2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING FROM A DRIVE WAY, THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE BRAKE LINE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ON JULY 23 2008, I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND I LOST ALL STEERING, THE PITMAN ARM SHEARED OFF. I HAD INSTALLED THE FAB-TECH PITMAN ARM, IDLER ARM, TIE ROD ENDS, AND STEERING STABILIZER KIT. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE PITMAN ARM, AND IDLER ARM, HAD A RECALL. I CONTACTED FABTECH VIA EMAIL AND THEY TOLD ME WHO TO CONTACT ABOUT THE RECALL. I LATER GOT TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER GUY AT FABTECH. HE SENT ME INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GO ABOUT THE RECALL TO GET REFUNDED THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE AND GET A CHECK FOR THE INSTALLATION AND FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND THEY ARE ALSO SUPPOSE TO SEND THE NEW IDLER ARM AND PITMAN ARM. FABTECH ASKED THAT I BOX AND SHIP THE OLD PARTS TO THEM AND THEY WOULD THEN INSPECT THEM AND SEND THE CHECK AND PARTS. I SENT THE PARTS IN AND THEN THEY DECIDED THEY WERE NOT GOING TO HONOR THE RECALL. I HAD COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE, LUCKILY I WAS IN A PARKING LOT WHEN IT HAPPENED. JUST HOURS BEFORE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. A RECALL IS A RECALL AND THEY NEED TO HONOR IT FOR ME AS WELL. *TR

THE TRUCK IS PRIMARILY USED FOR TOWING TRAILERS. ONCE IN 2012 WHEN TOWING A 10K LBS TRAVEL TRAILER A REAR BRAKE LINE THAT APPEARED SOLID DEVELOPED A HOLE AND RELEASED ANY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. THE TRUCK WAS SAFELY STOPPED AND REPAIRED. AUGUST OF 2013 WHILE TOWING PWCS ON A TRAILER ANOTHER LINE THAT APPEARED TO BE SOLID BRAKE LINE DEVELOPED A HOLE AND LEAKED OUT THE BREAK FLUID. TRUCK WAS SAFELY STOPPED AND IS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE TRUCK APPEARS TO HAVE AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE BRAKE LINES BRAKE COMPONENTS FRAME AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS FOR THE AGE OF TRUCK. FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED 3 TIMES DUE TO RUST ALSO. BODY OF THE TRUCK HAS NO RUST OR DAMAGE TO IT. *TR

ON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE MOMENTS AFTER HAVING DRIVEN IT WITHOUT ISSUE, THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT SPONGY, AND WITH MORE PRESSURE, SUNK TO THE FLOOR. FLUID WAS FOUND TO BE RUNNING OFF OF THE TRUCK FRAME UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR. NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AT THE TIME. LATER, APPARENTLY WHEN THE FLUID HAD DRAINED DOWN ENOUGH, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. ON INSPECTION, ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE FOUND TO BE VERY BADLY DECAYED JUST FORWARD OF THE ABS UNIT, WITH ONE HAVING FAILED. THIS IS NOT AN OFF-ROAD TRUCK. IT HAS HAD CONSERVATIVE ROAD USE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT TOWING MY 8000 POUND TRAILER AT THE TIME. I RECENTLY SOLD A 1972 CHEVROLET WHICH HAD NEVER REQUIRED ANY BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENTS. WHY ARE THESE RELATIVELY NEW TRUCKS BRAKES ALL FAILING? *TR

I HAD JUST GOTTEN MY FUEL PUMP REPLACED AT A LOCAL GARAGE, WAS DRIVING IT HOME AND FOUND THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARDS. I PULLED OVER AT THE FIRST SAFE PLACE, FOUND A FLUID JUST GUSHING OUT AROUND GAS TANK AREA ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. IT HAD JUST RAINED FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST WATER. I DROVE A LITTLE FURTHER, THEN DECIDED TO DRIVE IT BACK TO THE GARAGE, ONLY ABOUT A MILE AWAY, AFTER SMELLING BRAKE FLUID AND VERIFYING THE MY RESERVOIR WAS SERIOUSLY LOW. MORE DRIPPING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, THIS TIME I'M SICK TO CONFIRM IT IS BRAKE FLUID. TOOK IT BACK TO THE GARAGE, HE SAID HE'D LOOK AT IT TOMORROW, BUT I SAID I'D DRIVE IT HOME ALL OF 2 MILES DOWN THE STREET. GOT HOME NO ISSUES, CAUSE I USED THE E-BRAKE, AND FOUND THE RESERVOIR NEARLY DRAINED. NOTHING AROUND THE WHEELS; THIS WAS THE ONLY LEAK. NOW I'M THINKING THE BRAKE LINES MUST HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY RUSTED (AGAIN!) AND GOTTEN DISTURBED WHEN THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. I HAD THIS HAPPEN SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. I PAID GOOD MONEY BACK THEN TO HAVE THE 'STAINLESS STEEL' BRAKE LINES TO THE ABS HEAD REPLACED BACK THEN. WHY ARE THEY RUSTED THROUGH AGAIN!?!?! HAD NO IDEA THEY RAN UP BY THE TOP OF THE TANK, BUT HEY, WHY NOT? I'M CERTAIN THE LINE HAVE RUSTED OUT AGAIN - WHY?!?!? THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STAINLESS STEEL; SINCE WHEN DOES STAINLESS EVER RUST? I HAUL A 12,000LB FIFTH WHEEL; THANK GOD I WASN'T HAULING AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED (AGAIN!) AND KILLED MYSELF AND MY ENTIRE FAMILY IN AN AUTO CRASH. JUST SICK OF IT; TAKE CARE OF YOUR BAD ENGINEERING CHEVY! *TR

REPEAT OCCURRENCE ON 6/22/2013. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS IN APPROXIMATELY AUGUST OF 2010. BRAKE LINES SEVERELY RUSTED. HAVE KEPT UNDER WATCH, HOWEVER THE RATE OF RUST SEEMS TO INCREASE. WITH THIS LAST INCIDENT, ALL BRAKE LINES WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED, COSTING WELL OVER $1000. VERIFIED WITH 3 LOCALS GARAGES THAT THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR AND AROUND THIS YEAR OF CHEVROLET TRUCKS. THEY HAVE ALL HAD TO DO REPAIR DUE TO VERY POOR QUALITY MATERIALS USED FOR THE BRAKE LINES. THIS TRUCK IS PRIMARILY USED TO PULL A HORSE TRAILER. I FEEL WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE ISSUE DID NOT OCCUR WHILE TOWING. GM SHOULD FEEL VERY LUCK. IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT WHILE TOWING THE HORSE TRAILER, GM WOULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR LAWSUIT ON THEIR HANDS. AS IT IS, TIME FOR THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND INITIATE THE RECALL. *TR

BRAKES FAILED SUDDENLY. WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE WERE ONLY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH. BRAKE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AND STILL DOES NOT SHOW A PROBLEM. RUSTED BRAKE LINE RUPTURED AND BRAKE FLUID COMES OUT WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I JUST SOLD A TOYOTA 1995 4WD THAT HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO THE SAME ENVIRONMENT AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE RUST COMPARED TO THE CHEVROLET. IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THAT ALL THE LINES SHOULD BE REPLACED. I HAVE NOT YET HAD IT REPAIRED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSE A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. WE ARE NOT DRIVING UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED. *TR

VEHICLE WAS TOWING TRAILER IN HAYFIELD AND BRAKES WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE LOW AND IN 1ST GEAR. MY HUSBAND GOT IT BACK TO THE BARN WHICH WAS ABOUT 1/4 MILE AWAY AND THEN IT HAD TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON AND OUR BRAKES WERE NOT OLD. WE FOUND A LEAK IN OUR MAIN BRAKE LINE AND MY HUSBAND PINCHED THE LINE OFF SO WE WOULD HAVE SOME FRONT BRAKE SO WE COULD GET THE TRUCK HOME SO WE COULD WORK ON IT. HE REMOVED THE LINE AND IT WAS SO BADLY RUSTED, THAT IT HAD GOTTEN 3 MAJOR HOLES IN THE LINE AND WE DID HAVE MAJOR BRAKE FAILURE. THE LINE IS WAS VERY RUSTY IN SEVERAL PLACES, BUT THE WORST IS WHERE THE CAB AND BED COME TOGETHER. UPON RESEARCHING WE HAVE FOUND THAT THIS MODEL HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LINE RUSTING AND CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE. WE REGULARLY HAUL HORSES TO HORSE SHOWS AND HAUL OTHER HEAVY LOADS ON THE ROAD. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED HAD WE BEEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENED. WE BOUGHT OUR TRUCK NEW AND MAINTAIN IT WELL. WE HAVE NEVER HAD LINES RUST ON ANYTHING LIKE THIS AND NEVER HAD COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR, BUT IT IS SERIOUS. WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS, EMISSIONS ARE LOW AND I FEEL THAT BRAKE LINES SHOULD BE MADE OUT OF A MATERIAL THAT WILL NOT RUST OUT AND CAUSE A MAJOR FAILURE. THIS HAPPENED SO FAST - WE HAD BRAKE AND THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE BRAKE. I THANK GOD THAT WE WERE IN THE HAYFIELD. WE HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AND WE ALSO TALKED TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT SAID HE HAD A LOT OF THESE COME INTO HIS SHOP ALSO. WE JUST WANT THIS MADE KNOWN AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL, BUT ALSO A WAKE UP CALL TO USE BETTER MATERIALS. *TR

BRAKE LINES RUSTED OUT A HOLE THERE ARE 4 LINES GROUPED ON THE FRAME AT 67000 MILES 2 LINES RUSTED OUT AND AT 131,000 MILES 2 MORE RUSTED OUT BOTH TIMES . COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES PUSHES FLUID OUT USED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP 2 TIME ALMOST REARENDED A CAR SWERVED RIGHT TO AVOID COLLISION.HAVE 2004 HD 2500 WITH SAME CONDITION S AT 48000 MILES. CHEVROLET NEEDS TO MAKE THIS RIGHT TO PEOPLE . *TR

WHILE TRAILERING MY BOAT ON I29, 2002 2500 HD, DRIVER FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO FENDER, DOOR, BUMPER, BUMPER COVER, BUMPER VALANCE, DRIVING LIGHT, AND FENDER FLARE. TIRE DID STAY INFLATED. I TOOK PICTURES. TIRE FIRESTONE STEELTEX A-T. *TR