2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500HD 4X4 QUAD CAB TRUCK. AFTER PICKING UP A CAMPER TRAILER AND RETURNING TO MY HOME I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE IN THE PEDAL. UPON ARRIVING HOME I NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM A BRAKE LINE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK AT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE 2 LINES THAT RUN FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS UNIT AND THE 2 LINES THAT RUN FROM THE ABS UNIT TO THE LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS WERE SEVERELY CORRODED (RUSTED). I CORRECTED THE PROBLEM MYSELF BY REPLACING ALL THE BRAKE LINES. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 82,220 MILES ON IT AND THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT CHEVROLET SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR. IF A VEHICLE WOULD HAVE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME WHILE RETURNING TO MY HOUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP IN TIME. I UNDERSTAND BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ARE ITEMS THAT ARE SUBJECTED TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT BRAKE LINES SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE REPLACED UNLESS THEY ARE CHAFFING SOMEWHERE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT WAS REVERSING FROM A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE ON AN INCLINE AT 2 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL MUCH FARTHER INTO THE FLOORBOARD THAN USUAL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT DROVE INTO A DITCH TO AVOID A CRASH. THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 170,863.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT WAS BRAKING FROM APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL INTO THE FLOORBOARD. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,300.

RUSTED OUT BRAKE LINES FAILED FUEL LINES AND POWER STEERING LOOK BAD ALSO. *TR

WE BOUGHT A 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 PICKUP FOR OUR DAUGHTER TO DRIVE TO COLLEGE. THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING CORRECTLY; IT WOULD GIVE RANDOM (INCORRECT) SPEEDS, OR NONE AT ALL. WE SPOKE WITH DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO SAID THE PART COSTS $500. THEY SAID THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO THE 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO PICKUPS. THEY ALSO SAID SINCE THE PART IS SO EXPENSIVE, PEOPLE USUALLY CAN'T AFFORD TO REPAIR IT, SO THEY GO WITHOUT A SPEEDOMETER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, I HEAR A CHIME FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, THEN NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER ACCELERATE. I ALSO NOTICE THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, AND THERE IS A MESSAGE DISPLAYED STATING THE VEHICLE IS IN "LOW ENGINE POWER MODE". AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE CAN STILL BE DRIVEN BUT AT VERY LOW SPEED ONLY. ANY POWER FOR MANEUVERABILITY UNDER HEAVY TRAFFIC OR HIGHWAY CONDITIONS IS GONE. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON BUT THE ENGINE POWER MAY HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL (FOR A WHILE). THE FOLLOWING DAY OR SO - THE ENGINE LIGHT MAY EVEN STAY OFF, AND EVERYTHING APPEARS NORMAL. WHEN THE PROBLEM IS FIRST NOTICED, IT SEEMS TO RECUR EVERY FEW DAYS. AS TIME GOES ON HOWEVER (MAYBE 2 WEEKS) THE PROBLEM HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY AND IS LESS APT TO "RESET" JUST BY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR CONNECTOR, FOR A TOTAL BILL OF ABOUT $350. NOW, AFTER ONLY 10 MONTH, THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER YESTERDAY, AFTER ONLY TWO OF THESE "EVENTS" WITHIN ONE WEEK, AND WAS CHARGED ANOTHER $535 TO HAVE THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED ("FAULTY SENSORS WITHIN THE BODY"). LAST NIGHT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AGAIN (YES - SAME DAY!). TODAY THE DEALER ADDED A "REDUNDANT" GROUND TO THE THROTTLE BODY (NO CHARGE THIS TIME). I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS SHOWN UP ON MANY VEHICLES LIKE MINE, AND THAT GM SEEMS TO BE AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (NO DIRECT LINKAGE BETWEEN GAS PEDAL AND CARBURETOR). I AM THANKFUL THAT GM DESIGNED THIS TO FAIL WITH POWER LOSS RATHER THAN FULL POWER (TOYOTA), BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN NONE THE LESS. GM IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT IS DOING NOTHING TO REPAIR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

SPEEDOMETER IS NOT WORKING AT ALL, WILL NOT REGISTER WHICH IS CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO SLIP. IT IS CONSTANT, AND WE CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE WE HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, IT COST $492.50. GMC/CHEVY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AND IF YOUR VEHICLE IS 7 YEARS NEW OR HAS LESS THAN 80,000 MILES IT IS BEING FIXED FOR FREE. MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD BUT HAS 100,000. I ALSO OWN A 2004 GMC ENVOY WHICH APPEARED TO BE RUNNING OKAY AND THEN ON THE WAY HOME FROM GETTING THE CHEVY FIXED NOW THE SPEEDOMETER ON THE ENVOY IS NOT WORKING. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CALL GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE AND I AM JUST GETTING THE RUN AROUND. I SPOKE TO JOHN AT JBA CHEVROLET (HE IS THE MECHANIC - 410-766-6305) HE SAID THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR

BRAKES HAVE BEEN SPONGY FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED AND WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. I HAVE REPLACED BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS FRONT AND REAR ABOUT 3 TIMES SINCE BUYING TRUCK. TRUCK HAS ALWAYS HAS SLOW RESPONSE TIME TO STOP AGAIN TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. TRUCK HAS ABOUT 65,000 MILES AND UNDERSIDE LOOKS LIKE A RUST BUCKET. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING NOW IS ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF,PULSATING BRAKE PETAL AND ABS DOES NOT WORK PLUS THERE IS A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE .TOLD ABS SENSORS ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $800 - $1000 DOLLARS AGAIN NORMAL?. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE CONSUMER AND GENERAL MOTORS SAY THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE OR BE INJURED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE. IT IS TIME FOR THESE CAR MANUFACTURES TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKE THESE VEHICLES SAFE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE FROM ANY SPEED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD BEGIN TO VIBRATE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 30,000.

2000 TO 2005 GM TRUCKS EXTRA CABS ROCKER PANELS RUSTING AWAY REAR BUMPER RUST AWAY AN BRAKE LINES RUSTING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IT FAILS STATE INSPECTION AN THE DEALERS NO ABOUT IT HAVE CONTACTED A FEW DEALERS AN HAVE BEEN TOLD OFF THE RECORD THAT IT A DESIGN FAULT FROM GM. THEIR ARE MANY JUNK YARDS WHO DON'T HAVE BUMPERS FOR THESE TRUCKS BECAUSE OF THEM RUSTING AWAY HAVE CHECKED JUST TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T JUST ME BUT ITS A PROBLEM WITH ALL THESE TRUCKSTHAT ARE EXTRA CABS. 90 PERCENT ARE THE 1500 PICKUPS BUT YOU DON'T SEE THIS PROBLEM WITH REGULAR CABS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS FOR I HAVE TALKED TO MANY BODY SHOPS AN THEY SEE THESE TRUCKS ALL THE TIME HERE IN MAINE. PLUS I HAVE GONE IN TO THE CHEVY DEALERS TO SEE ABOUT TRADING IN THE TRUCK AN THE FIRST THING THEY GO TO IS THE ROCKER PANELS AN BRAKE LINES AN BUMPER AN THEIR COMMENTS TYPICAL GM TRUCK THEY ALL DO IT. SO THEY KNOW THEIR IS A PROBLEM WHY AINT THEY FIXING THEIR DEFECTS OR DESIGN FAULTS?? *TR