2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 41,000. UPDATED 09/27/16*LJ **UPDATED 01/04/17*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE LINE RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT RUPTURED. UPDATED 01/05/17. *JB

THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING,AS WELL AS THE RPM INDICATOR AT APPROX. 26,000 MILES DRIVEN ON THE PICKUP.. I HAVE LEARNED THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS DEFECT RATHER THAN A RECALL. I NEVER RECEIVED THE LETTER ADVISING ME OF THIS FROM GM, ALTHOUGH I OWNED THE PICKUP SINCE 2006. I STOPPED DRIVING THE PICKUP BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFE TO BE UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN HOW FAST I WAS I DRIVING. I LEARNED ABOUT THIS DEFECT WHEN I CALLED A DEALERSHIP TO DISCUSS THE REPAIR LAST MONTH, AS MY VEHICLE WAS NOT USABLE. I THEN CALLED GM AND THEY SAID THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND HAS RENDERED MY VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT A HIGH COST TO ME FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART. I REQUEST THAT THEY COVER THEIR DEFECT.

RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HARD LINE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. $590 REPAIR BILL.

BRAKE LINES COMPLETELY RUSTED THRU, HAD TO REPLACE ALL LINES, FUEL LINES RECENTLY LEAKED AND UPON INSPECTION ARE FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY RUST AS WELL, BAD MATERIAL USED IN THESE LINES, BIG SAFETY ISSUE WITH LEAKING FUEL AND INABILITY TO STOP WHEN BRAKES GO OUT

A FRIEND AND I WERE DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY STREET IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA AT THE 45 MPH LIMIT. WHEN TRAFFIC SLOWED FOR A RED LIGHT I APPLIED THE BRAKES ONLY TO HAVE THE PEDAL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. FORTUNATELY THE STREET HAS A WIDE BERM AND I WAS ABLE TO STEER AROUND TRAFFIC AND ROLL TO A STOP AFTER ABOUT 75 YARDS, CROSSING 2 BUSINESS DRIVEWAYS AND TAKING OUT 1 REFLECTOR. THE CAUSE WAS A BRAKE LINE RUPTURE DUE TO RUST. AN ON-LINE SEARCH FOR PARTS REVEALED THIS TO BE A RATHER COMMON PROBLEM THAT YOUR OFFICE IS WELL AWARE OF. I UNDERSTAND SUCH RUST HAPPENING IN THE NORTHERN STATES BUT MY TRUCK IS A FLORIDA VEHICLE THAT HAS MADE ONLY ONE WINTER TRIP NORTH AND I DON'T RECALL ANY SNOW EVEN THEN. THOUGH THE OWNER'S MANUAL DOES INSTRUCT THE OWNER TO INSPECT (OR HAVE INSPECTED) THE BRAKE SYSTEM, NO MENTION IS MADE OF RUST OR THAT THE LEFT FRONT INNER FENDER MAY NEED TO BE REMOVED TO SEE THE CRITICAL AREA (FOR RUST). WORSE IN MY OPINION, IS THE DUAL SYSTEM WHICH DID LITTLE TO SLOW MY TRUCK WHEN THE LINE FAILED. WHILE IT DOES STOP THE TRUCK IN NORMAL SLOW DRIVING, THE PEDAL HAS TO BE HELD ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND IN NO WAY DOES IT SEEM LIKE A SAFE "BACKUP". I UNDERSTAND THAT RECALLS OR EVEN NOTICES TO OWNERS CAN BE EXPENSIVE AND THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN NO INJURIES DUE TO THE RUST PROBLEM. BUT HAD THE STREET I WAS DRIVING ON NOT HAD A BERM TO ESCAPE TO OR HAD THERE BEEN A PEDESTRIAN ON THAT BERM, OR ANOTHER VEHICLE IN ONE OF THE BUSINESS ENTRANCES, MY INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY TRAGIC. AS IS I AM STILL FACING A COSTLY AND VERY DIFFICULT REPLACEMENT OF ALL THE BRAKE LINES. AND I'LL BE LOOKING AT EVERY CHEVY IN THE AFFECTED GROUP AS A "TIME BOMB".

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT AND THE VEHICLE SWERVED AFTER DRIVING OVER A BUMP. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE AND THE TWO CONTROL ARMS WERE REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 12/23/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE WIRING HARNESS FOR HEATER NUMBER 4 SETTING BLEW OUT. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL ODOR. UPDATED 01/04/17.*JB

WAS DRIVING HOME AND I HAD COMPLETE SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE AS I PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY.

WE ARE REPLACING ALL METAL BRAKE LINES AFTER A SECOND BRAKE LINE FAILURE ON THE TRUCK. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND GM FORCED TO REPLACE THE METAL TUBING. WHILE GOING 10 MILES PER HOUR ON A ROAD THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE GROUND AND FAILED ONE MONTH AFTER A BRAKE REPAIR- THIS YEAR WHEN IN FOR SAFETY INSPECTIONS AND SECOND LINE IS LEAKING AND WE WILL BE GETTING ANOTHER FAILURE SOON! RECALL BEFORE MORE FAMILIES DIE. WE ARE THANKFUL THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY WHILE TOWING! FIRST FAILURE 5/20/2015

2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO PICKUP TRUCK. COMPLETE 100% BRAKE FAILURE, NO BRAKES WHATSOEVER. DUE TO BRAKE LINE CORROSION. CRASH OCCURRED. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. TRUCK HAD RECENTLY BEEN IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION 3 MONTHS PRIOR. DEALER SERVICE DEPT. DID NOT REPORT PRESENCE OF CORRODED BRAKE LINES HOWEVER OTHER THINGS WERE REPORTED AND I AUTHORIZED FIXING. SINCE THIS IS KNOWN INCIDENT I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE A NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS. I AM LUCKY NO ONE WAS HURT AND I CAN'T IMAGINE IF I WAS ON A FREEWAY OR OTHER AREA WHERE WORSE THINGS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. AFTER THE COLLISION DAMAGE I AM HAVING ALL BRAKE LINES REPLACED AT MY COST. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON A CITY STREET, TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES FOR A ROUTINE STOP AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. NO BRAKE PRESSURE AT ALL. I COULD NOT CHANGE LANES DUE TO OTHER TRAFFIC. NOT ENOUGH TIME TO REACT TO GET TO EMERGENCY BRAKE. I REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME.

WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AND HOUR I HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, WHIT THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. THIS CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND I REAR ENDED ANOTHER PICKUP TRUCK AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING THEW EMERGENCY RAKEAKE. INSPECTION BY THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER AND THE BODY SHOP SHOWED THE BRAKE LINES COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THE TRUCK PASSED STATE INSPECTION THE DAY BEFORE. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOW THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY PROBLEM (RUSTING) WHICH GM CONVINCED THE NHSTA WAS NOT A DEFECT AND DID NOT NEED A RECALL. THE LEAST THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WAS THAT OWNERS SDHOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED. ALSO CONTRARY TOI WHAT GM SAYS IT RESULTED IN COMPLETE BRAKE LOSS...NOT PARTIAL.