2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 Complaints

I OWN AN 04 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE AND THE TBC2 FUSE ALWAYS BLOWS. SO I HAVE NO DASH LIGHTS TO SHOW ME MY SPEED OR ANYTHING. I HAVE READ UP ON THIS AND LOTS OF THESE TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH WIRES RUBBING AND SHORTING OUT. AS WELL AS THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AS WELL WHICH I THINK IS ANOTHER THING WITH WIRES BEING IN A BAD SPOT AND SHORTING OUT.

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 02/22/2010. A VERY LARGE ICE CHEST FLEW OUT OF A VEHICLE SEVERAL CARS AHEAD OF ME ON THE HIGHWAY. TRAFFIC WAS GOING AROUND 55 - 60 MPH. THE FIRST CAR SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES, TRYING TO AVOID THE ICE CHEST. THE CAR BEHIND CRASHED INTO THEM AND SO ON. I WAS THE LAST VEHICLE IN THE COLLISION. I STOOD ON MY BRAKES AND MADE EVERY EFFORT TO STOP BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. I CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF THE FORD F-250, INFLICTING MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THEIR TAILGATE. THE FRONT OF MY AVALANCHE WAS CRUSHED. IT WAS A FULL FRONT CRASH - WITH A LITTLE MORE DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE FRONT TIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS CUT IN THE CRASH. THE PASSENGER SIDE A/C VENT WAS JAMMED BY THE ACCIDENT. I HAD INJURY TO MY C-SPINE, KNEES, ARMS, CHEST, ETC. THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT, SO I DIDN'T HIT THE WINDSHIELD. BUT HAD THAT FAILED, I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AVALANCHE IS IN THE BODY SHOP NOW. THERE IS NO WARNING LIGHT, CODE OR OTHER INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE NO FAITH IN MY AIR BAGS IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. I'D RATHER NOT WAIT FOR A FATAL ACCIDENT TO PROVE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2004 CHEVY AVALANCHE Z66'S SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONS CONSTANTLY WHILE I AM DRIVING BY DISPLAYING THAT I AM GOING OVER 120 MILES PER HOUR WHEN ITS ONLY JUST BEEN BACKED UP AND OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. THEN WHEN I DRIVE, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST I AM ACTUALLY GOING DUE TO THIS DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER BY CHEVY STILL DISPLAYING THAT I AM GOING OVER 120MPH. EVEN AFTER IT IS PARKED AND SITS FOR AWHILE, AND IS TURNED OFF, IT STILL READS OVER 120 MILES PER HOUR. *TR

RETAINING HOOK ATTACHED TO UNDERSIDE OF HOOD IS RUSTING APART FROM THE HOOD PANEL. CHUNKS OF RUSTED METAL ARE FALLING OFF OF THE AREA AROUND THE HOOD RETAINING HOOK. VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER RUST WARRANTY BUT GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT HONOR RUST THROUGH WARRANTY. SEVERE RUST BEGAN WHEN VEHICLE WAS APPROX 2 YEARS OLD. PARTIAL OR COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THIS RETAINING HOOK COULD CAUSE HOOD TO FLY OPEN AT SPEED. MANY MEMBERS OF THE CHEVY AVALANCHE FAN CLUB HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, BUT IT IS MORE NOTICEABLE ON A VEHICLE WITH WHITE PAINT. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL FLAT TIRES, WAS NEVER STUCK ON THE HIGHWAY SO NEVER REMOVED THE SPARE TIRE. TODAY AND YESTERDAY 02-13-10 / 02-14-10 HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE AND FEEL GRATEFUL THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN MY DRIVEWAY. IF NOT I WOULD BE STUCK, AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE TIRE FROM UNDER THE TRUCK. I DID REVIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS, SOAK THE TIRE RELEASE IN PENETRATING OIL AND MADE A DOZEN ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE THE TIRE. THE RESULT WAS A SORE BACK, THE FIRST PART OF THE JACK HANDLE EXTENSION STUCK IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. THE SECTION THAT IS STUCK WILL NOT ALLOW FOR PROPER USE OF THE JACK. I HAVE TO CRAWL UNDER THE TRUCK AND TURN IT SLOWLY, JUST GAVE UP AND WILL CALL THE DEALER ON MONDAY MORNING. MY COMPLAINT IS THE SPARE TIRE RELEASE IS STUCK AND THE TIRE CANNOT BE REMOVED. ALSO WHEN SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET ON HOW TO REMOVE THE TIRE WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT RARE BUT AVERAGE. THE COMMENTS REPORT MINE AND OTHER CHEVROLET MODELS WITH THIS TYPE OF TIRE STORAGE DO NOT WORK. ALSO THEY ARE UNSAFE AND CAN DROP THE TIRE FROM UNDER THE TRUCK ON THE ROAD, RESULTING IN DAMAGE AND ENDANGERING THE PUBLIC. ALSO MY OTHER COMPLAINT IS THE REAR DOOR WILL NOT SHUT ON THE REAR TAILGATE DOOR OF THE TRUCK, ANOTHER COMMON PROBLEM. I THINK BOTH ARE DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY CHEVROLET AT NO COST. THEY POSE A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC AND COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. I DID READ ONE REPORT ONLINE OF A DRIVER OF AN S-10 TRUCK WHERE THE TIRE FELL AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THAT HE RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE POLICE AND HIS INSURANCE RATES WERE INCREASED BASED ON THE ACCIDENT. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER WILL QUIT WORKING CORRECTLY, AFTER DRIVING FOR A LITTLE BIT THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WILL GET JERKY AND THEN START DROPPING DOWN TO ZERO WHILE MAINTAIN THE SAME SPEED ON THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AS YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING ANY MORE AND ALL THE OTHER DASH INSTRUMENTS SEEM TO BE WORKING FINE AND THE ODOMETER SEEM TO KEEP WORKING CORRECTLY TOO. I WAS CHECKING ON LINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE TOO AND FELT THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL TO FIX THEIR ISSUE.*TR

SUDDEN TIRE BLOW-OUT ON HIGHWAY. PRESSURES OK, TIRES MAINTAINED. APPROX 75% SERVICE LIFE OF TIRE LEFT. TIRE WAS GENERAL GRABBER AW P265/70R16. MERCHANTS TIRE DID NOT HONOR ANY WARRANTY. CURIOUS IF OTHER TIRES MAY BLOW OR IS THIS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. TIRES WERE PURCHASED AT 52K MILES, CURRENTLY 74K MILES ON VEHICLE. *TR

MY 2004 AVALANCHE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER OPERATES, IT SAYS I AM GOING 120 MILES PER HOUR AND 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN STOPPED. I CHECKED A WEB SITE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A STANDARD PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 AVALANCHE AND IT HAS BEEN WORKING GREAT FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS. RECENTLY WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS MY SPEEDOMETER HAD BEEN TWITCHING AND STICKING ON A CERTAIN NUMBER. AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF THAT. IT FINALLY GOT STUCK ON 15 MPH. I CALLED GM AND THEY STATED THAT THEY KNOW IT IS A PROBLEM, AND THEY HAVE ALLOWED FOR A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE REPLACEMENT FOR 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES. I AM OVER THE MILES, BUT BELIEVE THAT IF GM HAS IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM THEY SHOULD COVER THE REPAIR ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. ON TOP OF THAT, I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER INFORMING OF SUCH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE. *TR

I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION, DRIVING A 2004 CHEVY AVALANCHE. I HAD DROPPED SOMETHING BETWEEN THE SEAT AND THE DOOR. I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AS I WAS REACHING DOWN TO FIND WHAT I HAD DROPPED. WHEN I PULLED THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, THE AUTOMATIC SEAT WENT BACKWARDS (WHICH IS A PERSONAL SETTING OPTION). MY TOP 1/3 OF MY MIDDLE FINGER GOT CAUGHT IN A HOLE WHERE THE UNDERCARRIAGE FOR THE SEAT ATTACHES TO THE FLOOR. BUT WHEN THE SEAT WENT BACK, MY FINGER WAS NOT ONLY SMASHED, BUT ALSO STUCK. I TRIED TO PUT THE KEY BACK IN THE IGNITION TO MOVE THE SEAT UP, WHICH DIDN'T HELP. I WAS CRYING TO MY HUSBAND TO HELP, BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG! I FINALLY REACHED OVER WITH MY RIGHT HAND TO THE SEAT CONTROLS AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE SEAT BACK ENOUGH TO RELEASE MY FINGER. I HAD FOUR LACERATIONS--TWO RADIATING FROM THE CORNERS OF MY NAIL BED. THE OTHER TWO WERE ON THE BACK SIDE OF MY FINGER. THIS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA (FAR FROM HOME OR WHERE WE WERE GOING), SO MY HUSBAND WENT INTO THE STORE AT THE GAS STATION, BOUGHT FIRST AID SUPPLIES, WRAPPED UP MY FINGER, AND I PUT IT IN A CUP OF ICE. THE FINGER WAS PRETTY HORRIBLE AND WAS INCREDIBLY PAINFUL. I KEPT THINKING THAT A CHILD WOULD HAVE LOST A FINGER. IT SEEMS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME MECHANISM TO STOP THE SEAT IF AN OBSTRUCTION IS PRESENT. I DID END UP SEEING A DOCTOR. IT IS NOW 3 MONTHS LATER AND MY FINGER STILL LOOKS PRETTY GNARLY. I NEVER THOUGHT TO REPORT THIS UNTIL A FRIEND SAW MY FINGER YESTERDAY (12/06/2009) AND SUGGESTED THAT I DO SO. *TR