Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 48 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.
The 25 most recent of 48, in the owner's own words
FUEL GAUGE WILL DROP TO EMPTY AND FUEL LIGHTS LIGHT COMES ON EVEN THOUGH THERE IS MORE THAN A HALF TANK OF GAS I USUALLY KEEP TANK ONCE IT DROPS TO BELOW A HALF TANK. SOMETIME I JINGLE MY KEYS AND IT WILL GO BACK UP SOMETIMES NOTHING.
I CAN FILL MY TANK UP OF GAS AND IT WILL SAY IT IS ON EMPTY. I HAVE TO USE THE TRIP ALL THE TIME AND THIS HAS EVEN IN HAPPENED ON MY 05 TRAILBLAZER TOO. AND THE SEAT BELTS ON THE 01 LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND EVEN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ALSO PLEASE HELP. *TR
PURCHASED THE USED VEHICLE ORIGINALLY AT 42000 MILES. HAVE TAKEN IMPECCABLE CARE OF IT. ACTUAL DATES OF INCIDENTS ARE UNKNOWN DUE TO THE FACT MOST HAVE BEEN ONGOING. BRAKES FAILED DUE TO ABS. FIXED TWICE BY GM UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL. BOTH FIXES WERE BANDAIDS (DEALER CLEANED AND APPLIED A "SPECIAL" GREASE TWICE, THEY NEVER REPLACED THE ABS SENSORS. THIRD FIX I PAID OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE THE SENSORS, AND SINCE THEN THE ABS HAS BEEN OK. BRAKES FAILED DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION (ALL LINES AND 2 CALIPERS HAD TO BE REPLACED. FUEL PUMP FAILED, FUEL LINES FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION, FUEL TANK STRAPS FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND CORROSION. SLOW LEAKS IN 3 OF 4 WHEELS DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND CORROSION IN THE RIMS. *TR
DRIVING DOWN I25 IN COLORADO TRUCK SIMPLY QUIT RUNNING WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER PULLING OVER TO SIDE OF HWY. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE, OFTEN TWICE A DAY, ONE OR TWO TIME GOING TO WORK AND THE SAME GOING HOME. VERY OFTEN THE TRUCK RESTARTS RIGHT AWAY, BUT SOMETIMES IT HAS TO SET FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL RESTART. THE ENGINE QUITTING PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM HWY SPEEDS TO SLOW CITY DRIVING. IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED AT TIMES WHEN LEAVING A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. *TR
THERE WAS NO FIRE, BUT GIVEN THE YES OR NO....THERE VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE LOCATION OF THE PROBLEM. SO I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REMOVED BECAUSE OF AN EARLIER FAULT WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND A LINE BLOW OUT...AND WITH THE TRANSMISSION REMOVED I COULD SEE CLEARLY THAT THE 3 GASOLINE LINES WERE BADLY RUSTED. GIVEN THAT THESE LINES RUN FROM THE FUEL TANK, ALONG THE FRAME THAN UP AND OVER THE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION IN THE AREA OF THE MUFFLER AS WELL AND THAN BEHIND THE ENGINE TO UP AND OVER AND INTO THE ENGINE,...THESE GASOLINE LINES WERE CLEARLY NOT MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL AND THEY SHOULD BE...THE EXTREME DANGER OF A GASOLINE LINE LEAK, EXPLOSION AND FIRE IS VERY REAL. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING SAFE FUEL LINES ON THESE VEHICLES. I ALREADY SEEN WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH CHEVY'S SIDE MOUNTED FUEL TANKS. I STRONGLY REQUEST THAT NTSB FORCE ALL VEHICLE MAKERS TO PUT STAINLESS STEEL OR HEAT RESISTANT RUBBER FUEL LINES ON ALL VEHICLES IN CANADA/USA AND FORCE A RECALL ON ALL THOSE THAT DON'T. *TR
2001 CHEVY SILVERADO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON FRAME AND BRAKE LINES AT LOW MILEAGE. *SMD THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED THE FUEL LINES WERE CORRODED.
PURCHASED BRANDNEW AND BABIED SINCE. FUEL PUMP FAILED 4 YEARS AFTER, NO COMPLAINTS, IT HAPPENS, DEALER REPLACED WITH SAME LASTED 9 MONTHS, DEALER DID NOT WARRANT PUMP, DEALER REPLACED WITH ACDELCO ( I MADE SURE) LASTED 1.5 YEARS AND LEFT ME STRANDED. ANOTHER PUMP LASTED 2 YEARS, THIS TIME THE DEALER OFFERED AFTERMARKET, I STUCK WITH AC DELCO AND FAILED LAST YEAR 2010. ANOTHER AC DELCO IN THE TANK AND TODAY 2011 DEC 25 IT FAILED. MY TRUCK IS LIKE BRAND NEW, AND ONLY USE HI TEST GAS, THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE FUEL PUMPS, A MAJOR ISSUE FOR ME. *TR
BRAKE LINES AND FUEL LINE ON DRIVER SIDE RAIL RUSTED OUT CAUSING MY BRAKES TO FAIL WHILE DRIVING ON MY STREET ALMOST HITTING KID ON BIKE. *TR
I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK USED AND EACH TIME THE TRUCK IS BELOW 1/4 OF A TANK OR FILLED UP THE FUEL GUAGE BOUNCES BETWEEN FULL AND EMPTY CAUSING THE "LOW FUEL LIGHT" TO COME ON. IT WILL READ RIGHT ONCE IT'S AT 3/4 AND DOWN TO 1/4 OF A TANK FOR THAT 1/2 OF A TANK OF FUEL OTHERWISE IT JUST BOUNCES CONSTIANTLY BETWEEN FULL AND EMPTY EVEN IF I JUST FILLED IT. I SPOKE WITH THE PRIOR OWNER AND HE SAID THE PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 3 OR SO YEARS AGO AT 75,000 TO 80,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. *TT
ON THE 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO I OWN THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ THE RIGHT AMOUNT IT SHOWS FULL THEN EMPTY. MY FAMILY HAS 4 OF THESE MODEL TRUCKS ALL TOGETHER AND ALL OF THEM ARE DOING THE SAME THING. WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY FUEL GAUGE READ HALF A TANK AND I RAN OUT OF FUEL IN THE LEFT LANE. MY VEHICLE WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A SEMI TRUCK. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE CAUSING A ACCIDENT. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM ON ALOT OF THESE MODEL TRUCKS. *TR
THE ABS AND PARKING BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON AT RANDOM. THERE IS NOISE FROM THE FRONT TIRES WHEN YOU MAKE A TURN, THE BRAKES I WOULD ASSUME. THE BRAKE PAD HAVE BEEN CHANGED. THE GAS LIGHT FLIPS BACK AND FORTH FROM FULL TO EMPTY, HAVE TO USE THE MILEAGE TO KNOW WHEN TO GET GAS. AND THE GAS PEDAL STICKS, NOT GOOD IN TRAFFIC. *TR
2001 SILVERADO 4-WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK WITH GAS GAUGE FLUCTUATED WHEN THE GAS TANK FELL BELOW HALF FULL.**CC THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD SHE WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE AN ENTIRE MODULE WHICH INCLUDED A FUEL PUMP BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE TWO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS THE CONSUMER WENT TO, IN ORDER TO GET TO THE GAS GAUGE, THE FUEL PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED SO THE DEALER WOULD JUST REPLACE EVERYTHING AS A MODULE. *JB
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SILVERADO PICKUP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EVERY 2000 TO 3000 MILES WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH THE ENGINE WOULD LOSE POWER MOMENTARILY, AND THEN START BACK UP. THE CONTACT WOULD SOMETIMES HAVE TO PULL OVER ON THE ROAD AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE BECAME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT DEALERS, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE IGNITION AND HAD IT REPAIRED, AFTER BEING TOLD HE WOULD BE REIMBURSED THE CONTACT HAS NOT RECEIVED THE REIMBURSEMENT. ALSO THE BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHTS TURN ON INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES. THIS FAILURE HAD OCCURRED TEN TIMES.*AK THE TRANSMISSION, FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNIT, THE RIGHT POWER WINDOW ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 03/07/07. *JB
GAS GAGE READS EMPTY WHEN IDLE FOR PROLONG PERIOD OF TIME. LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE I FIND THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. CHECKED INTO THE COST OF REPAIRS IT IS OVER $500.00 FOR THE PART AND ANOTHER $500.00 FOR THE LABOR TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY GM SINCE THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM EXISTS. INSTEAD THEY ARE PROFITING OFF THE CONSUMER WITH HIGH REPLACEMENT AND LABOR CHARGES. WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN IN DEPTH INVESTIGATION OF THIS COMPLAINT. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD BECOME HARD TO START. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A MECHANIC, THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE FUEL PUMP, AND FOUND A BURNT WIRE IN THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY THE DEALERSHIP.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER LEAVING THE VEHICLE IDLING THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM SOUND HEARD. THE TEMPERATURE THAT DAY WAS 47 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE A PROBLEM AT FIRST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL WORKING. AFTER DRIVING TO A FILLING STATION, THERE WAS A FUEL LEAKAGE DISCOVERED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A VISIBLE SPLIT IN THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FUEL TANK, PUMP AND HEAT SHIELD WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ORIGINAL FUEL TANK HAD A CRACK THREE FEET LONG IN THE TOP. THERE WERE WIRES AROUND THE FUEL PUMP THAT HAD MELTED. ALTHOUGH THE FUEL TANK HAD NEVER BEEN REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED IN OCTOBER OF 2005.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05379000 CONCERNING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. IN ADDITION THE FUEL GAUGE INTERMITTENTLY READ THE FUEL TANK AS EMPTY WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL AND THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATES A LOW FUEL MESSAGE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK UPDATED 1/25/2006 - *NM
SAME AS CASE # 10127210. GAS GAUGE WILL DROP TO EMPTY DURING STOPPED IDLE AT LIGHTS OR IDLING IN PARK. CAUSES LOW FUEL LIGHT TO COME ON. ONCE VEHICLE IS SHAKEN DURING FORWARD MOTION GAUGE WILL BOUNCE BACK TO CORRECT POSITION. (WEB SITE REFERING IS MYCARSTATS.COM) HAVE FOUND ANOTHER MASS RESIDENT WITH SAME PROBLEM ALSO. *NM
DT: CONTACT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE ON HER VEHICLE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ALSO, A LIGHT STAYED ON IN THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT RAN OUT OF GAS THREE TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND FOUND TO HAVE A FAULTY FUEL FILTER. AFTER, THE FILTER WAS CHANGED THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AGAIN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE DEALER CHANGED THE FUEL INJECTORS. THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING NO PROBLEMS AT THIS TIME. HE TALKED TO GM, AND THEY OFFERED NO FREE REPAIR OR REMEDY.*AK
FUEL GAUGE STOPS WORKING OR GIVES INACCURATE READINGS. TRUCK RUNS OUT OF GAS BECAUSE OF THESE READINGS. LEAVING THE TRUCK STRANDED IN THE ROAD. *NM
LOW FUEL LIGHT COMES ON WHEN DRIVING EVEN WHEN TANK IS FULL. *NM
THE ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT COME ON AT ANY TIME DURING NORMAL DRIVING. HOWEVER, IT CAN NEVER BE CHECKED BECAUSE IT DOES NOT SAVE IT IN THE COMPUTER MEMORY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THIS MEANS I HAVE NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS VERY SERIOUS ALSO. THE FUEL GAUGE IS ERRATIC AND INACCURATE. I FEAR THAT I MAY RUN OUT OF FUEL AT SOME POINT BECAUSE OF THIS. THEN I MAY BE STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CURRENTLY HAVE TO TRACK MY MILEAGE WITH THE TRIP METER TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. THROUGH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I REALIZE THESE ARE VERY COMMON ON THIS VEHICLE AND GM REFUSES TO RECALL IT.
I OWN A 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO 4.8L PICKUP, PURCHASED NEW IN MAY 2001. FOR THE PAST YEAR, WHENEVER I FILL THE FUEL TANK THE GAUGE IMMEDIATELY GOES TO EMPTY AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT COMES ON. THE ONLY WAY TO ACCURATELY KNOW HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE TANK IS TO RESET THE TRIP ODOMETER AT EACH FILL UP. THIS APPARENTLY IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON CHEVY PICKUPS AS I'VE TALKED TO NUMEROUS CHEVY TRUCK OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS OCCURS ON SEVERAL DIUFFERENT MODEL YEAR TRUCKS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO CHEVY SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, WHO SUGGEST OWNERS LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM UNTIL YOU NEED TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP, BECAUSE THE SENDING UNIT IS INSIDE THE GAS TANK ALONG WITH THE PUMP. THIS REPAIR IS IN THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS BECAUSE IT INVOLVES EITHER DROPPING THE GAS TANK OR REMOVING THE BED TO GET TO THE AFFECTED PARTS. I BELIEVE THAT CHEVROLET SHOULD ORDER A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM AND REPAIR IT AT NO CHARGE TO OWNERS. A NON FUNCTIONING GAS GAUGE IS AN ANNOYANCE AT THE LEAST, AND DANGEROUS AT THE WORST IF DRIVERS WERE TO RUN OUT OF FUEL ON A CROWDED STREET OR HIGHWAY, OR BE STRANDED WITHOUT FUEL IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE FACT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN FOR SOME TIME INDICATES GM IS UNWILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE OWNERS' REPAIRS. THANK YOU.
WHILE SITTING STILL OR DRIVING FUEL GAUGE MOVES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN FULL AND EMPTY, REGUARDLESS OF AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK.FUEL LIGHT COMES ON WHEN IT MOVES TO EMPTY. PROBLEM STARTED AT ABOUT 65,000 MILES.
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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