2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

I HAD ONE INCIDENT ABOUT 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR AGO WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY VEHICLE FAILED TO READ PROPERLY. I LATER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CHEVROLET STATING THERE WAS A DEFECT INVOLVING THE SPEEDOMETER. HOWEVER, THE MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE (ABOUT 100K AT THAT TIME) WAS OVER THE 70K MAXIMUM FOR THE COMPANY TO REPAIR IT. I HAVE SINCE HAD IT HAPPEN SEVERAL MORE TIMES, OFF AND ON, DURING 2008. THE SPEEDOMETER STICKS, EXAMPLE: AT 30 MPH, THEN YOU HAVE TO SUBTRACT 30 MPH FROM WHATEVER IT REGISTERS TO GET YOUR ACTUAL SPEED. I CONTACTED THE 1-800 NUMBER FOR CHEVROLET. THEY OFFERED ME A $200 VOUCHER FOR OTHER "MAINTENANCE" AT THE DEALER, BUT REFUSED TO REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER. I HAVE NOT HAD IT LOOKED AT BECAUSE I WILL BE CHARGED A DIAGNOSTIC FEE ON SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO REPLACE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE DEFECT IS IN THE PART, AND IS NOT DUE TO ANY NEGLECT ON MY PART. I DID TELL THE 1-800 CLERK TO SEND THE VOUCHER AFTER SHE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER RECOURSE. SHE STATED THAT THE VOUCHER WAS FOR ME BEING A LOYAL CUSTOMER. *TR

GM SENT OUT A LETTER TELLING ITS CUSTOMERS THAT IF YOU HAD A SILVERADO (MINE IS A 2003) THAT HAS SPEEDOMETER PROBLEMS IT COULD NBE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE IF IT HAS LESS THAN 70,000 MILE OR 7 YEARS. MY TRUCK STARTED HAVING SPEEDOMETER PROBLEMS WHEN IT HIT 81,000, SO EVEN THOUGH ITS 5 YEARS OLD I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED? ITS NOT LIKE ITS A SPEEDOMETER CABLE, ITS THE WHOLE CLUSTER WHICH IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE. I THINK GM NEEDS TO MAKE GOOD ON THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

I PURCHASED THE TRUCK USED WITH 83,000 MILES IN AUGUST OF 2007. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE WATER TEMP GAUGE MOVED ALL THE WAY AROUND AND THEN WENT BACK TO ZERO AND STOPPED WORKING. THEN THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK FOR A FEW DAYS AND STARTED WORKING AGAIN. BUT FOR HOW LONG? AND NOW I'VE HEARD GM ISSUED AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY" JUST FOR THE GAUGES AND MUST HAVE UNDER 70,000 MILES INSTEAD OF A RECALL. *TR

THE SPEEDO SLOWLY QUIT WORKING. ASKED SEVERAL SERVICE AGENTS AND DEALERS AND THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE WAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OTHER THAN BY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE OVER AND OVER UNTIL IT FORCED THE SPEEDO BACK INTO ZERO PLACEMENT, BUT NOW THAT DOES NOT WORK AND THE SPEEDO DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. ALL OTHER GAUGES WORK FINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOOSE, KNOCKING FEELING AS HE TURNED HIS STEERING WHEEL MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TWICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS AN ONGOING FAILURE AND ALL THEY COULD DO WAS TO GREASE THE STEERING SHAFT. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS JUST A TEMPORARY REPAIR AND WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK PERIODICALLY FOR RELUBRICATION. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM WITH STEERING SHAFT ON 2000-2005 CHEVY TRUCKS. I HAVE HAD MY STEERING WORKED ON TWICE TO SOLVE A KNOCKING IN THE COLUMN. GM DEALERSHIPS SAY IF IT GOES UNREPAIRED THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL FAILURE IN THE STEERING SHAFT. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GOOGLE "CHEVY STEERING PROBLEMS". DEALER REPAIR SERVICE SAYS THERE IS NO FIX AND YOU HAVE TO BRING IT IN EVERY 20,000 TO 30,000 MILES AND HAVE IT REPAIRED AT A COST OF 100 DOLLARS TO 500 DOLLARS. SOMETHING NEEDS DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT FROM THIS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL JUST FOR THE FACT THAT IT IS COSTING EVERYONE THAT HAS PURCHASED A CHEVY TRUCK TO FIX THE PROBLEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN. *TR

THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS ACTING UP, THEN THE SPEEDOMETER WAS SHOWING 20 WHEN I WAS STOPPED, THEN IT WOULD GO BELOW 0, AND NO FINALLY IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING CHEVY KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM BUT WOULD ONLY FIX IT IF THE TRUCK HAD LESS THAN 70,000 MILES AND WAS UNDER 7 YEARS OLD. *TR

SPEEDOMETER ERRATIC. DOES NOT REFLECT ACTUALLY SPEED. NORMALLY JUMPS OR STAYS AT 20 MPH. DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AND I CAN SEE BY WEB RESEARCH A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. HOW DOES ONE MAINTAIN PROPER SEPARATION DISTANCE ? WHERE'S THE RECALL ?? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. ON MARCH 9, 2008, THE CONTACT'S SON PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO AIR BAG LIGHTS ILLUMINATED OR WARNING LIGHTS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL HIS INSURANCE COMPANY AND FILE A CLAIM. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,324 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,280.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. IN 2007, A PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIAN INFERRED THAT THE ROTORS MAY POTENTIALLY FAIL. ONE YEAR LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHEN TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE SYSTEM PERFORMED HORRIBLY. AFTER CAREFULLY INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE BRAKE ROTORS. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE ROTORS HIMSELF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT HAVE NOT CONCLUDED THAT THE COMPONENT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.