2001 Chevrolet Silverado Steering Problems

ABS locks up because of faulty wheel speed sensors known problem locking up brake pedal resulting in loss of control of vehicle causing collisions and dangerous situations.

Break line and break system has been giving issues and failure has occur. To the point of almost causing an accident. Steering issues several times. Pick-up truck suspension since newer truck has had big issues. Please remediate.

STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FAILS APPROXIMATELY EVERY 30,000 MILES. FIRST FAILED AT 30K, SECOND 60K, THIRD 100K. FAILURE STARTS WITH LIGHT CLUNKING SOUND AND PROGRESSES TO LOUD CLUNK AND LOOSENESS IN STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER AND GM ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM INCLUDING EVEN THE 2005 MODELS. THE QUALITY OF STEERING FELL GETS QUITE VAGUE IF NOT REPLACE BEFORE NOISE GETS LOUD. *NM

2001 SILVERADO POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. *TS *** NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *JB

I STARTED HAVING A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE STEERING OF MY 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO 4WD PICKUP. THE DEALER SAID THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO INADEQUATE LUBRICATION. IT COST ME OVER $300. AFTER THAT, I SPOKE TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. AN ONLINE SEARCH SUGGESTS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS, TOO. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK INTO? *NM

I OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD PICKUP TRUCK THAT I PURCHASED USED IN JUNE 2003 WITH APPROXIMATELY 36,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. UNTIL RECENTLY, THE TRUCK HAD PROVEN TO BE VERY SAFE AND RELIABLE. THE TRUCK CURRENTLY HAS 58,000 MILES ON IT. ON JULY 18, 2005, MY WIFE LOADED OUR FIVE-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER INTO HER CAR SEAT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO GET IN TO DRIVE. UPON STARTING THE TRUCK, SHE PRESSED ON THE BRAKE TO SHIFT. SHE THEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE ONLY TO HAVE THE TRUCK DRIFT FORWARD DESPITE HER BRAKING EFFORT. AT THAT TIME, SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT SHE COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. AFTER SIGNIFICANT EFFORT, SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK FROM ITS VERY LOW SPEED. WE TOWED THE TRUCK TO A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER TO HAVE THEM DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND PROBLEM AND PROVIDE A REPAIR COST ESTIMATE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP (PUMP) FAILED. THE POWER BRAKES ARE HYDRAULICALLY ASSISTED BY THE PUMP RATHER THAN USING ENGINE VACUUM ASSIST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INPUT SHAFT TO PUMP HAD SHEARED IN HALF. THE DEALER REQUIRED ME TO PAY A CORE CHARGE SINCE THE PUMP WAS SO SEVERELY DAMAGED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN IT FOR A CORE THEMSELVES. THE REPAIR TOTAL COST $356. THE PUMP IS LOCATED DEEP WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE ARE NO MEANS TO EXTERNALLY DAMAGE THE PUMP SUGGESTING A MATERIAL OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITHIN THE PUMP. THE PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER IS TO CALL ATTENTION TO A PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH OF MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER HAD THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THIS POWER STEERING PUMP PROBLEM, IF SYSTEMIC RATHER THAN ISOLATED, COULD POSE A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO THE OWNERS OF THESE TRUCKS AND OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROADS. I ASK THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THE SEVERITY OF THIS PROBLEM AND HOW MANY TRUCKS IT AFFECTS, TAKING FURTHER ACTION IF NECESSARY. *JB

THE EVENT BEING REPORTED IS THE POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE MY 15 YEAR OLD WAS DRIVING. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OR WARNINGS OF THIS FAILURE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN CORRECTED BY OUR LOCAL DEALER'S REPAIR SHOP REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE STEERING COLUMN MADE A RATTLING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SHIMMIED. AS THE SPEED INCREASED, THE FAILURE WORSENED. THERE WAS NO STEERING LOSS OR WARNING LIGHTS. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,437 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

THE CONSUMER STATED HE PLACED THE CAMPER ONTO THE TRUCK AND THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. JUST WENT A COUPLE YARDS WITH TRUCK AND ALL AT ONCE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES BECAUSE OF BROKEN SHAFT.CAMPER WAS A PULL BEHIND 30 FT. DEALER REPORTS THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAD HAPPENED WITH THIS TRUCK.

THE VEHICLE'S INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT FAILED AND CAUSED A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. *NM *JB

A CLUNKING NOISE IS HEARD IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *TC THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND THAT IT WASN'T A SAFETY CONCERN. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE BETWEEN 21,300 AND 23,200 MILES THE NOISE HAD BECOME PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER. *NM

WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE MECHANIC REPAIRED/REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP. *AK

WHEN STARTING UP THE VEHICLE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES DO NOT ACTIVATE. THE CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE 10 MINUTES LATER AND NOTHING HAPPENED. TWENTY MINUTES LATER, CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE AND THIS TIME EVERYTHING WORKED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED INTERMITTANTLY. *AK *NM

WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT 10 MPH CONSUMER LOST THE ABILITY TO STEER AND BRAKE. CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *AK

WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE THE PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING BELT FAILED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

THERE IS A CLUNK OR DEEP FREQUENCY RATTLE IN THE STEERING WHEN MAKING SLOW TURNS. GM HAS PERFORMED THE REPAIR WITH THE "KIT" FOR LUBRICATION IN THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT ONCE ALREADY. THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED IN ONLY 6 MONTHS AND 12,000 MILES. AS AN ENGINEER, I AM CONCERNED LONG-TERM THAT THE PROBLEM WILL MANIFEST INTO A SAFETY ISSUE RESULTING IN LOSS OF LIFE WHILE WAITING FOR A FINAL AND COMPLETE REPAIR SOLUTION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK GM STATED THAT THE FAULT WAS ON THE ENGINEERING AND COULD NOT BE FIXED PERMANENTLY. GM OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. *SC *JB

A MONTH AGO I TOOK MY 2001 CHEVROLET EXT CAB SILVERADO IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE WHEN I DROVE ACROSS PARKING LOTS WITH MINOR BUMPS I COULD FEEL A RATTLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THEY LUBRICATED THE INTERMEDIATE U-JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN, THERE WAS GM KIT PROVIDED FOR THE REPAIR. CURRENTLY THE STEERING FEELS LOOSE AND THE VEHICLE DRIFTS WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD. I PERSONALLY JACKED UP THE VEHICLE AND ASSESSED FOR LOOSENESS. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. A CLICKING NOISE CAN BE HEARD AND FELT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED BACK AND FORTH. I WILL BE TAKING THE TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE THIS WEEK. I DON'T THINK THAT GM IS CORRECTLY ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM AND IT MAY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE. IF A MANUFACTURER PREPARES A KIT FOR REPAIR, IT TELLS ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. I FEEL GM IS TAKING THE CHEAP WAY OUT BY LUBRICATING VS. THE HIGH COST WAY OR REPLACING THE FAULTY PART. *NLM

I WAS SOUTH BOUND ON ONE WAY STREET 30 MPH INTO GREEN LIGHT INTERSECTION. A WEST BOUND CAR FAILED TO STOP AND STRUCK REAR PANEL BEHIND DRIVERS REAR WHEEL. THIS STARTED A SPIN AND THREW ME AGAINST DRIVERS WINDOW. I BLACKED OUT FOR A SECOND AND THE TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL. I HIT BRAKES HARD, BUT WHEEL CONTINUED TO SPIN AT 30 MPH WHICH CAUSED ME TO SPIN IN DONUT FASHION. THIS THREW ME AGAINST A CURB AND BROKE OFF THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AS THE TRUCKED SKIPPED ONTO THE SIDEWALK, SPUN ACROSS AND SHEARED OFF A SMALL 3" DIAMETER TREE. THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO SPIN IN DONUT FASHION TOWARDS A BOY SCOUT BUILDING, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO TAKE MY HANDS OFF OF THE WHEEL LONG ENOUGH TO THROW INTO NEUTRAL AND STOP. THE ENGINE IDLES DOWN TO NORMAL AFTER SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL. ALL OF THE ACCIDENT WAS IN A DIRECTION TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE ORIGINAL IMPACT, NOT TO THE SOUTHWEST AS WOULD BE EXPECTED. I FEEL THE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN SLIGHT IF THE THROTTLE WOULD NOT HAVE STUCK, PROBABLY JUST THE REAR PANEL OF THE TRUCK. INSTEAD THERE WAS DAMAGE TO ALL PANELS AND DOORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRUCK, PLUS MY INJURIES. THE GOOD THING IS THAT NO BOY SCOUTS WERE IN THE PARKING LOT!!*AK

WHILE DRIVING 5-10 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKE, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR , NO BRAKING ACTION. DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP.*JB