2005 GMC Sierra 2500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 2500. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE AND THE STEERING COLUMN BEGAN TO VIBRATE. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE I SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SOON AFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON THREE MORE OCCASIONS DUE TO THIS FAILURE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE HE RECENTLY BEGAN HEARING THE KNOCKING NOISE AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND INFORMED HIM TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND STATED THAT THE I SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STOPPING DISTANCE INCREASED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. AS OF NOVEMBER 19, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT COMPLETED THEIR INSPECTION TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 69,500.

TRUCK HAS BEEN IN DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR SEVERE NOISE OF POWER STEERING PUMP, LOSS OF BRAKE BOOST AND STEERING ASSIST AT LOW SPEEDS. PUMP WAS REPLACED AND NOISED DISAPPEARED FOR JUST OVER 2 WEEKS AND STARTED AGAIN. DEALER EXPLAINED THAT GM IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT IS ONLY TAKING CALLS ABOUT THE PROBLEM FROM ONE AREA CODE WHILE THEY TRY TO ISOLATE. DEALER THEN REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR WITH NO CORRECTION OF PROBLEM. AT A STANDSTILL, TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL ABOUT 3/4 TURN RESULTS IN COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST AND SOMETIMES BRAKE BOOST, PLUS EXCESSIVE PUMP NOISE. DEALER IS NOW TRYING TO TELL ME THIS IS NORMAL. THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. GM HAS INSTRUCTED DEALERS NOT TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. AS THEY HAVE RECEIVED TOO MANY PUMPS UNDER WARRANTY THAT APPEAR TO HAVE NO PROBLEM. DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 1200 RPM AND STEERING RIGHT OR LEFT WILL GENERATE A GROANING NOISE THAT DROWNS CONVERSATION IN THE CAB AND AT TIMES RESULTS IN REDUCED OR FAILED BRAKE BOOST. THE SAME LOUD GROANING NOISE OCCURS WHEN SLOWING THE VEHICLE FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY TURNING OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AS THE ENGINE RPM FALLS THROUGH THE 1200 RPM RANGE. SOUNDS LIKE A HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WITH AIR IN THE SYSTEM, LOW FLUID OR BEING PUSH TO OVER-CAPACITY. GM IS NOT BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS. I KNOW OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ON SEVERAL YEARS OF 2500HD DURAMAX TRUCKS. IT IS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT TO FIND OTHERS WITH THIS EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. THE NOISE APPEARS TO BE AN UNDER CAPACITY HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR POWER STEERING AND BRAKE BOOST. GM IS EITHER IGNORING THE PROBLEM OR HOPING THE PROBLEM TRUCKS WILL EXPIRE WARRANTY. MORE OWNERS NEED TO COMPLAIN AND FORCE A RECALL TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT IN DESIGN. CONTRARY TO MY DEALER'S ASSERTION, THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW "NORMAL" AND A "PROBLEM DODGE" WHEN I SEE IT.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE GRADUALLY MOVED. THE BRAKES AND STEERING WERE ALSO NOT WORKING. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, HOWEVER THE CONTACT HAD NOT RECEIVED RESULTS FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A PENDING RECALL. UPDATED 11/30/06 *JB

DT: THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE DEALER DOES KNOW THAT IT IS GOING OUT AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES, THEY BROUGHT IN A FIELD ENGINEER. THEY OFFERED AN INCENTIVE TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AT HIGH SPEEDS, BUT THEY COULD DUPLICATE IT AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS STARTED ON JUNE 15, 2005. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT AT LOW SPEEDS ALL THE TIME. *AK