2005 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 Complaints

WHILE CRUISING ON RT 101 AT 65 MPH, VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY DOWNSHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR FOR NO REASON. IN RESPONSE, I WAS FORCED TO DECELERATE TO 35 MPH. TRIED EXPLICITLY PLACING VEHICLE IN THIRD INSTEAD OF "D" FOR DRIVE, BUT, THE DRIVE TRAIN WAS UNRESPONSIVE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A "HOT TRANSMISSION" MESSAGE APPEARED ON DASH AND I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED FLUIDS. FLUIDS LOOKED GOOD. DROVE VEHICLE HOME IN SECOND GEAR WITHOUT ISSUE. UPON INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED THAT MY AVALANCHE WAS BUILT WITH A WIDELY RECOGNIZED DESIGN FLAW AND UNDERSIZED TRANSMISSION. VARIOUS SOURCES SUGGESTED I FILE COMPLAINT THIS ADDRESS: HTTPS://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/VEHICLECOMPLAINT/INDEX.XHTML. *TR

2005 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIRBAG AND TRACTION CONTROL SERVICE LIGHTS CAME ON ALSO THE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE STABILITY SYSTEM WAS DISABLED. *SMD

I WAS SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOP LIGHT. AN ANIMAL RAN IN FRONT OF ME. I STEPPED HARD ON THE BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE RIGHT FRONT STEEL BRAKE LINE RUPTURED. UPON FURTHER TESTING, THE LEFT FRONT STEEL BRAKE LINE ALSO RUPTURED. BOTH LINES WERE RUSTY. THE LINES DID NOT APPEAR TO BE COATED. NEW BRAKE LINES FROM NAPA HAD A COATING. WHEN THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED TO FUNCTION, THE REAR BRAKES DID VERY LITTLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE LINES IS NOT A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ITEM. *TR

SERVICE 4WHEEL DRIVE MESSAGE APPEARS. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM REPAIRED NUMEROUS TIMES. NO CODES ARE LISTED IN THE ONBOARD COMPUTER. TECHNICIANS CANNOT IDENTIFY THE FAILING COMPONENT. THEY REPLACE PARTS UNTIL THE MESSAGE GOES AWAY. THE VEHICLE SHIFTS INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME NUMEROUS TIMES. THIS HAPPENS DURING HIGH HUMIDITY OR RAINY CONDITIONS. NUMEROUS TSB HAVE BEEN ISSUED. ONE COMMON CAUSE IS WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR THAT IS PRONE TO FAIL DUE TO MOISTURE. CHEVY HAS NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

SERVICE AIR BAG GOES ON AND HAS BEEN DOING SO EVER SINCE THEN. THIS HAPPENS WHEN HUMIDITY IS HIGH OR AFTER A RAIN. IT STAYS ON UNTIL THINGS DRY OUT. HOWEVER, WHEN THIS IS ON THE AIR BAGS ARE DISABLED. *TR

VEHICLE RUNNING FINE AND NO WARNING LIGHTS - NOTICED FUEL SMELL IN GARAGE AND TOOK IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND SEE WHAT'S UP - FOUND THE ENTIRE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK WAS A PUDDLE OF FUEL AND WAS RUNNING DOWN SIDES. HAD THE TANK DROPPED AND FOUND THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP WAS ROTTED AWAY WHERE THE PRESSURE AND RETURN LINES EXIT PUMP AND BEFORE THEY ATTACH TO THE PLASTIC FUEL LINES. ONLY LEAKS WHEN VEHICLE RUNNING SO HAD NO SPOTS IN GARAGE BUT WAS LEAKING ALOT WHILE DRIVING - 25 MILE DRIVE TO SHOP USED 7 GALLONS OF FUEL. *TR

I HAVE 2005 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE..I'D BEEN SMELLING GAS EVERYDAY I DROVE THE TRUCK FOR ABOUT A WEEK. I LEFT WORK AND MADE IT HOME ONE DAY AND GAS WAS LEAKING ALL OVER THE DRIVE WAY. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL, BUT THE RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VIN ACCORDING TO GM. I WILL NEED TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE TO A GM DEALERSHIP. *TR

THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED DUE TO BRAKE LINE CORROSION. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS 8 YEARS OLD, IT IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND ONLY HAS 14973 ORIGINAL MILES. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES ON THE VEHICLE NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE A DESIGN FLAW AND REFUSES TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE IN REPLACING THE BRAKE LINES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A 1200 MILE TRIP, THE MESSAGE "SERVICE 4WD" APPEARED AND MY 2WD YELLOW INDICATOR LIGHT WENT OUT. I CALLED ONSTAR AND THEY PERFORMED A SYSTEM DIAG. COULD NOT PULL ANY CODES, SO THEY CONNECTED ME WITH GM. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON AT GM TOLD ME TO RESET THE WARNING LIGHT AND IF IT CAME ON AGAIN TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY WANTED $990.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY WHILE ON MY TRIP. THEY ALSO WOULD NOT VERIFY IF THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO TAKE ON A 1200 MILE TRIP BACK HOME. TODAY (3 DAYS LATER, AND AFTER I DROVE ANOTHER 1200 MILES BACK HOME), THE SERVICE 4WD LIGHT IS BACK ON AND NOW A RED LIGHT IS SHOWING IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION OF THE TRANSFER CASE. I LOOKED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL HOW TO GET THE TRUCK OUT OF THE NEUTRAL POSITION IN THE TRANSFER CASE AND PERFORMED THESE ACTIONS. NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW WITH THE TRUCK. IN MY OPINION, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN OPEN RECALL AS I HAVE NOTICED MANY OTHER AVALANCHE OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CONFIDENCE IS SHAKEN NOW WITH MY GM TRUCK. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, I NOTICE A RAW GAS SMELL. PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY, LEFT THE TRUCK RUNNING AND GOT OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW GAS POURING OUT. STOPPED THE ENGINE AND GOT UNDER THE TRUCK FOR A CLOSER LOOK. UPON INSPECTION, I NOTICED THAT THE TWO PLASTIC BRAID OVER RUBBER FUEL LINES WERE COILED OVER EACH OTHER CAUSING THEM TO RUB, WEAR AWAY THE PLASTIC BRAID AND RUB THE RUBBER HOSE TO THE POINT OF CREATING A HOLE. THIS IS WHERE THE GAS WAS SPRAYING OUT FROM, RIGHT NEAT TO THE EXHAUST PIPE! I IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT FROM UNDER THE TRUCK FOR FEAR THAT IT MIGHT IGNITE. LOOKED ON-LINE AND SAW MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS EXACTLY WHAT I FOUND ON MY INSPECTION! *TR