Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
ABS kicks in constantly at low speeds in dry conditions. This causes longer stopping distances. The ABS grinds or vibrates interfering with normal braking situations. Many near miss collisions at low speeds. The manufacturer should be responsible and replace all the ABS sensors. I purchased this truck brand new in 2002.
USING THE KEY THE IGNITION TURNS ON AND TRUCK STARTS AS IT SHOULD, ANYTIME THE KEY THEN COULD BE TAKEN OUT OF THE IGNITION AT ANYTIME. IGNITION CAN BE CLICKED BACK TO ACCESSORY AND THE KEY CAN FALL OUT WHEN DRIVING. NOTE CHANGING FROM RUN TO ACCESSORY IT EASILY DONE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS LOOSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, SHE RAN OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BURNS AND INJURIES TO HER RIBS, STERNUM, AND PELVIC. THE INJURIES WERE FATAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *TR *BF*JB*DT MEDICAL RECORD XXXXXXXXXXXX CERTIFICATION OF TITLE NO XXXXXXXXXXXX ('PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB
THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ENGAGES AT SLOW SPEEDS CAUSING INABILITY TO STOP. THE ROAD SURFACE DOES NOT MATTER, WET, DRY, DIRT OR PAVED, IT IS A FAILING SYSTEM. THIS WAS A RANDOM PROBLEM, NOW IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THE SYSTEM WILL MAKE A RATCHETING SOUND THEN A GRINDING BEFORE AS YOU COME TO A STOP. YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO LET OFF THE BRAKE AND REAPPLY PRESSURE HOPING IT WORKS. I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH SMALL CHILDREN RUNNING AROUND EVERYWHERE. I WOULD HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THESE BRAKES FAILED ME WHEN I REALLY NEEDED THEM.
LIGHTING FOR GEAR AND MILEAGE INDICATOR HAS BEEN GOING OUT INTERMITTENTLY.
I PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY AND PUT CAR IN PARK, LEFT ENGINE RUNNING. WENT TO DOOR OF RESIDENCE TO GET MY KIDS. KIDS WENT OUT TO THE CAR AND WERE YELLING FIRE! I SEEN THE INSIDE UP IN SMOKE. I REACHED INSIDE TO TURN ENGINE OFF. WE THEN STARTED POURING BUCKETS OF WATER INTO SEAT AND ON FLOOR AROUND THE SEAT TO TRY TO PREVENT SPREAD OF THE FIRE. I LUCKILY PUT THE FIRE OUT. FIRE DEPT UNHOOKED BATTERY AND REMOVED MELTED PLASTIC AROUND SEAT. IT SEEMS A WIRE SOMEHOW SHORTED OUT BENEATH SEAT AND CAUGHT THE SEAT AND FLOOR ON FIRE.
MY CAR IS OLD BUT IT HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE, AND I KEEP UP WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGE APPOINTMENTS. I CAME OUT OF WALMART AFTER BUYING GROCERIES AND WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO TURN OVER, BUT IT WOULDN'T ACTUALLY START. AFTER 30 MINUTES OF SITTING IN THE CAR TRYING TO GET IT TO START IT FINALLY STARTED. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY CLEANED THE BATTERY CABLES IN HOPES OF RELIEVING THE PROBLEM. NOW A WEEK LATER IT DID IT AGAIN 2 TIMES IN THE SAME DAY. *TR
IGNITION SWITCH WON'T START ENGINE. REPLACED SWITCH AND HAD NO IMPROVEMENT. TURNING KEY SEVERAL TIMES MAY RESULT IN STARTING OR NOT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DELAY IN IGNITION WHEN IT DOES START. AN ON-LINE REVIEW SHOWS I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN I OR MY WIFE USES VEHICLE TO SHOP AND RISKS BEING SUBJECT TO PREDATORS IN PARKING LOTS WHEN TRUCK WON'T START. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD SUDDENLY RETRACT AND PREVENT THE CONTACT FROM MOVING. ALSO, THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE IGNITION KEY BECAME LODGED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED. IN ADDITION, THE ABS SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS PUMP MOTOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000.
ON DECEMBER 19TH 2013 WAS AT A CLASS FOR WORK ABOUT 65 MILES FROM HOME, WHEN CAME OUT OF CLASS AND TRUCK WOULD NOT START KEEP GETTING SECURITY LIGHT FLASHING IN THE INFORMATION WINDOW. LATER FOUND OUT THIS CUT THE GAS OF FROM SOMEONE STEALING THE VEHICLE, BUT I HAD THE ORIGINAL KEY TO THE TRUCK. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO MY HOME 65 MILES AWAY. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE TRUCK FOR ME AND SAID HE BELIEVED HE HAD FIXED IT BY REPLACING THE IGNITION WIRING HARNESS. TRUCK WORKED GREAT UNTIL RECENT I WAS TRAVELING DOWN A THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH AND THE KEY TO THE VEHICLE FELL OUT OF THE IGNITION ONTO THE FLOOR, LUCKY FOR ME THE VEHICLE STAYED RUNNING. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN LOOKING AT THE IGNITION AND HAVE FOUND THAT ANY POSITION THAT THE KEY IS IN RATHER IT BE RUNNING OR AUXILIARY THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. ALSO THE TRUCK IS BACK TO SHOWING THE SECURITY LIGHT FLASHING IN THE INFORMATION CENTER AND TRUCK WILL NOT START. I HAVE TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE ON POSITION AND WAIT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE TRUCK WILL START. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH CHEVY!!!!!!! *TR
WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE THE GAS GAUGE WENT TO FULL THEN BACK TO 0. LATER WHEN I WENT TO USE THE TOW/HAUL IT WOULD NOT WORK, IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE ODOMETER AND SHIFT INDICATOR STOPPED WORKING. *TR
THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH SECURITY SYSTEM OR PASS LOCK.I SOMETIMES HAVE TO WAIT UP TO 2 HOURS BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE SECURITY SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. WHEN THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE ENGINE THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING BECAME DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY. THE ALTERNATOR WAS DIAGNOSED AND WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED REPEATEDLY. THE CONTACT DETECTED THAT THE FAILURES WERE CONTRIBUTED TO THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000.
I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY FIRE. LATER I NOTICED THE 5 SP AC FAN SWITCH ON MY 2002 CHEVY SILVERADO WAS ONLY WORKING FOR SPEEDS 3-5. WHEN I WENT TO THE CHEVY DEALER THEY SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE WIRING AND BLOWER RESISTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR
POSITIVE SIDE POST ON AC DELCO BATTERY CORRODED OFF AND LEAKED SULFURIC ACID ALL OVER TRUCK. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 CHEVY 4X4 PICKUP THAT HAS INTRMITENT NO BRAKES AT SLOW SPEED 3 TO 10 MILES PER HOUR IT HAS HAPENED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS . THEY TELL ME THE FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSORS ARE TO BLAME ?
ABS RECALL FOR 2002 CHEVY PICKUPS ISSUED IN SEP 2005. ISSUE WAS WHILE I WAS IN SLOW MOVING 3 TO 5 MPH ABS SYSTEM WOULD ACTIVATE AND CAN CAUSE A POTENTIAL CRASH. RECALL WAS TO PERFORM A INSPECTION OF THE ABS SYSTEM. CLEAN AND APPLY A RUST PREVENTIVE AND CONFIRM SENSOR WAS RECEIVING PROPER SIGNAL. MY PICKUP WAS SERVICED AT OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN NOVEMBER 2005. THIS PICKUP WAS NOT HAVING ANY ISSUES WITH ABS SYSTEM AT THAT TIME OF SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP CHANGE OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE SENSOR (DUE TO RUST) AND PERFORMED THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. NOW 36,000 MILES LATER I ALMOST HAD TWO ACCIDENTS IN THE SAME DAY DUE TO THE ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATION WHILE STOPPING IN SLOW SPEED. (I CAN DETAIL THE POTENTIAL ACCIDENT LATER) THE ABS WAS ONLY COMING ON AT RANDOM AND NOT ALL THE TIME. I FOUND OUT FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND G.M. ONCE THE PICKUP WAS SERVICE THE RECALL HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE ANY OTHER ISSUES IF UP TO THE OWNER TO TAKE CARE OF. MY COMPLAINT IS IN JUST CLEANING AND PUTTING RUST PREVENTIVE IN PLACE IS NOT A LONG TERM FIX BUT ONLY TEMPORARY FIX AND THE SAFETY ISSUE STILL EXIST IN THE SALT BELT STATES. THE TEST METHOD IS TO HOOKING THE SYSTEM UP TO A DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION. THIS TEST SHOWED THE SENSOR WAS DROPPING OFF AT A LOW RPM AND CAUSING THE ABS TO ACTIVE. THE ISSUE CAN BE CAUSED BY RUST COATING THE SENSOR FACE OR THE RECEIVER FACE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS PLANNING TO CHANGE THE SENSOR BEFORE EVEN TESTING TO BE DEFECTIVE. BECAUSE IT IS LIKELY THE SENSOR WILL BE DAMAGED IN THE REMOVAL PROCESS. MY POINT IS, THIS CAN AND WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND IS A HIGH RISK TO DAMAGE. PROPERTY, PERSONS. IN THIS CASE THE RECALL FIX ONLY LASTED 36,000 MILES. I ONLY HAVE 86,000 MILE TOTAL ON THIS PICKUP. MY FAMILY AND OTHER FAMILIES ARE AT RISK WITH OUT A PERMANANT FIX TO THIS ABS SYSTEM. IS A ONE TIME RECALL FIX THE NORMAL WITH OEM'S ON RECALL EVEN THOUGHT THE FIX DID NOT FULLY FIX THE RECALL ISSUE? PLEASE REVIEW AND GET BACK WITH ME. *TR
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, NOISE CAME FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, VEHICLE SIGNIFICANTLY LOST POWER. DRIVER COULD NOT SHUT OFF ENGINE....STARTER WAS TRYING TO CRANK ENGINE-EVEN WHEN IGNITION WAS IN SHUT OFF POSITION. ENGINE SUDDENLY DID NOT HAVE FULL POWER. SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL CONTINUED TO INCREASE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH NO WAY TO SHUT OFF ENGINE. GM RELAY #12193614 WAS REPLACED, AS WELL AS BURNT OUT STARTER. RELAY IS AVAILABLE TO NHTSA. GM WAS NOT INTERESTED ACCESSING PART WHEN OFFERED TO THEM. *TR
ODOMETER, AND SHIFT INDICATOR GOES OUT, AND YOU CANNOT TELL WHAT GEAR YOU ARE IN OR YOUR MILEAGE. WARRENTY REPLACED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. BUT NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THE CLUSTER WAS BAD AGAIN AND NEEDED REPLACING. BUT IT GOES OFF AND STAYS OFF FOR A WEEK OR LONGER AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW ITS BACK ON AGAIN.I HAVE UNPLUGGED THE CONNECOR FROM THE CLUSTER AND REPLUGGED IT IN AND THE CLUSTER WOULD WORK AGAIN, ONLY FOR A SHORT WHILE. LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS HAS TOLD ME THEY HAVE BEEN REGULARLY REPLACING THESE CLUSTERS. THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTALLY PLACING TRANSMISSION IN WRONG GEARS, CAUSING INJURY AND ACCIDENTS.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED THE VEHICLE AND THE GARAGE DOORS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE RESPONDED TO THE EMERGENCY CALL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE FUSE BOX CAUSED THE FIRE. THE REPORTS WERE PREPARED BY BOTH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. PICTURES WERE TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 9/27/2006 - *NM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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