A LOW-SPEED COLLISION IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. AT ABOUT 15-20 MPH I BRAKED HARD, AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES KICKED IN, BUT DID NOT STOP IN THE USUAL DISTANCE. I HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES, BUT VERY DISCONCERTING. I READ ABOUT THE RECALL ON THE ABS SYSTEMS OF THESE VEHICLES, AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TOADY TO HAVE IT PERFORMED. I WAS TOLD MY VIN WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, AND DID NOT QUALIFY. I'M HAVING THE WORK DONE ANYWAY, AT MY EXPENSE. I ALSO JUST FAILED MY FIRST NJ STATE INSPECTION DUE TO THE EMERGENCY BRAKE NOT HOLDING. THE BRAKE HAS NEVER BEEN USED. I ALSO SEE A RECALL ON THIS CLASS OF VEHICLE (K2500)FOR THIS ITEM, AND ASKED THE DEALER TO PERFORM THIS RECALL. I WAS TOLD AGAIN THIS VIN WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. AGAIN, I AM HAVING THIS WORK DONE AT MY EXPENSE. THANK YOU. *JB

I WAS ON SIDE OF HILL IN GRASS AND MUD, MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT, AND I ALMOST BIT THE BULLET. MY NEIGHBOR A GM MECHANIC SAID THEY REPLACE THEM ALL THE TIME, I CALLED THE DEALER WHICH HE WORKED AND THEY SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM (SERVICE MANAGER). THIS IS DANGEROUS AND A JOKE....I RESEARCHED AND FOUND OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM AT THIS SITE THAT HAVE AVALANCHES ALSO. PLEASE HELP HERE IS THE SITE WITH SOME OTHERS , THEY HAVE SEVERAL THREAD ABOUT IT THIS IS JUST ONE: HTTP://WWW.CHEVYAVALANCHEFANCLUB.COM/CAFCNA/INDEX.PHP/TOPIC,51094.0.HTML. *JB

I OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Z66 2WD. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITHIN THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM. AT THIS TIME THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES AFTER A PERIOD OF 3 TO 5 MILES OF TRAVEL. THE BRAKE PRESSURE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IS SOMETIMES VERY WEEK AND SOMETIMES EVEN GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR MAKING IT EXTREMELY LIMITED TO STOP EVEN AT VERY SHORT STOPPING DISTANCES. AGAIN, THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS TIME WHILE DRIVING AND SINCE I USE MY VEHICLE TO DROP OFF AND PICK UP MY FAMILY AND THEN OFF TO WORK, I FEEL THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED IMMEDIATELY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY GOOD TRUCK AND MY FAMILY AND I LOVE IT BUT IT HAS A PROBLEM THAT IS OBVIOUSLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND HAS TO BE REPAIRED TO KEEP THE FAMILY TOGETHER. I HAVE BEEN TO VARIOUS DEALERS WHERE I'VE HAD TO PAY TO GET THIS LOOKED AT AND THEY ALL INFORMED ME THAT DIAGNOSTIC TEST CONCLUDED THE ROTORS AND PADS WEAR ARE AT A VERY NORMAL STATE AND NEED NO REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENTS. THE PROBLEMS LIE WITHING THE ABS SYSTEM AND REPAIR COST WILL BE SEVER. LOOKING OVER THE INTERNET AT VARIOUS SITE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VARY COMMON PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF AVALANCHE OWNERS, ESPECIALLY 2002 OWNERS. PLEASE HELP. I DON'T WANT TO GET RID OF OUR TRUCK OVER THIS. *NM