2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH I APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP FOR SLOWING TRAFFIC. THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AS IT NORMALLY WOULD. I WAS ABLE TO STEER TOWARD THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. INSPECTION OF THE TRUCK REVEALED SEVERELY CORRODED BRAKE LINES WHERE A FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LINE RESULTED IN COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE AND LOSS OF BRAKE SYSTEM PRESSURE. CORROSION OF THE BRAKE LINES AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE FAR SURPASSES THE LEVEL OF CORROSION OF OTHER PARTS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, LUCKILY I LIVE 4 MILES FROM MY JOB. I HAD BRAKES AT THE STOP LIGHT I DROVE FOR ABOUT 1/4 MILE AND WENT TO APPLY BRAKES MY PEDDLE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKES. SOMEHOW I MADE IT HOME, I OPENED THE HOOD MY WIFE APPLIED THE BRAKE AND I HAD PIN HOLE CRACKS EVERYWHERE AND BRAKE FLUID WAS COMING OUT OF THEM. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO A MECHANIC HE SAID THE LINES WERE ALL TOTALLY RUSTED OUT. I HAVE READ THAT GM HAS USED SUB-PAR METALS ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF SOME VEHICLES. *TR

I TOOK MY TRUCK IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. I PARKED IT IN THE PARKING LOT OUTSIDE OF THE SHOP AND WENT IN AND SAT DOWN TO WAIT. ALL OF A SUDDEN AN EMPLOYEE FROM THE SHOP CAME IN AND ASKED ME IF I HAD BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY BRAKES, I REPLIED NO AS THEY HAD BEEN WORKING JUST FINE. HE TOLD ME WHEN HE WENT TO PUSH THE BRAKES TO TAKE THE CAR INTO THEIR GARAGE THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. HE LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK AND HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS BRAKE FLUID SPEWING OUT ONE OF THE LINES WHICH HAD BUSTED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY ISSUES WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM PRIOR TO THEM COMPLETELY GIVING OUT. THEY TOOK ME BACK TO SHOW ME THE LINES AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES HAD BEEN COMPLETELY ERODED AND RUSTED. *TR

I HAD JUST PULLED OF THE INTERSTATE AND WAS TRAVELING DOWN A SMALL ROAD . I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR.THANKFULL THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME. ONCE EMERGENCY BRAKES EVENTUALLY BROUGHT ME TO A STOP,I GOT OUT THE TRUCK AND NOTICED A POOL OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE ROAD. TO MY SURPRISE THE METAL BRAKE LINES HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH . THANK GOD I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND COMING TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE AND THEY FAILED. THANK GOD THERE WAS A SHOULDER TO AVOID A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS NEAR ACCIDENT WAS DUE TO THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES BLOWING OUT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING LOST BRAKES , PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR . HAD TO APPLY EMERGENCY BRAKES TO STOP. BRAKE LINE BLEW . *TR

THE 2003 SILVERADO 1500 SHORT BED PU U-JOINTS KEEP GOING OUT. HAVE REPLACED THEM ATLEAST 6 TIMES. PU HAD 30,000 WHEN PURCHASED IN 2006. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN THE BUILD OF THE PU THAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, DON'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF TIRES I PUT ON THE PU IT HAS A VIBRATION ALL THE TIME. THE VIBRATION COULD BE WHATS CAUSING THE U-JOINTS TO GO OUT. I HAVE HAD 10 PLY TIRES ON IT FOR OFF ROAD USE AND NOW I'M RUNNING HIGHWAY TIRES AND STILL HAVE THE VIBRATION, SO I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TIRES IT'S MORE OF A DESIGN IN BUILD PROBLEM RETHER THAN A MECHANICAL PROBLEM I THINK. *TR

ON 12/15/13 I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST ALL BRAKES. I WAS HELPLESS TO STOP THE TRUCK WITH MY POWER BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP MY VEHICLE WAS TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE. ON 12/17/13 I TOOK THE TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC. HE INFORMED ME THAT TWO BRAKE LINES HAD RUPTURED AND THE OTHERS WERE LEAKING BADLY. THIS, ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, WAS DUE TO THE CHEMICALS USED TO TREAT THE ROAD SURFACE IN THE WINTER. THE CHEMICALS HAD CORRODED EACH BRAKE LINE TO THE POINT OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. AT A COST OF $834.21 ALL OF MY BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. *TR

WHEN MY TRUCK IS STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DAY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WILL BE FULLY OPERATIONAL. IF THE TRUCK IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILS TO COME ON, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I START AND STOP THE TRUCK. IF THE TRUCK SITS OVERNIGHT AND IS RESTARTED THE CLUSTER FUNCTIONS NORMALLY UNTIL THE TRUCK IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED, AT WHICH TIME THE CLUSTER FAILS TO COME ON. ALL GAUGES, TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, BATTERY, ENGINE TEMPERATURE, OIL PRESSURE ODOMETER, FUEL GAUGE AND ODOMETER FAIL TO OPERATE AT ALL. ON THE RARE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK WITH A NON FUNCTIONAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THE CLUSTER WILL SUDDENLY TURN ON. IF I TURN THE TRUCK OFF AND RESTART IT THE CLUSTER FAILS TO COME ONLINE. SEVERAL YEARS AGO I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. NOW THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING. EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK RUNS WITHOUT THE CLUSTER COMING ON I CANNOT DETERMINE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO SAFELY OPERATE MY VEHICLE. AND, AS THE MILEAGE IS STORED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, IT IS PROBABLY NOT REGISTERING MILEAGE WHEN IT IS NON-FUNCTIONAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.