2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Complaints

2002 CHEV AVALANCHE FAILED NYS INSPECTION ALL BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED I HAVE ONLY 29879 MILES I THINK THIS IS VERY EXCESSIVE THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER TOWED OR PLOWED I USE IT FOR CAMPING AND OTHER VACATIONING REPLACED WERE THE FOLLOWING FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS/ REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS/ REAR E BRAKE SHOES, ALL PARTS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF MAJOR RUSTING OF ALL IRON OLD PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. I WAS TOLD BY INSPECTION STATION THIS IS HAPPENING ALOT . *AK

WATER IS LEAKING INTO THE CAB, THROUGH THE MID GATE. EVENTHOUGH THE SALES PERSON TOLD ME THE COMPARTMENTS WERE ALL WATER TIGHT AND WOULD NOT LEAK. I HAVE COMPLAINED BUT THE SERVICE PERSON TELLS ME THAT WHAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT THE COMPARTMENTS ARE WATER RESISTANT NOT WATER TIGHT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS!!!*AK

I RELEASED THE TAILGATE TO REMOVE AN EMPTY BOX FROM THE BED OF MY 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE. I JUMPED UP IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND RETRIEVED THE BOX. WHEN I REACHED THE BACK OF THE TRUCK (TAILGATE), THE TAILGATE GAVE WAY LIKE A TRAP DOOR AND I WENT DOWN WITH IT. I HIT BOTH MY KNEE AND HEAD ON THE TAILGATE AS THE TAILGATE HIT THE GROUND. BOTH CABLES (2) BROKE ABOUT 2 INCHES BELOW THE CONNECTOR. I CUT MY KNEE AND HAD A KNOT ON THE SIDE OF MY HEAD. ASPRIN SEEMED HELP, BUT THERE IS STILL PAIN IN THE OUTSIDE KNEE AREA (LEFT). WHEN I GOT TO WORK, I PULLED UP THE RECALL LIST. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VERY CABLES THAT SEVERED ON MY AVALANCHE. I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE JUNE 2004 AND HAVE EVEN HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE AT A LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP. I DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE ON THIS PART ALTHOUGH THE DEFECT NOTICE STATES I SHOULD HAVE.*AK

2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 4X4. GOODYEAR AT 17" TIRES. ALL 4 TIRES EVENLY WORN 75% HAD SIDEWALL DETERIORATION WHERE TREAD AND SIDEWALL CONNECT AT 51500 MILES. WIRES WERE ACTUALLY STICKING OUT AND HAD LUMPS WHERE THE WIRE WAS FAILING. DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL WEAR PATTERN. FAILURE WOULD HAVE BEEN BLOW OUT AND OUT OF CONTROL AND WHO KNOWS WHAT. CAUGHT THE FAILURE AND PRESENTED IT TO A GOODYEAR TIRE DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. STILL POSSESS ALL 4 TIRES IF I COULD ONLY SHOW THEM TO AN ACTUAL GOODYEAR REPRESENTATIVE FOR REVIEW MY MIND WOULD BE AT EASE

2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE-27.000 MILES. REGULAR TIRE ROTATION AND ALIGNMENT. TIRES STILL WORE IN IRREGULAR PATTERN. ON 12-13-04 NOTICED SPOT ON RIGHT REAR TIRE WHERE A "BUBBLE" HAD BURST AND THE STEEL BELTS WERE COMING THROUGH.(ABOUT 1" IN DIA.). VEHICLE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TOOK TO LOCAL TIRE RETAILER WHO STATED THAT TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CAR DEALER. CALLED CAR DEALER. SENT TO GOODYEAR DEALER. FIRST TECH EXAMINED TIRE AND STATED IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. MANAGER CAME OUT AND SAID LACK OF MAINTENANCE WAS CAUSE OF PROBLEM. THEN STATED THAT 265/70R17 ATS WAS FOR OFFROAD USE AND NOT INTENDED FOR HIGHWAY USE ONLY. SAID ALL 4 TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH 265/70R17 RT. *AK

I OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, THAT I COULD NOT GET INSPECTED DUE TO THE PARKING BRAKE NOT HOLDING. UPON HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED FOUND THAT A RETAINING CLIP ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING THE PARKING BRAKE SHOES TO ENGAGE AT SOME POINT IN THE LAST YEAR AND WEAR THE SHOES DOWN, DAMAGE THE DRUM / ROTOR ASSEMBLY, AND CAUSE CHIPPING / CRACKING WITH THE REAR BRAKE PADS DUE TO THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE RETAINING CLIP ASSEMBLY FAILURE. I CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND MY DEALER ALSO SAID THE SAME THING, THAT THESE ARE 'WEAR AND TEAR' ITEMS THAT I WAS FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL IF THE CLIP HAD FAILED OR IF I HAD DRIVEN WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED, WHICH NEVER HAPPENED. I FOUND A PREVIOUS TSB WAS REFERENCED TO THIS ISSUE (020526002A) AND NHTSA# 10000172, WHICH WERE SIMILAR. THE TSB INDICATED REPLACING THE RETAINING CLIP WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. WHICH TELLS ME THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE RETAINING CLIP ON MY 2002 VEHICLE, WHICH HAS NOW RESULTED IN A COSTLY REPAIR (BRAKE SHOES X2, RETAINING CLIP X2, DRUM / ROTOR ASSEMBLY X2, BRAKE PADS X2 (PRIMARIES) THAT IS OVER $800. I'VE FOUND MANY OTHER AVALANCHE AND SILVERADO OWNERS ALSO HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM, SOME ARE BEING COVERED BY WARRANTY, SOME ARE NOT. I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY GM AND A RECALL ISSUED BEFORE THIS $8 RETAINING CLIP PART WINDS UP COSTING OTHER CUSTOMERS OVER $800.*AK

2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Z66 HAS FAILED PARKING BRAKE. I DO NOT TOW OR EVEN USE THE BRAKE. HOWEVER IN ATTEMPTING TO PASS TEXAS STATE INSPECTION, MY PARKING BRAKE FAILS. WHEN BRAKE IS SET IN ALL THE WAY, TRUCK PUT IN DRIVE, TRUCK WILL MOVE FORWARD AS IF BRAKE IS NOT SET. CHEVYTALK.ORG HAS OVER 5000 POST OF USERS ON THIS SAME ITEM. CHEVY ASE MECHANIC SAID IT'S A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW IN THE CLIPS THAT CAUSES E-BRAKE TO WEAR EVEN IF NEVER USED. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF I NEED IT, DUE TO A HYDROLIC FAILURE, IT DOESN'T WORK. CONTACTED DEALER AND THEY CLAIM IT IS NOT PART OF WARRANTY. THIS IS CLEARLY A DANGEROUS DESIGN PROBLEM THAT GM IS NOT OWNING UP TO. *AK

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE INVOLVING 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. HOWEVER, WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIR, I WAS GIVEN A REPORT THAT STATES, ACCORDING TO CHEVROLET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE "PARKING BRAKE IS NOT DESIGNED TO HOLD ON A DOWN SLOPE AND ONLY DESIGNED TO HOLD AT 8% GRADE ON UP SLOPE." THIS RUNS COUNTER TO THE 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE OWNERS MANUAL, SECTION 7-20, ENTITLED "PARKING BRAKE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARK MECHANISM CHECK WHICH INSTRUCTS AS FOLLOWS: "PARK ON A FAIRLY STEEP HILL, WITH THE VEHICLE FACING DOWNHILL" AND PROCEEDS TO GIVE STEPS FOR CHECKING THE PARKING BRAKE FUNCTION THAT CREATE A CLEAR EXPECTATION THAT THE PARKING BRAKE SHOULD FUNCTION "ON A FAIRLY STEEP HILL." SINCE BRINGING MY VEHICLE FOR REQUESTED ADJUSTMENT/REPAIR, I CONTINUE TO FIND THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD WITH THE VEHICLE FACING DOWNHILL ON EVEN A MODEST SLOPE.*AK KNOWING THAT I CANNOT RELY ON THE PARKING BRAKE, FOR NOW I WILL TAKE OTHER STEPS TO ASSURE SAFETY. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE ... FOR THEIR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THEIR FAMILIES. IF AN OWNER, UNAWARE OF THIS DEFECT, HAVING A DRIVEWAY OF ANY MODEST SLOPE, RELIES ON THIS VEHICLE'S PARKING BRAKE ... THEY CLEARLY FACE THE RISK OF UNEXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE ... RISKING DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR TO HUMAN LIFE.

2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. FAILURE OF REAR WINDOW FRAME, PRODUCING TWO POINTS OF SEPARATION. GLASS IS INTACT, FRAME ASSOCIATED WITH REAR DEFROSTER. *AK

VEHICLE HAS RUSTED BRAKE ROTOR. PROBLEMS WITH FRAME AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM COMPONENTS THE FRAME AND SUSPENSION RUSTED TO THE POINT OF METAL FATIGUE ESPECIALLY AT THE POINTS OF WELD THAT HOLD THE SUSPENSION TO THE FRAME. THE ROTORS WERE TORE UP AND THE PADS WERE GROUND DOWN. *SC