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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

805 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 22, 2014
EquipmentPower TrainTires

THE 2003 SILVERADO 1500 SHORT BED PU U-JOINTS KEEP GOING OUT. HAVE REPLACED THEM ATLEAST 6 TIMES. PU HAD 30,000 WHEN PURCHASED IN 2006. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN THE BUILD OF THE PU THAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, DON'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF TIRES I PUT ON THE PU IT HAS A VIBRATION ALL THE TIME. THE VIBRATION COULD BE WHATS CA…

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THE 2003 SILVERADO 1500 SHORT BED PU U-JOINTS KEEP GOING OUT. HAVE REPLACED THEM ATLEAST 6 TIMES. PU HAD 30,000 WHEN PURCHASED IN 2006. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN THE BUILD OF THE PU THAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, DON'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF TIRES I PUT ON THE PU IT HAS A VIBRATION ALL THE TIME. THE VIBRATION COULD BE WHATS CAUSING THE U-JOINTS TO GO OUT. I HAVE HAD 10 PLY TIRES ON IT FOR OFF ROAD USE AND NOW I'M RUNNING HIGHWAY TIRES AND STILL HAVE THE VIBRATION, SO I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TIRES IT'S MORE OF A DESIGN IN BUILD PROBLEM RETHER THAN A MECHANICAL PROBLEM I THINK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10638148

92,765 miles · Sep 19, 2014
Service Brakes

ON 12/15/13 I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST ALL BRAKES. I WAS HELPLESS TO STOP THE TRUCK WITH MY POWER BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP MY VEHICLE WAS TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE. ON 12/17/13 I TOOK THE TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC. HE INFORMED ME THAT TWO BRAKE LINES HAD RUPTURE…

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ON 12/15/13 I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST ALL BRAKES. I WAS HELPLESS TO STOP THE TRUCK WITH MY POWER BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP MY VEHICLE WAS TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE. ON 12/17/13 I TOOK THE TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC. HE INFORMED ME THAT TWO BRAKE LINES HAD RUPTURED AND THE OTHERS WERE LEAKING BADLY. THIS, ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, WAS DUE TO THE CHEMICALS USED TO TREAT THE ROAD SURFACE IN THE WINTER. THE CHEMICALS HAD CORRODED EACH BRAKE LINE TO THE POINT OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. AT A COST OF $834.21 ALL OF MY BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10637678

98,840 miles · Sep 19, 2014
Electrical System

WHEN MY TRUCK IS STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DAY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WILL BE FULLY OPERATIONAL. IF THE TRUCK IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILS TO COME ON, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I START AND STOP THE TRUCK. IF THE TRUCK SITS OVERNIGHT AND IS RESTARTED THE CLUSTER FUNCTIONS NORMALLY UNTIL THE TRUCK …

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WHEN MY TRUCK IS STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DAY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WILL BE FULLY OPERATIONAL. IF THE TRUCK IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILS TO COME ON, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I START AND STOP THE TRUCK. IF THE TRUCK SITS OVERNIGHT AND IS RESTARTED THE CLUSTER FUNCTIONS NORMALLY UNTIL THE TRUCK IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED, AT WHICH TIME THE CLUSTER FAILS TO COME ON. ALL GAUGES, TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, BATTERY, ENGINE TEMPERATURE, OIL PRESSURE ODOMETER, FUEL GAUGE AND ODOMETER FAIL TO OPERATE AT ALL. ON THE RARE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK WITH A NON FUNCTIONAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THE CLUSTER WILL SUDDENLY TURN ON. IF I TURN THE TRUCK OFF AND RESTART IT THE CLUSTER FAILS TO COME ONLINE. SEVERAL YEARS AGO I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. NOW THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING. EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK RUNS WITHOUT THE CLUSTER COMING ON I CANNOT DETERMINE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO SAFELY OPERATE MY VEHICLE. AND, AS THE MILEAGE IS STORED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, IT IS PROBABLY NOT REGISTERING MILEAGE WHEN IT IS NON-FUNCTIONAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10637674

Mileage unknown · Sep 19, 2014
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10637520

128,650 miles · Sep 18, 2014
Exterior LightingService BrakesStructureCrash

JUST LEAVING HOME TO GO LOOK AT SOME PARTS FOR A POLE BARN AND LEFT DRIVEWAY WENT TO STOP SIGH , I PROCEEDING TO GO DOWN MITCHELL HILL RD AND ON THE SECOND TURN NO BRAKES , LUCKILY I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA AND INSTANTLY APPLIED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PUT TRUCK INTO LOWER GEAR . THIS WAS ENOUGH TO SLOW ME DOWN SO I DI…

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JUST LEAVING HOME TO GO LOOK AT SOME PARTS FOR A POLE BARN AND LEFT DRIVEWAY WENT TO STOP SIGH , I PROCEEDING TO GO DOWN MITCHELL HILL RD AND ON THE SECOND TURN NO BRAKES , LUCKILY I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA AND INSTANTLY APPLIED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PUT TRUCK INTO LOWER GEAR . THIS WAS ENOUGH TO SLOW ME DOWN SO I DIDN'T GO OVER THE GUARD RAIL BUT DID HIT IT ROUGHLY . I MADE IT TO THE BOTTOM AND COASTED TO A STOP . GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER HOOD AND TRUCK TO FIND BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING ON TO THE GROUND. I HAD IT TOWED HOME . UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I LOCATED THE CAUSE OF BRAKE FAILURE WAS DUE TO BRAKE LINES BROKE DUE TO HEAVY RUST ALL OVER THEM .. NOW I DO A LITTLE RESEARCH ONLINE FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS AND FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH MANY OWNERS OF CHEVROLET SILVERADO'S . WHY HASN'T THEIR BEEN A RECALL . WHY IS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY INVOLVED AND GM DOESN'T WANT TO PAY . SO SOMEONE ELSE WILL BE PAID , BUT NOT THE OWNERS . OR A FATALITY WILL HAVE TO OCCUR FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE A DECISION . THAT'S THE WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW ! SAD BUT TRUE . *TR

NHTSA ODI #10637407

50,855 miles · Sep 18, 2014
Service Brakes

ON 09/18/2014 WHILE DRIVING IN MY DRIVEWAY I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDDLE WENT NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ONLY GOING 5-10 MPH AND WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING. I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED A TRAIL OF FLUID AND A PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDER THE VEHICLE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE DRIVES DOOR. INSPECTION REVE…

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ON 09/18/2014 WHILE DRIVING IN MY DRIVEWAY I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDDLE WENT NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ONLY GOING 5-10 MPH AND WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING. I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED A TRAIL OF FLUID AND A PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDER THE VEHICLE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE DRIVES DOOR. INSPECTION REVEALED THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED THROUGH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10637391

28,000 miles · Sep 16, 2014
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TACHOMETER DISPLAYED INACCURATE READINGS AND FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMAT…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TACHOMETER DISPLAYED INACCURATE READINGS AND FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

NHTSA ODI #10633716

163,000 miles · Sep 16, 2014
Service Brakes

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY BRAKES WENT OUT AND ALMOST REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED SOMETHING LEAKING FROM MY VEHICLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AND MECHANIC SAID ALL BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND THAT THEY THOUGHT THAT SEEMED ODD WITH THIS YEAR OF VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10633633

90,116 miles · Sep 12, 2014
Service Brakes

THE ABS BRAKES ON MY 4WD 1500 FAILED, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A 4 LANE UNDIVIDED ROAD WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC AND WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER, PLAY CONTORTIONIST AND APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP.UPON INSPECTION I FOUND BRAKE FLUID LEAKING BELOW THE DRIVER DOOR. THE RECOV…

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THE ABS BRAKES ON MY 4WD 1500 FAILED, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A 4 LANE UNDIVIDED ROAD WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC AND WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER, PLAY CONTORTIONIST AND APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP.UPON INSPECTION I FOUND BRAKE FLUID LEAKING BELOW THE DRIVER DOOR. THE RECOVERY VEHICLE OPERATOR TOLD ME I WAS HIS 3RD TRUCK TOWED THIS YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I WONDER HOW MANY BRAKES LINES HAVE FAILED AND HAVE NOT BEEN REPORTED. WITH ALL THE NEWS ABOUT GM RECALLS THIS YEAR, I WONDER IF THIS AN ITEM I SHOULD BRING TO MEDIA ATTENTION? HAVING NO BRAKES IS DEFINITELY NOT SAFE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10632887

30,000 miles · Sep 10, 2014
Service Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT TRAVELED ABNORMALLY TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINE FRACTURED DUE TO RUST CORROSION CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THE MECHANIC DECLARED THE …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT TRAVELED ABNORMALLY TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINE FRACTURED DUE TO RUST CORROSION CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THE MECHANIC DECLARED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ODI #10632165

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.