2001 CHEVROLET TAHOE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 105,000. UPDATED 08/27/13*LJ

OPERATING ON THE REAR ACCESS ROAD TO A MALL AND NOTICED BRAKE PEDAL ALMOST WENT TO THE FLOOR AND IT TOOK A STRONG EFFORT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. TRIED PUMPING BRAKES TO SEE IF PEDAL WOULD RISE, IT DID NOT. CHECKED BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND IT WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN. LOOKED UNDER TRUCK AND NO LEAK AT ALL FOUR WHEELS OR ON INSIDE MASTER CYLINDER COWL. DROVE SLOWLY TO NEARBY MECHANIC AND THIS TIME NOTICED DRIPPING UNDER DRIVER SIDE FLOOR. MECHANIC SAID I NEEDED BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT AND AM AWAITING REPAIR. VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED, ALWAYS PARKED ON PAVED DRIVEWAY, AND WAXED ALONG WITH UNDERCARRAIGE CAR WASHES DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. PURCHASED USED FROM CHEVY DEALER AND FOUND LEFT REAR BACKING PLATE HAD ALMOST ROTTED OFF EXPOSING REAR AXLE SEALS WHICH DEALER REPLACED WITHIN WEEK OF MY PURCHASE. *TR

2001 CHEVY TAHOE; REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS DOES NOT RETRACT, THE SEAT BELT HAS TO BE MANUAL ADJUSTED WITH A SCREW DRIVER AND DOING SO CRACKED THE PANEL. WAS ONLY ONE SIDE BUT OVER THE YEARS NOW IT IS BOTH SIDE. ONE SIDE JUST WILL NOT RETRACT AT ALL ANYMORE. I HAVE READ COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST US BUT IT MUST BE A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. DO NOT LIKE THAT THEY DO NOT RETRACTING IF WE GET IN AN ACCIDENT AND DOES NOT PROTECT OUR SON! THANKS *TR

REAR WINDOW HINGE IS CRACKED, COULD NOT CLOSE WINDOW SO WE TO TAKE THE PISTON OFF. EVEN WITH THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. READ OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND ALSO MENTIONED THE WINDOW FALLING OFF. TRUCK IS GARAGE KEPT AND NOT EXPOSE TO TOO MUCH WEATHER. THINK THIS COULD BE MANUFACTURE PROBLEM AND NOT THE CONSUMERS. THANKS *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING ON I-95 INTO BALTIMORE WHEN HE HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE 2001 TAHOE IMMEDIATELY LOST BRAKING POWER. HE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER ONTO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM BUT THE BRAKES WERE NO LONGER OPERATING PROPERLY. THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY RESISTANCE IN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND MINIMAL STOPPING POWER. `HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING GARAGE BY DRIVING SLOWLY AND IN LOW GEAR. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND EXAMINED IT AND DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY AND THAT IT HAD LEAKED OUT OF A CORRODED AND BROKEN BRAKE LINE AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE CHASSIS. ALL OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING OF ANY IMPENDING BRAKE LINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGISTERED IN MARYLAND SINCE PURCHASED NEW AND THERE IS RELATIVELY LITTLE SNOW THAT FALLS IN THE WINTER AND AS A RESULT THERE IS ALMOST NO OTHER CORROSION ON THIS VEHICLE SO SEEING THE BRAKE LINES CORRODED LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT AN INFERIOR GRADE OF STEEL WAS USED ON THIS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE THE BRAKE LINE IN THE AREA OF THE FAILURE IS LOCATED ABOVE THE FRAME AND IS NOT VISIBLE FROM BELOW AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE INSPECTED FOR CORROSION. WHEN THE OIL IS CHANGED AND WHEN THE BRAKES ARE REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES ARE CHECKED BUT IN THE AREA OF THE FAILURE AS STATED THEY CANNOT BE INSPECTED. I BELIEVE GM SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE OF METAL BRAKE LINE AND BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE THEM WITH A BETTER GRADE OF STAINLESS STEEL AS IT IS REASONABLY FORESEEABLE THAT FATALITIES WILL BE THE LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THESE INCIDENTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A FOUR LANE DIVIDED ROADWAY AT 40 MPH, I NOTICED THAT THE TRUCK DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND APPEARED TO BE LOSING SPEED. I WAS LESS THAN 1 MILE FROM MY HOME AND DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND RETURN. I HAD 6 CHILDREN AGES 4-20 IN THE CAR TRAVELING TO A THANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL GAME. WHEN I CAME TO THE NEXT LIGHT ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM WHEN I NOTICED THE PROBLEM AND BEGAN TO TURN, THE CAR STALLED AND I LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, BUT WAS NOW PERPENDICULAR TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD. I ASKED THE THREE OLDEST CHILDREN TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN THE ACTIVE ROADWAY AND PUSH THE TRUCK SLIGHTLY UPHILL TO THE SIDE OF THE RIGHT MOST LANE TO CLEAR THE INTERSECTION. I THEN HAD TO TOW THE CAR BACK TO THE HOUSE. I FOUND THAT THE FUEL PUMP FUSE HAD BLOWN AND REPLACED IT. DESPITE THIS THE CAR WAS STILL HARD TO START. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS REFERENCES TO THIS VEHICLE BLOWING FUSES, IN ALL CASES REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL PUMP. I NOTED IN ONE COMPLAINT THAT THERE WAS AN NHTSA CAMPAIGN (05V155000) RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM ON THE SAME MODEL YEAR CHEVROLET SUBURBAN THAT RESULTED IN A RECALL. I AM CONCERNED THAT A RECALL FOR ANOTHER NEARLY IDENTICALLY CONSTRUCTED VEHICLE AFFECTING THE SAME COMPONENT INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT WARRANT NOTICE TO ME THAT I COULD SUFFER THE SAME FAILURE PLACING OCCUPANTS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD I BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS OCCURRENCE THAT COULD RESULT IN MY VEHICLE AND ITS OCCUPANTS BEING STRANDED IN AN ACTIVE ROADWAY, I WOULD HAVE INITIATED PREVENTATIVE REPAIRS. THIS CAMPAIGN, OR AT A MINIMUM AN ADVISORY NOTICE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE TO OWNERS OF ALL VEHICLE EMPLOYING THE SAME FAULTY COMPONENT. *TR

MISFIRING, EXHAUST LEAKING BECAUSE OF COMMON PROBLEM (EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKEN) MANY HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE V8 ENGINES. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. HELP! *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 CHEVY TAHOE AT MODERATE SPEED WHEN THE ABS AND PARKING INDICATOR LIGHT COME ON. IN ADDITION THERE WAS PULSING WHICH I BELIEVE IS FROM THE ABS SYSTEM WHEN I TRIED SLOWING DOWN FROM 25 MPH. I DID RESEARCH ON TSB AND DID FIND THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS KIND OF PROBLEM AFFECTING GM SUV FROM 2000-2006 REGARDING SPEED SENSOR AND CORROSION OF BRAKE LINES . I INFORMED THE CHEVY DEALER OF THIS TSB AND THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE AND WANTED ME TO PAY IN EXCESS OF $1200 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THE DEALER REPRESENTING GM IS NOT ACTING IN GOOD FAITH. AS I TOLD THEM THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING UNREASONABLE CONSIDERING THE ASSISTANCE FROM TAX PAYER. I APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE. REGARDS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD DOING ONLY 25 MILES A HOUR AND HAD MY KIDS IN THE CAR I WENT TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN HAD IT LOOKED AT THEY SAID ALL BRAKE LINES ROTTED. WITH A TRUCK THAT ONLY HAS 50,000 ON IT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. MY HUSBAND KEEPS MY TRUCK MINT IF HAD TO RATE IT ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10 I WOULD SAY IT IS A 9.5 LOOKS BRAN NEW. *TR

I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON RT 67 IN SOUTHBURY CT. WHEN A DEER CROSSED THE STREET IN FRONT OF ME. I APPLIED THE BRAKES FIRMLY AND AT FIRST THEY FELT FINE, THEN THEY JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR. FORTUNATELY THE CAR SLOWED FROM THE FIRST APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES SINCE I NO BRAKES AFTER THAT POINT. USING THE E-BRAKE I INCHED MY WAY TO A SAFE SPOT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT A REPAIR SHOP AND I AM WAITING FOR AN ESTIMATE. THIS INCIDENT APPEARS TO MATCH MANY OTHERS RELATED TO EA11001. AS YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. FORTUNATELY IN MY CASE, THE DEER JUMPED OUT AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. IF THE DEER DID NOT JUMP OUT AND THE BRAKES FAILED LATER IN MY TRIP I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON A HILL OR AT A BUSY INTERSECTION WHERE INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CERTAINTY. I FIND IT REMARKABLE THAT EA11001 IS TAKING SO LONG TO RESOLVE GIVEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS ISSUE. PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH ANY UPDATED INFORMATION. THANK YOU. *TR