2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD Complaints

I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500HD 4X4 QUAD CAB TRUCK. AFTER PICKING UP A CAMPER TRAILER AND RETURNING TO MY HOME I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE IN THE PEDAL. UPON ARRIVING HOME I NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM A BRAKE LINE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK AT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE 2 LINES THAT RUN FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS UNIT AND THE 2 LINES THAT RUN FROM THE ABS UNIT TO THE LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS WERE SEVERELY CORRODED (RUSTED). I CORRECTED THE PROBLEM MYSELF BY REPLACING ALL THE BRAKE LINES. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 82,220 MILES ON IT AND THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT CHEVROLET SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR. IF A VEHICLE WOULD HAVE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME WHILE RETURNING TO MY HOUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP IN TIME. I UNDERSTAND BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ARE ITEMS THAT ARE SUBJECTED TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT BRAKE LINES SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE REPLACED UNLESS THEY ARE CHAFFING SOMEWHERE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, I HEAR A CHIME FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, THEN NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER ACCELERATE. I ALSO NOTICE THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, AND THERE IS A MESSAGE DISPLAYED STATING THE VEHICLE IS IN "LOW ENGINE POWER MODE". AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE CAN STILL BE DRIVEN BUT AT VERY LOW SPEED ONLY. ANY POWER FOR MANEUVERABILITY UNDER HEAVY TRAFFIC OR HIGHWAY CONDITIONS IS GONE. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON BUT THE ENGINE POWER MAY HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL (FOR A WHILE). THE FOLLOWING DAY OR SO - THE ENGINE LIGHT MAY EVEN STAY OFF, AND EVERYTHING APPEARS NORMAL. WHEN THE PROBLEM IS FIRST NOTICED, IT SEEMS TO RECUR EVERY FEW DAYS. AS TIME GOES ON HOWEVER (MAYBE 2 WEEKS) THE PROBLEM HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY AND IS LESS APT TO "RESET" JUST BY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR CONNECTOR, FOR A TOTAL BILL OF ABOUT $350. NOW, AFTER ONLY 10 MONTH, THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER YESTERDAY, AFTER ONLY TWO OF THESE "EVENTS" WITHIN ONE WEEK, AND WAS CHARGED ANOTHER $535 TO HAVE THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED ("FAULTY SENSORS WITHIN THE BODY"). LAST NIGHT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AGAIN (YES - SAME DAY!). TODAY THE DEALER ADDED A "REDUNDANT" GROUND TO THE THROTTLE BODY (NO CHARGE THIS TIME). I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS SHOWN UP ON MANY VEHICLES LIKE MINE, AND THAT GM SEEMS TO BE AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (NO DIRECT LINKAGE BETWEEN GAS PEDAL AND CARBURETOR). I AM THANKFUL THAT GM DESIGNED THIS TO FAIL WITH POWER LOSS RATHER THAN FULL POWER (TOYOTA), BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN NONE THE LESS. GM IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT IS DOING NOTHING TO REPAIR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN JUNE 2008 WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE ABS ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED AS IF IT WOULD NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE SENSORS AND SURFACE AREAS WERE TAKEN OUT AND CLEANED. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN A FEW WEEKS LATER AND BEGAN TO OCCUR EVERY TIME THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK IN FOR REPAIR. HE WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIR COSTS AS THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS ALSO GIVEN A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,500.

CORRECTION 03 1500HD SILVERADO 64,000 MILES, LEFT REAR METAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE AND ALL 4 METAL BRAKE LINES SEVERELY RUSTED. FAILED WHILE PULLING MY BOAT FROM DRIVEWAY FORTUNATELY AT LOW SPEED AND FLAT TERRAIN, ABLE TO STOP WITH PARKING BRAKE. THERE IS NO WAY THESE LINES SHOULD BE RUSTED TO THE FAILURE POINT CONSIDERING THE VEHICLE HAS SPENT 5 YEARS IN PA AND 2 IN NC. *TR

03 1500HD SILVERADO APPROX 72K MILES, LEFT REAR METAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE AND ALL 4 METAL BRAKE LINES SEVERELY RUSTED. FAILED WHILE PULLING MY BOAT FROM DRIVEWAY FORTUNATELY AT LOW SPEED AND FLAT TERRAIN, ABLE TO STOP WITH PARKING BRAKE. THERE IS NO WAY THESE LINES SHOULD BE RUSTED TO THE FAILURE POINT CONSIDERING THE VEHICLE HAS SPENT 5 YEARS IN PA AND 2 IN NC. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY 1500HD CREW CAB. ON 5-21-2010 I FOUND THAT MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN I GOT IN TO BACK DOWN A BOAT RAMP TO LOAD MY BOAT. I FOUND THAT TWO METAL BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED INTO. THE RUST WAS UNDER A PLASTIC CLAMP THAT HELD THE BRAKE LINES IN PLACE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS COMMON ON THIS TRUCK MODEL. *TR

WE HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RUST TO THE ENTIRE UNDERSIDE, TRAILER HITCH, AND BOTH BUMPERS ON THIS TRUCK. TO PREVENT IT FROM RUSTING AWAY, WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAB AND BED UNDERCOATED. WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE GAS LINES, AS THEY WERE ROTTED OUT, WHICH POSED POTENTIAL GAS LOSS AND SAFETY ISSUES. *TR

WE HAVE HAD TO DO EXTENSIVE WORK TO MAINTAIN THE BRAKES IN OUR CHEVY SILVERADO IN SAFE WORKING CONDITION. THEY FAILED SUDDENLY, TWICE, MAKING THE BRAKE PEDAL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND. COSTS FOR REPAIRS WERE SIGNIFICANT, BUT THANKFULLY NO INJURIES. *TR

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER SUDDENLY WENT ON OUR 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO. GMC SUPPOSEDLY OFFERED A VOLUNTARY WARRANTY EXTENSION, BUT TOLD CUSTOMERS NOT TO TAKE TRUCK TO DEALERS UNLESS THE ISSUE WAS PRESENT. WE HAVE 86,800 MILES ON THE TRUCK. THE ODOMETER AND BATTERY GAUGE ARE BROKEN. IT NOW SAYS WE ARE GOING 20MPH WHEN WE ARE PARKED! GMC MADE US PAY $45 FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR WILL COST $415. GMC DENIES COVERAGE FOR THIS ISSUE, BASED ON THEIR POLICY REGARDING MILES. WE DO NOT THINK TRUCK WILL PASS INSPECTION UNLESS WE GET REPAIRS DONE , AND WE ALSO THINK NOT KNOWING SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING OR THE STATUS OF YOUR BATTERY COULD POSE POTENTIAL SAFETY RISKS. WE ALSO WANT TO ADVISE OTHERS TO GET IT DONE BEFORE PROBLEM OCCURS. *TR

BRAKE LINES HAVE ROTTEN OUT IN 6 YRS WITH OUT WARNING ,AND COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT, IF I WAS IN TRAFFIC LOW POWER IN BOOSTER. *TR