2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 Complaints

PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR ON EXIT RAMP. NO WARNING. TRUCK WENT OFF ROAD TO AVOID CARS STOPPED AT RAMP END. *TR

I EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH MY TRUCK THAT FLASHES AN ERROR CODE "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". THIS IS TIED TO ERROR CODE P1516. USUALLY THIS PROBLEM OCCURS IN COLDER PARTS OF THE YEAR, AND ON A COLD SOAKED ENGINE, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED OTHER TIMES AS WELL. AS SOON AS THE ERROR OCCURS THE THROTTLE SHUTS AND LEAVES THE VEHICLE WITH ONLY INERTIA TO ATTEMPT TO GET OFF THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ON THE INTERSTATE, AND THOUGH I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET, I DO CONSIDER IT DANGEROUS. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITHOUT A SOLUTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HE APPROACHED A STOP WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE FAILED TO ENGAGE AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO DRIVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INSPECTED AND ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,635 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,599.

WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A LIGHT ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY MY BRAKE LINES BURST IN TWO PLACES FAILED FROM BEING WEAKEN BY RUST....I HAD NO CHANCE TO STOP OR ADVERT THE CAR AND CRASHED INTO AND TOTALED A NEW BUICK.....THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL...THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK NEED REPAIR....GM MADE THE LINES OUT OF STEEL EVEN THOUGHT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND FUEL LINE WERE MADE OUT OF RUST RESISTANT MATERIAL ( GO FIGURE)....I HAVE MY TRUCK SERVICED AT THE LOCAL GM DEALERS AND THEY NEVER MENTIONED THE POTENTIAL HAZARD....WHEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE.....I HAD ALSO BEEN ON THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS YET GM BUT THEY NEVER ADVISE ME OF THIS CONDITION, AND I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER....UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES IT COULD OF BEEN MUCH WORSE...MY INSURANCE WENT UP 1000.00 AND THE AGENT SAID THE BREAK LINES ON HER GM TRUCK HAD JUST BURST AND CRASHED IN A DITCH...PEOPLE ARE DRIVING THEIR CARS LONGER AND THERES GOING TO BE A BAD ACCIDENT...I SEE ON THE NET YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS, YET NO ACTION....YOU COULD AT THE VERY LEAST ADVISE OWNERS OF THE DANGER....I FILED A CLAIM WITH GM FOR HELP IN THIS MATTER AND WAS DENIED BECAUSE I ALREADY HAD THE BRAKE LINED REPAIRED.... *TR

A FIRE IN THE DASH BOARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN OUR BACK YARD DRIVE WAY. DASH BOARD AREA MELTED WHERE THE HEAD UNIT AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER IS LOCATED. BURNED THE HEAD LINER WHERE A COMPARTMENT WAS. THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE INSIDE/OUTWARD. BURNED SPOTS ON THE SEATS FROM THE DASH BOARD BURNING. EVERYTHING IN THE FRONT OF THE CAB IS BLACK. ALL WINDOWS WERE UP AND TRUCK WAS LOCKED. FIRE HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN WE WERE ALL ASLEEP. WE DROVE THE TRUCK ON 2/20/14, WITH NO PROBLEMS. PARKED IT IN THE DRIVE WAY ABOUT 5:30 PM ON 2/20/13. NEXT MORNING SAW THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED, BUT FACING OUTWARD. OPENED THE DOOR AND WAS IN SHOCK. THIS TRUCK IS VARY SPECIAL TO US. IT BELONGED TO OUR SON THAT PAST AWAY 1/10/2013. CAN'T SEEM TO FIND IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS FOR 2003 SIERRA 1500 HD CREW CAB. *TR

DURING MAJOR SNOW FALL AFTER NEW YEAR 2014, UPON ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK, WITH MY WIFE AND ANOTHER PASSENGER, I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AND MY BRAKE PEDAL SUNK TO THE FLOOR, NOTHING, NO BRAKES. I NEARLY DROVE THROUGH GARAGE DOOR. I HAD TO CUT THE WHEEL AND PUNCH THE GAS TO PERFORM A "HALF DOUGHNUT" TO AVOID HITTING MY HOUSE. HAD THERE NOT BEEN SIGNIFIGANT SNOW ON THE GROUND, THIS MANEUVER WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE. THE FOLLOWING DAY WHILE NAVIGATING VEHICLE INTO GARAGE, WE HAD AN INCIDENT , CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO TRUCK & GARAGE. UPON INSPECTION, I DISCOVERED THE STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE EXTREMELY FRAGILE DO TO RUST. 2 LINES FROM PROPORTIONING VALVE TO ABS UNIT, & 2 LINES FROM ABS UNIT TO FRONT WHEELS DETERIORATED UNDER BODY NEAR CHASIS. ONE OF THE LINES FROM PROP VALVE TO ABS FAILED, LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. I WENT TO ABELOFF GMC WHERE I WAS INFORMED ONLY LINES FROM PROP VALVE TO ABS WHERE AVAILABLE. I PURCHASED AND CHANGED THEM. HOWEVER, AS I SUSPECTED THE FRONT LINES WOULD LEAK DUE TO THE FACT THEY WOULD BE DISTURBED WHILE CHANGING PROP V. TO ABS LINES. THEY FAILED BEFORE I GOT THE TRUCK OUT OF THE GARAGE, CAUSING A MINOR ACCIDENT IN GARAGE . I THEN FOUND A COMPANY ONLINE, CLASSIC TUBE, WHICH PROVIDED ME WITH A KIT CONTAINING ALL BRAKE LINES MADE FROM STAINLESS STEEL. SO, NOT ONLY COULD WE HAVE QUITE POSSIBLY BEEN KILLED, BUT I NOW HAVE [2] EXTRA BRAKE LINES THAT COST ME $125.00 THAT I DON'T NEED. GM COULD AT LEAST HAD THE DECENCY TO MAKE ALL THE LINES AVAILEABLE. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNCOMMON. HAD THESE BRAKES FAILED A FEW MINUTES EARLIER, SAY ON RTE 80 W IN PA, IT COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC FOR ME, MY WIFE ,MY PASSENGER, AND ANYONE IN THE WAY! *TR

THE BRAKE LINES RUPTURED AND ALL BREAKING POWER STOPPED. I NEARLY SLID INTO THE INTERSECTING STREET WITH TRAFFIC COMING. THE ROADS WERE ICY/SNOWY, BUT NO STORM WAS OCCURRING ON THIS NIGHT. THE TEMP. OUTSIDE WAS AROUND 0 DEGREES IN NH. I HAD IT REPAIRED AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THE ENTIRE REAR BRAKE LINES WERE EXTREMELY RUSTED OUT AND THE SPOT JUST UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS THE FIRST PART TO RUPTURE. *TR

BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE LINE. AFTER REPLACING THE LINE MYSELF, I PERFORMED A TEST RUN AND YET ANOTHER LINE FAILED DUE TO THE CORROSION PROBLEM. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY GENERAL MOTORS IN CANADA, BUT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE US. I FEEL THAT TEN YEARS AND ONLY 84,000 MILES IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE TIMEFRAME/MILEAGE TO BE EXPERIENCING BRAKE LINE CORROSION FAILURE IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. IN FACT THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE IS CORRODED FAR WORSE THAN MY 2000 HONDA CIVIC WHICH HAS 175,000 MILES ON IT. GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD BE FORCED TO ADDRESS THE CORROSION ISSUES WITH THE SIERRA PICKUP LINE IN THE US. *TR

AFTER STARTING THE TRUCK, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. UPON PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY FOOT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND A LOUD POP/SNAP NOISE WAS HEARD. THE REAR STEEL BRAKE LINE HAD CORRODED AND BURST. AFTER BEING TOWED TO THE MECHANIC AND BEING INSPECTED, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO NOTED THE EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE BRAKE LINES IN FULL SIZE GM VEHICLES FROM THAT TIME PERIOD. THIS IS THE SECOND GM TRUCK I HAVE OWNED THAT A BRAKE LINE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED; EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE WITH MY 1992 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING THE DRIVEWAY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.