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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
59,000 miles · Nov 4, 2012
Service Brakes

BRAKE PERFORMANCE WAS POOR, BUT BRAKES DID WORK BEFORE SERVICING THE SYSTEM. REPLACED ROTORS, PADS, CALIPERS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS. BRAKES BLED SUCCESSFULLY. WAS BEGINNING A TEST DRIVE OF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN PUTTING IN REVERSE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH DASH WARNING OF BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM…

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BRAKE PERFORMANCE WAS POOR, BUT BRAKES DID WORK BEFORE SERVICING THE SYSTEM. REPLACED ROTORS, PADS, CALIPERS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS. BRAKES BLED SUCCESSFULLY. WAS BEGINNING A TEST DRIVE OF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN PUTTING IN REVERSE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH DASH WARNING OF BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. INSPECTED AND FOUND ABS UNIT TO REAR BRAKE LINE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION AND LINE FROM ABS UNIT TO RIGHT FRONT FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. INSPECTED LINES MORE CAREFULLY AND FOUND MULTIPLE AREAS OF CORROSION ON ALL LINES THAT APPEARED TO BE IN IMMINENT DANGER OF FAILING. CORROSION SEEMED TO BE PRIMARILY WHERE LINES WERE PLACED IN PLASTIC CLIPS TO HOLD THEM IN PLACE. THE COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE WAS NOT PRECEDED BY ANY WARNING AND RESULTED IN TOTAL LOSS OF FRONT AND REAR BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY. FORTUNATELY VEHICLE WAS IN THE REPAIR BAY AND NOT MOVING AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10483279

85,000 miles · Oct 31, 2012
Service Brakes

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SILVERADO ON THE LOCAL HIGHWAY PULLING MY 7 X 14 TRAILER IN TRAFFIC AND WENT TO APPLY THE FOOT BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING WRONG, TRIED TO PUMP THE PEDAL AND NOTHING WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO HELP OF STOPPING, THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME FROM A CRASH WAS THE TRAI…

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I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SILVERADO ON THE LOCAL HIGHWAY PULLING MY 7 X 14 TRAILER IN TRAFFIC AND WENT TO APPLY THE FOOT BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING WRONG, TRIED TO PUMP THE PEDAL AND NOTHING WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO HELP OF STOPPING, THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME FROM A CRASH WAS THE TRAILER BRAKES AND THE E-BRAKE OF THE TRUCK. I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID AND BOTH FRONT AND REAR WERE EMPTY, I STARTED TO LOOK UNDER THE TRUCK AND SAW WERE THE FLUID WAS DRIPPING FROM THE RUSTED THRU BRAKE LINES AND DOWN THE FRAME RAILS, NOW WITH NO BRAKES AND PULLING A TRAILER I HAD TO CALL A WRECKER AND HAVE THE TRUCK AND TRAILER TOWED 35 MILE TO MY MECHANIC AND REPLACE 4 RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT RUN UNDER THE TRUCK, MINE RUSTED THRU ALMOST RIGHT UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR.. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10482723

204,000 miles · Oct 15, 2012
Service Brakes

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE TRUCK STARTED TO SLOWDOWN IN A NORMAL FASHION. JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL PROCEEDED TO THE FLOORBOARD. AT THAT MOMENT, AND NOT BEFORE, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND A SYSTEM MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED SAYING TO SERVICE THE BRAKE SYSTEM. T…

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WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE TRUCK STARTED TO SLOWDOWN IN A NORMAL FASHION. JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL PROCEEDED TO THE FLOORBOARD. AT THAT MOMENT, AND NOT BEFORE, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND A SYSTEM MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED SAYING TO SERVICE THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE ROLLED TO A STOP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP TO REPAIR A HOLE FOUND IN A RUSTED BRAKE LINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10480625

76,000 miles · Oct 13, 2012
Service Brakes

I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY FELT FINE THEN ALL THE SUDDEN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKES WHAT'S SO EVER. I TRIED APPLYING THE BRAKES AGAIN AND THEY WENT TO THERE FLOOR AGAIN AND WAS NOT STOPPING. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED BY DOWN SHIFTING THE …

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I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY FELT FINE THEN ALL THE SUDDEN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKES WHAT'S SO EVER. I TRIED APPLYING THE BRAKES AGAIN AND THEY WENT TO THERE FLOOR AGAIN AND WAS NOT STOPPING. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED BY DOWN SHIFTING THE TRUCK AND APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE BRAKE LINE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BACK BRAKES WHERE THE MAIN LINE COMING FROM THE ABS GO TO THE CONNECTIONS ON THE BACK BRAKE. THE HOLE WAS TWO INCHES ABOVE THE CONNECTION. THE BRAKE LINE RUSTED OUT AND A HOLE STARTED. AFTER LOOKING AT THE BRAKE LINES THEY ALL APPEAR TO BE RUSTING. THIS COULD OF CAUSED A BAD ACCIDENT OR EVEN SOMEONE'S LIFE. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND CHEVY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10480024

39,882 miles · Oct 1, 2012
Service Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, BRAKE FLUID LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,882 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,892.

NHTSA ODI #10478182

89,000 miles · Sep 28, 2012
Fuel System, GasolineService BrakesStructure

WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK VEHICLE AND CAMPER TRAILER DOWN INCLINED DRIVEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD ABSOLUTE MINIMUM BRAKING FORCE. WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE BEFORE IT AND TRAILER WENT OVER THE HILL, (AN APPROXIMATE 15 - 20 FOOT DROP IF IT HAD OCCURRED). UPON INSPECTION I FOUND BRAKE FL…

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WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK VEHICLE AND CAMPER TRAILER DOWN INCLINED DRIVEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD ABSOLUTE MINIMUM BRAKING FORCE. WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE BEFORE IT AND TRAILER WENT OVER THE HILL, (AN APPROXIMATE 15 - 20 FOOT DROP IF IT HAD OCCURRED). UPON INSPECTION I FOUND BRAKE FLUID ON THE DRIVEWAY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THAT A BRAKE LINE LEADING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS CONTROLLER WAS LEAKING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED AND READY TO FAIL. I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH RUST IS PRESENT ON THE BRAKE LINES AND THE FUEL LINES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10477437

50,000 miles · Sep 24, 2012
Electrical SystemVisibility

HVAC SYSTEM SUDDENLY STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR WHILE ON AC POSITION. THE ONLY WAY IT COULD BE STOPPED WAS TO STOP THE TRUCK, SHUT OFF ENGINE & RE-START ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10476856

72,234 miles · Sep 21, 2012
Service Brakes

WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT SLOW SPEEDS ABS COMES ON AND FEELS LIKE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. IT HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN. ABS LITE DOES NOT COME ON. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10476703

88,000 miles · Sep 20, 2012
Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BODY WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BODY WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10476552

135,000 miles · Sep 18, 2012
Service Brakes

I WAS PULLING OUT OF A CONVENIENCE STORE PARKING LOT WHEN MY BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK IMMEDIATELY STARTED SHOWING BRAKE FAILURE WARNINGS. I COASTED TO A LOCAL MECHANICS AND MY BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED OUT. I HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM REWIRED WITH NON-CORROSIVE MATERIAL. HE TOLD ME T…

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I WAS PULLING OUT OF A CONVENIENCE STORE PARKING LOT WHEN MY BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK IMMEDIATELY STARTED SHOWING BRAKE FAILURE WARNINGS. I COASTED TO A LOCAL MECHANICS AND MY BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED OUT. I HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM REWIRED WITH NON-CORROSIVE MATERIAL. HE TOLD ME THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE ON THESE VEHICLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10475853

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.