2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Complaints

2002 SILVERADO BATTERY FAILED. *TS THE POSITIVE TERMINAL BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE BATTERY MAKING IT UNSTABLE. *JB

ENGINE WILL CUT-OFF WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING AT BOTH HIGH AND LOW SPEEDS. IMMEDIATE ENGINE RESTART MAY OR MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR W/O PERMANENT FAILURE AND W/O USEFUL DIAGNOSTIC CODES. FREQUENCY OF FAILURE HAS INCREASED TO 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK. SEVERAL ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN NARROWLY AVOIDED WHILE IN HEAVY, HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC. NO DISCERNIBLE FAILURE PATTERN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, TO DATE. ENGINE CUT-OFF CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME. THIS VEHICLE IS A SILVERADO 2500HD TRUCK W/8100 VORTEC ENGINE AND ALLISON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE HAS AN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DURING PANIC BRAKING, THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND FAILS TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THIS WAS THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. *AK UPDATED 7/31/2006 - THE VEHICLE ABS HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE, ONCE UNDER RECALL. THE PEDAL BECOMES SPONGY AT TIME AND CAN BE PRESSED WITH LITTLE EFFORT. THE BRAKES WERE TURNED AT 2900 MILES THEN HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 300 MILES. NOW AT 19000 MILES THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. *NM

I REQUEST THAT YOUR AGENCY INVESTIGATE AN IRRESPONSIBLE AND INTENTIONAL ACTION ON THE PART OF THE GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION (GM) TO PURPOSELY INSTALL AN INFERIOR/DEFECTIVE SUN SHELL SPLINE IN THE TRANSMISSION OF COUNTLESS TRUCKS AND SUVS. WHEN SUBSTANTIATED, I REQUEST THAT YOUR AGENCY TAKE ACTION TO FORCE GM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ACTION, CONDUCT A RECALL CAMPAIGN, AND REIMBURSE CONSUMERS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD TO PAY FOR THESE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS OUT OF THEIR POCKETS. I OWN A 2002, 1500 SILVERADO, Z-71 TRUCK VIN [XXX]5 WITH 52,600 MILES. ON MAY 3, 2006 THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH REVERSE, 2ND AND 4TH GEARS NOT FUNCTIONING. UPON INTERNAL INSPECTION AT THE LOCAL AAMOCO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY AN INFERIOR/DEFECTIVE SUN SHELL SPLINE. THE TRANSMISSION EXPERT AT THE SHOP STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN GM TRUCKS AND THAT IT WAS KNOWN BY GM AND AS A RESULT A NEW STRONGER SUN SHELL SPLINE HAD BEEN INSTALLED, AFTER SUPPLIES OF THE INFERIOR/DEFECTIVE PARTS WERE EXHAUSTED. I DID FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THE TRANSMISSION SHOPS STATEMENTS WITH MANY COMPLAINTS FOUND BY GM TRUCK OWNERS FOR THE SAME PREMATURE AND EXPENSIVE TRANSMISSION FAILURES. IT IS VERY OBVIOUS FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHER GM TRUCK OWNERS THAT GM DOES NOT INTEND TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS THAT ARE OUT OF WARRANTY DUE AN INFERIOR/DEFECTIVE PART THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN KNOWINGLY INSTALLED. THE COST FOR REBUILDING MY TRANSMISSION WAS $2951.75, WHICH I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR OUT OF POCKET. YOUR ATTENTION THIS MATER IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE THERE WAS A WHINING NOISE PRESENT FROM THE TRANSMISSION OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO DRIVE AND DRIVEN 50 YARDS AND THEN PLACED INTO PARK. WHILE IN PARK THE WHINING NOISE PERSISTED AND THE SPEEDOMETER WENT FROM 0 TO 20. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION WHO DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACED. UPDATED 5/23/2006 - *NM

ANTI-SKID BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEED, EXTENDS STOPPING DISTANCE AND CAUSES VEHICLE TO LURCH TO THE SIDE OCCASIONALLY. A GM RECALL BULLETIN EXISTS FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT GM SAYS IT DOES DOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH MY VIN IS INCLUDED IN THE BULLETIN. *JB

I PURCHASED NEW, A 2002 CHEVROLET 2500 HD CREW CAB 4X4 FROM ED MORSE SAWGRASS CHEVROLET. IN 2004, AFTER NOTICING SIGNS OF CRACKING ON THE SIDEWALLS AND AREA WHERE THE SIDEWALL MEETS THE TREADS ON ALL FOUR TIRES, I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO MAROONE CHEVROLET SERVICE CENTER FOR INSPECTION. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TIRES, HAVING APPROXIMATELY 24,000 MILES ON THEM, SHOULD NOT BE CRACKING THAT IT MIGHT BE DANGEROUS. THE SUPERVISOR INSPECTED THEM AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND I HAD NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I ASKED FOR SOMETHING IN WRITING AND HE REFUSED TO GIVE ME ANYTHING. AS A RESULT, IN DECEMBER 2005, WHILE RETURNING FROM VACATION WITH MY FAMILY, WITHOUT WARNING THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY A SEVERE VIBRATION AND DIFFICULTY IN HANDLING. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE TREAD WAS MISSING FROM THE RIGHT REAR TIRE (FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T). LUCKILY AT THAT TIME THE TIRE STILL HELD PRESSURE. HAD I NOT IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, THE TIRE COULD HAVE BLOWN OUT AND THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION WHEN I ARRIVED HOME, WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE IT DAMAGED THE SUPPORT BARS IN THE WHEEL WELL AND FOLDED UP THE FENDER BEHIND THE TIRE. AS THE OTHER THREE TIRES LOOK THE SAME, I AM CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AND AM NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL I HAVE REPLACED ALL TIRES. I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RESPONSE FROM EITHER. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEEDS. WHILE DRIVING 5 TO 10 MPH, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE VEHICLE HAS AN INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCE. THE BRAKES ALSO GRAB AND PULL THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V379000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES: ANTILOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 5/10/2006 - THE DEALER FOUND SALT CORROSION ON THE FRONT ABS BRAKES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT SLOW SPEEDS OF 8 MPH THE ABS ENGAGED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THERE IS NHTSA RECALL # 05V379000 REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK. THIS VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WAS NOT LISTED ON AFFECTED STATES. UPDATED 05/30/06. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND REAR PADS WERE RUSTED AND GROOVED. THE FRONT BRAKES AND PADS WERE ALSO RUSTED AND GROOVED, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE REAR. THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED ON 11-16-05. UPDATED 05/02/06. *JB