2003 GMC Sierra 2500

I WAS HEADING NORTH BOUND ON I-45 NEAR NORTH AVENUE IN MILWAUKEE, WI WHEN IT BEGAN TO RAIN SLIGHTLY. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3:28 AM. I SLOWED DOWN TO 50 THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 55 AND THE I TURNED ON MY FOG LIGHTS TO HELP ME SEE BETTER BY THE TIME I GOT TO CAPITAL DRIVE IT WAS A COMPLETE DOWNPOUR. RAINING VERY HARD. I WAS IN THE VERY INSIDE LANE IE: "THE FASTLANE" I WAS APPROACHING THE HAMPTON AVENUE EXIT AND THERE WAS A SEMI ON MY RIGHT HIS REAR TANDOM AXLES WHERE JUST TO THE RIGHT OF MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE AND HE WAS COMING OVER TO MY LANE. I HIT THE BREAKS AND WAS STEERING TO THE RIGHT TO GO TOWARDS THE MIDDLE LANE. MY BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE ABS BRAKES NEVER TURNED ON. THIS IS A 2003 GMC 2500 HD CREW CAB ALL THE WEIGHT IS IN THE FRONT AN THE CAB. WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES I WAS HEADING FOR THE RIGHT LANE AND THE TRUCK TURNED 90DEG TO THE LEFT AND HIT THE CONCRETE DIVIDER WALL. AT FULL 50 MPH SPEED AND THE PASSENGER REAR CAME AROUND AND HIT THE WALL AS WELL. THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. I HIT THE WALL WITH SO MUCH FORCE THAT THE BED OF THE TRUCK EMBEDDED IN THE REAR OF THE CAB. MIND YOU THIS WAS A 3/4 TON TRUCK IT TAKES A LOT OF FORCE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN. I FEEL THAT IF MY ABS BREAKS HAVE PULSATED 10 TIMES PER SECOND PER WHEEL I WOULD HAVE CAME TO A CONTROLLED STOP ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITH THE TRAJECTORY I WAS HEADING. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. GOOD THING I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT. THE TIME OF THE CRASH WAS. 3:45 AM. *JB

I ENTERED THE TRUCK STEPPED ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND STARTED TO EASE THE CLUTCH OUT WHEN THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY CHIRPED THE BACK TIRES AT NO MORE THAN 950 R.P.M.'S AND BEGAN TO IMMEDIATELY GO BACKWARDS TOWARDS ANOTHER VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY. I QUICKLY STEPPED ONTO THE BRAKE AND STALLED THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. I THEN PROCEEDED TO LOOK UNDER THE DASH TO SEE WHAT HAD "POPPED" AND FOUND THAT I COULD SEE LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE FIREWALL, AS I MOVED THE PEDAL UP AND DOWN. I OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND THAT THE BLACK PLASTIC FLANGE THAT THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER MOUNTS TO HAD BROKEN OR SHATTERED RELEASING THE MASTER CYLINDER THEREFORE, COMPLETELY DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH. HAD I NOT BEEN QUICK TO REACT, I WOULD HAVE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE SIDE CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. HAD I BEEN IN 1ST GEAR WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED I WOULD HAVE LUNGED FOWARD AT THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY AND OFF A 10' LEDGE STRAIGHT DOWN INTO MY NEIGHBORS BACKYARD, RESULTING IN PERSONAL AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY APPROX 104 THOUSAND MILES. THIS WAS A POOR DESIGN AND HAS FAILED IN A VERY DANGEROUS MANNER. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 SIERRA PICKUP 4X4, 64,000 MILES. IT HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD. 4 WHEEL DRIVE HAS ONLY BEEN ENGAGED LESS THAN A DOZEN TIMES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. MILEAGE HAS BEEN APPROX 50/50 BETWEEN HIGHWAY AND CITY DRIVING. ON A RECENT TRIP FROM PRESCOTT AZ TO PHOENIX AZ, THE PASSENGER SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY FAILED ON 2003 GMC SIERRA PICKUP; 2500HD WITH DURAMAX DIESEL ENGINE. ONCE HUB ASSEMBLY FAILED, THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE BROKE AND BASICALLY ALLOWED FOR THE WHEEL TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE HUB ASSEMBLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND HAD IT FAILED APPROX 10-15 MILES EARLIER IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAINS BETWEEN PRESCOTT AZ AND PHEONIX AZ. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM; PEORIA PONTIAC GMC, PEORIA, AZ. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED THE HUB ASSEMBLY FAILURE AND AXLE BREAKAGE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE DRIVER'S SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY; IT WAS ALSO BAD. I ASKED THE SERVICE PERSON IF THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM. THE RESPONSE WAS A DISCONCERTING NO; THIS JUST SEEMS TO HAPPEN ON SOME OF THE PICKUPS. I HAVE PAID TO HAVE BOTH FRONT HUB ASSEMBLIES REPLACED AND THE PASSENGER AXLE; APPROX $2500. MY BIGGER CONCERN IS FIRST THAT 65000 CITY & HIGHWAY MILES SEEMS PRETTY LOW FOR A FAILURE POINT OF SOMETHING SO CRITICAL AS THE STEERING AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SECONDLY THAT THERE IS APPARENTLY NO FIX OR ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION OF HOW TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE. MY IMMEDIATE SUSPICION IS THAT GM INADEQUATE HUB ASSEMBLIES ON THEIR DIESEL PICKUPS AND ARE NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE ADDITIONAL STRESSES OF THE HEAVY WEIGHTS AND TORQUES, ETC. I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY ELDERLY PARENTS AND WE WERE LITERALLY LUCKY THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A FLAT OPEN AREA OF ROAD AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP. *JB