Problems with 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2003 ext cab silverado 1500 4wd anti-lock brakes activate at low speeds almost causing me to rear end vehicle in front of me. *tr

2003 chevrolet silverado, 1500 lt with zr1 off road suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes, 5.3 engine. brake pedal travels to the floor. no stopping power. dealer says its normal, no vehicle ever should have pedal travel to the floor, except the clutch. *tr

2003 chevy silverado anti-lock brakes repeated cause failure to stop, especially on slippery surfaces. the algorithm does not work. while driving / coasting at 25 mph, a car made a sudden lane change in front of me. i applied the brakes on a snow covered road and the anti-lock brakes activated, causing me to roll much more rapidly toward the back of the car. i swerved into a parking lot opening, but the rear driver side scraped a small roadside tree. the anti-lock brakes also activate when i apply the brakes while driving over rough roads. i have frequently rolled into intersections when this occurs. it's the worst on slippery roads. i conducted several tests by driving a fixed speed and attempting to stop in as short a distance as possible on a snow covered slippery road. if i apply brakes up to the point where the wheels want to lock, but i don't press hard enough to activate the anti-lock pulsation, i can stop in the shortest distance. if the anti-lock brakes pulse, i roll much further. if i let off the brakes a little during the pulsation, the truck still stops in a shorter distance. this flaw is not as noticeable on dry pavement. when i notified the dealer, they told me that's the way they are, and there was no recall, etc. i hope someone issues a recall before serious injury or death occurs. there's a good chance i will disable the anti-lock functionality, at least during winter driving. the anti-lock brakes on other similar vehicles suffer the same conditions from my investigation. the truck would be safer without this malfunctioning system. *tr

I'm having trouble with my anti-lock brakes activating when coming to a stop at a low speed of 5 to 10 miles an hour. it increases your stopping distance. i've noticed they have recalls for this problem on silverado trucks up to 2002, but i own a 2003. *tr

I bought a 2003 silverado pickup from alden chevy in fairhaven mass. it had 37,000 miles on it and it has 45000 on it now and i,m having trouble with the abs system because of corrosion gets into the drum and the brakes go down to the floor at low speeds causing scraping sounds coming from the brakes, gmc has 2 recalls on this but refuses to take care of this problem, any help you can give me will be very grateful, thank you so much, arlene dickens *tr

I replaced my brake pads and rotors on all four wheels of my 2003 chevy silverado a year ago. i had to do it again this spring 2008 and now it is ready for it again. i have driven maybe 15,000 miles on this last set and they are warped again. i'm now going to replace them with an aftermarket set. i will not use gm parts. *tr

Experience low speed unwanted anti-lock brake system (abs) activation, multiple times, daily. chevy silverado 1500 4x4, yr 2003. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the brake pads and rotors in his vehicle caused it to jerk. the failure occurred at any speed, but most recently at 55 mph. the dealer removed all of the wheels and discovered uneven pad wear. the contact was advised to replace all the pads and rotors at the approximate cost of $800. the manufacturer offered no assistance because the vehicle was out of warranty. the dealer stated that they would offer a slight discount because the contact was a loyal customer. the current mileage was 27,995 and failure mileage was approximately 27,400.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving 5 mph, the vehicle experienced unwanted antilock brake activation. the dealer stated that his model year was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 05v379000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock). the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the failure and current mileages were 32,000. updated 10/03/08 *bf updated 10/06/08. *jb

Upon normal braking. a brake line ruptured, all brake fluid was lost, and the braking system failed. *tr

The abs sensors were replaced on my 2003 silverado, under the recall. however this did not fix the problem, the truck continues to not stop when the brakes are applied. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. whenever the vehicle comes to a stop, the contact can feel the brakes pulsating. while driving 15 mph, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. he took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that it was due to rust and normal wear and tear. the brakes were not repaired because the contact believes that the brakes should not be in those conditions after only four years. the failure mileage was 42,000 and current mileage was 43,950.

Had to replace rear brake pads with only 35000 miles on truck after talking to other people with o3 silverado trucks they had to replace rear pads at 26000 miles and another at 32000 miles the dealer ship said caliper was sticking this should have been cover under warrant but was not it must a problem since other people had to change rear pads with less than 36,000 miles on them thanks. *tr

2003 silverado 1500 z71 pickup rear brake problem at 43,000 miles. rusting brake rotors cause excessive uneven wear of rear brake pads. condition limited to inside side of rear rotors. only one-half inch surface of rotor was shiny and rest of rotor had severe rust that under load resulted in pad damage. complained to dealer twice after purchase july '03, spongy, braking and sometimes hard to stop. they looked at it said it was normal. almost all my driving is highway, with minimal braking. and the few times driven in town have had several near collisions. *tr

2000 to 2005 gm trucks extra cabs rocker panels rusting away rear bumper rust away an brake lines rusting. this is a safety issue it fails state inspection an the dealers no about it have contacted a few dealers an have been told off the record that it a design fault from gm. their are many junk yards who don't have bumpers for these trucks because of them rusting away have checked just to make sure it wasn't just me but its a problem with all these trucksthat are extra cabs. 90 percent are the 1500 pickups but you don't see this problem with regular cabs. please look into this as for i have talked to many body shops an they see these trucks all the time here in maine. plus i have gone in to the chevy dealers to see about trading in the truck an the first thing they go to is the rocker panels an brake lines an bumper an their comments typical gm truck they all do it. so they know their is a problem why aint they fixing their defects or design faults?? *tr

My 2003 chevrolet silverado has a braking issue where the brakes fail to work. the general motors corp had a recall on this issue identifying model years 1999-2002. i called the general motors corp for help with the issue. i was told by their representative, i needed to have the vehicle evaluated by a chevrolet dealer, if the problem were found, they would repair it at no cost to me. i brought the vehicle to my local dealer, they found and documented the issue on a service report (i have a copy). when i called general motors back, i was told that they were not going to fix the problem, it was my problem to fix. i explained numerous times that this is not a wear item, they had a recall previously, their dealer documented my vehicle as having the problem. still, to no avail, i was told it is my problem and they won't cover it because it wasn't identified under the recall. therefore, why was i told to bring it to the dealer for no reason and a cost to me of $42, and more importantly why are they not concerned that my vehicle has an issue where the brakes fail to work. general motors service bulletin # 05068b, nhtsa campaign number: 05v379000. the evaluation was performed by keigan chevrolet in franklin ma, service report invoice # 82978a. the vehicle was manufactured in 11/02 although it is called a 2003 model. i only seek to have the braking issue repaired. as noted by the service report, the front wheel hubs need to be replaced. i also have a second issue following the same chain of events, the intermediate steering column rattles. there was also a service bulletin for this issue, also found to be a problem at the dealer, also documented on the service report, told same thing, my problem. i would like them to replace the intermediate steering column at their cost. *tr

The brake rotors needed to be replaced before they wore out. the service dept at the chev dealer said that rust had penetrated into the rotor and had caused the brakes to pulse. this is a common problem on pickups like my 2003 silverado k1500. it seems to be a design problem since chevrolet switched from rear drum brakes to rear disc brakes. chevrolet started the problem by switching from drum brakes to disc brakes. owners shouldn't have to pay for bad rotors when it is a chev design fault. *tr

Anti-lock braking system engages during low speed stops-even on dry roads. stopping distance is unpredictable. this is a recall item on silverado's and yukon's of different model years. i have the same problem. we live in a salt road environment. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the antilock brakes function when the vehicle decelerated between 4-15 mph. when he approached a stop sign, the antilock system activated and the vehicle pulsated forward approximately 5-10 feet. the failure occurred on a regular basis. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the abs recall for the vehicle did not include his vin. the current mileage was approximately 46,600 and failure mileage was approximately 38,000. update 04-02-08 *bf

Own a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500 4wd - the anti lock brake system repeatedly engaged at slow speeds, less than 10 mph when coming to a stop, making it difficult to stop. truck was unsafe to drive ,and had to have repaired. this was the same problem that initiated a recall 05v37900 on 2002 and earlier models. this same problem was now occurring on my 2003 model , but this was not covered by any recall. my truck only has 13,000 miles. last summer when the vehicle only had 11,000 miles the entire brake assembly area rusted , leading to replacement of all the brake assemblies and rotors. the truck was only a few months out of warranty. this vehicle has a serious rust problem, and it was making the brakes very dangerous.*ak

The abs module failed, leading to the abs pump running all the time. *ak

The speed sensors failed on my 2003 chevrolet silverado, nearly causing a crash because the abs system came on unexpectedly. the recall only extends to the 2002 model year, and gm will not fix my vehicle, even though this caused a dangerous situation for me and my family. gm does not stand behind their products or care about the safety of their customers. over 200 actual crashes have been reported. do not buy a gm vehicle unless you enjoy car crashes and poor customer service. now i am paying $500 on a leased truck to fix something that was defective. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. in 2007, a professional technician inferred that the rotors may potentially fail. one year later, the contact noticed that when trying to stop the vehicle, the brake system performed horribly. after carefully inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that there was excessive rust on the brake rotors. he is in the process of replacing the rotors himself. the dealer stated that they were aware of the failure, but have not concluded that the component was defective. the failure mileage was 73,000 and current mileage was 75,000.

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 2003 chevrolet silverado with 25000 failure mileage at 5 mph, and slowing down to stop the anti- lock brakes started to pulsate/jerk. the contact pressed hard on the brake pedal, then the vehicle finally stopped. the vehicle had not been taken to a dealer, and the vehicle had not been repaired as of 3/8/07. the failure mileage was 25,000 and current mileage was 25,700.*ak the consumer had the vehicle abs repaired by a gm garage. updated 11/05/07. *jb

03 chev. silverado 57,000 miles, purchased new by myself.brought to dealer due to brake wear indicator noise @ 32,000 miles. had to have all four rotors and eight pads replaced due to extreme rust . too bad to turn down . i was told that was not unusual for that truck .$900.00 repair. at 52,000 miles abs sensors started malfunctioning at low speeds , again rust causing sensors to lift from hub and misread indicator, $600.00 repair. 57,000 miles rust again strikes , all brake lines on vehicle are rusted so badly they are flaking away material and produced a major brake line leak where the lines cross the frame above the fuel filter. can't wait to get the bill on this as all the fittings are badly rusted as well. amazing that there is no carryover in parts from 02 to 03 yet the same problems exist repeatedly. gm employee and buyer since 1965, no more for me. quality materials throughout i'm sure. *tr

Dt: the contact stated after starting the engine, the anti-lock brake warning light illuminated. the dealer and manufacturer were alerted. the dealer discovered a mouse had stripped through the insulation and chewed through the wires under the fuse box. updated 01/10/07. *jb

My 2003 chevrolet silverado truck started making a loud grinding noise from the rear wheel. the vehicle only has 28,000 miles on it and has only been used for transportation of passengers and light hauling on occasion. i pulled the rear wheels and noticed the brake rotors and calibers excessively rusted to the point that the shoes where not contacting the rotor. the local gm dealer told me it was not under warranty( len stoler chevrolet in westminster md.) i replaced the rear pads and had the rotors turned down and also replaced both rear calibers with new ones and still the noise is there. also the brake pedal is very soft and almost goes completely to the floor even after numerous beedings of the calibers . there is no air coming out of the bleeders. the anti lock brakes apparently don't work because the wheels lock up and slide when you press hard on the brake pedal. this truck has been a nightmare when it comes to these brake problems. the brakes still don't function properly and nobody can tell me how it can be fixed properly since it clearly is a engineering design fault by general motors corporation many people have to get hurt or even killed with these faulty brakes before gm is held accountable for their faulty product? this vehicle was taken to lenstoler chevrolet under warranty for the brake pedal going to the floor on 10jun2005, where they replaced both rear rotors because they where rust pitted and out of round with just 20,136 miles on the vehicle. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while braking, the abs engaged when the vehicle past 10 mph. accompanied by a sound like air escaping from the brake, this caused the brake pedal to pulsate, and extended the stopping distance of the vehicle. a service dealer was notified and an appointment was made.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 mph and under normal braking conditions, there was a grinding noise in the left front brake. at the last second, the brakes pulsated and the pedal became hard to depress. the vehicle was not taken in for service.

Slowly (10 mph) pulled into street, traffic had already stopped. i stepped on brake pedal and it went to the floor. vehicle barely stopped, i thought i was going to hit the already stopped vehicle in front of me. if this had been an attempt to stop from the speed limit i would have hit the other vehicle in the rear. i would hate to think what could happen if it had been an expressway or interstate instead of a light traffic situation in a small town at very low speed. dealer has checked the 2003 chevy silverado 1500 truck computer for codes and said they found no codes and the brake fluid is full, could not duplicate; thus, the brakes need no further examination or repair. this event, although the first to occur, occurred at an optimum time when low speed was involved. this leaves me faithless in the ability of the truck to stop when i apply the brakes. will the event occur again and when????????? *nm

The brakes (rotors and pads) need to be replaced because of delaminated and corroded. i bought the truck new and only have 22,352 miles on it, and this will be the fourth time this truck needs brakes. i did not keep old parts, because the work was performed by a chevrolet dealer. *tr

Antilock brakes activate every time i step on the brakes. this resulted in several near misses for collisions. *nm

We purchased our 2003 silverado in sept. 2003 . from november 2003 we have been complaining to the dealer and manufacturer about the brake failures and the abs warning lights coming on . the dealer had the truck in may for almost a month and the truck was returned to us with the brake pedal going to the floor when depressed . the truck currently sits in our garage and we refuse to drive it. the manufacturer says this problem is normal and that the truck is safe. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated that the abs activated at low speeds of 3-10 mph. there is an nhtsa recall, # 05v379000 regarding the service brakes; hydraulic: antilock. the vehicle's vin was not included in the recall. updated 6/20/2006 - *nm

At around 13,000 miles i had to replace the front pads and rotors because the metal on the rotors flaked off and ruined the pads. at around 16,000, i replaced the rear pads and rotors for the same reason. at around 4,000 miles the dealer replaced the front rotors and pads, same reason. i also complained to the dealer about the mushiness of the brake pedal. there is no firm stop and i am glad i have not had to stop fast. *jb

Brakes fail when vehicle slows down to 5-10 mph due to defective antilock brake sensors. *nm

1-rusting & flaking of rear brake rotors at 13,482 miles ny state and gm inspection done at13,460 miles 2-rear brake failure 3-two gm dealers refused to repair under warranty third gm rep states this is normal wear (not covered) rotors have large pits and crevices up to 2"long and 1/2"wide in multiple locations on both rear rotors/ had too be replaced gm refused too cover cost i have old parts and pictures of rotors on vehicle. *nm

Brake pads and rotors had to be replaced on 2003 chevrolet silverado. rotors were corroded and the dealership said that gm put on "junk" parts and will not admit it. tried to work out the situation with gm but they refused to cooperate. had to pay for the work myself.

Dt: consumer states: vehicle had terrible stopping distance. had to apply hard pressure to get the vehicle to stop, took it to brake specialist, who said vehicle needed a new booster.*ak *sb

Dt: the vehicle went through ny state inspection on march 28, 2005 and passed although the front end of the vehicle was shaking. four months later the vehicle was taken to the dealer. they determined that the rear rotors were rusted and pitted. gm will only reduce the price from $225 to $79, although it was covered under the warranty. they said it was a wear or rust issue. but the front brake rotors and calipers were fine. gm was not honoring the warranty.*ak the intermediate shaft was replaced due to noise. *nm

Potential brake failure on new vehicle. 2003 chevy silverado information center indicated "reduced brake power." chevy dealership in new mexico indicated the intake manifold needed to be replaced to provide adequate vacuum for brake assist. new mexico chevy dealer did not have the parts to fix and i was traveling, so they flashed the ipc card to eliminate the message. i returned to houston, tx and westside chevrolet flashed the ipc in an attempt to mask the problems and told me it was fixed. *jb

When attempting to stop brake pedal proceeded to the floor and vehicle continued to roll. as a result, consumer's vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. *ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated he could smell smoke from the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the mechanic made unknown repairs to the brakes and antilock braking systems. the failure recurred within 20,000 miles. the contact stated the brakes had been repaired three times by his mechanic. the vehicle was taken back to the mechanic where he was advised that the brake line had rusted. the dealer was contacted and advised the failure was due to excessive amounts of road salts and muddy road conditions. the approximate failure mileage was 19,000 and the current mileage was 80,000. updated 06/29/10. *lj the consumer stated the vehicle needs new brakes again. the power booster and proportioning valve needs to be replaced. the wheel hub failed along with the abs sensor. updated 09/13/10

At 3,002 miles, i complained to the dealership of the weak, mushy brake pedal and was told (off the record) that there were a lot of people complaining. nothing was done. i replaced the front & rear pads and rotors in 2006 with ?ultra premium? rotors and ?ceramic safety stop? pads for all the wheels from napa. i now have 22,000+ miles and took the truck to another dealership in case there was something that gm knows about the brake system. i complained about the abs kicking in at low speed and was told the front wheel speed sensors were dirty and needed cleaned. that cost me $420.93 and my brakes are still the same. i was told that i needed ?severe duty metallic? pads, so i spent another $388.36 and the pedal is still mushy and the stopping power is still not there. the gvwr for my ton 4wd extended cab with 8 foot bed is 6,700 lbs. the diameter of the front rotors is 12 inches. a comparable dodge ram could weigh as much as 6,500 lbs, but the diameter of their front rotors is 13.23 inches. ford uses a front rotor with a diameter of 12.120 inches. why are there so many general motors vehicles with brake problems and not ford or dodge? i would think that should raise some eyebrows. this truck and many other gm vehicles are a danger. what is going to happen? *jb

My husband owns a 03 silverado c1500. i drive it to save on gas. i have tried coming to a stop before, and had the pedal all the way to the floor, i almost missed my turn. i scared me because i know you do not need that much pressure on brakes to stop. the biggest problem i have is everytime i make a left turn, there is a knocking noise in the front end. we thought is was the shroud cover, but was not. it is now getting louder, and i would like to find out if this is being investigated for a recall for both the brakes and the knocking noise? thanks in advance for the help! *nm

Every time when coming to a stop the brake pedal goes soft have to press real hard to get truck to stop.this has been going on from when brand new, i thought that was the way gm brakes felt. i am the original owner,truck has 27,000 miles,and brakes were replaced at12,000 miles. i am an ase mechanic and its not the brake pads or rotors. i have driven a 03 3500 truck with same problem. *tr

Poor stopping/braking distance on 2003 chevy silverado. truck will not stop in a reasonable distance and has forced me to either stop in the middle of an intersection or proceed thru the intersection because i cannot stop. stopping at highway speeds is even more terrifying. truck was taken to dealer in 2005 for poor brakes and brakes were no better after visit. i have just replaced the rear rotors and pads on 8/1/07 with 28,000 miles on vehicle. the rotors/pads had wore severely with only contact at the center portion of the rotor. braking has not noticeably improved. *jb

2003 cheverolet silverado has serious brake problems. stopping quickly is nearly impossible. this has been a problem since day 1. *jb

I have a 2003 chevy silverado 1500 pickup with 37,000 miles and i believe chevy is using inferior components in the braking system . i had to replace the rotors at 35,000 miles because they started to rust and crumble. once the rotors started to rust large portions would "flake" off. recently one of my brake lines failed and i rolled thru a stop sign, luckily no one was coming the other way and it was close to my house so i "limped" it home. upon further inspection i discovered all of the brakes lines were rusted and ready to fail. the entire brake plumbing system on the truck had to be replaced. in addition while replacing the brake lines i also noticed the fuel lines appear to be in pretty bad shape and will probably need to be replaced in the near future. i have the rusted brake lines, i do not have the rotors. *tr

While pressing on the brake pedal, the driver would also press on the accelerator pedal causing the vehicle to surge foward. the owner has made contact with the dealership. *ph *ts *nlm