2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 Complaints

ENGINE DOES NOT IDLE AND SHUTS OFF. ACCORDING TO INTERNET SITES, ITS A WIRE FAILURE IN THE THROTTLE BODY CONNECTOR. CAN BE A MAJOR ISSUE WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP. SOME TIMES WILL NOT RESTART RIGHT AWAY. *TR

ON MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 2500HD WITH VORTEC 8100 (496 IN3) ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING PUMP ALSO ACTS AS THE POWER SOURCE FOR THE BRAKE BOOSTER (I BELIEVE). THUS, MANY TIMES WHEN I HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THERE'S A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING. IN ORDER TO FULLY REGAIN THE POWER STEERING, I HAVE TO LET MY FOOT UP OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS POWER-STEERING-PUMP-AS-BRAKE-BOOSTER SET-UP IS UNIQUE TO THIS ENGINE. SO FAR, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET BY WITHOUT EXPERIENCING A CRITICAL SITUATION. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WAS WORSE BEFORE I REPLACED THE SERPENTINE BELT TWO YEARS AGO (<10,000 MILES). I HAD GOODYEAR INSTALL A HIGH-QUALITY BELT THEY MANUFACTURE THEMSELVES. COLD WEATHER START-UP CONDITIONS ARE THE WORSE; THUS IN COLD WEATHER I PREFER TO LET THE ENGINE WARM UP TO ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF POWER STEERING. I JUST THINK THAT OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE (WITH THE 8100 ENGINE) SHOULD BE FULLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS DESIGNED WITH A DEFECT. AS A RESULT, THE PUMP IN THE TRANSFER CASE WORE A HOLE FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRANSFER CASE. THIS ALLOWED THE OIL IN THE TRANSFER CASE TO PUMP OUT THE HOLE AND CAUSED THE TRANSFER CASE TO RUN DRIVE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 3/16/09 *CN THE POWER STEERING STARTED LEAKING FLUID. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE HYDRO BOOSTER ONTO THE POWER STEERING GEAR. THE CONSUMER LOST HIS BRAKES. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE BOOSTER ROD WAS MISSING. THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT WORK AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AS WELL. THE SPEEDOMETER DID NOT WORK IT WAS READING 60 MPH EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPDATED 03/18/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THE SUDDEN DEPLOYMENT HINDERED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY, ALONG WITH THE SMOKE AND POWDER THAT EMITTED FROM THE AIR BAG. HE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE WINDOWS AND NOTICED THAT ALL ELECTRICITY IN THE VEHICLE WAS LOST. HE COULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS OR ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 162,462.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE MUST DISCONNECT HIS BATTERY IN ORDER FOR THE SPEEDOMETER TO WORK. THE SPEEDOMETER IS STUCK ON 45 MPH AND DOES NOT MOVE UP OR DOWN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL; HOWEVER, A TSB STATED THAT WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OR 70,000 MILES THE GAUGE CLUSTERS COULD BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TSB. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,400. UPDATED 03/23/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE NEVER KNOWS HOW FAST HE IS DRIVING. UPDATED 03/24/09*JB

NOTICED TRANSMISSION LEAKING, IDENTIFIED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE HAD CRACKED IN THE SLOTS THAT HOLD THE PUMP. IDENTIFIED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ON DURAMAX TRANS MISSIONS, AND IDENTIFIED AN AFTERMARKET PRODUCT WAS MADE TO PREVENT FURTHER CRACKS FROM OCCURRING. IT SEEMS THAT THE HOUSING IS MADE OF MAGNESIUM AND IS NON SIMILAR METALS. *TR

MY ABS BRAKES ARE FAILING WITH 65,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. MY MECHANIC SAID THERE IS A RECALL. I CHECKED WITH MY DEALER WHICH TOLD ME IT'S ONLY ON 1/2 TON TRUCKS, MINE IS A 3'4 TON. WITH THIS BEING SUCH A SAFETY HAZARD, WHY ISN'T IT COVER ON ALL THE TRUCKS IF THEY ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM? *TR

20030 CHEVY 2500 HD TRANSFER CASE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A HOLE IN TOP OF CASE. TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS WORN FROM INSIDE OUT. THEY SAY THEY HAVE HEARD OF THAT AND GM DOESN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE TRUCK IS TO OLD. I HAVE 75,680 MILES ON TRUCK. *TR

DROVE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FAN BLOWER WAS NOT WORKING, LOCATED FUSE FOR BLOWER, PULLED AND VERIFIED FUSE IS OK. PUT FUSE BACK IN CHECKED BLOWER AND FAN WAS WORKING. THE NEXT DAY MY HUSBAND DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR APPROX.10 MIN AND SMOKE STARTED BILLOWING OUT FROM UNDER THE DASH (PASS. SIDE). HE TURNED AROUND, CAME HOME AND WE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE UNDER THE GLOVE BOX AND ALSO COVERED BY A PLASTIC COVERING NOT QUICKLY ABLE TO BE REMOVED. DISCONNECTED THE BATTERIES AND REMOVED THE COVER EXPOSING THE WIRING. WE CAN SEE THE WIRING AND RELAY THAT HAVE MELTED. CALLED GM (11/3, 9 - 10 BUS. DAYS TO RESPOND), THE VEHICLE IS OVER WARRANTY COVERAGE, BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL THAT A 5YR VEHICLE SHOULD JUST CATCH ON FIRE. GM RESPONDED WITH A DENIAL BECAUSE OF MA LAWS BUT I LIVE IN ME SO THEY ARE LOOKING INTO IT AGAIN WITH THE CS REP THAT HANDLES ME. MEANWHILE I DO NOT HAVE A VEHICLE TO DRIVE. HAVE AN ISSUE WITH TAILLIGHT BURNING HOUSING AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. SOCKET LOOKS BURNT, LIGHT BULB IS FINE BUT DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY WORK. HAVE ALSO HAD THE SPEEDO ISSUE - GM FIXED, REPLACED FRONT HUBS MY COST, & REPLACED GLOW PLUGS. NOW TRYING TO DETERMINE IF I'M HAVING SAME TRANNY ISSUES OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. SO FAR NOT SO IMPRESSED. HAVE REPORTED FIRE ISSUE TO MY INSURANCE CO. TO DOCUMENT PROBLEM. UNTIL TRUCK IS PLUGGED IN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE EXTENT OF DAMAGE. *TR

TIRE BELT FAILURE, WITH TREAD SEPARATION . I PURCHASED A MATCHED SET OF FOUR COOPER DISCOVERER ATR M&S LT265/75R16 TIRES BRAND NEW. THEY HAVE BEEN REGULARLY CHECKED FOR AIR PRESSURE AND BALANCED AN ROTATED. ON JUNE 28,2008, 26 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE AND WITH ABOUT 24000 MILES ON THEM THE FRONT LEFT TIRE FAILED . I REPLACED TIRE WITH SPARE. ON 10/10/08 WITH ABOUT 27000 MILES ON IT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER. WITH 2 OF 4 TIRES COMING APART IN TIS MANNER, I REMOVED THE REMAINING TIRES AS I FEEL THERE MUST BE A DEFECT. THEY ARE UNSAFE AND I HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH NEW FIRESTONE TIRES. *TR