1999 Chevrolet Silverado

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Defect Petition DP10-003 on March 2, 2010, requesting the investigation of model year (MY) 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD pickup trucks for corrosion failures of the vehicle brake lines.DP10-003 was granted and on March 30, 2010, Preliminary Evaluation PE10-010 was opened on more than six million model year 1999 through 2003 light trucks and sport utility vehicles manufactured and sold by General Motors Corporation (GM).On July 2, 2010, ODI received GM's response to an information request, which included GM's assessment of the frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect. GM stated that:(1) the brake system of the subject vehicles is split front/rear and should a brake pipe suddenly fail for any reason, the affected vehicle would be capable of stopping with the pressure supplied by the remaining circuit; (2) the subject vehicles were designed to meet the hydraulic circuit partial failure requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 105 and 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems; and (3) should a brake fluid leak occur for any reason, the brake system malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) would illuminate and warn the driver before the brake fluid level was low enough to cause a loss of line pressure.ODI's and GM's analysis indicates that 85 percent of the complaints occurred on vehicles used primarily in States that use salt on the roads during Winter months (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin).Overall the complaint rates per 100,000 vehicles for Salt Belt States is 43.0 and Non-Salt Belt is 3.0.In approximately 25 percent of the complaints the brake pipe failure occurred suddenly, with no warning (i.e., no MIL, Brake Fluid Loss Warning), and resulted in extended stopping distances.In 30 of these the increase in stopping distance that resulted was a factor in the crash and in 10 others the vehicle was intentionally steered off the road or into another lane of travel in order to avoid a crash.This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA11-001) for subject vehicles sold or currently registered in Salt Belt States to further assess the scope, frequency and safety risks associated with sudden failures of corroded brake pipes that can result in decreased brake effectiveness. ODI will continue to gather information on subject vehicles outside the Salt Belt as well.

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 29, 2005, GM NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT WAS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 C/K PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CORROSION THAT MAY RESULT IN UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKING (RECALL 05V-379).GM'S RECALL COVERS APPROXIMATELY 804,000 VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING 14 SALT-BELT STATES:CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, AND WEST VIRGINIA.THE RECALL PROCEDURE WILL INVOLVE REMOVING THE SENSOR, CLEANING THE MOUNTING SURFACE, APPLYING A RUST INHIBITOR (ZINC-X) TO THE SURFACE, AND REINSTALLING THE SENSOR.IF NECESSARY, THE SENSOR WILL BE REPLACED. THE POPULATION AND FAILURE REPORT DATA GIVEN IN THIS RESUME ARE FOR THE FULL REGION THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY ODI AS THE SALT-BELT.THAT INCLUDES DELAWARE, IOWA, MARYLAND, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN ADDITION TO THE 14 STATES INCLUDED IN 05V-379.THE STATES COVERED BY GM'S RECALL HAVE THE HIGHEST INCIDENT RATES FOR THE SUBJECT CONDITION, ACCOUNTING FOR 91% OF THE INCIDENTS, BUT ONLY 24% OF SUBJECT VEHICLE SALES IN THE UNITED STATES.ODI'S ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT 840 OF THE COMPLAINTS, 244 OF THE CRASHES, AND 16 OF THE INJURIES IDENTIFIED IN THIS INVESTIGATION OCCURRED IN THOSE STATES.THE RESULTING INCIDENT AND CRASH RATES ARE 96.2 AND 28.0 PER 100,000 VEHICLES RESPECTIVELY (NOTE:RATES ARE BASED ON VEHICLE SALES, NOT REGISTERED VEHICLES). THE CORRESPONDING NUMBERS IN THE EXCLUDED PORTIONS OF THE SALT-BELT ARE 399,000 VEHICLES, 81 INCIDENTS (20.3 PER 100,000 VEHICLES), 3 CRASHES, AND NO INJURIES.THE STATISTICS IN THE REMAINING 30 STATES ARE 2,406,000 VEHICLES, 168 INCIDENTS (7.0 PER 100,000 VEHICLES), 31 CRASHES, AND ONE INJURY.GM AND ODI ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE PROBLEM EXPERIENCE IN STATES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.GM WILL PROVIDE ODI WITH UPDATED COMPLAINT, FIELD REPORT, AND WARRANTY DATA IN NOVEMBER 2005.ODI AND GM WILL REVIEW THAT DATA AND ASSESS THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE CURRENT SCOPE OF THE RECALL AT THAT TIME.

The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V097000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the driver's side seat belt was not functioning properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver's side seat belt assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 418,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11614850

Incident

Sep 16, 2024

Mileage

418,000 mi

The contact owned a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, he dozed off as the vehicle drifted off to the right shoulder of the highway. The contact regained alertness once the vehicle drove over the highway's rumble strip. As the contact attempted to regain control of the vehicle; the vehicle crashed into a tree. The contact's face smashed into the steering wheel as both the driver's seat belt shoulder strap and the driver's air bag failed to operate as needed. Moments after smashing his head into the steering, the contact stated that the air bag deployed with a delay which caused severe cuts to the contact's face. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance where he was treated for multiple severe injuries. Due to the air bag failure, the contact suffered a severe laceration that started from the right corner of the contact's mouth and extended to the contact's left earlobe. The contact suffered another laceration that started from the center of his bottom lip and curved down to the left side of his chin. In addition, the contact suffered a right orbital socket fracture, two vertebrae fractures in the neck, a torn right shoulder, multiple torn tendons in the right arm and five broken teeth. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent tow yard where it was destroyed. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11612838

Incident

Oct 29, 2017

Mileage

160,000 mi

DRIVING ALONG ROAD, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP. UPON INSPECTION, DISCOVERED THAT THE HYDRAULIC LINE GOING FROM THE ABS MODULE TO THE REAR BRAKES HAD RUPTURED DUE TO CORROSION. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT ALL OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINES ARE SWOLLEN AND CORRODED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE AND MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $1200. MY TRUCK HAS NOT MOVED SINCE, AS I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10809995

Incident

Jul 15, 2014

Mileage

230,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000. UPDATED 1/14/16 LN UPDATED 02/12/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA ID

10795128

Incident

Nov 20, 2015

Mileage

176,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOUD CRACKING NOISE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE ABNORMAL. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS FRACTURED IN TWO AREAS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000.

NHTSA ID

10787318

Incident

Sep 15, 2015

Mileage

168,000 mi

I CAME OUT TO MY TRUCK ONE DAY AND THE CAB WAS TOUCHING THE BACK OF MY BOX. I LOOK UNDER IT AND THE FRAME WAS BROKEN AND RUSTED OUT ON BOTH SIDE BY THE GAS TANK. VEHICLE I'D BEYOND REPAIR AND NOT DRIVABLE. ONLY HAS 181XXX MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ID

10780239

Incident

Aug 10, 2015

Mileage

18,100 mi

WHILE APPROACHING INTERSECTION PUT ON BRAKES AND THEY FAILED, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. IF I HAD NOT BEEN A TEST DRIVER FOR CHRYSLER CORP. AND DOING LOTS OF BRAKE AND SUSPENSION WORK I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT. THE BRAKE LINES WERE SHOT, RUSTED THROUGH. THIS VEHICLE HAS SPENT IT'S LIFE IN FL. NO SALT ON THE ROAD. I KNOW YOU HAVE RULED ON THIS BEING A RECALL, BUT I THINK YOU MADE A HUGE MISTAKE, SOMEONE WILL BE KILLED BY THIS. THANKS

NHTSA ID

10761469

Incident

Sep 3, 2015

Mileage

170,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO EQUIPPED WITH COOPER DEAN MUD TERRAIN RADIAL SXT, SIZE: 119/116N. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO WOBBLE AND MADE A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE TIRE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,910 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. MA 10/23/15 *CN

NHTSA ID

10745842

Incident

Jul 31, 2015

Mileage

149,910 mi

This technical bulletin provides a procedure to lube the rear leaf springs on vehicles with the condition of a squeak noise originating from the rear of the vehicle.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please communicate to the customer this condition is a normal operating characteristic of their vehicle.

This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.

CHEVROLET/GMC/CADILLAC: ANYTIME HYDRAULIC BRAKE PIPES ASSEMBLY NEED REPLACING, PRE-FORMED AND PRE-FLARED BRAKE PIPES ARE AVAILABLE, EXCEPT REAR AXLE CROSSOVER PIPE. MODEL 1999-2007 SILVERADO, SIERRA, 2000-2006 ESCALADE MODELS, AVALANCHE, SUBURBAN, TAHOE, YUKON MODELS. *PE UPDATED 7/18/14. *PE UPDATED 12/9/14. *PE

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please communicate to the customer this condition is a normal operating characteristic of their vehicle.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the percentage of UV protection or tint offered by the windshield or side glass. Technician should be advised Windshield reduces UV rays down to 4% or less. Front side door glass reduces UV rays down to 35% or less. Windshields are SOLAR glass with a light transmittance of >/=70%. Front door glass are Solar glass with a light transmission of >/=70%. Rear door glass, quarter windows and back windows can use either Solar glass (>/=70%) or Privacy glass, which has a light transmittance of 20%.