2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT ONLY 45,000 MILES. HAD TRUCK TOWED TO DEALER. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE A BROKEN FORWARD CLUTCH. VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (6 YRS OLD), SO WE CONTACTED GM DIRECTLY FOR ASSISTANCE. THEY REFUSED ASSISTANCE, DUE TO AGE OF THE VEHICLE, IGNORING THE FACT THAT IT ONLY HAD 45,000 MILES ON IT. THE REPAIRS COST NEARLY $2,000. GM ALSO REFUSED TO WARRANTY THE LABOR COSTS OF THE JOB. THE WARRANTY AFTER THE REPAIR JOB ONLY COVERS PARTS FOR 12 MTHS / 12,000 MILES. *TR

MY INSTRUMENT PANEL QUIT READING ACTUALLY SPEED. IT ONLY DOES IT EVERY ONCE IN WHILE. IT ALWAYS READS SLOWER THEN WHAT THE ACTUAL SPEED IS. AFTER THE TRUCK IS SHUT OFF AWHILE IT READS RIGHT AFTER THE TRUCK IS RESTARTED. THE PRICE IS AROUND 500 TO REPLACE. MY TRUCK I BOUGHT USED WITH 100000 MILES ON IT. IT GOT 114000 NOW SO I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT UNLESS A TOTAL RECALL IS DONE ON IT TO REPLACE ALL INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS FOR ALL WITH MORE THEN 70000 MILES ON IT. *TR

THERE IS A THUNKING SOUND THAT ORIGINATES SOMEWHERE IN THE STEERING MECHANISM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT THE STEERING BOX JUST NEEDED TO BE REPACKED WITH GREASE. IT FEELS AS IF IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT FEELS AS IF THE WHOLE STEERING MECHANISM IS GOING TO COME APART. I ORIGINALLY NOTICED THE PROBLEM AT 25000 MILES AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE NOISE CAME BACK IN ABOUT 12-15000 MILES. IT APPEARS FROM THE MESSAGE BOARDS AND TO PEOPLE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO THAT OWN THE SAME OR SIMILAR VEHICLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

ON DECEMBER 21, 2008, MY SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. THE SPEEDOMETER CAN INTERMITTENTLY READ ANYTHING FROM "ZERO" (WHEN I AM ACTUALLY DOING MORE THAN 50 MPH) TO 110 (WHEN I AM ACTUALLY DOING ABOUT 60 MPH). WHEN THE SYMPTOMS BEGAN TO OCCUR, I CALLED MY LOCAL GM DEALER TO SEE ABOUT REPAIRS, AND I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS "OUTSIDE OF THE REPAIR WINDOW" FOR THE COURTESY REPAIR, AND WHEN I ASKED HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPAIR IT ON MY OWN, I WAS TOLD "ABOUT $500". SINCE THE PROBLEM IS (SO FAR) VERY INTERMITTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE, AND SINCE I DON'T HAPPEN TO HAVE A SPARE $500 TO SPEND ON A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH GM HAS APPARENTLY KNOWN ABOUT FOR SOME TIME AND REFUSES TO ADDRESS BEYOND A VERY LIMITED SCOPE, I ELECTED TO "WAIT AND SEE". BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE NO ACCURATE SPEEDOMETER READING, AND MUST ATTEMPT TO GAUGE MY SPEED BY THAT OF THE OTHER VEHICLES SURROUNDING ME AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THIS IS HARDLY AN ACCEPTABLE SITUATION. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES OVER MY LIFETIME (I AM 60 YEARS OLD), AND I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY WITH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURES. *TR

I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO MY ANTI LOCK BAKING SYSTEM (ABS) AND MY STEERING COLUMN. I WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT ON DRY PAVEMENT WHEN MY ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED AND THEN DIS-ENGAGED AT A SPEED OF LESS THAN 10 MPH. WHEN STEERING TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT, MY STEERING COLUMN HAD A STRANGE VIBRATION/LOUD HUMMING NOISE. MY ANTILOCK BRAKES ENGAGED WHILE I WAS SLOWING TO SWERVE TO MISS THE ONCOMING VEHICLE AND THEN MY ABS STOPPED WORKING AND MY ABS WARNING LIGHT ALONG WITH MY PARKING BRAKE (P) WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. NOW, SINCE THAT DAY (2 DAYS AGO), MY STEERING COLUMN STILL MAKES NOISES WHEN I TURN TO THE RIGHT AND MY ABS SYSTEM CONTINUES TO ENGAGE AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN STOPPING EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A GM DEALERSHIP THAT THE TWO ISSUES THAT I AM EXPERIENCING ARE NOT ON A RECALL LIST BUT ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE MALFUNCTIONS. I WAS TOLD BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT THE ABOVE ISSUES ARE SAFETY ISSUES AND GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS. WITH THE ABOVE BEING SAID, I FEEL THAT MY ISSUES WITH THE ABS SYSTEM AND THE STEERING COLUMN ARE SAFETY ISSUES AND GM SHOULD BE ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I NEED TO GET THESE ISSUES CORRECTED ON MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER, I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THESE REPAIRS WHEN GM IS AWARE OF THE ISSUES AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *TR

I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO MY ANTI LOCK BAKING SYSTEM (ABS) AND MY STEERING COLUMN. I WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT ON DRY PAVEMENT WHEN MY ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED AND THEN DIS-ENGAGED AT A SPEED OF LESS THAN 10 MPH. WHEN STEERING TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT, MY STEERING COLUMN HAD A STRANGE VIBRATION/LOUD HUMMING NOISE. MY ANTILOCK BRAKES ENGAGED WHILE I WAS SLOWING TO SWERVE TO MISS THE ONCOMING VEHICLE AND THEN MY ABS STOPPED WORKING AND MY ABS WARNING LIGHT ALONG WITH MY PARKING BRAKE (P) WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. NOW, SINCE THAT DAY (2 DAYS AGO), MY STEERING COLUMN STILL MAKES NOISES WHEN I TURN TO THE RIGHT AND MY ABS SYSTEM CONTINUES TO ENGAGE AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN STOPPING EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A GM DEALERSHIP THAT THE TWO ISSUES THAT I AM EXPERIENCING ARE NOT ON A RECALL LIST BUT ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE MALFUNCTIONS. I WAS TOLD BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT THE ABOVE ISSUES ARE SAFETY ISSUES AND GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS. WITH THE ABOVE BEING SAID, I FEEL THAT MY ISSUES WITH THE ABS SYSTEM AND THE STEERING COLUMN ARE SAFETY ISSUES AND GM SHOULD BE ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I NEED TO GET THESE ISSUES CORRECTED ON MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER, I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THESE REPAIRS WHEN GM IS AWARE OF THE ISSUES AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION/DRIVE LINE SHIFTS HARD AND SEEMS TO BE IN A BIND DURING SHIFTING OPERATIONS. THERE ARE LOUD BANGING NOISES COMING FROM THE DRIVELINE/AXLES. THERE ALSO NOW SEEMS TO BE FLUID LEAKAGE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AXLE HOUSING. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL AND HAD TO ADD ONE PINT OF AXLE OIL TO THE AXLE UNIT. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 2003 SILVERADO STARTED ACTING ERRATIC. AT FIRST THE VEHICLE SPEEDS WERE HIGHLY INACCURATE, I.E. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY USING A GPS UNIT THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWED BETWEEN 100 AND 110 MPH. SHORTLY AFTER THE HAND WENT TO BOTTOM HORIZONTAL POSITION AND RENDERED THE SPEEDOMETER USELESS. I UNDERSTAND FROM DISCUSSION FORUMS ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT IS RESOLVED THROUGH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. POSSIBILITY OF INADVERTENT WRONG CHOICE OF SPEED COULD BECOME DANGEROUS FOR VEHICLE OPERATOR AND BYSTANDERS. *TR

DURING OCTOBER OF 2008, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GENERAL MOTORS INFORMING ME THAT MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO WAS AMONG A GROUP OF VEHICLES AFFECTED BY POTENTIAL INSTRUMENT GAUGE PROBLEMS, AND THAT I SHOULD ONLY BRING MY VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR EVALUATION IF I WAS ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE LETTER WENT ON TO STATE THAT THE VEHICLE WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE WAS BEING EXTENDED TO 70,000 MILES OR 7 YEARS, WHICHEVER CAME FIRST. WELL, AT THE TIME I RECEIVED THE NOTICE, MY TRUCK HAD APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES ON IT, SO I WAS BASICALLY "OUT OF LUCK" AS FAR AS GM WAS CONCERNED. AT THAT TIME, MY VEHICLE WAS NOT EXHIBITING ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE LETTER. HOWEVER, SHORTLY AFTER CHRISTMAS, 2008, MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DID BEGIN TO MALFUNCTION. BEGINNING WITH THE TACHOMETER NOT READING AT ALL, THE SYMPTOMS PROGRESSED TO SPORADIC TACHOMETER READINGS, AND THEN THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO BE AFFECTED. RIGHT NOW, THE SPEEDOMETER CAN INTERMITTENTLY READ ANYTHING FROM "ZERO" (WHEN I AM ACTUALLY DOING MORE THAN 50 MPH) TO 110 (WHEN I AM ACTUALLY DOING ABOUT 60 MPH). WHEN THE SYMPTOMS BEGAN TO OCCUR, I CALLED MY LOCAL GM DEALER TO SEE ABOUT REPAIRS, AND I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS "OUTSIDE OF THE REPAIR WINDOW" FOR THE COURTESY REPAIR, AND WHEN I ASKED HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPAIR IT ON MY OWN, I WAS TOLD "ABOUT $500". SINCE THE PROBLEM IS (SO FAR) VERY INTERMITTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE, AND SINCE I DON'T HAPPEN TO HAVE A SPARE $500 TO SPEND ON A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH GM HAS APPARENTLY KNOWN ABOUT FOR SOME TIME AND REFUSES TO ADDRESS BEYOND A VERY LIMITED SCOPE, I ELECTED TO "WAIT AND SEE". BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE NO ACCURATE SPEEDOMETER READING, AND MUST ATTEMPT TO GAUGE MY SPEED BY THAT OF THE OTHER VEHICLES SURROUNDING ME AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THIS IS HARDLY AN ACCEPTABLE SITUATION. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES OVER MY LIFETIME (I AM 60 YEARS OLD), AND I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY WITH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURES. SHAME, SHAME, GM. *TR

I STARTED MY 2003 CHEVY TO LET IT WARM UP AND WENT BACK IN THE HOUSE THEN CAME BACK OUT FIND THE WIRING FOR THE HEATER UNDER THE PASSENGER DASH WAS ON FIRE. THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDETERMINED. *TR