2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500 Complaints

I AM WRITING CONCERNING RECEIVER HITCH FAILURE ON MY 2006 CHEVY 2500 DURAMAX DIESEL. I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS HITCHES INTEGRITY SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE DESIGN. MY WORRIES HAVE COME TO FRUITION WITH A NEAR TOTAL FAILURE OF THE OEM HITCH. I INSPECT THIS HITCH BEFORE EVERY TOW AND LUCKILY NOTICED IT BENDING. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO OWNS AN IDENTICAL TRUCK WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I HAVE NEVER EXCEEDED THE TOW RATING ON THIS HITCH AND HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A SITUATION THAT CAUSED UNDUE STRESS. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THIS HITCH DESIGN. GM RELIES ON TWO BOLTS RUNNING THROUGH THE BUMPER FOR HORIZONTAL STRENGTH ON THIS HITCH. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE BUMPER BRACKETS ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR HORIZONTAL STRENGTH AND SLIP APPROX A HALF INCH. THIS BEGINS THE FAILURE OF THE HITCH AS THE 2" ROUND TUBE TURNS IN THE RECEIVER BRACKETS DUE TO THEM BEING WELDED ON ONLY ON SIDE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE GOES INTO SAFETY MODE. THE VEHICLE DROPS TO 20 MPH WITHOUT WARNING AND CANNOT GO ANY FASTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER OVER SIXTEEN TIMES AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL FILTER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, IN ADDITION TO THE TYPE OF FUEL THAT WAS BEING USED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN USING THE SAME GAS AND GRADE SINCE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO PLACED DIFFERENT ADDITIVES INTO THE TANK TO STOP THE FAILURE, BUT IT STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,700.

VALVE STEM (INFLATION VALVE) RUPTURED AND CAUSED TIRE TO DEFLATE. THIS WAS THE SECOND VALVE STEM TO RUPTURE ON THIS TRUCK. THE VALVE STEM IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THE VALVE STEM FROM THE FIRST INCIDENT IS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43,395. UPDATED 01-30-08. *KB UPDATED 01/30/08 *TR

"SERVICE 4WD" ERROR CODE SHOWS UP ON DASH DISPLAY WHEN DRIVING THROUGH MUD AND WATER PUDDLES, THE VEHICLE ENTERS 4WD BEFORE ENTERING THE MUD/WATER BUT GOES BACK TO 2WD AFTER BEING IN THE MUD/WATER FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, ALSO THE 4WD PUSH BUTTON LIGHT FLASHES WHEN CODE IS SHOWING. AFTER LETTING THE VEHICLE DRY OUT, THE "SERVICE 4WD" ERROR MESSAGE DOES NOT APPEAR. I NEED THE 4WD ALL THE TIME IN THE MUD, NOT WHEN IT FEELS LIKE WORKING.

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500'S REAR AXLE WAS CAUSING EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THIS VEHICLE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH OR MORE THE VEHICLE VIBRATED, AND WHEN THE SPEED WAS 60-65 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE, AND VIBRATION CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL ONLY VIBRATION FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE GM MANUFACTURER AND WAS GIVEN A CASE # 71-464-592-078. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 21000 MILES.*AK UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

POWER STEERING & BRAKES FAILED. STARTED TRUCK IN MORNING, PUT IN REVERSE AND COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE NOR STEER. PLACED IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CHEV. DEALER, THEY CHECKED AND STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG. BRAKES AND STEERING WORKED AFTER CAR WAS WARMED UP FOR 30 MINUTES. THIS HAPPENED IN YUMA ARIZONA AREA, AND OUTSIDE TEMP AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 40'S. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SUNROOF HAS A SCREEN RATHER THAN A SHADE TO FILTER THE SUN SHINING THROUGH. THIS HAS CAUSED A VISIBILITY PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING. THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THERE IS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE FOR THE SUNROOF.

VALVE STEM ON TIRE BROKE, IMMEDIATE LOSS OF AIR, IT WAS AN INSIDE DUALLY TIRE WHICH SAVED ME FROM GETTING IN A WRECK. IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FRONT TIRE I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL, AT THE TIME I WAS GOING 50 MPH. COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. *JB

DT:THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 TO 75 MPH THE REAR WINDOW WAS DOWN AND THERE WAS A ROARING NOISE. THIS NOISE WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO HURT THE CONSUMER EARS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED ,AND THEY STATED THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND THE REAR WINDOW WAS DOWN.*AK THERE WAS ALSO A VIBRATION INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 01/04/06. *JB