We found the following complaints for CHEVROLET AVALANCHE (2003)
Read complaints for CHEVROLET AVALANCHE (2003)
Traveling at 55 mph and rear-ended a towed vehicle without lights.driver side airbag did not deploy.
The service airbag light would come on intermittently. There would be a low thump thump sound emanating from the audio speakers. The lock door chimes stopped sounding.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer because the air bag warning indicator was illuminated.after the vehicle was diagnosed, he was informed that the passenger side air bag was not working because the module was defective.there was also too much compression in the air bags, which caused the warning indicator to illuminate.the vehicle is no longer under warranty and the manufacturer would not assume responsibility for the repairs.they refuse to repair the vehicle for free and the contact believes it is due to a manufacturer defect; therefore, it should be repaired.the failure mileage was 78,000 and current mileage was 79,228.updated 11/14/08 updated11/19/08.
The airbag warning light comes on intermittenly.because this is related to one of the vehicles saftey features it seems like the tsb (050941001) for this issue should be a recall.especially since the dealership refuses to fix this problem without a commitment from the owner to pay for a diagostic check and then fight them to pay.
Air bag light keeps showing up every couple days then it disappears i believe gm is aware but will not fix.
While driving at 70 mph theconsumer lost control of the vehicle,rolled over twice and hit a tree.neither side nor front air bags deployed.the dealer was notified.please provide any additional information or police report.*nlm
Air bags do not work. Air bag light comes on. Vehicle is being taken to the manufacturer for investigation and repair.the vehicle had problems with the air conditioning and the power steering made a squealing noise.the running boards fell off of the vehicle.the consumer heard a clunk in the transmission.the 4x4 light comes on intermittently.the consumer stated that there was a fluid leak in the engine.the air bag light comes on intermittently.after 7.5 months of having repairs done on his vehicle the consumer would like to classify it under the lemon law.*tc
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact was driving 30 mph when the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and the manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 107,000.
When starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated and remained on until the vehicle was shut off.*sc
All of a sudden while driving one day the service air bag light came on and stayed on. I was told that the air bag could deploy at any time and not work if we where in a crash. I called gm about the issue after looking on line and realizing my truck was not the only one experiencing this issue and was told they would not pay to fix it as there is no recall. The truck was never in an accident and has lower mileage then allowed. This is definitely and issue. It is supposedly a module under the front seat or wherever it is located, as some trucks it is different places. They should be required to pay for this issue.
The fix airbag warning light activated on drivers information panel.this warning means that the airbag will not deploy in an accident.gm is fully aware that the 2003 airbag system has faulty wiring connectors on the driver's side foot panel but never recalled this vehicle to fix the problem.instead,they published a tech bulletin explaining how to fix the faulty wiring.i contacted gm and they refused to repair the faulty airbag system wiring at their cost.many consumers that own avalanche 2003 suv ' s have complained about this safety problem but denied recovery from gm. Recall of all affected avalanche 2003 models should be mandated.
Dt:the contact stated while traveling at 60 mph he struck a median head on and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was totaled. Three people sustainedinjuries.a police report was taken. The manufacturer has not been contacted.
This concerning my 2003 chevrolet avalanche with 47,987 miles.the "service airbag" stays on after ignition about 20% of the time.additionally on trips of over 15 minutes it will come on during driving.once the warning light comes on it stays on until the vehicle is turned off.contacted the chevrolet assistance center and they explained that i would have to pay for a diagnostic work up before they would consider covering the costs on fixing the problem.they stated they were unaware of the problem, despite the owners of the vehicles being very aware of the problem.this is a serious problem with the safety features and should be addressed without question.
While parkingpassenger's side air bag deployed. Dealer was unable to detect the cause of the problem.
After purchasing a 2003 in aug, its now at 80,000 miles as nov 06, and the speedometer has broken.according to chev, the fuse for speedometer is location in dash and is part of a cluster unit supporting many instrumentation parts.it cost 550.00 to replace.i worked with chev for a month trying to obtain a clear answer for this defective safety item. All i got was 75,000 mile warranty has expired.i explained that if anything, a speedometer should work for the life of the car.six calls later and plenty of "ill get back with you", chev would not stand up to any repair or review of this faulty item at their expense.i would like to know if any other reports on this item have be found and if any recourse is available to consumers with this issue???thank you.
About 3 weeks ago my speedometer needle started going haywire. Some days it works and some it don't. When it isn't working it will say i am doing 30 when i am really doing 70 or i can come to a stop and it says i am doing 20 mph. This is a genuine safety hazard and there needs to be a recall done asap. I have read many other complaints regarding the same problem and they all have seemed to start over the last few months which is right after the 3 year warranty for most of us. My truck has 80k miles on it and i am not about to pay $500 for a safety hazard that gm should pay for.
One day while driving at 55mph the truck just shut down. Everything electrical completely shut off. Luckily i was able to control it. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it. It was fine but did it again when i stopped at a stop sign. It continued to do it but then just stopped. Check engine light goes off and on all the time when i accelerate up a hill. The lights on the dashboard are dim. Everything on the mirror comes and goes. It will go months without working and then comes back on. The suspension is terrible. Feels like it's going to shake the wheels completely off the truck when i hit even a small bump in the road. I've almost lost control several times due to it shaking so hard. Latch on the tailgate broke off and needs to be replaced. Rotor on back completely broke and had to be replaced.
All gauges, warning lights,radio, and heat/air controls start changing on their own ,quit working and don't work properly while driving. At times it smells like something is burning.dealer have replaced alot of warning sensors, replaced instrument cluster twice, fuel sending unit,checked all the main ground points of wiring.dealer has the old parts. I'm still having the same problems they are still not fixed.
Speedometer failure-read anywhere from 20 -80 mph while at restthen would move back down to 0 after starting the car several times (dropping 5-10 mph per start)now it is pegged at over 120 mph and will not move.
Speedometer stopped working correctly on my 2003 chevy avalanche.received a letter from gm saying they would replace the cluster on vehicles under 75,000 miles.my vehicle had 90,000.this issue is being experienced by a large amount of owners and is a safety hazard.
Had to replace cluster two times for the gauges. Now i am in for the second time in a month for the 4x4....chevy has had my vehicle more then i have......
My speedometer needle started going haywire. Some days it works and some it doesn't. When it isn't working it will say i am doing any where from 30to 120 when i am not moving.this is a genuine safety hazard and there needs to be a recall done asap.i called the dealership and was told that they would have to duplicate the problem and to see if the vehicle qualifies. I have read many other complaints regarding the same problem.
I have a 2003 avalanche and i've notice that other chevy avalanche has the same rust on the same place it seem that the back quarter panel is defective and the speedometer too
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
Windsheld wipers will not respond to switch. I've been told by gm service managers that gm got a batch of bad motors. I've tried the 800-222-1020 number and was told tough out of warrenty. My steering column has a clicking vibreating noise and feel when turning. I'm told again by the service mgrs. That a number of gm products have the same problem but it is not a safety issue."it's a lubercation problum causing the noise and again tough. The wiper motor costs $325.00 and the steering column another $300.00. My car is 2 years old with 93000 mi. The spark plugs are suppost to last 100,000. Why is every thing else falling apart? i was told they would send me a loyal customer discount for a new gm no way. I'll buy a toyota tundra next time if i can't get some restitution from gm.
My 2003 chevy avalanche 1500 speedometer reads 30 mph when i'm driving at 70 mph. After i stopped the truck, shut off motor and took key out of ignition and restarted truck and began driving, speedometer read correctly again. Later, same day, speedometer started reading 25 mph when i was driving at 70 mph with traffic, had to gauge speed with trucks tach. Same fix worked again. Please go to web site topix.net , there are 30 more people like myself with the same problem with their chevy avalanche/tahoe/suburban speedometer.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact stated that the fuel gauge was reading inaccurately and he was unable to determine how much gas was actually in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who inspected the vehicle and advised the contact to replace the entire instrument cluster. The contact did not inform the dealer or manufacturer of the failure nor was the vehicle repaired. The current mileage was 151,494 and the failure mileage was approximately 120,000. The vin was unavailable.
Speedometer cluster fails in many of the gm trucks, requiring a new gauge cluster..
Speedometer not working properly.driving in 40 miles speed limit and the speedometer reads 120.speedometer does not reset to 0 when stopped.no injuries, no crashes but with the speedometer defective could cause accident and possible injury.
It started with the airbag light, but nobody will own up to fixing it, as we moved from pa to fl. Then the brake lines went, all of them, now with the airbag issue the pcm is sending all kinds of stupid codes like the airbag issue is affecting the whole electrical system in the truck.
My speedometer in my 2003 avalanche randomly started going back and forth between working and not working.now it isn't working at all.i can't afford to have the instrument cluster replaced, with all the problems i have read about, this is something chevy should fix at no cost.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving approximately 65 mph, the instrument panel failed. In addition, the driver side headlight failed. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Failure of my speedometer to work properly on my 2003 chevy avalanche.
Speedometer started reading inaccurate speeds. Lately it reads 55 mph when at a stop and pegs out at around 60 mph. Replacement ranges from $220for "do it yourself" kit with old part needing to be returned for core charge to $650 and up from the dealer. Still haven't fixed problem. Part is still in the vehicle.
The speedometer does not function correctly all the time.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact was driving approximately 60 mph; however, the speedometer reading was 100 mph. The speedometer and odometer displayed inaccurate readings. The odometer continued to increase the mileage traveled by one mile. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer advised the contact that a service letter was mailed to him prior to the failure regarding the odometer and a repair was also performed; therefore, they vehicle could not provide any additional free remedies. The vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 45,000. The current mileage was 98,000.updated 11/16/10. *lj
General motors mailed me a notice advising that my vehicle (2003 avalanche which i purchased new in oct 2003) "could develop a condition where one or more of the instrument panel gauge needles may stick, flutter, or become inoperative." it was additionally noted that "this condition may cause inaccurate readings, including speedometer and the fuel gauge." remedy of replacement was offered for vehicles within 7 years of original date placed in service or 70,000 miles, whichever occurs first. My vehicle exhibits this problem in speedometer. My vehicle has over 80,000 miles and is not included in the repair offer. The condition in mine is exhibited when temperatures are below 45-50 degrees (typically in winter), and began last winter. I associated it with the weather and didn't think too much about it. However, now that i know it is a defect, i believe gm should be expected to correct this defect in all affected vehicles. I believe it can be considered a safety issue - no speedometer - no fuel gauge reading, especially when they are working properly sometimes and at others not at all or inaccurately.
My speedometer, oil gauge,gas gauge has stopped working in the dash approximately 9 moths ago and we have contacted our local gm retailer and they said that there is not a recall on a manufacturer defect.i was told that it was a cluster that was the problem by my personal mechanic and that it is very expensive to fix.i do not think that i should have to fix this problem since it is a manufacturer defect.i have several friend that have a chevrolet with the same problem.i paid alot of money for this vehicle and i think that gm should fix the problem that we did not know we were purchasing in the first place.
My speedo and fuel gauge either do not work or peg out in the instrument cluster.i never received the recall notice for my z71 chevrolet avalanche and chevrolet is saying that they put a limit on the year and mileage.if i would have known it was a recall i would have taken in my vehicle to have it fixed for free. Chevrolet is saying i have to pay for this.... This is not right.
It just began about a month ago. The speedometer was registering the wrong speed and now it does not move at all. Huge safety issue! i am an mp and how can i expect others to follow the laws when i can not even tell how fast i am going?
Instrument cluster went bad at 42,000 miles. After reading some of the other complaints about the instrument panel,how do i know if my speedometer is working right.
Speedometer sticking on 2003 chevrolet avalanche 1500 4wd,nothing leads up to it just driving and it sticks at a certain speed wont correct itself,to correct it you have to unhook battery cables and then it is ok for a while until it sticks again,this has happened over 4 times now have been waiting for a recall to fix problem. This can not be caused by bad driving by owner or improper maintenance,this is something electronic.
The speedometer quits working while driving or stops working all together.
Speedomoter will not work, then stick and then not work.
Speedometer on my 2003 z71 avalanche works erratically or not at all. A significant safety issue i went to the dealership from who i bought my vehicle. Dealership said there was no recall on speedometer (instrument clusters) for my type of vehicle and that they could not replace the cluster as part of "goodwill" by gm because they have not been instructed to do so. They were not aware of the fact that many avalanches and other gm suvs have identical problems (usually a bad stepper motor in the instrument cluster). Cost to replace cluster is about $350-$400 including labor. Given the nature of the failure and how widespread it is, i think the nhtsa engineers should investigate this problem and perhaps tell gm they need to recall these vehicles before accidents occur. I have to estimate my speeds on a vehicle with only 58000 miles on it. I have talked with my chevrolet service department and they said this is becoming very common.gm should issue a recall to get this fixed.
Speedometer broken.can read anywhere between 40 and 120 mph when stopped.i have no idea what speed i am going.this seems very dangerous and something the manufacturer should fix.
Speed odometer has not worked for 3 out of the 6 years i had the truck, 2003 chevy avalanche.
Speedometer on my 2003 z71 avalanche works erratically or not at all. A significant safety issue i went to the dealership from who i bought my vehicle. Dealership said there was no recall on speedometer (instrument clusters) for my type of vehicle and that they could not replace the cluster as part of "goodwill" by gm because they have not been instructed to do so. They were not aware of the fact that many avalanches and other gm suvs have identical problems (usually a bad stepper motor in the instrument cluster). Cost to replace cluster is about $350-$400 including labor. Given the nature of the failure and how widespread it is, i think the nhtsa engineers should investigate this problem and perhaps tell gm they need to recall these vehicles before accidents occur. I have to estimate my speeds on a vehicle with only 58000 miles on it. I have read reports where speedometer failures have occurred within 10,000 miles.
My speedometer started reporting errors in speed and now shows 60 mph when parked and immediately goes off scale when driven at any speed above 30 mph.
The accessory lights on my steering wheel that operate radio volume, souce, on-star, etcare not all working.i was told at bradshaw chevrolet that they have had to repair alot of theseand would not be included as recall.this is a safety hazard and you can't see at night which button to select. Also now the light for my mileage and engine operation hasfaded out until i can barely read it.
The contact owns 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The instrumental cluster gear light indicator failed and she was unable to see whatgear the vehicle was in. The manufacturer had a voluntary recall which included a limited warranty up to 70,000 miles; therefore, they would not offer any assistance with the repairs. The mileage on the vehicle exceeded the warranty mileage. The failure and the current mileages were 83,600. Updated 10/01/2010*ljupdated 10/05/10.
Dt: when trying to start the vehicle would not start.the consumer inspected underneath the hood and discovered that the positive side of the batterymelted.there were no previous problems with the battery.the consumer consulted the dealer, and the vehicle was out of warranty, and no recalls were involved.the consumer had the vehicle towed to repair service shop, and they replaced the old battery with a new one.the technician noted that he had never seen anything like this.a friend searched the internet and discovered a class action lawsuit pending against ac delco batteries.this was the original battery that came on the vehicle.it was an ac delco factory battery.no problems since the replacement.
On sept 5th 2004 while parking my vehicle it lostpower and vehicle came to a sudden stop. I was unable to start my vehicle. Upon checking the engine i found that the battery had exploded and i found that the positive battery cable had come off completely along with the battery terminal. I do not know what caused it, but i bought another battery and the vehicle worked fine. I am just worried that it may occur again.has there been anything simlilar occur with other vehicles like mine? i have kept the old battery and will contact the dealer where i bought my vehicle on 9-7-04, due ti holiday i was unable todo anything else.
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
While driving my 2003 chev avalanche down a hill i realized that when i stepped on my brakes, they went to the floor, the vehicle slowed down, but very slowly. I have towed my boat with this vehicle in the past and i thought that it was having a hard time slowing down. I'm affraid that if i have to stop quickly the brakes will not stop the vehicle in time. I am a state trooper and i am very familliar with the braking systems to include abs. I only have 9000 miles on the vehicle and this shouldn't be happening. I took the vehicle to a local gm dealership for several repairs, i requested them to check the brakes. I was advised by the service mgr that the brakes were within gm specs. I asked him what that meant? he said that he had had a lady come in several weeks ago complaining of the same thing and because she wouldn't go away he contacted the gm engineers, they came out and inspected her brakes, they told him that her brakes were within specs and they wouldn't do anything. He then told me that my brakes were better than her's. I asked him what he meant by that, he said that if her brakes were ok then my brakes would be within specs. I told him that i wasn't satisfied with the way the brakes worked and that i wanted him to make a note of my dis-satisfaction. He never wrote this on my invoice. The second complaint is that i had advised the service department ofa problem with the remote controled outside mirrors. They were not working the way they were designed. I was advised that it was operator error. I told them that i was very capable of reading and setting the operator preferences. I told him that this was the second time that the vehicle had been to a gm dealership for the outside mirrors not working properly.i have read on you service bulletin web site that their had been one issued for this type of problem. I am also having a problem with the alarm system, it doesn't set properly, they again advised me that it was operator error.
Interior blower motor shorts out causing smoke to fill the cabin,this is the second motor that has been replaced in my 2003 avalanche.
One day while driving at 55mph the truck just shut down. Everything electrical completely shut off. Luckily i was able to control it. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it. It was fine but did it again when i stopped at a stop sign. It continued to do it but then just stopped. Check engine light goes off and on all the time when i accelerate up a hill. The lights on the dashboard are dim. Everything on the mirror comes and goes. It will go months without working and then comes back on. The suspension is terrible. Feels like it's going to shake the wheels completely off the truck when i hit even a small bump in the road. I've almost lost control several times due to it shaking so hard. Latch on the tailgate broke off and needs to be replaced. Rotor on back completely broke and had to be replaced.
For the last year or so my 2003 chevy avalanche has had an intermittent problem of throttling down when i hit about 60 mph. The error words pop up of "reduced engine power" and i have to pull over (after negotiating highway traffic to get to shoulder with no power) and turn engine off and let it sit for a few minutes before starting it. Sometimes it does it multiple times in the first hour of driving. Seems to do it more when the weather is colder than when hot.
It started with the airbag light, but nobody will own up to fixing it, as we moved from pa to fl. Then the brake lines went, all of them, now with the airbag issue the pcm is sending all kinds of stupid codes like the airbag issue is affecting the whole electrical system in the truck.
Driving at speeds of 60 the truck will just shut down. The truck engine light comes on and it reads reduce engine power. I have no gas, no brake, very little steering. Chevy dealer says it's the truck going into limp mode. Is limp mode a real thing? i googled it..but couldn't find anything on it. I tried to look up recalls on 2003 chevy avalanches but couldn't find any of those either. There have got to be more people out there experiencing this problem. Help!!!!i have 2 small children and don't want them hurt in the vehicle.
Shortly after refueling the vehicle the consumer smelled a fuel odor. He stopped the vehicle and as he pulled the hood release he saw flames shooting up onto the windshield. A police officer nearby attempted to put the fire out using a fire extinguisher.a second police officer arrived and emptied his fire extinguisher before the fire was put out.the engine compartment was completely burned out.the vehicle was totaled.the cause of the fire is unknown.*nlm
On december 12, 2003vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection, resulting in a crash that could have been fatal. Consumer stated,this vehicle had been seven to eight times atdealer with engine and transmissionproblems. Dealer could not duplicate or correct the problem.
I have a 2003 chevy avalanche z71 with 59000 miles.i noticed my vehicle being very sluggish the day before. When i left for work, i could barely get up to 50 mph, in order for me to stay at 50 mph i would have to reach 3000 rpm. After i turned down a side road, i could only get up to 20mph at 3000 rpm. I pulled over and called for help. I took it to a chevy dealership. They found the intake gasket was bad which caused the converters to fail and clog up the y pipe.it's hard to believe this happened with only 59000 miles. I take great care of my avalanche. I've read on forums where there is a lot of people that is having the same problem with the same type of truck and year.the dealership replaced the gasket, both converters, y-pipe and the o2 sensors.
Engine uses 1 qt per 2k miles of engine oil,according to dealer this is acceptable,but if not noticed or checked it could lead to engine failure.i would have not bought the truck if it said "engine burns oil".
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
I have a 2003 chevy avalanche z71 with 59000 miles.i noticed my vehicle being very sluggish the day before. When i left for work, i could barely get up to 50 mph, in order for me to stay at 50 mph i would have to reach 3000 rpm. After i turned down a side road, i could only get up to 20mph at 3000 rpm. I pulled over and called for help. I took it to a chevy dealership. They found the intake gasket was bad which caused the converters to fail and clog up the y pipe.it's hard to believe this happened with only 59000 miles. I take great care of my avalanche. I've read on forums where there is a lot of people that is having the same problem with the same type of truck and year.the dealership replaced the gasket, both converters, y-pipe and the o2 sensors.
Purchased vehicle with onstar system.paid over 800 dollars for a system that does not work in alaska according to the dealer i just have to live with it.i can't use the system in an emergency situation " which has happened"i had to flag someone done with a cell phone at 40 below zero weather.
Air bags do not work. Air bag light comes on. Vehicle is being taken to the manufacturer for investigation and repair.the vehicle had problems with the air conditioning and the power steering made a squealing noise.the running boards fell off of the vehicle.the consumer heard a clunk in the transmission.the 4x4 light comes on intermittently.the consumer stated that there was a fluid leak in the engine.the air bag light comes on intermittently.after 7.5 months of having repairs done on his vehicle the consumer would like to classify it under the lemon law.*tc
The right turn signal assemble fell off my vehicle and had to be replaced- the housing bolts had broken off - i was informed this was not covered under warranty.1 year and 3 months later i have the same problem again and was told that even though it had been replaced already at my expense since it was over a year i would have to pay for it again.how can the same thing happen?this is dangerous as the lamp and housing fell out and were dangling on my vehicle with a small wire as i drove, unaware of the problem until i had stopped.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving approximately 65 mph, the instrument panel failed. In addition, the driver side headlight failed. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
I have a 2003 avalanche with approx.113000 miles. Recently while driving in a mini shopping center i went to turn into a parking spot and my steering wheel locked on me. I could not move my steering wheel at all. I then put my truck in park and turned the ignition off and cranked it back up and my steering wheel immediately unlocked. On that friday while driving on interstate 264e coming of exit my steering locked again. Fortunately there was no vehicle behind me, and i was able to shut the vehicle off and turn it back on to unlock the steering wheel. On both occasions i was driving at two different speeds. My vehicle is currently in the shop. Is there a recall in the works? this is so dangerous.
"electrical power surge"is what the service department called it.blows head and fog lights on a regular basic.i have replaced them 6 times in 2 years.
I want to add my voice to those who find the xenon headlights a danger to other drivers.they are blinding and sometimes cause a moment of being unable to see anything on the road before me.even if the moment lasts a half-second, i think it is a safety issue.i would like to see these headlights banned.
The right turn signal assemble fell off my vehicle and had to be replaced- the housing bolts had broken off - i was informed this was not covered under warranty.1 year and 3 months later i have the same problem again and was told that even though it had been replaced already at my expense since it was over a year i would have to pay for it again.how can the same thing happen?this is dangerous as the lamp and housing fell out and were dangling on my vehicle with a small wire as i drove, unaware of the problem until i had stopped.
I'm having the same problem with my turn signals as has been listed in the recall of 305,729 suv listing the 2003-2004 gmc envoy, oldsmobile bravada & isuzu ascender. But mine is not listed. I have a 2003 avalanche. I feel someone might want to check the full size suv's and trucks.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact stated that an abnormal gasoline odor would enter the vehicle whenever the contact would drive over a road bump.the contact later noticed gasoline leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Strap on gas tank broke (rusted through) while driving on bumpy road. Tank fell and hit driveshaft. I was surprised it didn't rupture the tank.
2003 chevy avalanche fuel tank began emitting a gas smell when the vehicle was more than half full.over time small puddles of gas could be seen under the vehicle when it was stopped.the mechanic found that the tank had a manufacturer's defect, which caused it to be too thin around one of the seals.the tank was so thin in that area, that one could physically press it down like soft rubber.the soft area had been steadily weakening the seal until it finally failed causing gas to leak out of it.
Consumer was told that the 2003 avalanche was not a standard tank and that the fuel leakage issues were not their responsibility.the consumer was told the gas tank had a manufacturers defect that caused it to be too thin around one of the seals.the tank was so thin, that it could be pressed as if it was soft rubber.the soft area had become so weak, that gas was leaking fromthe vehicle.
My speedo and fuel gauge either do not work or peg out in the instrument cluster.i never received the recall notice for my z71 chevrolet avalanche and chevrolet is saying that they put a limit on the year and mileage.if i would have known it was a recall i would have taken in my vehicle to have it fixed for free. Chevrolet is saying i have to pay for this.... This is not right.
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
2003 chevroletr avalanche, tailgate opens by itself. This happened repeatedly in colder temperatures tailgate latches had to be manually opened to get tailgate to shut after a few days tailgate would drop again. This happened continually during winter months.
Premature emergency (parking brake) failure.
The position and design of the parking brakes could cause serious injuries to the drivers lower left leg if the vehicle was in an frontal collision.*nlm
I noticed a spray on the back of my avalanche. I checked nuder the vehicle and noticed a small puddle of fluid which appeared to be transmission fluid. I checked the fluid level and it was near empty. I added fluid and when i used the vehicle it ran ok, but when i stopped it left a larger puddle under the vehicle.i drove my vehicle for a little while and when i checked again it was leaking still. I crawled under the vehicle and saw that it was leaking from where it connects to the engine or axle. (not sure what its called). I have read several complaints about avalanches having bad transmissions. Most were around the same mileage.i cannot afford to fix my vehicle, and since i noticed it now it may just need a new seal, but where the transmissionis leaking from it is expensive.what help can i get, this is my only vehicle my family and i own.also when i start my avalanche, sometimes the starter will stay on and i have to turn the key off and restart it. It appears the ignition or starter is defective.any help would be appreciated..thank you!!
I have had several issues with my 2003 chevorlet avalanche z71 only 62,000 miles.my problems started around 8,000 miles with the rear brakes going bad.i have replaced the front and rear brakes four (4) times since i have owned it.the abs speed sensors have been replaced once and need replaced again. The speedometer is stuck at 120 mph, the u joints have been replaced and now the transmission has gone out. I feel that chevorlet should fix these problems under a warranty/recall.
Transmission started making growling and whining noise while attemping to shift into 4th gear, then started slipping in 4th gear.shifting was also stiff or harsher than was normal for the vehicle prior to this. I took to dealer and was dismissed as their computer did not record any trouble codes. 1 week later, and only 65 miles travel distance, both 2nd and 4th gears completely failed, causing a complete overhaul and rebuild of transmission. Vehicle had only 14, 700 miles on it when problem surfaced. Dealership told me no known problems associated with this model vehicle.
2003 chevrolet avalanche with harsh and suden unexpected down shifts. Dealer has attemped repair several times without repairing the problem. When slowing in traffic or for a turn the transmission will downshift hard and clunk and bang as if something is going to break. This in my opinion is a safety hazard on slippery roads while making a turn as it could cause a spinout. Last call from dealer the service manager read to me a tsb from chevrolet saying this was a normal condition and not to attempt a repair. Not acceptable. I have been an auto tech for 38 years. I feel the transmission is shifting into 1st gear instead of 2nd when speed drops just below 20mph. This just may be a shift program problem, but what damage is being done to transmission over long term?
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
On december 12, 2003vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection, resulting in a crash that could have been fatal. Consumer stated,this vehicle had been seven to eight times atdealer with engine and transmissionproblems. Dealer could not duplicate or correct the problem.
When ignition key is in accessory position and vehicle is in park, the brake/shifter interlock is disabled, allowing the shifter to be accidentally shifted into neutral. If the vehicle is on a slope vehicle immediately starts freewheeling downhill.fortunately i was able to apply the brake and stop without incident...
At a regular service interval, the chevrolet dealership informed me the front differential has a bad seal and needs to be replaced. This seems premature since the vehicle only has 34,000 miles on it. The dealer stated it was not a warranty repair due to time elapsed since purchased was over 36 months.
2003 chevorlet avalanche 1500 - drive shaft universals failed (front gone, rear going.i had dealer replace both) - i noticed the noise and immediately took vehicle in.had i not noticed or could not pinpoint the cause i may have continued driving and it could have failed and failing while driving on the thruway would not have been a good thing as the front end of the driveshaft impacts the road.my concern is that when talking with gm customer service on more than one occasion the folks with whom i talked could not say whether gm had a data base on the average/mean failure time on the universals.i wanted to determine should i start concerning myself as i get to 100,000 miles, but they were unable to assist me.so i am writing you if you have had other universal failures around 50,000 miles.
A warning light stating "service 4wd now" appeared on my dash of my 2003.chevrolet avalanche.according to the owner's manaul, this indicates that there is a problem with the 4-wheel drive of my vehicle.upon inspection at the local chevrolet dealership, i was informed that there is a bulletin from gm stating not to do any repairs for this concern.my vehicle is now stuck in 2wd and gm does not know if or when they will be able to remedy this defect.
While travelingerror code light for 4-wheel drive came on.
Service 4wd comes on and truck reverts to 2wd,dealer has reprogrammed a few times unable to correct.when traveling down icy roads with no notice.
2003 chevrolet avalanche, driving down road service 4 wheel drive light comes on and vehicle is locked in all wheel drive,or 4 wheel drive.light has come on 6 times, dealer has inspected several times, and cannot duplicate the problem.no correction has been made so far.
Dt: contact received a recall letter on 7-25-05 concerning seat belts.no recallnumber was available.she called the dealer to make an appointment,and could notreach anyone by telephone.she went to the dealership, and they told her she could bringcar in the next morning and pick it up by lunch time. She did not thinkthis was acceptable because the recall letter saidit should only take 15 minutes to do the repair work. She felt she was discriminated against. Contacttook the car to another dealer, and he madean appointment to bring the car in on 7-27-05 at 10:00 am.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph, the drivers seat reclined independently, which caused the contact to crash with another vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
I'm been having major back problems caused by a defect in how the driver's seat were manufactured in my 2003 chevy avalanche. I'm not alone; a quick search reveals that many others are as well and gm will do little to nothing to help resolve these issues. Http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php?topic=4047.15;wap2the issue is the heavy piece of metal that's exposed as you adjust the driver's seat. It presses against your left glut causing gradual but prolonged injury to your back, hip, and glut.researching this issue i've seen others attempt to recushion their seats, without success.some thought to swap the seat out right, but there aren't any other gm seats available with a similar wiring harness that will work.adjustments to thedriver's seat is not the issue i've tried several iterations without any success. It's that huge chunk of metal that i'm forced to sit on that's causing the problem.it was a poorly conceived design and gm should be forced to do something about it.i'm married to this vehicle for the next 11 years whether i like it or not.with young ones, i can't afford to just buy a new one. Gm apparently swaps seat manufactures often and paid no attention to this issue in the design of the avalanche.i feel it must be their responsibility to properly satisfy the damage and pain they've inflicted on myself and others with such a poor decision.
Lost brakes. Line from front of truck to back brakes ruptured. Had to use emergency brake to stop. All brake lines are in rusted condition and need replacement.
Vehicle experienced complete brake failure upon slowing for a traffic light.this was compounded by the downhill orientation of the road surface.left roadway to avoid collision with tractor-trailer.there was no warning or indication of an impending brake failure.no indication that any part of the braking system was still functioning. It was discovered upon inspection that the brake lines were excessively corroded compared with other body and engine components. Metal composition of brake tubing seems very prone to corrosion.complete brake line replacement of the entire system is now necessary.
It started with the airbag light, but nobody will own up to fixing it, as we moved from pa to fl. Then the brake lines went, all of them, now with the airbag issue the pcm is sending all kinds of stupid codes like the airbag issue is affecting the whole electrical system in the truck.
One day while driving at 55mph the truck just shut down. Everything electrical completely shut off. Luckily i was able to control it. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it. It was fine but did it again when i stopped at a stop sign. It continued to do it but then just stopped. Check engine light goes off and on all the time when i accelerate up a hill. The lights on the dashboard are dim. Everything on the mirror comes and goes. It will go months without working and then comes back on. The suspension is terrible. Feels like it's going to shake the wheels completely off the truck when i hit even a small bump in the road. I've almost lost control several times due to it shaking so hard. Latch on the tailgate broke off and needs to be replaced. Rotor on back completely broke and had to be replaced.
The rear brake line burst catastrophically and my brake pedal went to the floor.i was coming up to stopped cars at an intersection and had to swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid rear ending another truck. Luckily there were no cars in the lane at the time. I then had to make a sharp turn into a shopping center parking lot to avoid running through the intersection (which did have traffic).i had zero braking power whatsoever. I tried pushing down the emergency brake and it had no effect ( i later found that the emergency brake lines were frozen in a large chunk of ice near the drivers side rear wheel and would not move). The pickup bed drains down onto the lower frame in this area and that accounted for the ice buildup. I continued through the shopping center parking lot and all i could to was downshift to slow myself down.lucky again...the parking lot was nearly empty and very long. After about 4-500 ft i was going slow enough that i was able to jam the transmission into park.there was no warning of this failure.the lines were not leaking.i have now read online that gm has had many complaints of rusted lines on their pickups suddenly failing.this could have been a life threatening situation. Brake lines should not suddenly fail. They should last the life of the vehicle.non-corrosive nickle copper brake lines exist that do not rust. These should be mandatory on all vehicles.
Brakes failed due to a rusted brake pipe while driving home from work. Luckily i was on my street and traveling just under 25 mph. After inspection of the under side of vehicle i discovered not one but, two leaks. I do expect some issues with a vehicle my age and mileage but, not a total brake failure. I did contact the dealer for replacement parts just to learn that the parts have been discontinue.
Applied brakes, pedal went to the floor - truck could not stop - ran into bushes on side of road.
Brakes would not hold vehicle stationary at a stop sign/light (no light on dash). Upon investigation a brake line has rusted through and brake fluid covering underside of vehicle.
A very good friend notified me yesterday that his same year avalanche experienced a burst brake line and caused him to have to crash his vehicle to stop it. He told me where the line had burst and stated that chevrolet uses steel brake line instead of stainless steel. I inspected my 2003 avalanche and noticed that my brake lines are showing severe signs of corrosion. Lmc truck parts sells a replacement brake line kit for this vehicle for a reasonable price of 379.00. It is that hard to force vehicle manufactures to use stainless steel instead of regular steel in their braking systems. You forced seat belts, anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, daytime driving lights, etc... Why not this!
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche 1500. The contact was driving 5 mph when the brakes were depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to stop properly. The contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle he noticed that there was brake fluid leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 190,000.
While driving home at roughly 35 mph i attempted to stop and when i pressed on the brake pedal the pedal went to the floor and the on board computer system came on and set check brake system. I was able to pump the brake and get some pressure but i could here a hissing sound anytime i pressed the pedal. I was within two miles of the house and was able to get home. My husband looked at the brake system and there was a hole from a rusty section of the brake line over the top of the chassis in the drivers side rear area. Every time you step on the pedal it would spray a steady stream of brake fluid.
Driver's side front to back brake line corroded and leaked all brake fluid causing an inability to stop. The brake indicator light did not come on until all fluid was gone and normal braking ability was loss. Upon further inspection all brake lines are severely corroded.
Ruptured rear brake line under driver side door due to extreme rust of lines.inspection reveals all the brake lines are showing signs of extreme rust, which should not happen for an 11 year old truck. By the grace of god, i was in my driveway when the brake pedal went to the floor and not driving on the roads at any speed.why the risk of using substandard materials for brake lines?why not use stainless steel brake lines?
I was in ansonia ct on 6th october 2012 at approximately 09:47.had pulled off the highway to refuel.no issues as i traveled in the morning.after leaving the service station to head back to the highway i went to place on the brakes while going downhill approachingan intersection at approximately 35mph.brake pedal went straight to the floor.within 2 seconds dash warning of " check brake system " flashed on information display.had no brakes, non at all.pulled into lowest gear and ran thru the red light at the intersection.i proceeded to pull a sharp right turn into a commuter lot using the curb to stop the vehicle.emergency brake ineffective at reducing speed.called aaa and discovered ruptured brake lines along the frame rail below drivers side footwell area.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche 1500. The contact stated that the brake pedal became stuck to the floorboard while attempting to reverse. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic, who found that the brake lines were corroded and leaking brake fluid. The brake lines were replaced. The failure and current mileage was 59,353.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the brake warning light illuminated. The contact applied the brakes, but the pedal depressed to the floor. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that all the brake lines were rusted and fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 130,000.
There is a gm recall #05068c- product safety- front wheel speed sensor corrosion.the 2002 avalanche is listed, but my 2003 is not.i live in indiana, one of the states listed in the recall.my 2003 avalanche has this failure and should be covered by the recall.
Update to complaint 10538262after reviewing other complaints with similar issues i forgot to put in key data.i had a brake line failure on the drivers side left front and forgot to list that in my original complaint and also lines up with the current open item: nhtsa action number ea11001 all the brakes lines need to replaced since they are rusty, falling apart and very brittle.lucky this issue to not occur when i using the truck earlier in the day when my daughter was in the truck.while attempting to move an unloaded trailer in my yard, i began to backup to the trailer applying the brakes since i was lined up to the trailer, applied the brakes to stop and the brakes went to the floor and the message flashed stating brake issue and lots of bells going off. Incident occurred 8/23/13, had truck towed to garage since it took 10x the distance to try to stop the truck and was not safe to drive. Since the truck is at the garage waiting on parts i do not have actual mileage but has approximately 91k miles. I did not have any other warnings and had new brake pads and rotors installed in the last two months.
While leaving a funeral in near sweetwater tn, i applied the brakes and felt pressure and then the pedal dropped to the floor.my wife and two small children were riding with me. After pushing the brake pedal to the floor, i noticed i did have brakes but not power brakes.i pulled over and examined the problem and found leaking brake fluid coming from around the gas tank.with no choice, i had to drive the truck back to kentucky.appr. 175 miles if not more in heavy traffic on i-75.i know trucks have problems and i know there is routine maintenance but i have never seen the amountof complaints that the brake lines have had on these trucks.i have owned chevy trucks my whole life and have never had a problem with the brake lines.due to the seriousness of the issue and number of complaints, how is chevrolet issuing a recall.
Put my foot on the brake pedal to stop, pedal went to the floor. I was going uphill.that was probably wen front brake line blew.had a little brake power left, turned truck around, went one block to my home , plled into my driveway going uphill again when the rear brake ine blew, stoped the truck with the emergency brake.had to have all break lines replaced due to rust.forty years servicing aotos never had all or any breakline rust out.replaced flexiable hoses on brake calipers when the became brittle, but never hard lines, even on a 1971 caddy i had for 25 years. This happened one block from home at the beginning of a planned 100 mile highway trip, at 65mph we probably could have been killed. Someone was watching over us,not gm, they don't even have premade brakelines to fix a known problem!
Replaced rear brake line two weeks prior. Went to leave for work and front brake lines blew out.
Brake line failure:i had a ruptured steel break line failure while applying normal breaking pressure on the pedal. After further inspection of break lines, i found all break lines were rusted and in danger of also rupture.
I was driving the vehicle at 45 mph and the brakes went out without warning or a warning light. It made me almost hit another vehicle in front of me. My pregnant wife and i were in the vehicle at the time. It seems many other people have had this problem, it should be fixed asap.
08/31/2011 brake line failure. Second brake lie failure occurred 04/15/2012.third brake line failure occurred 7/28/2012.fourth brake line failure occurred 1/27/2013. At that time it was highly recommended to replace all remaining brake line segments which were showing signs of corrosion. The total for the incidences mentioned was $1586.15.
I was driving my 03 avalanche like any other day and as i was pulling into the gas station to fill up, the brakes went to the floor. Instinctively i put it into 1st gear and engaged the emergency brake. Come to find out, the brake lines were rusted out on the passenger side front. I examined all lines and they seem to all be rusty. Only a matter of time before they break too.
Vehicle was moving at approximately 50 miles per hour and brakes were applied to prepare for a right turn. At first the brakes were beginning to be effective, but sudden loss of hydrological pressure resulted in brake pedal traveling all the way to the floor and little to no braking power was available. Indicator lights and bells illuminated indicating that the braking system needed serviced. Vehicle coasted to a stop and was placed into park. Brake fluid was visible on the passenger side front wheel well.
On approaching a stop sign the rear brakes failed. The line had rusted thru above the left rear spring. This is the second time a line has rusted thru. The first time i lost both brakes. I had it repaired by a chevrolet dealership. As you can see they did not replace all the problem lines. I had it done by oakwood service center in auburn, ny. At least now i believe i am safe.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving 10 mph and attempting to stop the vehicle, the abs warning light illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 99,000.
Started driving and the brake pedal suddenly went all the way down to the floor.the vehicle eventually stopped and a warning light finally turned on to "service brake system".i got out of the vehicle to check and see if the brake fluid was low and saw that the brake lines were rusted.underneath the vehicle, i was able to see brake fluid leaking at a consistent rate.prior from this happening, there were no warning lights or alerts.
While pulling my boat on a long decline at 55 mph, a car in front of me signaled to turn left. I put on my brakes and the pedal eased to the floor board. I told my wife that the brakes are failing. The check brake system alarm did sound, but that does not comfort you when you realize that you are not going to stop before plowing a car in front of you.i was able to swerve to the right to avoid the collision, only due to light traffic and the fact that i was a good distance behind the turning vehicle when the brakes failed. I didn't measure my stopping distance, but it was well over 100 yards.i got out of my avalanche and saw the fluid trail. There is a cluster of 5 brake lines running together by the frame, right at the driver side door and one of those lines broke. They were all severely corroded. I had the truck and boat towed to a local repair shop and they were not surprised. The mechanic told me that he had repaired 5 chevy trucks with the same issue in the past week. We were very fortunate to avoid a serious accident.
I had just left a store and stopped at a signal light with no problems but when i processed to the next light i put my foot onto the brake pedal and my truck started to slow down and then all the sudden the brake piddle went to the floor and i went through a red light, luckily the other driver on the opposite side of the signal light did not leave to go through the light right away and that gave me time to go through without incident but nevertheless it was very scary and could of been real bad, and now it is costing me $1400.00 to replace all of my brake lines due to this incident and cause gm does not make the pre-bent brake lines for my truck anymore (which is stupid). As much as these vehicles cost i would of thought that these brake lines would be made of stainless steel and not (probably) china metal.
My son was driving home from ice fishing , on a hilly and curvy road when the brakes failed. He had no brakes at all , he avoid a few tree before smashing into a smaller tree just missing were his friend was seated.the truck has been very well taken care of and was in great condition. I had the truck towed to a chevy dealer were it has about $5000 dollars in damage. I just glad my son and his didn't get hurt.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche 1500. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and the brakes failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed as corrosion of the brake line. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the incident and he was advised to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
My 17 year old son was on the freeway and the brake pedal travelled all the way to the floor while attempting to stop. The service brake system light came on at the same time. Stopping distance was increased dramatically, by at least double. If there would have been a curve or car in front of him there would have been an accident. Parked the truck until it could be inspected and found a leak under driver side front door. All of the main brake pipes were rusted and fragile. Taking truck to dealership to have all brake pipes replaced with kit mentioned in (tsb) 13-05-22-001. I am very disappointed that gm is fighting a recall by sighting the fact that there are two different brake systems and it is not a safety issue. What if the rusted brake lines for both systems failed. At the very least it seems that having your stopping distance increase by almost double with out warning is a safety issue.
I was about to slow down to make a turn on to a side street and my brakes went to the floor. I had to take back roads and plan my stops while driving in low gear to safely make it to the shop. A brake line burst. I was told that the lines are rusted and rotted. All the lines had to be replaced. It cost me about $1800.00.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but the brakes failed to respond. The contact discovered that brake fluid was leaking and the brake lines were corroded and fractured. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,053.
On november 11, 2013 i was backing my 2003 chevrolet avalanche out of my driveway in maryland when the brakes failed. As i was stopping, the brake pedal suddenly lost all resistance. I tried pumping the brakes but could not produce any braking action. I shifted to neutral and used the parking brake to stop. I towed the vehicle to a gm dealer, who said the metal brake lines had corroded and ruptured. I was charged $1150 to repair the brakes. Ten months (sept 5, 2014) and less than 500 miles later i again lost all braking power, this time while traveling at 5 mph leaving a parking lot near a carwash. I returned to the same dealer who said the steel brake lines have corroded. His estimate is $2200 for repairs.
I was driving on i95 traveling at a speed of 60 mph when i tried to apply the brakes and the brake pedal went completely to the floor. I had absolutely no brakes. Lights on the dash board stated service brakes. Luckily there were not any cars directly in front of me. I was able to drift onto the side of the highway and waited for my vehicle to come to a stop. After coming to a stop, i noticed a large puddle of fluid under the driver side door. My brake line had ruptured. Evidently this is known problem with gm trucks and is a great safety hazard. I was very fortunate that my entire family was not in the car like the previous weekend. I took my vehicle to my mechanic and he informed me that all 4 brake lines were corroded. This should never happen on a part that is essential to stopping your vehicle. Gm claims that you still have brakes when this happens. That is totally not true. I had absolutely no brakes. Gm needs to take responsibility for this problem.
I was taking my 3 boys to school when the vehicle lost all pressure in the brakes.once again one of the brake lines on the truck has rusted through and is now leaking.this is the second time i have had an issue with a rusty brake line in the past two years.there is no reason that these lines should be rusting out so prematurely.i have lived in the same area my entire life and have never had this problem with any of my other vehicles.i owned a 1988 chevrolet s-10 blazer for nearly 20 years and happily put over 228,000 miles on it and never once had a brake line rust through.i am replacing the defective part with an improved teflon coated brake line.i do not want the same inferior original equipment put back in place of the current rusted line.the lines have rusted out because they were not manufactured to proper standards.the worst part is now wondering which brake line will be next.all gm vehicles affected by this issue should have been recalled.you can find thousands of stories just like mine all over the internet.yesterday i spoke to a gm employee where i bought my truck and he had the same problem with his 2002 tahoe.gm agreed to replace every brake line on his truck for a flat fee of $250 because they know that the brake lines are defective.this issue needs to be addressed now because four lives were at stake on 8/29/2012 when i lost all the brakes on my truck.i was lucky to be able to handle the situation but no one should die over an issue such as this which has been documented many times already.
Went to apply brakes and brake pedal went to the floor. A complete failure of the braking system. Immediately shifted the truck into neutral and applied the emergency brake to come to a stop. No prior warning on the instrument panel and brakes failed completely, front and back.
At a stop light, with the brakes applied, a loss of pressure was felt. Letting off and reapplying the brakes lead to the brake pedal traveling to the floor / front of driver cab. At the point there was no braking pressure felt and the truck began to travel at idle speed into the intersection. Two failed attempts at applying the brakes lead to the brake warning light going off, after the initial failure. Applying the parking brake yield similar / failed results. The truck was safely steered into a parking lot and put in park to bring the vehicle to a rest. The engine was turned off and let rest a period of 5 minutes and then turned on and brakes tested while in park. No break pressure was felt at the pedal. Brake fluid was observed under the drivers side front portion of the truck. No bystander injuries or property damage occurred. Aside from the driver, a fourteen month old was the only other occupant, neither sustained any injuries.
Experienced loss of braking power due to a leak in one of the front metal brake lines.took vehicle to a repair shop who informed me all the metal brake lines were highly corroded and needed to be replaced.i contacted jim mckay dealership and was informed these brake lines are on back order with no indication of when parts would be available.repair shop has to custom make all brake lines with an estimate of $1,500 - $1,600.brake lines should not corrode, this is defective material.lines should be stainless steel, if not, coated at a minimum.
Corroded steel brake line developed a hole and leak of brake fluid. This led to inability to brake adequately to stop. All 4 brake lines need replaced due to severe corrosion. There appears to be a large number of complaints about these and similar gm vehicles experiencing brake line failures.
My brake line split open while i was trying to stop at a light. They are very rusted and have to be replaced.
Driving went to stop didn't have any brakesi replace all the brake lines and replace bumper lights cost about 4, 000.00 the abs went out which is not fix.
Approaching stop light, hit brakes, and pedal went all the way to the floor, there was no brake at all.no one was in front of me at light , so i turned right and coasted into parking lot. Had truck towed home, found rusted and split brake line under drivers door, the other 3 lines in the bundle were almost gone too, just moving another one caused it to break open, so .as of today , i replaced the front4 lines.and plan on doing the rear this week...the entire under- carriage is rusty, way more than normal,i restore ars and have a 1951 chevy,that's original frame and looks new..i compare trucks every time i get a chance,,,and this chevy is baddd.love the truck,just hate replacing, brakes, rotors, lines all the time...rear backing plates have been. Rusted away, since 2005.
The contact 2003 chevrolet avalanche 1500. While driving 35 mph, the brakes failed. The contact stated the vehicle coasted until it eventually stopped. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who confirmed that the brake lines were covered with rust. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The approximate failure mileage was 76000.
Brakes went out while pulling a trailer.went through an intersection.thank god it was early on a sunday morning.brake line had a completed rusted and burst.when looking to repair, the entire brake line was rusted and blistered.all other lines were about to burst.had to replace all brake lines on this vehicle.i have owned many vehicles and much older and higher mileage vehicles and never had to replace brake lines.this is ridiculous how bad the lines were.i am the original owner of this vehicle and i know it was well taken care of.
I was driving at a speed of 50 mph approaching stopped traffic, when i applied the brakes, the brake peddle went to the floor and the vehicle do not slow down. The brake light came andi applied the emergency brake to slow to a stop. I then had the vehicle towed to a repair shop where they told me that all four of the brake linings were rusted through. I hunt and fish with this vehicle and go off road a lot, this is why i purchased this vehicle in the first place. To have a off road vehicle manufactured with brake linings that rust through is criminal.
While attempting to move an unloaded trailer in my yard, i began to backup to the trailer applying the brakes since i was lined up to the trailer, applied the brakes to stop and the brakes went to the floor and the message flashed stating brake issue and lots of bells going off.incident occurred 8/23/13, had truck towed to garage since it took 10x the distance to try to stop the truck and was not safe to drive.since the truck is at the garage waiting on parts i do not have actual mileage but has approximately 91k miles.i did not have any other warnings and had new brake pads and rotors installed in the last two months.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving at an unknown speed, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. The contact discovered that the brake lines near the driver side door were rusted and corroded, and brake fluid had leaked from the vehicle. The contact indicated that the brake lines had been previously replaced on the vehicle due to rusting and corrosion. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The abs brakes sensors on my 2003 chevy avalanche engage everytime at the end of the stop.recently the abs indicator light illuminates constantly and now it vibrates and causes vehicle to skid.
Abs systemvehicle activates abs system below 5 mph805 thousand recalls from 99-02 for the same thing!gm customer service didn't even know of the 805 thousand?what a joke!!!!never again will i buy a gm,they don't know about a safety as bad as this?
I have a 2003 chevy avalanche that i bought new. In october 2007 my mechanic replaced all 4 rotors and pads on the brakes. He said the brakes had rusted out from the backside. At that time i paid $390, and the rest was covered by warranty. On october 16, 2010, i was driving from the philadelphia airport to my home in west chester, pa. Shortly after leaving the airport, i suddenly lost all braking power.the brakes were completely gone. When i pressed the brake pedal, nothing happened. I drove for more than 20 miles this way, to my mechanic in west chester, on several roads with heavy traffic and many stop lights. I did this by shifting gears and by turning the engine off and on. My mechanic had to fabricate some parts to replace the brake lines, since these parts are no longer made by gm. He completely replaced both brakes. I paid $394.i have learned online that some 110 owners of certain gm trucks and suvs, including the model i own, have reported their vehicles to the nhtsa for brake defects, and that there is an ongoing investigation that began in spring 2010. I want to add my complaint to those others. I think gm did a shoddy job manufacturing the brakes for my 2003 avalanche. If there is any way to get compensation for this, i am interested. But at the very least, i want the nhtsa to know that my brakes completely failed on a major urban highway, and that i believe poor manufacturing materials were the cause. Hopefully the repairs done by my mechanic will prevent a recurrence. But for what i paid for my avalanche (about $35k), i didn't expect rotten brakes.
Complete loss of brakes due to corrosion and rupture of brake lines.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche.while reversing out of the drive-way he experienced a loss of power steering. He applied pressure to the accelerator pedal and the steering wheel began to operate normally.the failure occurred intermittently.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspectionand he was advised the he experienced an identical failure referenced in recall campaign id number 04v045000(service brakes, hydraulic). However, the vin was excluded from the recall defect.the vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction.the failure and current mileages were unavailable.
While driving my 2003 chev avalanche down a hill i realized that when i stepped on my brakes, they went to the floor, the vehicle slowed down, but very slowly. I have towed my boat with this vehicle in the past and i thought that it was having a hard time slowing down. I'm affraid that if i have to stop quickly the brakes will not stop the vehicle in time. I am a state trooper and i am very familliar with the braking systems to include abs. I only have 9000 miles on the vehicle and this shouldn't be happening. I took the vehicle to a local gm dealership for several repairs, i requested them to check the brakes. I was advised by the service mgr that the brakes were within gm specs. I asked him what that meant? he said that he had had a lady come in several weeks ago complaining of the same thing and because she wouldn't go away he contacted the gm engineers, they came out and inspected her brakes, they told him that her brakes were within specs and they wouldn't do anything. He then told me that my brakes were better than her's. I asked him what he meant by that, he said that if her brakes were ok then my brakes would be within specs. I told him that i wasn't satisfied with the way the brakes worked and that i wanted him to make a note of my dis-satisfaction. He never wrote this on my invoice. The second complaint is that i had advised the service department ofa problem with the remote controled outside mirrors. They were not working the way they were designed. I was advised that it was operator error. I told them that i was very capable of reading and setting the operator preferences. I told him that this was the second time that the vehicle had been to a gm dealership for the outside mirrors not working properly.i have read on you service bulletin web site that their had been one issued for this type of problem. I am also having a problem with the alarm system, it doesn't set properly, they again advised me that it was operator error.
The brake lines on my 2003 chevy avalanche have completely rusted out leading to a complete brake failure incident while on the road.although it's a 2003 year model, i have less than 20,000 yes, less than 20,000 total miles on the vehicle.i will never ever by a chevy again.i also have a 1998 acura which i have driven for the past 11 years and it has no such problems.nope.i will never ever by a chevy again.
I have had several issues with my 2003 chevorlet avalanche z71 only 62,000 miles.my problems started around 8,000 miles with the rear brakes going bad.i have replaced the front and rear brakes four (4) times since i have owned it.the abs speed sensors have been replaced once and need replaced again. The speedometer is stuck at 120 mph, the u joints have been replaced and now the transmission has gone out. I feel that chevorlet should fix these problems under a warranty/recall.
While exiting hwy 75 the breaks failed on my 2003 chevy avalanche. The first application of the breaks the pedal went 3/4 of the way to the floor, the second time the pedal went the the floor i pumped the pedal several times until the pressure built up enough to finally grab. I was half way thru the intersection when the truck stopped, with oncoming traffic approaching i made a left turn to continue under the overpass and the stoplight was red i couldn't stop and went thru that as well. I used my emergency break to finally stop the truck and was able to pull into a gas station and park the truck. This happened so fast and without any warning i never had any indication that i was having any break issues. This could have gone so wrong. The truck is in the shop and so far they have found all four brake lines severely corroded.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact stated that while performing routine maintenance on the brakes, he noticed that the brake lines were rusted and corroded. An authorized dealer was made aware of the failure and stated that there were no recalls addressing the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 61,000.
Driving to work.dry conditions.had 4-5 car lengths between me and car in front of me.car in front of me stopped.i was going about 30-35 mph.truck would not stop.abs did not come on and wheels did not lockup.i rear ended the truck in front of me.it felt like there was no braking power at all.brake pedal was to the floor.truck just slowly slowed down.there is definitely a problem with the braking system.
Severe brake line rust that started when vehicle was less than 3 years old. 2 separate dealers saw the rust but said they could not act on the problem unless there was a failure or they were leaking. I brought this to the service departments attention while the vehicle was under warranty.( original & oem extended).
I was leaving the fish and game club in londonderry nh when i went to stop the pedal went to the floori pushed harder it finally stopped.i pumped the pedal a few times some pressure built up i continued to the corner where a stop sign was hit the brake again and this time the pedal went to the floor again but would not stop i put on the emergency brake the truck started to slow but i was on a hill as i aproaced the next stop sign going about 15 mph with the emergency brake on i had to put the truck in reverse to stop from traveling in to through traffic.i towed the vehicle and found 3 brake lines had burst one in the front and two in the rear. I have taken good care of this truck and has no rust except for the brake lines.i feel this is a major safety issue and should be looked in to.i hope this will be sent to warn other owners of this issue.i have over 2 million miles driving and have lost brakes before but never this bad. I feel that gm should at least warn owner of this potential problem. I just had my truck inspected in may and this was not warned to me. I looked in to this issue online and found many complaints gm should acknowledge this problem and warn customers and compensate them as well. I understand the truck is 11 years old but i had a 1987 sabb until 2006 and never had this issue.my friends ford from 2000 we take to northern maine and has 160000 miles does not have rusted lines.i think gm used inferior material. Thanks eric vaughan
I was driving down hwy 316 and began approaching a red light. When i attempted to begin stopping for the red light, my brake pedal went all the way to the floor and the brakes didn't seem to be working. Luckily i was able to safely pull off the right side of the road and was able to avoid hitting any other vehicles or objects. I then pulled into an empty parking lot about 50 feet away. When i got out of my vehicle and starting looking around i could see fluid dripping on the ground next to the driver side front wheel. I then was able to find that the fluid was brake fluid and it was coming from a pinhole sized leak in the stainless steel brake line coming from the master cylinder and going to the abs system. After closer inspection i have discovered that all my steel brake lines are severely rusted. There were no warning signs, lights, bongs, or beeps until after my brakes failed.my brakes would barely work,the pedal would go to the floor and i would only be able to slow my vehicle down enough to shift into neutral and then shift into park to completely stop. I consider myself and my family extremely fortunate that we were able to avoid a crash and were not harmed or didn't harm anyone else. After this occurred i starting doing research on the internet and discovered that this has become a major issue with chevrolet vehicles in the salt bed states. I live in georgia, but my chevy avalanche is from a salt bed state and was only recently brought to ga.
October 14, 2011: my family and i were backing out from our home when we lost pressure in the brake pedal. Upon visual inspection under the driverside door, brake fluid was flowing freely onto the road. A closer look revealed that the brake lines were severely corroded and that they had ruptured when pressure was applied to the brakes. As i pulled my truck back into the driveway, it took 10-15 ft just to bring the truck to a complete stop using the emergency brake and i did not even get up to 3 mph. I am very concerned as to what could of happened to my family and i were traveling down the road at 45 mph or faster and went to brake and the line ruptured not to mention anyone else i would of crashed into. I did some research online and have discovered that there is a current investigation (nhtsa action number :ea11001) that is pending final results. Please add my own experience to your growing list of issues with gm's manufacturing/installation of brake line. It is apparent that this issue is not one that has affected a small percentage of buyers. I strongly ask that someone please figure out the corrective action for gm to take that does not negatively affect the customers both ethically and financially.
This is the second complaint that i will be giving in regards to the brake line on my chevy avalanche as per complaint number: 10430307. I took my truck to a gmc/chevy dealership to have the brake line replace which cost 600.00. Not even a week after bringing the truck home, i start up the truck, put it into reverse and as i start moving backwards and apply the brakes, the brake pedal goes to the floor and a loud pop is heard. Upon inspection, brake fluid was pouring out from under the driver side again and now i will have to return in the truck to the dealership. Gmc did not offer any help to repair/replace the brake lines the last time and it is unknown as of now if they will this time. It was not even one week and the brake lines gave out yet again even after just being fixed. Someone must hold gm accountable for this before more people get hurt or worse due to faulty materials used on these vehicles.
During a panic stop/hard brake, braking is insufficiant.with multiple hard brakes in a row, braking power is regained, though return to previous state occurs when vehicle is not driven for approximately 6-12+ hours.
After green light and i crossing main road north on paxton st. Advancing at aprox. 30 mph a truck in front stopped quickly to make a 'u' turn on paxton and i slammed my brakes at least 400 feet away but my truck didn't stop and crashed to the back of the other truck. My insurance paid for repairs of other vehicle but fearing premium increase i didn't claim the extensive damage on myavalanche truck.as of today i haven't received a recall from gm about repairs needed on my trucks abs braking system.police report available and bob watson chevrolet dealer knows about my trucks damage.
Dt:2003 chevrolet avalanche.the consumer stated the brakes faded at 25000 miles.while sitting in traffic they will go to the floor.the dealership cannot duplicate the problem. These were the original brakes for the vehicle.this has not caused any injury or accidents.this started on june 15, 2005.
When the consumer applied the brakes the pedal went down to the floor and there were no brakes.this forced the driver to pull off the road.*nlmreturned usps, 2nd attempt made 10/16/07 failed . *lj
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
Premature wear of emergency brakes on a 2003 chevrolet avanlanche 1500.the brake is not used and the service people could not explain why the brakes wore out. My regular brakes just at 28700 miles just needed to be replaced in the back but not the front. The front brakes are almost like new. Even the service manager said that it did not seem right. Gm just says nothing they will do. It cost me about $150 dollars(required for inspection) to fix those emergency brakes and i believe there is a defect in the system that allowed the brakes to wear out. They should not have any wear as emergency brakes. Gm said they had a lot of complaints but they could not explain it either. Can you help me and investigate this problem? basically i was told by gm that they are aware of the problem but don't know what is causing it. So maybe i shouldn't use the emergency brake at all. Since they can't prove what's wrong they won't help me. Sounds like an excuse not to fix what's wrong. Maybe it's just a way of causing the owners of these vehicles to pay more at service/inspection time. A scam!
On 3/23/04 we purchased a 2003 chevrolet avalanche, vin: [xxx], with 13067 miles on it from jerry haggerty chevrolet, glen ellyn, il.over the weekend of august 6 & 7, 2005, my husband and i were driving the truck which began making a noise when the brakes were used.on 8/12/05 i drove the vehicle again at which time an evenlouder noise was heard when using the brakes. An appointment was made for the brakes to be checked on 8/17/05 at bill jacob's chevrolet, plainfield,il.the truck had 25,000 miles.they determined the truck needed new rear brakes and a right side rotor and quoted a price of $400.00.it was not considered warranty work even though they had seen brakes fail with as little as 10,000 miles. We discussed this with a second company, midas, who stated this was a systemic problem with gm trucks where the brakes rust and fail prematurely.midas aggreed to replace both rear rotors and brake pads at our cost of $340.00. Updated 07/19/2012 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Dt*: the contact stated the brakes became less and less effective over time.the dealership determined the rotors were rusted.the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, where the rotors were replaced.the vehicle was located in a salt belt state.the consumer requested reimbursement. The consumer stated the rotors should wear out not rust. Updated 10/13/06.
Brakes failed, almost slide into cross way traffic. Took into 2 different repair facilities( firestone & merlin brakes) they both informed me that all 4 rotors were rusted entirely through from inside out, my truck is only 2 years old. I tried to get the manufacture to cover the cost of the rotors but they refused and informed me that the only items to rust on my car was caused by the environment, and the 2 people i spoke to were of no help, very rude and would not give me the telephone number to the corporate office. ( michell balykeo and steven schwausch). I have just been turned down today and will try to have my truck repaired shortly.
Dt:the callercomplained aboutbrake failure at low speeds. He stated that on curves when slowing downbrakes failed. The caller had pads and rotors replaced a month ago. He said the rear rotors were moreworn outthan the front rotors. Recall 05v379000 on abs brakes was issued.this vehicle was not included due to model year. Dealer said it was the consumer'sfault, and they could not duplicate the problem. Dealer said they would call manufacturer, and have them get in contact with dealer. The caller had a near miss accident at a stop sign.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contactstated that while driving approximately 15 mph and attempting to /make a right turn, the brakes would not engage. The brake service light then illuminated. The vehicle was towed //where an independent mechanic replaced both brake lines. The failure and current mileages were approximately 32,000. Updated *ljthe consumer stated both brake lines were replaced. However, he has since traded the vehicle for another avalanche. Updated 10/26/10
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche.while at a traffic light, the contact could not depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
I have a 2003 avalanche with approx.113000 miles. Recently while driving in a mini shopping center i went to turn into a parking spot and my steering wheel locked on me. I could not move my steering wheel at all. I then put my truck in park and turned the ignition off and cranked it back up and my steering wheel immediately unlocked. On that friday while driving on interstate 264e coming of exit my steering locked again. Fortunately there was no vehicle behind me, and i was able to shut the vehicle off and turn it back on to unlock the steering wheel. On both occasions i was driving at two different speeds. My vehicle is currently in the shop. Is there a recall in the works? this is so dangerous.
Since we bought this truck in 2004 it sounds as if the steering wheel is loose. It makes a noise like its loose. The steering wheel feels sturdy it's just under the steering wheel it sounds loose.
The other day i started noticing that when i turn right (or left in reverse) at a low rate of speed the vehicle makes a clunking noise and my steering is affected.i started looking online for a remedy to this problem and found that several people had the same problem and did not know where to report it.i don't feel it is fair that as the consumer that i am responsible for a design flaw by gm.i also don't feel its fair to have to spend up $400 when its all said and done each time that it will have to be repaired.
1. Loose steering: inetmediate steering shaft,2. It has not failed. According to the dealer it was twisted.3. Part was straightened out, and a new replacement part was ordered. As of this writing this is the 2nd time this has happened with the same part. It has be over 30 days.
Noticed clunking in steering, gmc dealer replaced intermediate steering shaft, under warranty at approx. 20,000. Clunking returned again at 40,000 miles, and again replaced intrmediate steering shaft., at the cost of $270. This is a lot to spend every couple of years for a problem that is so well known and documented in chevy and gmc products of this type (avalanche, suburbans,tahoe and yukons) although it is not suppose to be a "safet issue", it is quite discerning, and i believe gm should provide some type of appopriate action to owners of these vehicles.
Air bags do not work. Air bag light comes on. Vehicle is being taken to the manufacturer for investigation and repair.the vehicle had problems with the air conditioning and the power steering made a squealing noise.the running boards fell off of the vehicle.the consumer heard a clunk in the transmission.the 4x4 light comes on intermittently.the consumer stated that there was a fluid leak in the engine.the air bag light comes on intermittently.after 7.5 months of having repairs done on his vehicle the consumer would like to classify it under the lemon law.*tc
The vehicle (2003) chevrolet avalanche has a very noticeable popping sound when steering at low speeds.the popping sound is still present despite having the local dealership attempting to repair it about five times.i've been informed by the dealership that the sound is in the steering box area and is a defect with it and that gm is investigating.i'm not sure if this is a safety issue, but if it concerns the steering box, i am concerning about an (possible)eventual steering failure.
The rear passenger step used for assistance near the bumper broke unexpectedly, causing injury to the driver. Manufacturer was contacted by owner.
Dt: the rear window was reflective as if it was a mirror.when headlights were on the back window, it reflectedforward intothe consumer's view.this happened not only when backing out but also when driving.the window surface was very reflective.this was evident in day or night.had not contacted dealer/ manufacturer.
I have a 2003 avalanche and i've notice that other chevy avalanche has the same rust on the same place it seem that the back quarter panel is defective and the speedometer too
When it rains the mid gate area becomes full of water.the water then enters the rear of the vehicle on the driver's side.the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who retro-fitted the mid gate area.after the dealer serviced it the water cameinto both sides of the vehicle. Manufacturer offered no solution to this problem.
Dt:the contact stated the tailgate when lowered has a two edged hook projection on each side that is sharp.on 7-15-05 his granddaughter jumped off the tailgate and scratched her leg along her thigh; a 8-10"long scratch.
Dt:the tailgate latches are not working properly ,and that is what is causing tailgate to fall down and weakeningof those cables.
I purchased a chevrolet avalanche 2003 model in june of 2003. Since my ownership of the vehicle i have had cracking noises come from the car. I have taken it into the dealership on at least 6 different occasions, and they said the problem was with the crossmember. They needed to redrill and tighten the crossmember again. I searched the internet today (2-16-05) and seen at least 20 similar complaints from chevy avalanche owners. Models ranging from 2002 up to 2005. Obviously general motors has made no effort to correct the problem. I feel that this is now a saftey risk as if it comes loose it can injure or kill other people on the road.
Air bags do not work. Air bag light comes on. Vehicle is being taken to the manufacturer for investigation and repair.the vehicle had problems with the air conditioning and the power steering made a squealing noise.the running boards fell off of the vehicle.the consumer heard a clunk in the transmission.the 4x4 light comes on intermittently.the consumer stated that there was a fluid leak in the engine.the air bag light comes on intermittently.after 7.5 months of having repairs done on his vehicle the consumer would like to classify it under the lemon law.*tc
Failure of front cross member beam, excessive noise(popping and grinding)and premature wear. Failure occured at 25000 miles.per chevrolet, the perscribed fix is to install hardened washers and grind and polish friction points. This has been done, yet problem continues. Dealer has told me this is common to the vehicle in question but they can do no more as chevrolet does not have a solution to the problem.
There is a gm recall #05068c- product safety- front wheel speed sensor corrosion.the 2002 avalanche is listed, but my 2003 is not.i live in indiana, one of the states listed in the recall.my 2003 avalanche has this failure and should be covered by the recall.
When driving at high speeds vehicle vibrated so hard that the dashboard rattled.
One day while driving at 55mph the truck just shut down. Everything electrical completely shut off. Luckily i was able to control it. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it. It was fine but did it again when i stopped at a stop sign. It continued to do it but then just stopped. Check engine light goes off and on all the time when i accelerate up a hill. The lights on the dashboard are dim. Everything on the mirror comes and goes. It will go months without working and then comes back on. The suspension is terrible. Feels like it's going to shake the wheels completely off the truck when i hit even a small bump in the road. I've almost lost control several times due to it shaking so hard. Latch on the tailgate broke off and needs to be replaced. Rotor on back completely broke and had to be replaced.
Very loud popping, clanking, snapping sound coming from front end while turning at low speeds. Have taken to dealer with no resolution.
I am hearing a roaring noise coming from my rear wheel, i took my z66 into the shop and he said the wheel bearings need to be replaced. The truck only has 50000 miles on it. The bearings should not need to be replaced that soon.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact stated that he was unable to retrieve the spare tire. He stated that in order to remove the tire, he had to use a blow torch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the vehicle hoist was defective and needed to be replace. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage 100, 000. Updated 06/06/11updated 12/19/11
The truck came with 17 inch goodyear tires. The spare is a 16 inch bridgestone tire.
The rear window in my avalanche) i was washing my truck and took out the rear window to clean itand i notice that the rubber that is around it, is totally cracked on the driver side and in the otherside its staring to crack my question is do i have to check with other avalanche owners to see if thats only on mine or depends on how many letters about this you recive.
I was removing the rubber mat in the bed of the 2003 avalanche truck to clean it. To remove the mat you must first remove the plastic transition plate at the front, just behind the rear seat. To remove this plate you must slide your finger under it to pop it up. As you slide your finger under it you will slice your fingers on the razor sharp plastic. I sliced my fingers to the bone, the cuts should have had stitches but i butterfly bandaged them. I have not corrected the problem as of yet, but i think filing down the sharp edge would prevent this from happening again.
Dt*: the contact states the speedometer reflects an inaccurate reading intermittently.the vehicle was taken to a service dealer who determined the speedometer cluster needed to be replaced.
Dt: the contact had two problems withvehicle. The first one affectedthespeedometer givingfalse readings. Regardless of the speed, the speedometer reads 120 mph.when the vehicle is in park, or completely stopped,the speedometer reads90 mph. The second problem dealsthe windshield wipersnot turning off intermittently. When this happens she pulls the fuse to get the windshield wipers to turn off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, butrepairs have not been made.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. The contact was driving 25 miles per hour when a crash occurred. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle when it accelerated and crashed into a telephone pole. The vehicle was towed to the dealership who advised him they would not touch the vehicle until general motors advised them to do so. The insurance company stated that there was a manufacturers defect; however, they didn't provide what part of the vehicle was defective. The current and failure miles were 117,000.
Speedometer needle sticks and only lowers the needle 5 mph for each time the engine is turned off and then on again. I have contacted the dealership and have not taken this in yet.i will be taking this in next week. The dealer said when i called that they have seen this before and they would need to look at to verify that it is the same problem they are having with the avalanche and the silverado pickups.
Speedometer malfunction. Theproblem affects the speedometer giving erratic readings. Regardless of the speed, the speedometer reads 80 -120 mph. Or doesn't register at all.when the vehicle is in park or completely stopped the speedometer reads 60 mph. I have to turn thetruck on and off several times until it goes down to 0.
Speedometer needle sticks and only lowers the needle 5 mph for each time the engine is turned off and then on again.dealer has seen several in the past 2 months.needle moves with a jumping motion and does not move smoothly as it did before.dealer quoted a cost of $500-$600 to replace electronic speedometer.this is not a usual item that is expected to be replaced in vehicles.as several have been identified by one dealer (reliable chevrolet) in the past 2 months, not only with the avalanche, but other silverado model trucks, requesting research on manufacturer defect for recall.
Dt: the contacthad two problems withvehicle. The first problem affected thespeedometer givingfalse readings. Regardless of the speed, the speedometer reads120 mph.when the vehicle is in park or completely stopped the speedometer reads60 mph. The second problem involved the windshield wipers. They wipe in different directions. One wiper goes left and the other goes right. When this happens the windshieldwipers hit each other in the middle of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, but repairs have not been made.
Consumer complained aboutvehicle dropping speed and losing power while being driven. If vehicle is going uphill 25 mph is the maximum speed. On the level roads40 mph is the maximum speed. This vehicle was serviced 3 times for the same defect, but problem was not resolved.
Multiple failures of speedometer. Sometimes sticks, reports incorrect speed, or jumps about. Periodically works fine. No rhyme or reason to problem. Dealer - moritz chevrolet fort worth says instrument cluster will have to be replaced ($500), that they have seen multiple failures, and that the item is not covered as a manufacturer defect.
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche z21. The contact stated the blower motor for the heater could not be turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostictest and stated the blower motor and resistor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the owners expense for $200. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche.the front passenger side window locked in the up position a year after the vehicle was purchased.the failure was repaired.on april 19, 2006, the front driver side window locked in the down position.the contact was given a case number from chevrolet, however the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty.the windowwas rarely rolled down ,and chevrolet stated that the less the motor wasused the faster it can become worn.the contact believed that explanationwas just an excuse.the current and failure mileages were 68,000.
Pick a problem. Pin from transmission gears were too short from the manufacturer, causing the transmission to not shift properly. This repair was done at 8000 miles. 4 quarts. Low on oil within month of changing. No leaks and no explanation from the dealer as to where the oil went. A/c functioned improperly after truck surged at traffic light. Still no explanation. Remote entry works when it wants to. Interior lights pulse when truck idiling. Heater motor functions according to speed of vehicle, slow when braking and speeds up when accelerating. Drivers power window stopped functioning and started working the evening before taking it to the dealership for repair. Popping noise from exhaust just after starting and shutting off. From inside the vehicle while running i continuously hear cooling fluids flowing. Sometimes the horn does not function while the vehicle is turned off. Braking has always been a problem from day one. Always feels as there isn't enough brake pressure to stop in a normal distance. Along with the remote entry not working the personal presets for driver 1 most of the time do not operate with the remote entry. I have to select driver 1 from the interior to engage settings. Bed plastics are fading. Buttons for radio on the steering wheel and radio are flaking.
Windsheld wipers will not respond to switch. I've been told by gm service managers that gm got a batch of bad motors. I've tried the 800-222-1020 number and was told tough out of warrenty. My steering column has a clicking vibreating noise and feel when turning. I'm told again by the service mgrs. That a number of gm products have the same problem but it is not a safety issue."it's a lubercation problum causing the noise and again tough. The wiper motor costs $325.00 and the steering column another $300.00. My car is 2 years old with 93000 mi. The spark plugs are suppost to last 100,000. Why is every thing else falling apart? i was told they would send me a loyal customer discount for a new gm no way. I'll buy a toyota tundra next time if i can't get some restitution from gm.
Consumer stated driver's siderearviewinterior mirror andrearviewexterior mirror do not adjust enough to see oncoming traffic.this causes poor visibility, and a blind spot.
While driving my 2003 chev avalanche down a hill i realized that when i stepped on my brakes, they went to the floor, the vehicle slowed down, but very slowly. I have towed my boat with this vehicle in the past and i thought that it was having a hard time slowing down. I'm affraid that if i have to stop quickly the brakes will not stop the vehicle in time. I am a state trooper and i am very familliar with the braking systems to include abs. I only have 9000 miles on the vehicle and this shouldn't be happening. I took the vehicle to a local gm dealership for several repairs, i requested them to check the brakes. I was advised by the service mgr that the brakes were within gm specs. I asked him what that meant? he said that he had had a lady come in several weeks ago complaining of the same thing and because she wouldn't go away he contacted the gm engineers, they came out and inspected her brakes, they told him that her brakes were within specs and they wouldn't do anything. He then told me that my brakes were better than her's. I asked him what he meant by that, he said that if her brakes were ok then my brakes would be within specs. I told him that i wasn't satisfied with the way the brakes worked and that i wanted him to make a note of my dis-satisfaction. He never wrote this on my invoice. The second complaint is that i had advised the service department ofa problem with the remote controled outside mirrors. They were not working the way they were designed. I was advised that it was operator error. I told them that i was very capable of reading and setting the operator preferences. I told him that this was the second time that the vehicle had been to a gm dealership for the outside mirrors not working properly.i have read on you service bulletin web site that their had been one issued for this type of problem. I am also having a problem with the alarm system, it doesn't set properly, they again advised me that it was operator error.
Consumer stated driver's siderearviewinterior mirror andrearviewexterior mirror do not adjust enough to see oncoming traffic.this causes poor visibility, and a blind spot.
Dt: the contacthad two problems withvehicle. The first problem affected thespeedometer givingfalse readings. Regardless of the speed, the speedometer reads120 mph.when the vehicle is in park or completely stopped the speedometer reads60 mph. The second problem involved the windshield wipers. They wipe in different directions. One wiper goes left and the other goes right. When this happens the windshieldwipers hit each other in the middle of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, but repairs have not been made.
Dt:the contact stated thewindshield wipers will not turn off.he has not contacted the dealership or manufacturer.when he startedthe vehicle the windshield wipers came on, he has to remove the fuse to turn them off.
Dt: the contact had two problems withvehicle. The first one affectedthespeedometer givingfalse readings. Regardless of the speed, the speedometer reads 120 mph.when the vehicle is in park, or completely stopped,the speedometer reads90 mph. The second problem dealsthe windshield wipersnot turning off intermittently. When this happens she pulls the fuse to get the windshield wipers to turn off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, butrepairs have not been made.
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