2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE A WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED. SUBSEQUENT, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON CRASH SEVERE ENOUGH TO TOTAL THE VEHICLE. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE (SAME MODEL) WAS PURCHASED, IT TOO HAS A "SERVICE AIRBAG" LIGHT. *TR

03 CHEV. SILVERADO 57,000 MILES, PURCHASED NEW BY MYSELF.BROUGHT TO DEALER DUE TO BRAKE WEAR INDICATOR NOISE @ 32,000 MILES. HAD TO HAVE ALL FOUR ROTORS AND EIGHT PADS REPLACED DUE TO EXTREME RUST . TOO BAD TO TURN DOWN . I WAS TOLD THAT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THAT TRUCK .$900.00 REPAIR. AT 52,000 MILES ABS SENSORS STARTED MALFUNCTIONING AT LOW SPEEDS , AGAIN RUST CAUSING SENSORS TO LIFT FROM HUB AND MISREAD INDICATOR, $600.00 REPAIR. 57,000 MILES RUST AGAIN STRIKES , ALL BRAKE LINES ON VEHICLE ARE RUSTED SO BADLY THEY ARE FLAKING AWAY MATERIAL AND PRODUCED A MAJOR BRAKE LINE LEAK WHERE THE LINES CROSS THE FRAME ABOVE THE FUEL FILTER. CAN'T WAIT TO GET THE BILL ON THIS AS ALL THE FITTINGS ARE BADLY RUSTED AS WELL. AMAZING THAT THERE IS NO CARRYOVER IN PARTS FROM 02 TO 03 YET THE SAME PROBLEMS EXIST REPEATEDLY. GM EMPLOYEE AND BUYER SINCE 1965, NO MORE FOR ME. QUALITY MATERIALS THROUGHOUT I'M SURE. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO, [XXX] STICKING SPEEDOMETER, UNABLE TO DETERMINE CORRECT SPEED. OUTSIDE WARRANTY EXTENSION PARAMETERS OF 7 YR 80,000 MILES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WARRANTS A RECALL, NOT A WARRANTY EXTENSION. CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ARE UNWILLING TO HELP. MUST REPAIR AT OWN EXPENSE. *TR

SPEEDO FAILED. NEEDLE STUCK AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONTACTED GM. NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. GUESS SOMEBODY HAS TO DIE BEFORE THEY WILL TAKE ANY ACTION. *TR

POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING WHEN TURNING LEFT CUTS OUT INTERMITTENTLY. THIS STARTED OCCURRING WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST NEW AND STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT DIDN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIRS. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, IT HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. AT LOWER SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY UNDER 25 MPH, THERE IS OFTEN LITTLE OR NO POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING. THIS MAKES IT ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO GO AROUND CORNERS AND MANEUVER IN PARKING LOTS. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2000-2006 SILVERADO AND SIERRA PICKUPS, AS WELL AS TAHOES, SUBURBANS AND YUKONS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT IN THAT THE POWER ASSIST CAN SUDDENLY CUT OUT WHEN GOING AROUND A CURVE OR CORNER, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON COURSE AND AVOIDING STRIKING STATIONARY OBJECTS OR PEDESTRIANS. AS THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, THE DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1000 TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING RACK TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. TRUCK IS PARKED AND NOT BEING USED NOW, AS IT IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED. *TR

SPEEDOMETER STARTED WORKING SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES STICKS BELOW 0, SOMETIMES MOVES SPORADICALLY AND DOES NOT INDICATE CORRECT SPEED. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT IS IT ONLY VALID FOR VEHICLES UNDER 80K MILES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IN THAT THE DRIVER DOES NOT ACCURATELY KNOW THE VEHICLE SPEED AND DOES NOT KNOW IF HE/SHE IS TRAVELING AT A SAFE SPEED. WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER READS LOWER THAN THE ACTUAL SPEED (IT MAY READ 5 OR 10 MPH BELOW THE ACTUAL SPEED, OR MAY BE MUCH LOWER, AS THE INDICATED SPEED IS UNRELIABLE), THE DRIVER MAY BE GOING FASTER THAN HE/SHE REALIZES INTO A CURVE OR TURN, WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO A CRASH, POSSIBLY INJURY OR DEATH. CHEVROLET ADVERTISES THAT THEY BUILD THE LONGEST LASTING TRUCKS. ISN'T IT REASONABLE TO EXPECT SOMETHING AS BASIC AS A SPEEDOMETER TO WORK PROPERLY FOR MORE THAN 80K MILES? DEALER SAID A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS NEEDED TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT. SINCE THE VEHICLE IS BEYOND 80K MILES, THIS WOULD COST THE OWNER APPROXIMATELY $500. *TR

WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CAUSING ABS TO FALSELY ACTIVATE AT 8 MPH. SAME PROBLEM THAT GM HAS RECALLED FOR 1999-2002 MODEL YEAR OF SILVERADO. *TR

MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO Z71 1500 PICK-UP EXPERIENCES POWER STEERING FAILURE WHEN GOING A VERY SLOW SPEEDS (I.E. TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT) ON RIGHT TURNS ONLY. CHEVY DEALERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM...SOME HAVE SAID THAT IF I CHANGE THE STEERING BOX FROM A 670 TO 680 MODEL IT WOULD HELP BUT NOT ELIMINATE???? HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE LAST 40,000 MILES. *TR

ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER, ENGINE TROUBLE / CHECK ABS LIGHTS ALWAYS ON. NO SPECIFIC EVENT, JUST STARTED REGISTERING VERY HIGH SPEEDS OR VERY LOW SPEEDS THAT DID NOT MATCH ACTUAL SPEED OF VEHICLE. CHANGES EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON OR WHEN STOPPED. UNABLE TO GAUGE AND MAINTAIN SPEED PRUDENT FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS IN OUR AREA, WHICH IS USUALLY SNOW, SLEET, RAIN, OR ALL THREE AT ONCE. DANGEROUS CONDITION NOT KNOWING SPEED AND CAUSES ANXIETY FROM WORRY AND POSSIBILITY OF SPEEDING TICKET. CANNOT CONCENTRATE ON ROAD AHEAD TRYING TO DETERMINE SPEED FROM PASSING OBJECTS. TROUBLE LIGHTS JUST CAME ON AND STAYED ON. UNABLE TO REMEDY. *TR

CHEVY SILVERADO 5.3 L ENGINE. REDUCED ENGINE POWER MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED. VEHICLE WILL NOT RUN ABOVE 20 MPH. MUST PULL OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY GM. DEALER TRIED TWICE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT. I REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR AND THE THROTTLE BODY BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH MY TRUCK FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS. AGAIN, NO SUPPORT FROM GM. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR