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2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 525.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

726 reports with mileage · 79 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 273 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 195 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 151 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

26 crash reports7 fire reports8 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

195 reports
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168,000 miles · Sep 13, 2012
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

I HAVE A 2003 SILVERADO THAT HAS BEEN HAVING ROUGH IDLING ISSUES. THE TRUCK DOESN'T IDLE ROUGH EVERYDAY,BUT WHEN IT DOES THE VOLTAGE FLUXUATES BETWEEN 10-14 VOLTS. BEFORE THIS STARTED HAPPENING IT STAYED AT A STEADY 14 VOLTS. NOW THE VOLTAGE IS DROPPING AND THE RPM'S ARE DROPPING TO AROUND 200-300 RPMS THEN SOME TIMES IT WILL DI…

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I HAVE A 2003 SILVERADO THAT HAS BEEN HAVING ROUGH IDLING ISSUES. THE TRUCK DOESN'T IDLE ROUGH EVERYDAY,BUT WHEN IT DOES THE VOLTAGE FLUXUATES BETWEEN 10-14 VOLTS. BEFORE THIS STARTED HAPPENING IT STAYED AT A STEADY 14 VOLTS. NOW THE VOLTAGE IS DROPPING AND THE RPM'S ARE DROPPING TO AROUND 200-300 RPMS THEN SOME TIMES IT WILL DIE IN MOTION. I HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND HAD THE BATTERY TESTED THEY ARE GOOD. THERE WAS LOW FUEL PRESSURE SO I REPLACED THE PUMP,STILL NOTHING IS HELPING. I FOUND A INTERNET SITE (WWW.TOPIX.COM) THERE IS 15 PAGES OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NOBODY CAN FIND A DEFINITE PROBLEM. THERE IS PEOPLE SPENDING THOUSANDS ON THEIR VEHICLE TO FIX IT AND THE PARTS DON'T ALWAYS HELP. I HAVE NO WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON,SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START ANYMORE. I'M BROKE. I FEEL THAT GM NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING FOR ALL THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS. *TR *JS

NHTSA ODI #10475346

89,000 miles · Apr 26, 2012
Electrical System

I CONTACTED CHEVY CONCERNING MY FAILED INSTRUMENT PANEL AND WHY IT WASN'T UNDER A SAFETY RECALL AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS UNDER A COURTESY WARRANTY RECALL UP TO 7 YRS OR 80,000 MILES, WHICH I HAVE SUCCEEDED WHEN I COULD AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED. CHEVY SAID THAT IT WASN'T UNDER A TOTAL RECALL BECAUSE A SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING IS NOT A…

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I CONTACTED CHEVY CONCERNING MY FAILED INSTRUMENT PANEL AND WHY IT WASN'T UNDER A SAFETY RECALL AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS UNDER A COURTESY WARRANTY RECALL UP TO 7 YRS OR 80,000 MILES, WHICH I HAVE SUCCEEDED WHEN I COULD AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED. CHEVY SAID THAT IT WASN'T UNDER A TOTAL RECALL BECAUSE A SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING IS NOT A FEDERAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS REQUIRED FOR A RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER A RECALL BECAUSE OF SO MANY THAT HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10456537

137,254 miles · Oct 24, 2011
Electrical SystemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE EMITTED FROM UNDER OF THE DASHBOARD INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE WAS ABLE MERGE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DISCONNECT THE WIRING HARNESS, WHICH STOPPED THE FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMEN…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE EMITTED FROM UNDER OF THE DASHBOARD INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE WAS ABLE MERGE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DISCONNECT THE WIRING HARNESS, WHICH STOPPED THE FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CONTACTED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR, BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR, WIRING HARNESS AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,254 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,620.

NHTSA ODI #10432650

Mileage unknown · Jul 30, 2011
Electrical System

2003 SILVERADO 1500 INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL ALL GAUGES WENT OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10416340

54,000 miles · Jul 15, 2011
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BATTERY NO CHARGE LAMP WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE BUT STATED THAT THE JUNCTION BOX FED BY THE POSITIVE BATTERY CALBE WAS MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BATTERY NO CHARGE LAMP WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE BUT STATED THAT THE JUNCTION BOX FED BY THE POSITIVE BATTERY CALBE WAS MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF UPDATED 10/31/11

NHTSA ODI #10413075

22,889 miles · Jul 1, 2011
Electrical SystemExterior LightingSteering

STEERING CLUNKS ON TURNS. DEALER REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT UNDER WARRANTY PER TSB. PROBLEM RESURFACED ON 09/29/2006 AT 44,045 MILES. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY . PROBLEM SHOWED UP AGAIN ON 06/17/2007 AT 54, 451 MILES. DEALER WANTED $280 FOR THE JOB. HAVE NOT REPAIRED. THE PROBLEM IS NOW WORSE AT 84,618 …

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STEERING CLUNKS ON TURNS. DEALER REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT UNDER WARRANTY PER TSB. PROBLEM RESURFACED ON 09/29/2006 AT 44,045 MILES. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY . PROBLEM SHOWED UP AGAIN ON 06/17/2007 AT 54, 451 MILES. DEALER WANTED $280 FOR THE JOB. HAVE NOT REPAIRED. THE PROBLEM IS NOW WORSE AT 84,618 MILES. PROBLEM # 2 STOP LIGHT SOCKETS HEAT UP AND LOOSE CONTACT TO THE BULB. DEALER WANTS AROUND $75 FOR EACH OF THE TWO SOCKETS REQUIRED. PROBLEM #3 RECEIVED NOTICE FROM GMAC STATING THERE MAY BE AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PROBLEM. DON'T COME TO THE DEALER UNLESS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. GM EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES. NATURALLY, MY GAUGES FAILED AT 79,000 AND 7 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS. DEALER WANTS OVER $400 FOR PARTS ALONE. UPDATED 07/05/11 *BF UPDATED 02/03/12

NHTSA ODI #10411129

162,000 miles · Jun 12, 2011
Electrical SystemPower Train

REDUCE ENGINE POWER MESSAGE. 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO. DRIVING DOWN MAJOR 3 LANE HIGHWAY, MESSAGE APPEARS AND TRUCKS POWER GOES TO 15 MPH. TRIED TO GET INTO SLOWER LANE AND OFF HIGHWAY AND WAS ALMOST IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DUE TO NO POWER. TRUCK WILL NOT ACCELERATE ANY FASTER THAN THIS. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE. MAJOR SAFETY …

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REDUCE ENGINE POWER MESSAGE. 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO. DRIVING DOWN MAJOR 3 LANE HIGHWAY, MESSAGE APPEARS AND TRUCKS POWER GOES TO 15 MPH. TRIED TO GET INTO SLOWER LANE AND OFF HIGHWAY AND WAS ALMOST IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DUE TO NO POWER. TRUCK WILL NOT ACCELERATE ANY FASTER THAN THIS. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE. MAJOR SAFETY FEATURE WITH CHEVROLET. OTHER THAN DINGER GOING OFF AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT TRUCK LOOSES ALL POWER TO ACCELERATE. CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. CODES ARE READING THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THIS IT SEEMS THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER YEAR AND MODELS DOING SAME WITH PEOPLE SPENDING $1,000.00 OR MORE AND PROBLEM NOT RESOLVED. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE. AFTER UNHOOKING BATTERY FOR APPROX. 10 MIN. IT WILL RESET ITSELF AND MESSAGE WILL BE GONE UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10406039

60,000 miles · May 12, 2011
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED AN INACCURATE READING OF 180 MPH WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT AND PROGRESSED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SPEED RATE WITH THE TACHOMETER AND GPS NAVIG…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED AN INACCURATE READING OF 180 MPH WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT AND PROGRESSED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SPEED RATE WITH THE TACHOMETER AND GPS NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #10400674

90,000 miles · May 5, 2011
Electrical System

I OWN A 2003 CHEVY SILVERDO 1500 EX CAB TRUCK. I BOUGHT IT IN 2008, I STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE SPEEDOMETER WHEN I HIT 80,000 MILES. THERE WOULD BE TIMES IT WOULD WORK AND THEN QUIT. NOW THAT I HAVE 120,000 MILES MY SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A LAWSUIT FOR THIS PROBLEM BACK IN 2007 AND THE…

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I OWN A 2003 CHEVY SILVERDO 1500 EX CAB TRUCK. I BOUGHT IT IN 2008, I STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE SPEEDOMETER WHEN I HIT 80,000 MILES. THERE WOULD BE TIMES IT WOULD WORK AND THEN QUIT. NOW THAT I HAVE 120,000 MILES MY SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A LAWSUIT FOR THIS PROBLEM BACK IN 2007 AND THE ONLY REMEDY IT FOR GM TO PAY FOR IT WAS YOUR TRUCK WAS TO BE LESS THEN 7 YEARS LESS THEN 70,000 MILES ON IT TO RECEIVED THE SPECIAL EXTENDED THING. I CAN NOT GET IT FIXED FOR I CAN NOT AFFORD THE 500-700 TO FIX IT. GM SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THIS PROBLEM THERE ARE MANY THAT I HAVE FOUND ON THE NET THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AS I HAVE. I CAN T HAVE MY TRUCK DOWN FOR ANY MOUNT OF TIME DUE TO I AM DISABLED AND NEED MY TRUCK TO HAUL MY WHEELCHAIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10399159

Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2011
Electrical SystemExterior LightingLatches/locks/linkages

2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO K1500. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH ELECTRONIC DASH *TGW THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN INCONSISTENTLY WORKING SINCE JULY 2010. THE GAUGE WOULD BE FINE AT FIRST, WHEN SUDDENLY IT WOULD REGISTER SPEEDS THAT WERE NOT CORRECT AND THE NEEDLE WAS SLOW TO RESPOND TO ANY CHANGE IN SPEED AND IT WOULD NOT DROP TO ZER…

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2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO K1500. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH ELECTRONIC DASH *TGW THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN INCONSISTENTLY WORKING SINCE JULY 2010. THE GAUGE WOULD BE FINE AT FIRST, WHEN SUDDENLY IT WOULD REGISTER SPEEDS THAT WERE NOT CORRECT AND THE NEEDLE WAS SLOW TO RESPOND TO ANY CHANGE IN SPEED AND IT WOULD NOT DROP TO ZERO WHEN THE CONSUMER CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. IT WOULD USUALLY CORRECT ITSELF OVERNIGHT, BUT NOT ALWAYS AND IT WOULD REMAIN NORMAL UNTIL THE NEXT INTERMITTENT EPISODE. ALSO, THERE WAS AN INTERMITTENT CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE DASH. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE DOORS WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN WHILE STOPPED AND WHILE DRIVING. THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT BRIEFLY, ALL OF THE DASH DISPLAYS AND SIDE DOOR LIGHT PANELS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE POWER HEATED SEATS WOULD JERK AND MAKE NOISES. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10390948

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

3

EA11001 · Brake Line Corrosion Failure

Opened Jan 5, 2011 · Closed Apr 8, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

EA04011 · Parking Brake Failure

Opened Apr 9, 2004 · Closed May 10, 2005

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake; Parking Brake:conventional; Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical; Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical:linkage And Cable

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Parking Brake:conventional

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical:linkage And Cable

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

Parking Brake

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

PE03057 · Parking Brake Failure

Opened Dec 8, 2003 · Closed Apr 9, 2004

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake

ODI OPENED PE03-057 TO ASSESS PARKING BRAKE INEFFECTIVENESS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FOUR WHEEL DISC BRAKES THAT INCORPORATE A SINGLE-SHOE DRUM-IN-HAT PARKING BRAKE INDEPENDENT OF THE SERVICE BRAKES.COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA INDICATE THAT THE PARKING BRAKE LININGS TEND TO WEAR OUT EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE (AT AN AVERAGE OF 24 MONTHS IN SERVICE), REDUCING THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM'S TORQUE BELOW THAT NEEDED TO IMMOBILIZE THE VEHICLE.GM HAS ATTRIBUTED THIS ACCELERATED WEAR TO FOREIGN MATERIAL INTRUSION AND A FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SHOE TO PROPERLY SELF-CENTER WITHIN ITS BRAKE DRUM.EFFECTIVE WITH THE START OF MY 2003 PRODUCTION, A NEWER REDUCED FORCE HOLD-DOWN CLIP WAS INTRODUCED TO FACILITATE BRAKE SHOE DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE DRUM SURFACE.THIS PART IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE SERVICE LEVEL FOR THE MY 1999-2002 VEHICLES.GM HAS INDICATED THAT THE PAKING BRAKE IS INTENDED TO OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TRANSMISSION TO IMMOBILZE PARKED VEHICLES, AND THAT IN MANY CASES, ACCELERATED PARKING BRAKE LINING WEAR IS CAUSED BY ROUGH USE, VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS, AND DRIVING WITH THE PARKING ENGAGED. ODI HAS UPGRADED THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO GATHER FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING PARKING BRAKE USAGE FACTORS AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE SEVENTEEN REPORTED VEHICLE CRASHES.