2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Complaints

WHILE LOADING THE VEHICLE BOTH TAILGATE SUPPORT STRAPS SNAPPED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE STEPPING ONTO THE TAILGATE IT SNAPPED. DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED UNDER TAILGATE RECALL 04V129000. CONSUMER'S HIP BONE WAS INJURED. *AK

BEGINNING ON 06/09/03 AND CONTINUING TO THE CURRENT DATE, MY VEHICLE HAS HAD A RECURRING FRONT DIFFERENTIAL LEAK. FIRST 3 REPAIRS WERE FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL SEALS, UNTIL IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VENT TUBE WAS PLUGGED, THE NEXT 4 TIMES FOR REPAIR WERE DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ON A TRIP FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL PURGES THE FLUID OUT THE VENT TUBE. THE LAST TRIP I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON WAS A 400 MILE ROUND TRIP AND THE VEHICLE UNDERBODY WAS HALF COVERED IN DIFF OIL, AND IT CONTINUED TO DRIP FOR 2 DAYS. MY CONCERN IS A LONGER TRIP, WHICH I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR, WOULD RESULT IN THE SEIZING OF THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AT HIGHWAY SPEED, POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.*JB

SUDDEN POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE AFTER 50,000 MILES - THIS ALSO CAUSED STEERING BOX TO FAIL BECAUSE OF FILINGS FROM PUMP GETTING INTO STEERING BOX. *AK

DURING VEHICLE INSPECTION PRIOR TO A TRIP, TWO "RIPS" OF ABOUT 3 1/2" - 4 " WERE OBSERVED ABOUT 18" APART ON THE SIDEWALL, ABOUT 4 1/2" ABOVE THE TREAD ON THE SIDEWALL. THE SIDE OF THE TIRE IN BOTH PLACES WAS AWAY FROM THE CARCASS OF THE TIRE, REVEALING THE TREAD CAP AND THE INNER CARCASS OF THE TIRE. IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS NO ADHESIVE BINDING THE OUTER SIDE OF THE TIRE TO THE CARCASS IN EITHER LOCATION. PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OF THE DAMAGE. NOTE: THIS DAMAGE COULD NOT BE DETECTED IN A CURSORY CHECK, EXCEPT IF THE "RIP" IS ALMOST ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEEL ROTATION AS IT SITS ON THE ROAD UNDER LOAD. *LA

WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH TAILGATE OPENED, CAUSING CABLES TO BREAK. TAIL GATE FELL OFF VEHICLE WHILE STILL DRIVING. *AK

1.BRAKES--PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR...THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 DIFFERENT TIMES 2.BRAKES--HAS BEEN RETURNED AT LEAST 10 TIMES FOR BRAKE- ROTOR PROBLEMS 3.SUSPENSION NOISE--HAS BEEN RETURNED AT LEAST 10 TIMES FOR NOISE 4.OIL LIGHTS--HAS BEEN RETURNED 3 TIMES FOR OIL CONSUMPTION--LEAKS 5.ELECTRICAL--HAS BEEN RETURNED TO REPLACE ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR WINDOWS 6.ELECTRICAL-- LOCKS-CLICK AND CLICK AND KEEP CAUSING, AND THE HORN---BEEPS NON STOP THIS ALL WHILE DRIVING 7.VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND LIGHT AND HORN WOULD NOT STOP FLASHING AND BEEPING THE DEALER NOR CHEVROLET WANT TO EXCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS VEHICLE....WE ARE TOLD THAT THE NOISES(AND VIBRATION) FROM THE SUSPENSION JUST STANDARD FOR THE VEHICLE. THE BACK ROTORS HAD GROOVES WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM FOUND..WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE GROOVES THEY TOLD US THIS WAS NORMAL FOR "HEAVY DUTY" TRUCKS..BRAKES..WAS TOLD WE SHOULD ONLY EXPECT TO GET 6-7 THOUSAND MILES. DEALER SHOULD TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. MOST OF THE TIMES WHEN THE BRAKES GO BAD THERE IS NO WARNING...I JUST HAD NO BRAKES...THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AFTER THE LAST TIME I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO UNIVERSITY MOTORS.....TO DATE HAVE HEARD NOTHING FORM UNIVERSITY MOTORS OR CHEVROLET.... *LA

1. BRAKES-AGAIN..PUSHED ON THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR 2. NOISE STILL COMING FROM SUSPENSION 3. CAN SMELL OIL BURNING RETURNED VEHICLE TO UNIVERSITY MOTORS THEY CHECKED BRAKES AND TOLD ME NO CORRECTION WAS NEEDED....SUSPENSION NOISE WAS TOLD THAT WAS JUST HOW THE VEHICLE SOUNDED, I COULD FEEL THE VIBRATION ON THE FLOOR... OIL SMELL--THEY TIGHTENED THE OIL FILTER. *LA

1. BRAKES AGAIN... NOISE AND VIBRATION... 2. NOISE FROM SUSPENSION RETURNED VEHICLE TO UNIVERSITY MOTORS 1. FRONT BRAKE ROTORS CORRODED WITH A SLIGHT LIP, REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS... 2. THEY SAID COULDN'T FIND WHERE NOISE COMING FROM, MAY HAVE BEEN FROM BRAKES...(TOLD THEM NO, THIS IS THE SAME NOISE SINCE 10790 MILES). *LA

1. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT... 2. OIL LIGHT... 3. NOISE STILL PRESENT AND GETTING WORSE. RETURNED VEHICLE TO UNIVERSITY MOTORS... 1. THEY CLEARED THE CODES AND SAID MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO GAS(I USE BP GAS) 2. ADDED 2 QTS. OIL(OIL WAS CHANGED ON 12/29/02@UNIVERSITY MOTORS AND REPLACED THE PVC VALVE. 3. REAR LOCATOR BAR WAS LOOSE THEY TIGHTENED. *LA