2002 GMC Sierra 2500

COMPLAINT REPORTS ALLEGE POOR WELD QUALITY AND/OR BENDING OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER.THE AGENCY'S INVESTIGATION INCLUDED ANALYSIS OF MANUFACTURER AND AGENCY INCIDENT REPORTS, REVIEW OF POLICE REPORTS, ANALYSIS OF THE AGENCY'S FATAL ANALYSIS REPORTING SYSTEM, A VEHICLE OWNER SURVEY, INSPECTION OF TOW VEHICLES/HITCHES AND ANALYSIS OF FAILED PARTS.INCIDENTS OF WELD FAILURE WERE RARE AND ASSOCIATED WITH VERY LOW-SPEED DRIVING (TURNING, BACKING AND SUDDEN STOPPING).INCIDENTS OF BENDING WERE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROPER TRAILER HITCH ADJUSTMENT OR OVERLOADING. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.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 THIS ISSUE AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH FILE FOR ADDITION INFORMATION.

GM PROVIDED ADDITIONAL DATA REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF FAILURE OF THE TRAILER HITCH.ODI REVIEWED THAT AS WELL AS OTHER DATA PROVIDED BY PEER MANUFACTURERS.BASED ON OUR REVIEW, ODI FINDS THE NEED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-013) FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT AND STUDY OF THIS ISSUE.

THE PRELIMINARY EVAULATION IS BEING UPGRADED.DURING THE EA ODI WILL LIMITITS INVESTIGATION TO ONLY THOSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HYDRO-BOOST SYSTEM, WHICH PROVIDES POWER ASSIST TO THE BRAKING AND STEERING SYTEMS.VACCUUM BRAKE BOOSTER VEHICLES ARE EXCLUDED.ODI HASEXPANDED THE SCOPE OF THE EA TO INCLUDE MODEL YEARS2003 AND 2004, ASDURING THE PE, ODI LEARNED THAT THE HYDROBOAST PUMPS WERE MODIFIED IN FEBRAURY 2004.THEREFORE,ODI HAS EXPANDED THE SCOPE TO INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL MODEL YEARS.ODI'S IS CONCERNED BECAUSE THISISA SUDDEN FAILURE THAT AFFECTS TWO CRITICAL SYSTEMS OF THE VEHICLE, BRAKES AND STEERING, AT THE SAME TIME.THE ABILITY OF THE OPERATOR TO HANDLE THE DUAL FAILURES IS A CONCERN. FURTHER, THESE VEHICLES TEND TO BE WORK VEHICLES, WITH SOME OVER 10,000 POUNDS GVWR AND MANY EQUIPPED TO PULL LARGE TRAILERS.DUAL FAILURES OF HEAVILY LOADED VEHICLES AND VEHICLES PULLING TRAILERS FURTHER INCREASES THE SAFETY RISK.ODI PLANS TO CONDUCT TESTING TO QUANTIFY THE BRAKING AND STEERING PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION AND THE IMPACT ON SAFE VEHICLE CONTROL, WHEN A HYDROBOAST PUMP FAILS.

We were in a roll over accident going under 30mph. I was a passenger in the back seat. When I woke up I saw that the driver was hanging out the door window. The air bags did not deploy. The driver who was also the owner of the truck died of multiple blunt forces. The insurance company had the truck towed to COPART in Las Vegas.

NHTSA ID

11501826

Incident

Aug 26, 2022

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WE HIT BLACK ICE AND ULTIMATELY ENDED UP WITH A FRONT IMPACT WHICH TURNED INTO A 2 TIME VEHICLE ROLLOVER. BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS AND BUCKLED DURING THE ROLLOVER AND DID NOT LOCK AND NEITHER OF THE AIRBAGS IN FRONT WHEN OFF AT ANY POINT DURING THE COLLISION

NHTSA ID

11183266

Incident

Feb 25, 2019

Mileage

247,500 mi

I PURCHASE THIS TRUCK 2/03/17 AND HAVE USED IT UNTIL 2 WEEKS AGE WHEN THE BRAKE LINES BROKE IN MY DRIVEWAY, I AM HAVING THE LINES REPLACED WITH STAINLESS LINES AT A COST OF ABOUT $1200 ( I AM NOT SURE OF THE TOTAL COST BECAUSE IT ALSO NEEDS A ANTILOCK BRAKING PUMP WHICH WAS BADLY CORRODED) THE FUEL LINGS ARE ALSO RUSTED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AND ALSO THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST TO BE DETERMINED LATER. I HAVE A 1953 CHEVY PICKUP THAT STILL HAS GOOD BRAKE LINES AND THE FRAME IS IN BETTER SHAPE THAN THE NEWER ONES, IF GM LOOKED TO THE PAST AT THE MATERIALS & METHODS THEY MIGHT BUILD A BETTER PRODUCT RATHER THAN THE GARBAGE THEY PRODUCE NOW! I AM GLAD I DIDN'T PAY $30-$60,000 FOR THIS TRUCK.

NHTSA ID

11052388

Incident

Nov 21, 2017

Mileage

136,000 mi

THE TUBULAR FRAME THAT SUPPORTS BOTH THE GAS TANK AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE SHOCK ABSORBER EXTREMELY RUSTS OUT CAUSING THE FRAME TO EVENTUALLY DISCONNECT FROM ITSELF AND ALLOW THE GAS TANK TO DROP AND/OR THE SHOCK TO DISCONNECT FROM THE AXLE, BOTH IN WHICH MAY CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

10959808

Incident

Mar 3, 2017

Mileage

200,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING OF A CITY STREET, AT A SLOW RATE (10-15MPH) AND TAKING A SLOW, APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN, I HEARD A LOUD "POPPING/BREAKING SOUND". WHILE MAKING THE TURN, I INITIALLY HAD TURNING CAPABILITIES UNTIL I HEARD THE "POP" SOUND. UPON HEARING THE SOUND, I NO LONGER HAD THE ABILITY TO TURN THE WHEELS TO EITHER DIRECTION. UPON STOPPING AND TURNING OFF THE TRUCK, I FOUND THE PITMAN ARM(CONNECTED TO STEERING BOX AND STEERING BAR) WAS DETACHED FROM THE STEERING BAR BUT STILL ATTACHED TO STEERING BOX. THE BOLT OF THE PITMAN ARM HAD BROKEN OFF CLEANLY FROM THE STEERING BAR, RENDERING MY STEERING CAPABILITIES INEFFECTUAL. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE OF THE PITMAN ARM SHEERED BOLT. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT THAT THIS DEFECTIVE PIECE OF MATERIAL COULD HAVE COST DAMAGE TO LIFE, PROPERTY AND POTENTIALLY DEATH OF MYSELF OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I WOULD LIKE SOME FORM OF RESTITUTION ON PART OF THE MANUFACTURE. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS APPROXIMATELY $225 USD. I CAN PROVIDE THE BILL FOR TOWING, MECHANICAL REPAIRS AND COST OF REPLACEMENT PART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10936174

Incident

Dec 15, 2016

Mileage

240,000 mi

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGE ON DRY PAVEMENT JUST PRIOR TO COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP.

NHTSA ID

10927476

Incident

Nov 22, 2016

Mileage

119,618 mi

I HAVE OWNED MANY GM TRUCKS, AND NEVER HAD ONE WITH SO MANY RUSTED OUT BRAKE LINES. WHY CAN'T THEY MAKE THEM WITH STAINLESS STEEL LINES. THEY SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN FRONT AND BACK LINES GO AT THE SAME TIME, I WILL TELL YOU, NO BRAKES ! THIS IS THE WORST ONE WITH THE RUST THAT I HAVE HAD. 3 LINES RUST OUT ON THE GMC 2500 HD (2002) WITH MORE TO COME, I HAVE 25,000 MILES ON THIS TRUCK. THE FIRST LINE WENT ABOUT 15,000 MILES. ALSO I ONLY GOT ABOUT 5,000 MILES ON THOSE FIRESTONE TIRES, CHEAP TIRES COME WITH THIS TRUCK. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THE FRAME IS RUSTING, HAD TO HAVE THE CABLE REPLACED THAT SHIFTS THE TRUCK INTO GEAR, IT RUSTED OUT. I GO TO THE CAR WASH AND ALWAYS WASH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK TO GET ALL THE DIRT AND SALT OFF EVERY CHANCE I GET. WHEN I GOT THE GMC I WAS TOLD BY THE GMC GARAGE NOT TO HAVE THE TRUCK UNDERCOATED BECAUSE IT WOULD VOID THE WARRANTY ON IT. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE CABLES REPLACED ON THE TAIL GATE DUE TO RUST. VERY SAD ABOUT THIS GMC TRUCK. EVERYTHING IS RUSTING. I SHOULD HAVE A LOT OF MILES LEFT ON THIS TRUCK, IF IT DOESN'T RUST ITSELF TO DEATH OR GET ME KILLED BECAUSE OF RUSTED OUT BRAKE LINES !

NHTSA ID

10722138

Incident

Sep 20, 2014

Mileage

16,000 mi

REAR STEEL BRAKE LINE FAILURE WHILE IN PARKING LOT, COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY

NHTSA ID

10715461

Incident

May 6, 2015

Mileage

305,000 mi

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.

This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.

Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.

GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.

This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.