Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 24 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Z71, most frequently naming the brakes, airbags and transmission categories. 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 2 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2002 | 2 | 2 |
| Oct 2002 | 2 | 4 |
| Sep 2003 | 2 | 6 |
| Oct 2003 | 1 | 7 |
| Nov 2003 | 1 | 8 |
| Jan 2004 | 1 | 9 |
| Feb 2004 | 1 | 10 |
| Apr 2004 | 1 | 11 |
| Jun 2004 | 1 | 12 |
| Nov 2004 | 2 | 14 |
| Dec 2004 | 1 | 15 |
| Jan 2005 | 1 | 16 |
| Feb 2005 | 1 | 17 |
| Jul 2005 | 1 | 18 |
| Oct 2006 | 1 | 19 |
| Oct 2008 | 1 | 20 |
| Jul 2009 | 1 | 21 |
| Feb 2010 | 1 | 22 |
| Sep 2010 | 1 | 23 |
| Sep 2012 | 1 | 24 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
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.
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
ODI OPENED PE03-057 TO ASSESS PARKING BRAKE INEFFECTIVENESS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FOUR WHEEL DISC BRAKES THAT INCORPORATE A SINGLE-SHOE DRUM-IN-HAT PARKING BRAKE INDEPENDENT OF THE SERVICE BRAKES.COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA INDICATE THAT THE PARKING BRAKE LININGS TEND TO WEAR OUT EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE (AT AN AVERAGE OF 24 MONTHS IN SERVICE), REDUCING THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM'S TORQUE BELOW THAT NEEDED TO IMMOBILIZE THE VEHICLE.GM HAS ATTRIBUTED THIS ACCELERATED WEAR TO FOREIGN MATERIAL INTRUSION AND A FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SHOE TO PROPERLY SELF-CENTER WITHIN ITS BRAKE DRUM.EFFECTIVE WITH THE START OF MY 2003 PRODUCTION, A NEWER REDUCED FORCE HOLD-DOWN CLIP WAS INTRODUCED TO FACILITATE BRAKE SHOE DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE DRUM SURFACE.THIS PART IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE SERVICE LEVEL FOR THE MY 1999-2002 VEHICLES.GM HAS INDICATED THAT THE PAKING BRAKE IS INTENDED TO OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TRANSMISSION TO IMMOBILZE PARKED VEHICLES, AND THAT IN MANY CASES, ACCELERATED PARKING BRAKE LINING WEAR IS CAUSED BY ROUGH USE, VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS, AND DRIVING WITH THE PARKING ENGAGED. ODI HAS UPGRADED THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO GATHER FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING PARKING BRAKE USAGE FACTORS AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE SEVENTEEN REPORTED VEHICLE CRASHES.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
MASTERCRAFT COURSER TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE UNDER NORMAL HIGHWAY CONDITIONS. SIZE 265/70/17 DOT # UT1Y FWB 4306 WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND 5 YEARS OLD. THE SEPARATION CAUSED VEHICLE DAMAGE BUT LUCKILY NO INJURIES. *TR
2002 CHEVROLET 1/2 TON EXT.CAB. Z-71 TRUCK PARKING BRAKE PREMATURELY WORN OUT AND TRUCK SLIPPED FROM PARK AND ROLLED INTO STREET. NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE AT THAT TIME. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW AND IT STARTED FAILING WITHIN 2 YRS OF OWNERSHIP. TOTAL PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. *TR
MY WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN AN CRASH WHEN SHE WENT TO SLEEP WHILE DRIVING HER 2002 Z71 TAHOE. SHE HIT AN OAK TREE DEAD CENTER OF THE FRONT GRILL AND BUMPER. THE DRIVERS AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET Z71. WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANUALLY PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT THE SHIFTING CABLE WAS FAULTY IN THE MANNER IT WAS BOLTED AND MOUNTED ONTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 130,000.
NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, SOUNDS LIKE A SQUEAKY DOOR ONLY LOWER FREQUENCY. TOOK TO DEALER ON MAY 22, 2008, WAS TOLD IT WAS THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS LOOSE. I HAD THIS UNIT CHANGED ON MAY 22,2008. ON JUNE 5, 2008, I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR BRAKE WORK WHICH CONSISTED OF REPLACING REAR BRAKE PADS,ROTORS, & EMERGENCY BRAKE LININGS. SINCE THE STEERING WAS STILL MAKING NOISE I HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT AGAIN, THEY DID AND LUBED THE STEERING SHAFT COVER. STILL MAKES NOISE DOES NOT APPEAR TO AFFECT STEERING. ON EA04011 THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS IS THIS NOW IN EFFECT FOR AUTO TRANSMISSIONS? ON SEPT. 3, 2008, THIS VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT OF EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKETS AND BROKEN BOLTS ON MANIFOLD AND ALSO FOR LEAKING WATER PUMP GASKETS ARE THESE NORMAL WEAR OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS? NO OLD PARTS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION, REPAIR TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR
PARKING BRAKE (E-BRAKES) FAILURE OF CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 Z71 WITH 4-WHEEL DISC ABS BRAKES. TRUCK PURCHASED NEW FROM FAMILY CHEVROLET IN SHINGLE SPRINGS CA. E-BRAKES NEVER WORKED FROM DAY ONE, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS HOW THEY FUNCTIONED DUE TO 4-WHEEL DISC SYSTEM (FROM DEALERSHIP)-WRONG. AFTER ASKING OTHER CHEVY TRUCK OWNERS WITH THE SAME E-BRAKE SYSTEM, THEY TOO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS. I AM VERY SURPRISED THAT GM DID NOT SEND A RECALL NOTICE OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM. THOUGH GM DID SEND OUT A RECALL ON THE TAIL GATE SUPPORT CABLES, I FIND THIS PROBLEM MUCH MORE OF A SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE THE E-BRAKES ARE SUPPOSE TO HOLD BACK A 2 TON VEHICLE OF WHICH IT DOES NOT. A MECHANIC FROM LES SCHWAB TIRES (AND BRAKES) TOLD ME AFTER HE INSPECTED MY E-BRAKE SYSTEM THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM CONTINUOUSLY OCCURS WITH THIS TYPE OF E-BRAKE SYSTEM WITH GM TRUCKS. *NM
2002 Z71 SILVERADO CHEVROLET TRUCK PERTAINING TO ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAILURE: ONE MONTH AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE PROBLEM RESULTED IN UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AND INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKE APPLICATION. GM INDICATED THAT THE CONDITION CAN OCCUR IF CORRISION FORMS UNDER THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND MOVES THE SENSOR AWAY FROM THE INTERGRAL SPEED SENSOR TOOTHED RING. THE CONDITION DOES NOT SET ANY ABS CODES NOR DOES IT ILLUMINATE THE ABS WARNING LAMP. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER'S MALFUNCTION MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.
PREMATURE TOTAL PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILURE. FAILED TEXAS VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION. VEHICLE INSPECTOR INFORMED ME THE SAME FAILURE WAS COMMON AMONG 2002 TRUCKS LIKE MINE AND WARNED OF A COSTLY REPAIR. PARKING BRAKE WAS VERY SELDOM ENGAGED YET BECAME TOTALLY WORN OUT AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO VEHICLE REACHING 50,000 MILES. DEALER ADMITTED TO A POOR DESIGN BUT SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. HE SAID A BULLETIN WAS ISSUED TO REPLACE THE JUNK PART WITH A BEEFED UP VERSION. MY REPAIR COST EXCEEDED $400.*JB
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
GENERAL MOTORS: INFORMATION PROVIDED BY BULLETIN FOR ALL 2012 AND PRIOR GENERAL MOTOR TRUCKS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES REGARDING THE ADJUSTABLE COMFORT AND CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY OF THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER HEAD RESTRAINT. *PE
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS; INTERIOR LIGHTING
IPC, INTERIOR LIGHTS AND/OR HEADLAMPS FLICKER. *AK FB2
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.