Chevrolet Avalanche Complaints (2003)

395 consumer complaints on file.

#10107254January 12, 2005
STRUCTURE
THE REAR PASSENGER STEP USED FOR ASSISTANCE NEAR THE BUMPER BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10105747January 4, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP
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!*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10105774January 4, 2005
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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? *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10102751December 11, 2004
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
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. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10099700December 7, 2004
AIR BAGS, EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER, STEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:POWER ASSIST SYSTEM, STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
AIR BAGS DO NOT WORK. AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE IS BEING TAKEN TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPAIR.*AK 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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10100907December 2, 2004
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10100181November 19, 2004
EQUIPMENT, EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL, STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
THE STEERING GEAR BOX APPEARS TO BE LOOSE, VEHICLES UNDER WARRANTY ARE GETTING REPAIRED BUT THOSE OUT OF WARRANTY ARE NOT. WHEN I HAD THE TAILGATE HINGES REPLACED, THE DEALER EXPLAINED WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY TRUCK BUT COULD NOT REPAIR IT. IT'S A NERVE RACKING VIBRATION WHICH SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AND FEELS LIKE THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLT IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10100118November 17, 2004
STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR
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. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10100047November 16, 2004
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
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.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10096743November 9, 2004
AIR BAGS
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ON UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF. *JB *SC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10095671October 13, 2004
SUSPENSION:FRONT
VERY LOUD POPPING, CLANKING, SNAPPING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT END WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER WITH NO RESOLUTION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10093901October 10, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10093086September 23, 2004
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10090512September 6, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
ON SEPT 5TH 2004 WHILE PARKING MY VEHICLE IT LOST POWER 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. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10075115June 9, 2004
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EQUIPMENT
THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO SHAKE WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. TURNS OUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS MESSED UP. THE DEALER FOUND LOTS OF METAL IN THE PAN. REBUIT THE BROKEN PARTS @ 15,000 MILES NOT A NEW ONE JUST REBUILT. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10066521April 19, 2004
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
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 OF A 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. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10066001April 12, 2004
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
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.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10064129March 29, 2004
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH
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.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10063582March 22, 2004
SUSPENSION
WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS VEHICLE VIBRATED SO HARD THAT THE DASHBOARD RATTLED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056963February 10, 2004
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
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.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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