2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 Complaints

FIRST OF ALL MY VEHICLE IS A 2003 CHEVY. AVALANCHE, WELL MAINTAINED AND ONLY HAS 62,000 MILES. TO GET STARTED, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN I HEARD THIS BANGING NOISE, SO I PULLED INTO THE NEAREST GMC DEALERSHIP. THEY CHECKED THE ENGINE OUT AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO FLUID GOING INTO THE ENGINE. WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE SO I AUTHORIZED THEM TO PUT A NEW ONE IN. THE SERVICE MANAGER AND A COUPLE OF TECH'S LOOKED AT THE ENGINE AND AGREED IT WAS A DEFECT. I CONTACTED GMC IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY HAVE A GOODWILL POLICY AND THEY FELT THEY SHOULD PAY SOMETHING TOWARDS THE ENGINE. CUSTOMER SERVICE INSISTED THAT I PUT THE ENGINE PUT BACK IN AND HAVE IT OWED TO A CHEVY DEALER. I ASKED THEM WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS BETWEEN GMC AND A CHEVY DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT RESPOND TO ME. I DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE REMOVED BECAUSE OF THE COST ALL I WAS ASKING WAS FOR THEM TO HAVE A REP. GO TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LOOK AT THE ENGINE BUT THEY SAID NO. BY THIS TIME I WAS VERY FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY. I CALLED GMC EXECUTIVE OFFICE AND SPOKE TO ANOTHER GIRL AND SHE ASSURED ME SHE WOULD HELP ME. WELL LOW AND BEHOLD SHE SAID "I DIDN'T BRING MY VEHICLE TO A CHEVY DEALER THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT HELP ME OUT FINANCIALLY. . ALL I WANT IS SOME FINANCIAL HELP FROM GMC AS $6,000.00 IS ALOT OF MONEY AND I AM ON A FIXED INCOME, SS ONLY. I HAD TO PAY THE BILL OF $6,000 PLUS $125.00 FOR A RENTAL ON VARIOUS CHARGES BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE CASH. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IF YOU COULD ADVISE ME ON HOW TO PROCEED. I SENT A CERTIFIED LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF GMC AND HE WON'T EVEN PICK UP THE LETTER FROM THE POST OFFICE. I WROTE A LETTER TO THE DETROIT PRESS AND HAVE HEARD NOTHING ALSO. THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPAIRED MY TRUCK ALSO COVERS THE WARRANTIES AND REPAIRS CHEVORLET VEHICLE. SO WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO TOW MY VEHICLE OUT OF THERE? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED 100 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DECREASED FROM 100 TO APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2007. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE THAT I PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000 MILES ON IT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY SPEEDOMETER IS ACTING ERRATICALLY. SOME TIMES IT WILL SAY I AM DOING 120 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY OR CITY STREET AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT MOVE AT ALL. WHEN I TURN OFF MY VEHICLE, IT IS OFTEN STUCK AT SOME SPEED SUCH AS 65MPH. I CAN HEAR A PHYSICAL GRINDING NOISE IN THE SPEEDOMETER ITSELF. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ODOMETER. I CANNOT RELIABLY TELL WHAT SPEED I'M GOING, AND MY VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS THE TEXAS STATE INSPECTION WITH THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THIS WAS EXTREMELY COMMON, BUT THAT THERE IS NO RECALL. THEY SAID IT WILL COST OVER 500.00 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I RESEARCHED IT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF CASES OF THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I POINTED THIS OUT, AND THE DEALER SAID BASICALLY THAT CHEVROLET WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *TR

SINCE PURCHASING THIS TRUCK ON 02/01/2007, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ENGINE, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT HAVE NOT GOTTEN RESOLVED, HOWEVER THEY DO SEEM TO GET WORSE. THE WORST OF THESE PROBLEMS HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE NORTHEAST EXTENSION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE LEFT LANE THE ENGINE "SHUT OFF". I WAS DOING APPROX. 60-65 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED DURING THE AM RUSH HOUR. AFTER LOSING ENGINE POWER I SOMEHOW MADE IT SAFELY TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER AND LET THE TRUCK "COAST" TO A STOP. THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING, NOR WERE THE POWER BRAKES. AFTER FINALLY STOPPING, THE TRUCK DID RESTART AND I SLOWLY CONTINUED ON MY WAY TO WORK. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP, AND FOR ALMOST (2) WEEKS THE TRUCK SAT THERE WHILE THEY TRIED TO FIGURE THIS OUT. AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK BACK, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED, AND IT WENT BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN OK, EXCEPT I HAVE LOST DASHBOARD LIGHTS, RADIO LIGHTS, AND ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR LIGHT, THEY CLAIM OTHER PROBLEMS, HOWEVER THESE ISSUES WERE NEVER A PROBLEM BEFORE THEY WORKED ON THE TRUCK. NOW I HAVE AIR-BAG LIGHTS FLASH AT ME WHILE DRIVING, AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, THIS WAS THE FIRST PROBLEM WITH THE TRUCK THAT I REPORTED ON 03/14/2007 TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK FROM. I HAVE ALREADY PAID OVER $1500.00 I REPAIR COSTS, ONLY TO HAVE THEM TELL ME IT WILL COST APPROX. ANOTHER $800.00-$1000.00 TO CORRECT THE AIR-BAG, AND TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THESE SHOULD BE COVERED BY MY WARRANTY, EXCEPT THE DEALERSHIP INSISTS I PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. I HAVE PAID ENOUGH, AND I AM AT MY WIT'S END WITH THIS TRUCK, AND THE DEALERSHIP. I FEEL THAT I CAN NO LONGER "SAFELY" DRIVE MY FAMILY AROUND IN THIS TRUCK, AND I STILL HAVE MANY YEARS OF PAYMENTS LEFT. ( I HAVE NEVER BEEN LATE ON A PAYMENT) PLEASE HELP ME, I FEEL AS THOUGH I HAVE BEEN SOLD A "MONEY PIT". *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVY AVALANCHE. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH OR GREATER HE WOULD HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD TO STOP, WHICH INCREASED THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A FLAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. THE DEALER TOOK THE WINDSHIELD WIPER APART AND GLUED AROUND THE SIDES, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,500 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AND HEARD A LOUD POP COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. HE NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE CALIPER HANGING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER BOLTS FAILED AND MADE THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,346 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,350.

ABS PUMP MOTOR WILL NOT SHUT OFF DUE TO A FAILED ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. ABS FUSE MUST BE REMOVED TO KEEP MOTOR FROM BURNING UP. ABS SYSTEM IS DISABLED. I AM TRYING TO FIND AN AFFORDABLE WAY TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. NEW FACTORY PART IS TO EXPENSIVE. MUST USE VEHICLE WITH FAULTY ABS SYSTEM UNTIL REPAIRED.*AK

2003 CHEVY AVALANCHE SPEEDOMETER FAILS. FUEL GAUGE FAILS. NO WAY TO KNOW HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING. DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN VEHICLE. HAVE TO RESET SYSTEM NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DEALER QUOTED $700.00 PLUS TO FIX. PROBLEM STARTED SOON AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. TOO MANY FAILURE INSTANCES TO RECALL ACCURATELY. *TR

THE CLUSTER WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND SPEEDOMETER WENT OUT, AND WASHINGTON AND OREGON HAD RECALLS ON THIS, BUT NOT CALIFORNIA, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY IN THOSE STATES AND NOT CALIFORNIA. *AK

SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS ERRONEOUS SPEEDS. MOST OF THE TIME LESS THAN WHAT THE VEHICLE IS ACTUALLY TRAVELING WHICH CREATES A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD. THERE IS NO INDICATION TO THE DRIVER OF A PROBLEM. ALL OTHER INDICATIONS ARE NORMAL. IT WAS NOT UNTIL A GPS WITH SPEED INDICATING CAPABILITY WAS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE THAT THE ERRONEOUS SPEEDOMETER INDICATION WAS KNOWN. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALS THE SPEEDOMETER OPERATES CORRECTLY UNTIL THE DASH/INSTRUMENT PANEL HEATS UP. AT THIS POINT THE INDICATED SPEED CAN GRADUALLY VARY, SOMETIMES DRASTICALLY FROM ACTUAL VEHICLE SPEED UNKNOWING TO THE DRIVER. AFTER REVIEWING THE NHTSA SITE, THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY IMPLICATION OF A SPEEDING VEHICLE, AT THE MINIMUM I RECOMMEND A NOTICE BE SENT TO ALL CURRENT OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE ADVISING THEM THIS CONDITION MAY BE PRESENT OR OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. THIS VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AWAITING REPAIR PARTS.