2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

DURING A SCHEDULED MAINT./REPAIR VISIT AT A MAJOR CHEVY DEALERSHIP, THEY ADVISED THE SHOCK ABSORBERS COULDN'T BE REPLACED; THE UPPER MOUNTS FOR BOTH REAR SHOCKS WERE GONE. THE DEALER SUGGESTED I TAKE THE TRUCK TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP FOR THE NEEDED RESTORATION WORK, THEN RETURN. I LATER INSPECTED THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF MY TRUCK AND FOUND EXTENSIVE ROT AND RUST ON MAJOR FRAME STRUCTURES. BOTH UPPER SHOCK MOUNTS APPEAR TO HAVE ROTTED AWAY. BOTH FRAME SPREADER TUBES, TO WHICH THE UPPER SHOCK MOUNTS AND THE REAR FUEL TANK SUPPORT STRAP ARE ATTACHED, HAVE LOST MOST OF THEIR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. I ALSO NOTED MOST MAIN FASTENER BOLTS APPEAR TO HAVE LOST THEIR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY,DUE TO ROT AND RUST. IN DECEMBER OF 2009, I REPLACED THE FUEL STRAPS. ONE BRAKE LINE FAILED (ROTTED OPEN), CAUSING BRAKE LOSS, AS I WAS DEPARTING THE SERVICE VISIT. ALL THE BRAKE LINES HAD DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT REPLACEMENT WAS NECESSARY. IN JULY OF 2011, I HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR ROTTED OUT BUMPER. I AM NOW SEEING ROT AND RUST BREAKING THROUGH THE FRONT BUMPER OF MY TRUCK. IN LIGHT OF THE MAJOR RUST AND STRUCTURAL FAILURES I HAVE EXPERIENCED RECENTLY, I STARTED RESEARCHING NHTSA'S DATA BASE TO SEE IF OTHERS WERE EXPERIENCING THESE ISSUES WITH THEIR SILVERADO, OR IF THIS WAS AN ANOMALY. I WAS QUITE STARTLED TO FIND NUMEROUS REPORTS BEING CITED FOR IDENTICAL PROBLEMS AND FAILURES FOR THIS VEHICLE. TWO ISSUES CONCERN ME: FIRST, MAJOR RUST & ROT HAS BEEN REPORTED ON THIS MODEL AND LATER ONES FOR OVER A PERIOD OF 10-13 YEARS. SECOND, DO, OR SHOULD SERVICE SHOPS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ADVISE WHEN SIGNS OF MAJOR DETERIORATION OCCUR, SO WE CAN MAKE REPAIR/INVESTMENT CHOICES? I'VE OWNED SEVERAL TRUCKS, KEEP THEM FOR 8-10 YEARS, THEN REPLACE THEM. I'VE SEEN SURFACE RUST OVER THE YEARS, BUT NOT THIS KIND OF FRAME/UNDERCARRIAGE DETERIORATION OVER A RELATIVELY SHORT TRUCK LIFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE REDUCED SPEED ONLY SLIGHTLY. THE CONTACT THEN APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT THE SHIFT LEVER BECAME FRACTURED AND EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN ENGAGED. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT BOTH OF THE BRAKE LINES AND CABLES WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO WARNING AND PUMPING THE BRAKES DID VERY LITTLE TO ASSIST. WENT THROUGH A STOP SIGN SINCE THIS WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF A LOWER GRADE, AND WAS ABLE TO NURSE IT TO A LARGE PARKING LOT. INSPECTED THE CAUSE AND SEEN THE CORRODED BRAKE LINES AND COULD NOT TELL WHICH OF THE 5 LINES WERE THE CAUSE. *TR

THE FUEL LINE SUPPLYING THE ENGINE FUEL RAIL RUPTURED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION IT IS IN AND FUEL WAS SPRAYING OUT UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK,. DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE DEFECTIVE FUEL LINE IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT REPAIR, DUE TO HAVING TO REMOVE THE BED/CAB FOR REPLACEMENT AND ACCESS TO IT. THE FUEL AND BRAKE LINES ARE IMPROPERLY ROUTED FROM THE FACTORY, CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION AND SALT DAMAGE. IN MY OPINION, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND THIS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM RECTIFIED. THE BRAKE LINES ON THIS SAME TRUCK FAILED FROM CORROSION TWO YEARS AGO. SAME SCENARIO, IMPROPER ROUTING CAUSING EXCESSIVE AND PREMATURE FAILURE FROM RUST AND CORROSION DUE TO THE LOCATION THEY ARE IN. *TR

I HAD THE OIL CHANGED ON MY 2000 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 2 WHEEL-DRIVE PICK-UP TRUCK BY A LOCAL SHOP AND WHEN I STARTED THE TRUCK AFTER THE OIL CHANGE AND PUT THE TRUCK INTO DRIVE IN THE SHOP PARKING LOT, I NOTICED THAT I HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR. PRIOR TO THIS, I NEVER HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKES PREVIOUSLY WERE STRONG AND REQUIRED A SLIGHT PUSH. I DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE AND FOUND THAT STOPPING REQUIRED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BE PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE SAME SHOP AND ASKED THE SHOP TO TAKE A LOOK. THE SHOP FOUND THAT ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES WAS LEAKING FLUID (UNDER DRIVER SIDE) AND EXPLAINED THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES LOOKED RUSTED. THIS TRUCK PRIMARILY WAS USED BY A HIGHWAY DEPT OUTSIDE OF BUFFALO, NY (ROAD SALT/RUST BELT GEOGRAPHIC AREA) - THE EXPOSURE TO AMOUNTS OF ROAD SALT/ICE-MELTING CHEMICALS MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN TOWED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK ABOUT THE REPAIR OPTIONS. IF THE NHTSA WOULD LIKE ANY EVIDENCE (SUCH AS PHOTOGRAPHS OR THE ACTUAL RUSTED BRAKE LINES), PLEASE LET ME KNOW. *TR

DURING THE ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION THE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE NEXT INSPECTION DUE TO RUST ($1200), AND THE REAR BRAKE BACKING PLATES WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO RUST. THE REAR BRAKE BACKING PLATES WERE ALREADY REPLACED ONCE DUE TO RUST-THROUGH. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN ROUTINELY MAINTAINED AND COMMERCIALLY WASHED THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE, DRIVEN ON A DAILY BASIS UP (UNTIL THE LAST 5 MONTHS) ONLY IN EASTERN PA, DE, MD AREA (NO SNOW BELT TRAVEL). IN MY 40 YEARS OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED OR EVEN HEARD OF BRAKE BACKING PLATES RUSTING THROUGH DURING THE LIFE OF A 12 YEAR OLD VEHICLE (LET ALONE TWICE) AND, HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED (OR HEARD OF) ALL BRAKE LINES ON A VEHICLE RUSTING THROUGH TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR OR DETERIORATION. IT IS MOST DEFINITELY A VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE TO HAVE CRITICAL SAFETY (BRAKE) COMPONENTS RUSTING THROUGH AT A HIGHLY ACCELERATED RATE FOR NO APPARENT REASON TO THE DRIVER/OWNER. *TR

WAS TOWING A TRAILER. (LIGHT LOAD) GOING APPROX 35MPH STOP LIGHT TURNED YELLOW, WITH PLENTY OF TIME FOR ME TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY LET LOSS. I THEN HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RUN THE YELLOW/RED LIGHT. LUCKILY IT DID NOT TURN OUR WORSE. BUT I THEN HAD TO MAKE MY WAY TO A PARKING LOT WITH NO BRAKES. MY TRUCK IS MANUAL SO THAT HELPED MAKE THING A LITTLE EASIER. I THEN LOOKED AND FOUND OUT THE ONE OF MY BRAKE LINES HAD BUSTED FROM CORROSION. I HAVE NOT YET REPLACED THE LINES. PLAN TO DO SO SOON. *TR

BACKING UP TRUCK, MOVED IT FORWARD AND THE BRAKES WENT, COULDN'T STOP THE TRUCK. I WAS MOVING FORWARD AFTER HAVING IT ON REVERSE, SO THE SPEED WAS SLOW (5MPH). NOTICED THERE WAS A PUDDLE ON THE GROUND OF BRAKE FLUID, AND TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE, THERE WAS A LOT OF RUST AND CORROSION THAT CAME FROM UNDERNEATH. I WAS ON VACATION WHEN THIS HAPPENED, CALLED AAA FOR A TOW ON THE DATE LISTED. REPLACED BRAKE LINES, MASTER CYLINDER, AND NOTICED WHILE REPLACING THE BRAKE LINES, THERE'S MORE CORROSION COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. *TR

I WAS HEADED TO THE STORE WHEN MY TRUCK JUST SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET I TOOK TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE FUEL LINES DUE TO THERE BEING EXCESSIVE CORROSION. ALSO ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT LOW SPEEDS. AND I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. AT 118000 MILES I HAD TO HAVE MY HEATER CORE REPLACED DUE NO HEAT AND ONCE AGAIN AT 121,000 MILES I HAVE LOST HEAT AGAIN. *TR