2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

I PURCHASED A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO PICKUP IN DECEMBER 2006. IN THE BEGINNING OF 2007, MANY OF MY INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES BEGIN TO STICK. SOME DAYS THEY WOULD WORK, SOME DAYS THEY WOULDN'T. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, I RECEIVED A "COURTESY" LETTER FROM GM DESCRIBING THE PROBLEMS HAPPENING TO MY VEHICLE AND ADVISING OWNERS OF A SPECIAL COVERAGE THAT WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR CERTAIN CUSTOMERS. MY VEHICLE, HAVING OVER THE NUMBER OF MILES ALLOWED, DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THIS COVERAGE. SINCE THAT TIME, ALL THE GAUGES ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL HAVE GONE OUT. I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH GM'S CLAIM THAT THIS IS "NOT A SAFETY ISSUE". NOT HAVING A SPEEDOMETER, OR ANY OTHER GAUGES ON THE VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE! I HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD VEHICLE, AND I UNEQUIVOCALLY BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ELEVATED FROM ONE OF A "COURTESY EXTENSION" TO A RECALL. THIS DEFECT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MILEAGE ON MY TRUCK, AND I SHOULD NOT BE PENALIZED FOR THE NUMBER OF MILES ON IT! I CONTACTED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT I WAS ADVISED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS OVER THE ALLOWABLE MILEAGE FOR THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE AND I COULD NOT BE ASSISTED. THIS SITUATION IS TRULY AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

APPROX. 2 YEARS AGO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT OUT IN OUR CHEVY SILVERADO TK. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS ABOUT 50K MI. ON THE TRUCK. WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO HAVE THE PANEL FIXED. WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE TRUCK AS IS. WE HAVE HAD MANY CHEVY TKS. ABOUT ONE MO. AGO WE RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL ABOUT CHEVY PRODUCTS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS OURS. BUT THE STIPULATIONS ARE IN OUR EYES UN ACCEPTABLE. YOU CAN HAVE NO MORE THAN 70K MI. ON THE VEHICLE IN ORDER FOR CHEVY TO FIX THIS DEFECT. IF THEY KNEW OF THE DEFECT HOW CAN THERE BE THIS KIND OF STIPULATION... FOR THOSE OF US IN CA, THE MILES TRAVELED ARE MANY MORE THAN OTHER STATES. ALSO THE DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. WHEN IT HAPPENS IT HAPPENS! THE LETTERS WERE SENT OUT TO VEHICLES THAT ARE 2003'S. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN 5 YRS. WE BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS PART. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKES FUNCTION WHEN THE VEHICLE DECELERATED BETWEEN 4-15 MPH. WHEN HE APPROACHED A STOP SIGN, THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE PULSATED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 5-10 FEET. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE DID NOT INCLUDE HIS VIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 46,600 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000. UPDATE 04-02-08 *BF

THE ENTIRE GAUGE CLUSTER GOES BLANK, NO READINGS. THIS AFFECTS THE SPEEDOMETER AS WELL AS ENGINE MONITORING GAUGES. I FEEL THAT THIS IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY ISSUE. BESIDES THE LOSS OF SPEED INFORMATION, WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO MONITOR THE ENGINE THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW IF FAILURE IS IMMANENT. ENGINE FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY COULD EASILY LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

(1) HOT HUMID WEATHER WAS APPARENTLY TOO MUCH FOR MY VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER. (2) THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR FAILED IN ADDITION TO THE ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL WIRING GOING TO THE RESISTOR. (3) THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED COST $51.62, AND THE LABOR TO REPLACE THE PARTS COST $445.00. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITH JUST OVER 31,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE JUST AS EASILY RESULTED IN A FIRE WITHIN THE DASHBOARD ASSEMBLY IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HAS A BRAKING ISSUE WHERE THE BRAKES FAIL TO WORK. THE GENERAL MOTORS CORP HAD A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE IDENTIFYING MODEL YEARS 1999-2002. I CALLED THE GENERAL MOTORS CORP FOR HELP WITH THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD BY THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, I NEEDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE EVALUATED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER, IF THE PROBLEM WERE FOUND, THEY WOULD REPAIR IT AT NO COST TO ME. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALER, THEY FOUND AND DOCUMENTED THE ISSUE ON A SERVICE REPORT (I HAVE A COPY). WHEN I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS BACK, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, IT WAS MY PROBLEM TO FIX. I EXPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES THAT THIS IS NOT A WEAR ITEM, THEY HAD A RECALL PREVIOUSLY, THEIR DEALER DOCUMENTED MY VEHICLE AS HAVING THE PROBLEM. STILL, TO NO AVAIL, I WAS TOLD IT IS MY PROBLEM AND THEY WON'T COVER IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T IDENTIFIED UNDER THE RECALL. THEREFORE, WHY WAS I TOLD TO BRING IT TO THE DEALER FOR NO REASON AND A COST TO ME OF $42, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHY ARE THEY NOT CONCERNED THAT MY VEHICLE HAS AN ISSUE WHERE THE BRAKES FAIL TO WORK. GENERAL MOTORS SERVICE BULLETIN # 05068B, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000. THE EVALUATION WAS PERFORMED BY KEIGAN CHEVROLET IN FRANKLIN MA, SERVICE REPORT INVOICE # 82978A. THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 11/02 ALTHOUGH IT IS CALLED A 2003 MODEL. I ONLY SEEK TO HAVE THE BRAKING ISSUE REPAIRED. AS NOTED BY THE SERVICE REPORT, THE FRONT WHEEL HUBS NEED TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE A SECOND ISSUE FOLLOWING THE SAME CHAIN OF EVENTS, THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN RATTLES. THERE WAS ALSO A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS ISSUE, ALSO FOUND TO BE A PROBLEM AT THE DEALER, ALSO DOCUMENTED ON THE SERVICE REPORT, TOLD SAME THING, MY PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE THEM TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN AT THEIR COST. *TR

2003 SILVERADO 1500 Z71 PICKUP REAR BRAKE PROBLEM AT 43,000 MILES. RUSTING BRAKE ROTORS CAUSE EXCESSIVE UNEVEN WEAR OF REAR BRAKE PADS. CONDITION LIMITED TO INSIDE SIDE OF REAR ROTORS. ONLY ONE-HALF INCH SURFACE OF ROTOR WAS SHINY AND REST OF ROTOR HAD SEVERE RUST THAT UNDER LOAD RESULTED IN PAD DAMAGE. COMPLAINED TO DEALER TWICE AFTER PURCHASE JULY '03, SPONGY, BRAKING AND SOMETIMES HARD TO STOP. THEY LOOKED AT IT SAID IT WAS NORMAL. ALMOST ALL MY DRIVING IS HIGHWAY, WITH MINIMAL BRAKING. AND THE FEW TIMES DRIVEN IN TOWN HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR COLLISIONS. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE SPEEDOMETER WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO 120 MPH AND STICK THERE. SOMETIMES IT WILL FALL BACK TO AROUND 80 BUT IT WILL NOT READ CORRECTLY. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE ABOUT 10-15 TIMES IT WILL RESET TO 0 AND THE DO IT AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE SPEEDOMETER STICKS, FLUTTERS, AND BECOMES INOPERABLE INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE FAILURES AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR WAS THE CONTACTS RESPONSIBILITY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,900 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000. UPDATED 02-19-08 *BF UPDATED 02-19-08 *TR

SPEEDOMETER WITHER FREEZES OR REGISTERS GREATER OR LESSER THAN I AM DRIVING REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER SHIP WHERE THEY GAVE ME THE ADVISE TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND IT WOULD RESET ITSELF. THIS WORKED SEVERAL TIMES, SOMETIMES TAKING SEVERAL RESTARTS TO ACCOMPLISH. NOW I GET THE RECALL NOTICE AND BECAUSE AI HAVE DRIVEN MY VEHICLE OVER 70K/5YEARS, WHICH EVER COMES FIRST THEY WILL NOT REPAIR THIS. IT WILL COST APPROX. $450 TO FIX IT. IF THIS IS A RECALL WHY ARE THEY NOT TAKING CARE OF IT. IT TAKES SEVERAL YEARS AND MANY COMPLAINTS TO GET SOMETHING RECALLED. THAT MEANS THAT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THIS IS BULL, IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND SHOULD BE REPLACED AT THEIR COST. GM REFUSES AS DOES MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. MY MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY THEM, I MUST HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS IN BRINGING IT TO THEM FOR REQUIRED SERVICING. WHY DID THEY NEVER CHECK THIS ? THEIR COMMENT WAS, "WELL, IF YOU NEVER BOUGHT IT IN TO BE FIXED WHY SHOULD IT BE FIXED NOW" I DIDN'T BRING IT IN BECAUSE THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS VEHICLE AND THAT SHUTTING IT OFF WOULD RESET IT. OH, THEY WOULD FIX IT IF IT WERE CONSIDERED A SAFETY PROBLEM. WELL, IF I AM TRAVELING AT AN UNSAFE SPEED BECAUSE I AM GOING ACCORDING TO MY SPEEDOMETER, THEN THAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. ONLY IN THIS CASE, THEY GET TO DETERMINE WHAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND WHAT IS NOT.. *TR