2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Complaints

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER AND IT WILL BE HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK STARTED. THIS HAPPENED ON THREE OCCASIONS. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR

CONSUMER STATES: WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF 45MPH WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO ADD. TS

CONSUMER STATES HIS MIDGATE IS LEAKING (WATER IS COMING IN). CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THIS TRUCK 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME THING. HE SAID THIS TIME WILL BE THE FIFTH TIME, AND IS ASKING CHEVROLET TO TAKE THE TRUCK BACK FOR POSSIBLE BUY BACK. NLM

I WAS CHANGING LANES TO PASS A TRUCK. AS I COMPLETED THE LANE CHANGE, THE BACK END CONTINUED TO SLIDE. I STARTED TO SWERVE LEFT AND RIGHT IN MY LANE. AS I PASSED THE TRUCK, MY VEHICLE CROSSED OVER THE RIGHT LANE AND HIT THE RIGHT THE GUARDRAIL. I BELIEVE I HIT THE RIGHT REAR OF MY VEHICLE TWICE ON THE GUARDRAIL. MY VEHICLE THEN TURNED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES COUNTER-CLOCKWISE AND HEADED STRAIGHT INTO THE CONCRETE CENTER DIVIDER. MY VEHICLE BOUNCED OFF THE WALL AND ENDED UP MOSTLY IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE FACING THE TRAFFIC THAT WAS BEHIND ME. NO AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE IS CLASSIFIED AS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY.*AK

EXCESSIVE REAR BRAKE WEAR. FRONT BRAKES SHOW LITTLE TO NO WEAR. NEVER HAVE MY FRONT BRAKES WORN OUT BEFORE THE REAR. EVERYBODY I'VE TALKED TO AGREES WITH ME THAT THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM. IT APPEARS THET THE REAR BRAKES ARE THE MAJOR STOPPING POWER NOT THE FRONT.*AK

PASSENGER TIRES WERE SUPPLIED WITH Z71 OFF-ROAD PACKAGE. I TOOK THESE TIRES OFF-ROAD, AND TORE A HOLE ONE. ALL4 TIRE DEALERS IN MONTROSE, CO INCLUDING THE GOODYEAR DEALER, SAID THAT THESE ARE PASSENGER TIRES, NOT OFF-ROAD TIRES, AND THAT THEY WILL BE DAMAGED BY TAKING THEM OFF-ROAD IN THE MOUNTAINS. CHEVY'S PHOTOS ON THEIR WEB PAGE SHOW THE AVALANCHE FORDING STREAMS, DRIVING OVER ROCKS, AND DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE OWNER'S MANUAL DISCUSSES DRIVING OVER ROCKS AND LOGS, "BOUNCING THE CAR" AND HAVING ONE OR MORE WHEELS OFF THE GROUND AS THINGS THAT MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERED IN "OFF-ROAD" DRIVING. STILL, THEY DELIVER THE NEARLY 3-TON TRUCK WITH PASSENGER TIRES, NOT LIGHT TRUCK TIRES. HAD I NOT PUNCTURED THE DIRE, BUT ONLY SEPARATED THE PLY, I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DRIVING THE 400 MILES BACK TO MY HOME. THE OFF-ROAD PACKAGE INCLUDES SKID PLATES, HEAVY DUTY SHOCKS, A TOW PACKAGE, THE ALL-IMPORTANT Z71 DECAL, AND UPGRADED TIRES. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE UPGRADE IS NOT TO A STRONGER TIRE, JUST A TIRE THAT'S 1 INCH BIGGER. STILL, THE IMPLICATION IS THAT IT IS SUITABLE FOR THE OFF-ROAD USE DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT THESE TIRES ARE MORE SUSCEPTABLE TO DAMAGE WHEN USED OF-ROAD, AND SUBSEQUENT TO FAILURE LATER AT HIGH SPEED WHEN THE DRIVER RETURNS TO THE HIGHWAY THAN TIRES MORE APPROPRIATE TO THE TASK, SUCH AS A LIGHT TRUCK TIRE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND APPLYING BRAKES CONSUMER LOST THE ABILITY TO CONTROL VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT LOW SPEEDS WHILE MAKING A TURN, PARTIAL STEERING AND PARTIAL BRAKING IS LOST, GM TECH STATED THAT THIS WAS THE NATURE OF THE SYSTEM. *SLC

WHILE MAKING A TURN AT A LOW SPEED VEHICLE ROLLED OVER, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

THE ENGINE APPEARS TO BE CONSUMING OIL. AT THIS POINT, ENGINE LOSES ROUGHLY 1 QUART OF OIL EVERY 2,000 MILES. GM HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERS STATING THAT THIS IS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. THIS IS SOMEWHAT UNSETTLING AS ENGINE COULD LOSE TOO MUCH OIL WHICH WOULD OF COURSE LEAD TO SEVERE DAMAGE. DEALER IS CURRENTLY RUNNING A CONSUMPTION TEST.*AK

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REFUEL THE TRUCK, THE METAL RING WITH THE RUBBER HOSE BEHIND RING IS FAULTY IN DIAMETER WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW PROPER FUEL FLOW. NO MATTER WHAT GAS STATION THIS ALWAYS OCCURS. OWNER HAS TO USE A WRENCH OR OTHER PEOPLE TO ASSIST WITH FUELING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*JB