I can hear a clunking or rattling noise in my steering wheel. I can also feel it in the steering wheel while driving.
Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 harsh shifting problems
12 of the 897 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 describe harsh or hard shifting, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 12
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical mileage
- 50,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20071
- 20062
- 20053
- 20041
- 20035
Often reported together
What owners say
Stabilitrak and traction control warning messages frequently display and cause harsh shifting and reduced power. Vehicle may be stationary or driven.
At 80k I put my truck in reverse and heard a clunk sound and immediately it wouldn't shift gears anymore. I went and had the transmission rebuilt which lasted roughly 10k more. Now, the truck won't shift yet again and the filter was changed and the rear output seal. Currently, when I drive since its my only vehicle, one minute it will shift fine but after I turn the engine off and on again, it will not shift from first and the again, check engine light is on!
I backed out of my driveway stopped my truck like always put it in d to drive heard a loud clunk noise and now I have 1 and 2 gear only to use the truck was stationary was on a main road I changed the transmission fluid screens filters everything flushed it out and still the same thing a lot of people are saying it's the sprag unit I have no idea what that is I have only hauled a few things with it when we were moving we only moved eight miles down the road used a trailer and the tow gear that is on the truck. Also about a month before this happened the stability system light came on and said disabled but has not done it since also my truck is very clean always serviced according to the manual and is in very very good condition
Vehicle developed a clunking , while driving, that can be felt in the steering wheel. It does not matter the type of road. Mechanic advised that it was the steering shaft.
For no reason and without warning, after a "clunk" noise the truck was coasting. Only 1st, 2nd, and reverse gears work.
Clunk when going into drive, also shifts hard when driving down the road.
2003 avalanche with z71 suspension option. After less than one year old vehicle started making severe clunking noise from driver's side front wheel when making a turn. Taken to dealer under warranty. Dealer replaced a part and stated that some clunking was "normal". Noise ceased after repair. Clunking returned in about another year and is once again severe. Sounds like the front wheel is going to fall off. Concerned about the safety of vehicle.
Clunking sound and clunking feel felt in steering wheel when turning it. It has happened on and off from truck new until recently when it is all the time at 58,000 miles. I went to dealership and they tested truck and new exactly what problem was. The service advisor told me that gm has known about a problem with the intermediate steering shaft since 2003 and has issued several fixes for it from greasing shaft, new types of grease, etc. And now has finally came up with a new type of shaft to replace the old one. Problem is that my vehicle is now out of warranty and I have to pay for the new shaft. It is going to cost me about $300 to fix. Since gm has known about this for so long, they should have issued a recall and fix it for free. Some people may not have the money to fix it, so may just let it go, therefore leading to a major steering issue and an accident. Gm should issue a recall immediatly and correct this manufacturing defect on vehicles it effects.
After only 26k miles had a clunking noise in the front end and especially when making a hard turning motion. Evidently this was a common problem because the chevy dealer knew exactly what the problem was. The description on the repair indicates end-lube I-shaftand they used a gn lube kit fp#26098419. After only 19 months and 8k miles later it's doing the exact same thing.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
- Risk
- As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1‑800‑630‑2438. Cadillac owners may call 1‑866‑982‑2339. GMC owners may call 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 13V001000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 harsh shifting
Which Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 years have harsh or hard shifting problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (5 complaints), 2005 (3 complaints) and 2006 (2 complaints).
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