2003 Chevrolet Truck problems

Filed Nov 8, 2012 · Fuel system · 31,000 miles · AZ

I had a check engine light appear last week and brought the 2003 ssr for service wednesday 10-24-12. Service team identified the issue as a crack in the gas tank. The crack was at the fill area where the plastic neck connection goes into the plastic tank. You can imagine how surprising this would be as a consumer and chevy loyalist! My wife and I are driving around in a vehicle with gas potentially leaking onto the exhaust system. Thank goodness for the check engine light! I've owned numerous chevys and a couple of german vehicles over the years, never with any failure of the fuel system. The dealership is holding the tank for inspection. In doing a bit of research, I found that this is not new news to gm. In fact, there was a fire safety recall of trailblazers in 2004 with this exact defect. Disappointly, this recall did not include the 2003 ssr which is mounted on a trailblazer frame using a tank that appears a duplicate to the tank issue in the trailblazer recall. (fyi, my ssr was delivered late 2003, so I assume 2004 trailblazer tanks found their way into the first ssr production.) additional gm recalls of plastic tank parts are also recent history in warm-weather states on the colbalt, g5, and the equinox. My 2003 'slingshot' yellow ssr has 31,000 miles, always serviced at van in scottsdale. She has never been off road, only seeing pavement. Additionally, she has had no accidents or repairs; just schedule maintenance at van chevy in scottsdale az since she was born. There seems to me no reason this failure would occur other than a defect in design or workmanship.

Filed Sep 26, 2012 · Brakes · 86,000 miles · NJ

The brake lines are rusted out causing them to fail in two different spots in the last 2 months. This is a manufacture defect using this type of metal on this part.

Filed Jul 6, 2012 · Brakes · 115,000 miles · MI

Hooked up my trailer to the 2003 chevy silverado and drove to the gas station and depressed the brake pedal went to the floor, no brakes. I was lucky to have not been on the freeway like the day before when my wife and I drove 20 miles doing 70 mpr, wow we could be dead right now. Im without a transportation and the dealer wants 2000.00 and another wants 3000.00 to fix it. The way the brake line are designed makes it very hard to fix, but for the brakes to go out without a safety back up system is nuts. I have a 1970 car that the brake lines have no rust!! This is a life or deaf issue someone is going to die. Even after I fix this truck I'll be scared to drive it.

Filed Apr 7, 2011 · Brakes · 54,000 miles · NJ

Brake line bursted, no brakes, lines corroded.

Filed Aug 11, 2010 · Brakes · 88,000 miles · OK

2003 chevy ss truck, all wheel drive, brakes are the problem. Sometimes goes all the way to the floor before stopping have had it to chevy dealer and other places. Cannot fix. Have spent $ trying. Feel it is unsafe to drive. Chevy says nothing wrong. The brakes are not right. Don't want to wait for an accident to report this. I bought the truck new in 2003. It has 88,000 miles on it.

Filed Jul 26, 2010 · Brakes, Electrical · 160,000 miles · GA

I purchased chevrolet silverado 1500 extender cab new in june 2003. I have approx. 165,000 miles on vehicle, the disc brakes ( all 4 wheels ) have been changed 1 time at about 110,000 miles. Exceptionally good life for brake pads ( they were still not worn completely out ) I have now been experiencing a brake pedal flutter/ significant pulsating just before vehicle comes to a complete stop. Existing dealer pads on vehicle are about 1/2 life according to service tech. Gm tech. "guessed" at cause listing 4 different possibility's from corroded lines to booster pressure to caliber failure. No incident as of yet. Also similar problems listed with speedometer and gauges fortunately mine eventually returned to normal after about a week. Also steering assist cylinder was replaced by dealer for defect then issue was turned into periodic maint. Item when problem returned again.

Filed Dec 28, 2009 · Electrical · 102,358 miles · AZ

Speed odometer, fuel gauge engine temperature gauges will not work fuel gauge is stuck at 1/2 a tank of fuel, temperature gauge will not read proper temperature. Speed odometer will read 100mph or more while stopped this problem started two weeks ago and when I received a service letter from gm the truck was already pass the extended mile warranty that was decided in the class action law suit. I am the 1st owner of the truck. I called gm and they said that basically too bad I am over the 80k mileage agreed to in the law suit with the us government I have no way of telling how much fuel I have on trips, how fast I am driving and if my engine is over heating as I am driving, gm has been no help in fixing a known problem that they received money from delphi over the bad affected parts. This should be a recall item!!!!!!

Filed Nov 7, 2009 · Body · 66,128 miles · CT

Defective interior door handles on a chevy truck/cab on my rv. The interior door handles have a poor and weak design. They are held onto the doors by small plastic pins that broke off easily. They should have a metal screw that would hold them more securely to the door back. My chevy is not that old for this to happen and it is clearly a defect in the design. Part # 12479875 - left door handle part # 12479876 - right door handle both handles broke off the doors held only by small plastic pins.

Filed Sep 11, 2009 · Brakes · 50,500 miles · NJ · 1 injury

While driving rt.523 to flemington,nj ,I needed to use the brakes to decelerate and when I pushed the pedal went to the floor no brakes [xxx] near rearended the vehicle in front of me. My vehicle is a chevrolet 2003 silverado 2500hd ext.cab truck shortbed. Later I found that all 4 brakelines rusted,corroded going to the ABS junction box under the cab driver's side.why is there no national recall for this? Are you waiting until someone gets killed,or a first responder gets injured before taking appropriate action? Just like ford and the rollovers due to the tires on the suvs several years ago. It's time to stop this before a tragedy occurs!!! *tr information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Apr 19, 2009 · Steering · 150,000 miles · UT

When I am pulling into a driveway or parking area, if the wheels are turned hard to the left or the right, when stopping and putting the truck in park, the steering wheel locks and you cannot get the steering wheel unlocked. The key will not release it out of the lock position, either by jiggling the key or the steering wheel. This has happened on several occasions. As a result, I am forced to have the entire key lock cylinder removed and replaced with a new one. I have had to do this three times. I have been stuck in places that I have parked, with the wheels turned and am unable to get it moved until it is completely taken apart and the ignition key and cylinder are replaced. It has cost me over 300 to have this done. It is dangerous because, on occasion I have stopped in places temporarily and then not been able to leave again. I am tired of it. I thought originally it was a key problem, but have found, that I have had to replace three ignitions already, I believe it to be a defect in the steering column, steering lock or wheel turning problem. Please help me get this resolved. Thank you.