2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS COMPLETE LOSS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THIS HAPPENING. WHEN IT HAPPENED THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WAS NO SLOWING OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN IT WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP I WAS TOLD THAT A BRAKE LINE RUSTED THROUGH AND 8FT OF BRAKE LINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY THE CAR WAS GOING SLOW DUE TO TRAFFIC. HAD I BEEN MOVING FASTER OR ON A HIGHWAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON GM TRUCKS I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING ALL THE BRAKE LINES BEFORE PEOPLE START DIEING. I AM AWARE OF THE NHTSA INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM WITH NUMBER EA11001. THIS IS WHY I MADE IT A POINT TO WRITE. I AM HOPING THAT THIS PROBLEM GETS RESOLVED QUICKLY. *TR

I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND AS I WENT TO STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT SOFT AS SOON AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, GOING TO THE VERY NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. (NORMALLY THE PEDAL STAYS SEVERAL INCHES FURTHER ABOVE THE FLOOR.) THE SERVICE BRAKES LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE TRUCK'S WARNING CHIMES. I GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK AND SAW LARGE AMOUNTS OF BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING OFF THE UNDERCARRIAGE NEAR THE LEFT SIDE REAR TIRE. ABOUT 1 TO 1.5 HOURS EARLIER, WHEN I WAS PARKING THE TRUCK, THE BRAKES OPERATED NORMALLY. A CHEVROLET DEALER HAD TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THAT BRAKE LINE. APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE CHEVROLET DEALER WHO NORMALLY SERVICES THE TRUCK ALERTED TO ME TO EXTENSIVE RUSTING OF ALL OF THE TRUCK'S BRAKE LINES. THEY DID NOT THINK THERE AS IMMEDIATE DANGER OF A BRAKE LINE FAILURE, BUT STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT ALL BRAKE LINES BE REPLACED PRIOR TO THE ONCOMING WINTER WHERE CORROSION MIGHT BECOME ACCELERATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO PROVIDE ACCURATE SPEED READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,965.

TRUCK IN REVERSE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, ON A DRIVEWAY WITH AN INCLINE , I WAS WAITING TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY ONTO THE STREET WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR , AND THE TRUCK STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS INTO THE STREET. WITH SOME LUCK , I REMEMBERED TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND STOP THE TRUCK. AFTER BEING TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP I WAS SHOWN THAT THE BREAK LINES WERE ALL RUSTED VERY BAD , AND THAT 1 OF THEM HAD BLOWN OUT WITH NO WARNING AND ALL FLUID WAS LOST. I FELT LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.MY TRUCK LOOKS NEW FROM THE OUT SIDE AND IN , I KEEP IT CLEAN AND HAVE IT INSPECTED FOR THE STATE OF PA YEARLY. WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK AT THE REPAIR SHOP I WAS SHOCKED THAT EVERYTHING WAS COVERED IN RUST , IT LOOKED LIKE A 50 YEAR OLD TRUCK. I OWNED A 1978 GM TRUCK FOR 16 YEARS - 250,000 MILES AND IT WAS NOT RUSTED UNDER THE BODY LIKE THIS. *JS

MY 2003 AVALANCHE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL FOR 2002 REGARDING THE ANTILOCK COMING ON AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN COMING TO A STOP. GM REFUSES TO INCLUDE OUR VEHICLE FOR REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THEY STATED THAT NO CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE TO THE ANTILOCK SPEED SENSOR AND/OR HUB ASSEMBLY FROM THE 2002 TO 2003. IF WE HAVE THE SAME PRODUCT IN OUR 2003 AVALANCHE, THEN WHY DOES IT NOT DESERVE TO BE INCLUDED WITH RECALL AND REQUIRE GM TO PAY FOR REPAIRS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. GM IS IGNORING THE CONTINUED PROBLEM WITH LATER YEAR VEHICLES AND IS NOT BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. AVALANCHE OWNERS NEED TO GET TOGETHER TO COMPLAIN TO FORCE THEM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *TR

DURING TRIP FROM NC->TX->FL->TX I WAS STOPPED FOR SPEEDING (75 IN 60 ON I-10 IN LA) -- I DO *NOT* KNOWINGLY SPEED. I BEGAN WATCHING MY SPEED TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED. THE PROBLEM REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS TRIP, AND I WAS ABLE TO RECORD A NUMBER OF PHOTOS OF THE PRECISE PROBLEM. AFTER DRIVING FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF HOURS (PROBABLY WHY I NEVER NOTICED THIS BEFORE), THE SPEEDOMETER WILL BEGIN A VERY SLOW DRIFT DOWNWARD. SINCE I HAD BEEN ON 70MPH ROADS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, I APPARENTLY ADJUSTED MY SPEED CONTROL UP TO MAINTAIN WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 70. THEN, WHEN I REACHED IBERVILLE PARISH IN LA, I NOTICED THE SPEED LIMIT WAS NOW 60; BUT WHEN I LOOKED DOWN, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO 60 THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTIL A TROOPER FLAGGED ME DOWN. IN NO POSITION TO ARGUE, I WAS PUZZLED -- UNTIL I REACHED TX WHEN I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER DROPPING EVER SO SLOWLY. I HAD NO REAL IDEA OF MY SPEED, SO I JUST STAYED WITH TRAFFIC. A FEW DAYS LATER, ON THE TX->FL LEG, THE PROBLEM RESUMED AFTER A FEW HOURS. THIS TIME, I GOT THE IDEA TO START THE GPS ON MY BLACKBERRY PHONE. SURPRISE! MY REAL SPEED WAS DEFINITELY FASTER THAN INDICATED. SO I BEGAN TAKING PICTURES OF THE SPEEDOMETER AND PHONE. I HAVE A SERIES OF PHOTOS PROVING THE FAILURE. WHAT IS ALSO INTERESTING IS THAT STOPPING AND TURNING OFF THE ENGINE FOR A MOMENT, THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED WORKING AGAIN FOR A WHILE. ############### OVER A YEAR AGO, I HAD A ONE-TIME ISSUE WITH THE SPEEDOMETER. IT INDICATED MUCH FASTER THAN I WAS GOING -- MAYBE 50 WHILE STOPPED. WHEN RESTARTING THE ENGINE, I NOTICED THE NEEDLE "STEPPING" BACKWARDS FOR LESS THAN A SECOND. OUT OF CURIOSITY, I STOPPED AND STARTED THE ENGINE ABOUT 8 TIMES -- EACH TIME THE NEEDLE STEPPED BACKWARDS A FEW MPH, UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY FULLY RETRACTED BACK TO 0 AND WORKED FINE UNTIL THIS LONG TRIP. *TR

2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE BROKEN MANIFOLD BOLTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE 5.3 ENGINE THIS IS A SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE GM SHOULD RECALL THIS ISSUE INSTEAD OF TURNING THERE BACK AND STICKING THERE LOYAL CUSTOMERS WITH THE BILL! *TT

REAR PASSENGER-SIDE BRAKE LINE FAILED, ABOVE THE REAR AXLE ON EXIT RAMP OF MAJOR HIGHWAY. COMPLETELY CORRODED LINE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. ELECTRONIC RUST PREVENTION SYSTEM (SACRIFICIAL ZINC AT ALL 4 CORNERS) INSTALLED BY DEALERSHIP WHEN TRUCK WAS PURCHASED, YET ALL BRAKE LINES NEED REPLACEMENT. DEALERSHIP (HEINRICH CHEVROLET OF LOCKPORT, NY) QUOTED APPROXIMATELY $1000 JUST IN LABOR TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I'LL REPLACE THEM MYSELF. *KB

ROTTING BRAKE LINES IN THE VEHICLE LISTED ABOVE, NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM LINES. CORROSION SO BAD REQUIRES ALL LINES TO BE REPLACED. DEALER ALSO DAMAGED BRAKE CONTROLLER DURING REPAIR AND CHARGED ME THE REPLACEMENT COST. *TR

PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT AND WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY BRAKING ACTION. THE PEDAL CAME BACK UP TO NORMAL POSITION AND I PRESSED IT AGAIN HARDER THE SECOND TIME WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AGAIN BUT LOCKED UP THE WHEELS AND THE VEHICLE GRADUALLY CAME TO A STOP.