2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 Complaints

2002 GMC SIERRA THE GALVANIZED STEEL SUPPORT CABLES THAT RETAIN THE TAILGATE IN THE OPEN POSITION CORRODE THROUGH AND BREAK WHERE CARGO OR PEOPLE ON THE TAILGATE MAY FALL. CARGO FALLING OF THE TAILGATE VERY NEARLY STRUCK A NEARBY PERSON AND INJURY WAS LUCKILY AVOIDED. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE ON THE VEHICLE, THE FIRST TIME GMC REPLACED THE CABLES UNDER WARRANTY AND SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS A RANDOM FAILURE. MOST RECENTLY THEY HAVE REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. GMC WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS AND REFUSED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT MAKES CLUNKING NOISE. FIRST REPAIRED ON 11-13-03. HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOUR OTHER TIMES. IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP BEING FIXED AGAIN ON 8-11-06. EACH TIME IT HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR, THE STEERING SHAFT HAS BEEN LUBRICATED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS OVERHEATED AND SCORCHED THE REMAINING LIGHT BULB SOCKETS WITHOUT WARNING. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY THE DEALER, THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO REPLACE THE LIGHT BULBS AS THIS PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.

2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 P/U W/4.3 LT. V-6, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE A/C CONDENSATION LINE COVERED THREE TIMES WITH THE FOAM INSULATION FROM MY DEALER. THEY ALSO HAVE TO CLEAN THE CORROSION FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR, REMOVE THE SCREEN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DISTRIBUTOR, CLEAN THE SPARK PLUGS AND REPLACE THE CAP AND ROTOR ON EACH OCCASION. MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AGAIN TO HAVE THE DISTRIBUTOR REPLACED. THIS IS AT A COST OF AROUND $680.00 TO REPLACE THE DISTRIBUTOR , NEW PLUGS DUE TO FOULING AND WIRES. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH GENERAL MOTORS AND TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING THE TEMPORARY FIX (BAND-AID). THE AIR CONDITION CONDENSATION LINE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE DISTRIBUTOR AND THEY REFUSE TO MOVE IT. IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY APPARENT THEIR REPAIR IS NOT A FIX BUT A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO GET YOU OUT OF WARRANTY. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL SENT TO ME BUT DOES NOT SHOW IN YOUR LISTINGS FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS, YOUR VEHICLE USUALLY GIVES NO SIGNS BEFORE LEAVING YOU STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. MY QUESTION IS WHY THE DEALER GETS AWAY WITH A TEMPORARY FIX AND NOT A RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM ? I BELIEVE THE AIR CONDITION CONDENSER LINE SHOULD BE RELOCATED AWAY FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR ALTOGETHER. GMC IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND RECTIFIED THE RE-ENGINEERING OF THE A/C LINE ROUTE IN THE 2003 MODELS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED, THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED THE ROTOR HAD A 1" WIDE AND 3" LONG GAUGE IN THE METAL ABOUT "DEEP. THE CONTACT DETERMINED THIS WAS DUE TO POROSITY. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THE ROTORS.

THE 2002 WAS IN NEED OF FRONT HUBS SINCE THEY WERE NOT REPLACED WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE TIME THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WAS REBUILT. THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK TO HAVE EXCESSIVE FRONT WHEEL FRICTION, AND COMPROMISED THE BRAKING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRUCK. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE, ESPECIALLY IN SNOW, AND THE FRONT WHEEL FRICTION WOULD VARY BASED ON CHANGES IN SPEED, ROAD CONTOUR, TEMPERATURE, STEERING INPUT, THROTTLE INPUT, AND BRAKE INPUT. WHILE BRAKING THE TRUCK WOULD OFTEN PITCH SEVERELY TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, THE ABS WOULD ACTIVATE ON DRY PAVEMENT. ON ONE OCCASION THE ABS ACTIVATED WHEN MY FOOT WAS OFF THE BRAKE. THE TRUCK WOULD ALSO SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE AT HIGHWAY SPEED AS THE FRICTION VARIED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WHEN THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED TO ME ONCE FROM CULLIGAN GMC, THE POWER STEERING EFFORT HAD INCREASED GREATLY. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REAR LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL HAD BEEN CHANGED. THE TRUCK WAS BACK TO THE DEALER, DAVID CADILLAC, MANY TIMES FOR THE SAME CONCERN WITH THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. ON ONE OCCASION THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED TO ME GUSHING GEAR LUBE FROM THE FRONT AXLE, ON ANOTHER IT WAS RETURNED TO ME WITH THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL EMPTY. I WAS CHARGED FOR A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT WHEN ONLY 2 WHEELS CAN BE ALIGNED ON THIS TRUCK. THE WRONG OIL FILTER WAS INSTALLED, THE TRUCK WAS DRIVEN ABUSIVELY BY A DEALER EMPLOYEE (IT WAS RUN BEYOND MECHANICAL LIMITS WHILE COLD AS I STOOD IN THE PARKING LOT), AND WHEN I CALLED THE SERVICE ADVISER AFTER THE TRUCK HAD BEEN IN HIS SHOP FOR OVER A WEEK WITHOUT MY HEARING WHAT IT'S STATUS WAS, THE SERVICE PERSON SCREAMED AT ME ON THE PHONE "WHEN IT IS FINISHED I WILL CALL YOU!!!", AND HE SLAMMED THE PHONE DOWN. *NM

I SAT ON MY TAIL GATE AND THE TAIL GATE FELL DOWN. WHEN I LOOKED I HAD ONE BROKE CABLE AND THE OTHER SIDE THE BOLT WAS MISSING. I BOUGHT TWO CABLES FROM ADVANCE AUTO REPLACED ONE SIDE BUT I COULD NOT GET THE BOLT BACK IN THE OTHER SIDE. I WAS PLANNING TO TAKE THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND FOR THE RECALL BUT THE GATE FELL OFF THE TRUCK AND I DID NOT KNOW IT HAD FELL OFF AND I DRAGGED IT DOWN A DIRT ROAD FOR ABOUT HALF MILE OR MORE. I TRIED TO GET GMC TO REPLACE THE TAIL GATE BUT THEY JUST WANTED TO REPLACE THE CABLE SAYING THAT THE CABLE DID NOT CAUSE THE TAIL GATE TO FALL OFF AND THE DAMAGE WAS NOT DUE TO THE CABLES. I FEEL THAT THE CABLE PROBLEM CAUSED THE TAIL GATE TO FALL OFF. *JB

ON DEC 8, 2003 I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX. 45 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY TRANSMISSION SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR AND THEN AFTER A FEW SECOUNDS IT SHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR, ALL ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS A CAR TRAVELING BEHIND THAT ALMOST HIT ME FROM BEHIND. I PULLED OVER AND PUT MY TRUCK IN PARK. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK TO SEE IF ANY THING HAD COME APART. I DID NOT SEE ANY FLUID LEAK OR ANY LOOSE PARTS. I DROVE MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP IN LOW GEAR. THEY TOOK MY TRUCK IN FOR REPAIRS (38,127 MILES). I WAS 2,127 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED AND IT COST $1,057.19. TODAY 3/30/05 ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK THE TRANSMISSION DOES THE SAME THING. I ONLY HAVE LOW GEAR AND NO REVERSE. THIS TIME I WAS LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME WHEN IT HAPPENED. *AK

REAR BRAKE FULID AND EMERGENCY LINE IS EXPOSED AND EASILY DAMAGED BY ROAD DEBRIS AND/OR RUBBLE. 2WD C1500 TRUCKS HAVE BRAKE LINES AND CABLES DROOPING DOWN BEYOND BELOW REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS AND ARE EASILY SNAGGED BY ROAD TRASH.*JB CAUSING LOSS OF FULID AND BRAKING ABILITY.