2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE HEADS ON SEVERAL EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS HAD BROKEN OFF. REPORTEDLY, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY COMMON DEFECT IN GM P/U TRUCKS AND SUV'S. FROM WHAT SOME TECHNICIANS HAVE SAID, GM USED SUBSTANDARD BOLTS FOR THIS APPLICATION, AND THAT THEY SIMPLY CANNOT BEAR UP UNDER THE HEAT FROM MANIFOLDS. MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED BY VEHICLE OWNERS, BUT GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND INSTITUTE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE REPAIR OF THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COSTLY AND CAN CAUSE (AND HAS CAUSED) ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VEHICLE COMPONENTS. *TR

TO PREPARE FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS LOOKING OVER ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHEN I NOTICE SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES. AT THE REPAIR FACILITY WE PUT CAR ON RACK AND SAW SIGNIFICANT (90%) RUSTED BRAKE LINES. I AM HAVING ALL BRAKE LINES REPLACED TO KNOW I AM OPERATING A VEHICLE THAT I WILL STOP WHEN I NEED IT TO. I SEE NO VIABLE ALTERNATIVE ACTION. I'VE BEEN DRIVING 20 YEARS WITH SUBURBANS AND NEVER HAVE SEEN SUCH POOR QUALITY MATERIAL FOR AN IMPORTANT SYSTEM. *TR

ON THE LISTED DATE, WHILE IN TRAFFIC, I APPLIED MY BRAKES AND WARNING SENSORS CHIMED NOTIFYING ME MY BRAKES ARE FAILING. I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED MY BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND FOUND IT EMPTY. I INSPECTED THE LINES AND FOUND BRAKE FLUID LEAKING BEHIND MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL. I FILLED THE RESERVOIR AND BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC. UPON INSPECTION, THE LINE ATTACHED TO THE ABS WAS LEAKING AND COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE OTHER LINES WERE INSPECTED AND MY MECHANIC NOTED THAT THE LINES LOOKED AS THOUGH THEY WERE ON A 30 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN WHICH IS GOING TO COST ME A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY FIX. THANKFULLY I WAS THE ONE DRIVING AND NOT MY WIFE OR KIDS. *TR

DRIVING SOUTH ON GARDEN STATE PARKWAY NEW JERSEY, STOPPED TO GET NJ NUMBERS, TRUCK STOPPED FINE. UPON GETTING BACK INTO TRUCK PLACED IN REVERSE STEPPED ON BRAKE, RIGHT TO THE FLOOR, NO WARNING, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING. WENT BACK INTO STORE BOUGHT SOME BRAKE FLUID FILLED RESERVOIR PUMPED BRAKES BACK UP AND DID GET SOME PEDAL. UPON STARTING TRUCK APPLIED BRAKES, RIGHT TO THE FLOOR. CHECKED UNDER TRUCK, FLUID LEAKING FROM REAR, APPEARED TO BE FROM ABOVE THE PUMPKIN. UPON HAVING THE TRUCK TOWED HOME APPROX 30 MILES, NEXT DAY CHECKED UNDER VEHICLE, BRAKE LINE RUSTED RIGHT THROUGH, LEAKING ALL OF EXTRA FLUID OUT ONTO PUMPKIN. I DO BELIEVE IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING NORTH ON THE PARKWAY AT SPEEDS OF 65MPH AND HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES IN ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE AFTERMATH COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL FOR SOMEONE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 50 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A BRAKE LINE RUST THROUGH AND POP WITH OUT ANY WARNING, VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THE BRAKE LINES ARE MAJORILY FLAWED, SUCH A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM SHOULD BE STAINLESS STEEL, NOT SOME CHEAP STEEL THAT COULD HAVE PROVEN FATAL. THANK U FOR LISTENING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG ALMOST HOME AND WHEN APPLYING MY BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR. I STILL HAD A LITTLE STOPPING POWER SO I SLOWLY DROVE IT ON HOME. I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE ON THE LEFT FRONT HAD RUPTURED. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED IT BUT ALL OF THE OTHER BRAKE LINES LOOK SEVERELY CORRODED AND LOOK LIKE THEY COULD RUPTURE AT ANYTIME. I HAVEN'T EVER HAD A BRAKE LINE RUST AND RUPTURE BEFORE. I GOT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY CASES OF THIS HAPPENING TO THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND IT'S NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THIS COULD CAUSE A SEVERE ACCIDENT AND IF THE TIMING IS BAD IT COULD CAUSE A DEATH. I'M SURE THAT THE NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED ARE ONLY A FRACTION OF THE INCIDENTS. I LOOKED AT THE BRAKE LINES ON MY 2004 FREESTAR AND THEY'RE IN GREAT CONDITION. *TR

HIT BRAKES AS ATTEMPTED TO STOP AFTER TURNING INTO DRIVEWAY. BRAKES FELT SOFT AS BEING APPLIED. APPLY PRESSURE TO STOP, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. DID MANGE TO STOP BY SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. AFTER STOPPING LARGE OIL POOL UNDER CAR. BOTH BRAKES LINES TO FRONT ANT REAR BRAKES WERE RUSTED AND HAD RUPTURED. *TR

I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE ON THE HIGHWAY GOING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH SEVERAL CAR LENGTHS BEHIND 2 CARS IN FRONT OF ME. CARS IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SUDDENLY. I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THEY IMMEDIATELY FAILED. SWERVED HARD INTO THE LEFT LANE TO AVOID COLLISION. CHECKED THE BRAKE LINES AND THEY ARE CORRODED AND BURST AT THE POINT OF CORROSION. *TR

IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC FOR APROX 4 MINS AND STOPPING AND STARTING HIT THE BRAKES , PEDDLE GOES TO FLOOR HITTING CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE NO BRAKES. AFTER ACCIDENT POLICE OFFICERS NOTICED FLUID COMING FROM UNDER TRUCK, CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK BECAUSE NO BRAKES AT ALL, WHEN ON TOW TRUCK{ FLAT BED} THEY SAW THAT BRAKES LINES THAT RUN ALONG FRAME WERE TOTALLY ROTTED OUT AND POPPED CAUSING THIS ACCIDENT. TRUCK AT THE SHOP AS WE SPEAK GETTING ALL NEW LINES INSTALLED AT THE COST OF 1000.00. ALWAYS BOUGHT A AMERICAN VEHICLE ALL MY LIFE 55YRS BUT WHEN I GET THIS BACK IT WILL BE FOR SALE....NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A CHEVY OR ANY OTHER AMERICAN MADE VEHICLE.....I BEEN A UNION PIPEFITTER 40 YRS 3RD GENERATION,,,,,AND WILL BE SPREADING THE WORD..................... *TR

BACKED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND PRESSED BRAKE TO STOP AND PEDAL WAS SUDDENLY EXTREMELY SOFT AND WENT VERY FAR DOWN. I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL AT THIS POINT. I HAD TO USE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP WHILE ONLY GOING A FEW MILES AN HOUR. I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS EARLIER AND HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING BRAKES WERE ABOUT TO COMPLETELY FAIL, NO AUDIBLE OR VISUAL WARNING FROM INSTRUMENTATION AT ALL, AND NO PRIOR SOFT PEDAL OR POOR STOPPING CAPABILITY. I WANT GM TO PAY FOR ALL NEW BRAKE LINES FOR THIS TRUCK NOW! UPON INSPECTION, ALL THE BRAKE LINES ARE IN AN ADVANCED STATE OF CORROSION. *TR

I LOSS ALL MY BRAKES AND ALMOST HIT SOMEONE. LOOKED UNDER TRUCK FOUND FLUID LEAKING FROM BACK DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL. AFTER CLIMBING UNDER TRUCK FOUND ALL MY BRAKE LINES ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED. I LOOKED AT CARS THAT ARE WAY OLDER AND HAD A LOT MORE MILES IN MY AREA AND THEY HAVE NO CORROSION. I EXPECT CHEVROLET TO FIX ALL MY LINES AT THEIR COST BECAUSE THIS IS NOT NORMAL TO SEE WITH A VEHICLE WITH 55000 MILES AND TO FIX ONE LINE WILL NOT FIX ALL THE LINES ON THE TRUCK. *TR