2001 Chevrolet Silverado Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE EMITTED SMOKE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS FRACTURED AROUND TRANSFER CASE HOUSING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" SIGNAL LIGHT INDICATES SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT REQUIRES A SERVICE COSTING AT LEAST $1000.00 TO REPAIR. WITHOUT THE REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO IRRATICAL OPERATION INCLUDES STALLING IN TRAFFIC. *TR

I STARTED NOTICING RUST SPOTS ON THE BODY OF THE TRUCK. THEN I REALIZED IT WAS RUSTING OUT HOLES IN THE TRUCK IN CERTAIN AREAS. AFTER I STARTED NOTICING THESE SPOTS, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD TOWING MY LAWN EQUIPMENT AND HEADING TO MY NEXT JOBSITE. WHEN ALL THE SUDDEN I WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP AT ALL AND COURSE I WAS GOING DOWN HILL. SO I STARTED TO TRY AND SLOW DOWN THE TRUCK BY DOWNSHIFTING TO A LOWER GEAR AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN A FEW MILES PER HOUR BUT NOT NEAR ENOUGH. AS I WAS COMING AROUND A CURVE NOT LONG AFTER THE BRAKES STARTED FAILING. NOT TO FAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS STOPPED TRAFFIC. I TRIED TO DO EVERYTHING I COULD TO STOP BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH. I ONLY SLOWED DOWN TO 45 MPH BEFORE I WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE BACK OF A CAR HEAD ON. SO I DID THE ONLY OTHER THING I COULD TO MAYBE MAKE IT OUT WITHOUT A FATAL CRASH. I WENT OFF THE ROAD AROUND THE CAR AND HIT THE PARKING BRAKE AND NOTHING HAPPENED BECAUSE IT FAILED AS WELL. SO I TURNED THE TRUCK REAL SHARP TO DODGE THE TREES AND SLID SIDEWAYS FOR A WHILE AND THE TRUCK FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AND I WAS SO SICK I HAD A BAD PANIC ATTACK AND STARTED THROWING UP AND MY HEART FELT LIKE IT WAS BEING HIT BY A HAMMER AND MY BODY HURT SO BAD FROM THE TRUCK COMING TO A STOP AND ME SLAMMING INTO THE ARM REST AND THE SEAT BELT CUT MY NECK STOMACH AND CHEST. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT MY TRUCK AND NOTICED I HIT A PILE OF LOGS AND DAMAGED MY TIRES AND THE BODY OF MY TRUCK IN THE SEVERAL PLACES. THEN I TOOK IT TO A AUTO SHOP AND THEY FOUND OUT CHEVY DIDN'T PUT ANY CORROSIVE PROTECTION UNDER THE TRUCK OR ON PARTS. THE BRAKE LINES HAD BLEW OUT CAUSE OF THE RUST. ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE SHOT ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER BRAKE PARTS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING UNDER THE TRUCK AND OUTSIDE THE TRUCK IS SOLID RUST. I COULD HAVE GOT KILLED IF I DIDN'T REACT WELL. NOW I PAY FOR A TRUCK I CAN'T DRIVE. *TR

I HAD JUST REPLACED THE HUB AND BEARING HOUSING ON THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE ON MY FOUR WHEEL DRIVE 2001 CHEVROLET HD2500 SILVERADO PICKUP AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REFILLING AND BLEEDING THE AIR FROM THE BRAKE LINES. DURING THIS PROCESS IT APPEARED AS IF IT WAS REQUIRING MORE FLUID THAN I HAD REMOVED IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING FROM THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL. TO MY SURPRISE AFTER REMOVING THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL COVER I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES AT WHAT I SAW, THERE WERE THE BRAKE LINES EITHER RUSTED AWAY OR DELAMINATED. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN OVER FIFTY YEARS OF REPAIRING MY OWN VEHICLES, I CAN ONLY BE THANKFUL THAT I WASN'T ON THE ROAD TOWING MY FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER WHEN THE BRAKE LINES FAILED IN SUCH A CATASTROPHIC MANNER. SINCE THIS HAPPENED LATE IN OCTOBER OF 2013 I HAVE YET TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES, IF YOU NEED PICTURES OF THE PROBLEM I CAN PROVIDE THEM TO YOU. *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

SO THERE I WAS DRIVING, AND I NOTICED THE ENGINE RPMS COMING UP AND THEN GOING RIGHT DOWN...WHICH I HAVE SEEN WHEN THE TRUCK RUNS HOT. A FEW HOURS LATER WHILE STILL DRIVING (AND THE RPMS THING HAPPEN A FEW TIMES) THE ENGINE RPMS STARTED TO CLIMB AND WOULDN'T STOP...I LET OF THE GAS, BACK ON...CLIMBING THEN THEY REDLINEDAT 7000RPM...THEN I HAD NO POWER, I HAD A TRANSPORT ON MY [XXX] AND TRAFFIC COMING THE OTHER WAY AT 11PM AT NIGHT. I HAD NO 4TH GEAR, NO 3RD GEAR....300YDS DOWN THE ROAD THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND I FIGURED I BLEW THE OIL PUMP OR WATER PUMP. JUST MISSED GETTING CREAMED BY THE TRANSPORT. GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, POPPED THE HOOD...LOOKED AROUND...COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING...COOLANT WAS FINE, ENGINE OIL WAS FINE...GOT IN TRIED 1ST, 1ST WORKED, TRIED 2ND, 2ND WORKED, TRIED 3RD AND ...NOTHING. I DROVE HOME IN 2ND. PLUGGED IN THE CODE READER, GOT P0300X2,P0757X2,P1870. CHECK IT OUT NEXT DAY...SURE ENOUGH I BLEW A TRANSMISSION LINE...DRAIN THE FLUID WHICH WAS BADLY BURNT...I KNEW I WAS SCREWED...WHY WERE THE LINES NOT MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL...AND WHY WAS/ARE\IS THERE NO LOW FLUID WARNING LIGHT ON THE TRANSMISSION FLUID!? I GOT ONE ON THE ENGINE OIL, GASOLINE,COOLANT, WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID...NONE ON BRAKES AND NONE ON TRANNY FLUID...THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON US ROUTE 15 THE TRANSMISSION LET LOOSE. DOING 55MPH AND LOST DRIVE AND 3RD GEARS. FLUID AND PARTS WERE SPREAD ALL BEHIND MY TRUCK CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

WHILE IN MOTION, A COMPONENT IN THE DIFFERENTIAL FAILED, CREATING AN INTERFERENCE CONDITION LOCKING UP MY REAR END. LUCKILY I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND WAS JUST AROUND TOWN, TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF PARTS FAILING. THERE WAS AMPLE GEAR OIL IN THE REAR END, AND MAINTENANCE WAS NOT A FACTOR AS I DID A GEAR OIL CHANGE THIS PAST SUMMER. I SELDOM USE THIS VEHICLE TO TOW AND IT HAS NEVER SEEN A PLOW OR OVERLY ROUGH DRIVING CONDITIONS. *KB

TRANSMISSION LOST 1ST AND REVERSE. SPOKE WITH TRANSMISSION MECHANIC AND LEARNED THAT THE GM 4L60E USES "PRESSED POWDERED METAL" TO MANUFACTURE THE SUNSHELL IN THE 4L60E. LEARNED THAT MECHANICS REFER TO THE 4L60E TRANSMISSION AS A "140 THOUSAND TO 160 THOUSAND MILE PART" REQUIRING A VERY EXPENSE REBUILD OR REPLACE. ALSO LEARNED THAT AFTERMARKET SUNSHELLS ARE AVAILABLE IN CASE HARDENED STEEL FOR ABOUT $50.00 USD. *JS

TRUCK STALLED IN TRAFFIC IN DRIVE GEAR. WOULD NOT START WITHOUT A SHORT COOL DOWN PERIOD. THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY G.M. *TR

THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE CONCERNING ALL ASPECTS OF BRAKING SYSTEM. FIRST AT 44,000 ABS SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THEN AT 53,400 ALL 4 NEW ROTORS AND PADS ALL THE WAY AROUND, 82,000 MILES PARKING BRAKE NEEDS REPLACED, 81,000 FRONT AXLE SEAL LEAKING, THEN AT APPROXIMATELY 88,000 MILES BRAKE LINES POPS WITH TRAILER ATTACHED. TRUCK IS TOWED TO GARAGE ONLY TO FIND THAT BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTY AND POPPED. ALL LINES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED TOTAL COST OVER $1,000. AT 96,600 NEED FRONT ROTORS AND REAR BRAKES, AT 126,00 NEED REAR ROTORS AND FRONT BRAKES AND 1 ORIGINAL BRAKE LINE FROM REAR TO FRONT AND RIGHT FRONT THAT NEVER WAS REPLACED. COST 268.00. USED DIFFERENT GARAGES FOR WORK AND BOTH HAVE HAD TROUBLE REPLACING HYDRAULIC LINES AND ONE IS A STATE INSPECTION STATION. BRAKING SYSTEM HAS COST ME A FORTUNE AND I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER CHEVY DUE TO HIGH REPAIR COST. TRUCK WAS NOT NEGLECTED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AT 114,000 MILES WHICH LEFT ME STRANDED ONCE AGAIN. *TR

1. BRAKE LINE (REAR) CORRODED AT PLASTIC RETAINING CLIP LOCATED APPROX HALFWAY TOWARD THE REAR AXLE, LOST BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS NO ACCIDENT 2. TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE CORRODED AT PLASTIC RETAINING CLIP, LEAKED FLUID, WAS REPAIRED WITHOUT CAUSING ANY OTHER DAMAGE WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF INCIDENT (1) ABOVE. 3. BRAKE LINE (FRONT LEFT) CORRODED AT PLASTIC RETAINING CLIP CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS AT 30 MPH, NO ACCIDENT, DATE OF OCCURRENCE 9/18/2012 MILEAGE 110K. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH UPHILL, THE TRANSMISSION INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED DOWN. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THEN STALLED. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO A AUTO PARTS STORE WHERE HE PURCHASED CIRCLIP AND INSTALLED IT IN THE VEHICLE. HE WAS THEN ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT INTO FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED HE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OR HAVE IT REBUILT AT HIS EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN SINCE THE INCIDENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.

I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO ON 1/29/09 K2500 THE ABS LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON AND NOW MY TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING OR SOMETHING WHEN I GET UP TO 65 MPH THE TRUCK STARTS VIBRATING AND THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A LOUD CLUNK NOISE I ONLY HAD THE TRUCK FOR A DAY THEN HAD TO BRING IT BACK TO HAVE THE KNOCK SENSOR AND THE RATTLING NOISE CHECKED THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A HUB THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR AFTER THEY GAVE ME A WORK ORDER THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE FIXED ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND THEY SAID THAT WAS ALSO THE KNOCK SENSOR AND SAID IT WAS REPLACED BUT TEN MINUTES AFTER THEY FIXED IT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE TRUCK HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL THAT THEY SAID WAS FIXED I WOULD LIKE HELP TO SEE IF I CAN GET THESE PROBLEMS FIXED OR MY MONEY BACK THANK YOU *TR

BRAKE, FUEL, TRANSMISSION COOLER, AND POWER STEERING COOLER LINES BECAME VERY RUSTY AND EVENTUALLY LEAKED. MOST LINES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT THIS POINT, AND A FEW STILL NEED TO BE. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED IN SEPTEMBER 2005 WITH 72,010 MILES ON IT AND PROBLEM HAD ALREADY STARTED. FUEL LEVEL SENSOR HAS FAILED TWICE, AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT AGAIN. POWER WINDOW MOTORS ON BOTH SIDES HAVE EACH FAILED TWICE. TRUCK NOW HAS OVER 150,000 MILES, AND I'M ONLY REPORTING BECAUSE MANY OF THESE SAME TROUBLES APPEAR TO BE COMMON ON LATER MODEL CHEVY/GMC TRUCKS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR TRANSMISSION SERVICE, THEY FOUND THAT THE TRANSFER CASE DID NOT HAVE ANY OIL. THE DEALER STATED THAT A WASHER FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE OIL PUMP IN THE TRANSFER CASE TO LOOSEN AND PUNCTURE A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE COMPONENT. AS A RESULT, THE OIL DRAINED OUT. THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000. UPDATED 12/12/08 *CN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND A SMALL HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE TRANSFER CASE AFTER NOTICING NO OIL IN THE TRANSFER CASE. THE MECHANIC STATED THE OIL PUMP IN THE TRANSFER CASE BECAME LOOSE AND CREATED A HOLE IN THE CASE. UPDATED 12/15/08. 8JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM TWO WHEEL TO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AUTOMATICALLY. AS A RESULT, THE TRANSFER CASE DETACHED FROM THE BACK OF THE TRANSMISSION AND THE DRIVESHAFT FELL OUT AND LOCKED UP THE VEHICLE. THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT DID NOT DRIVE OVER A POTHOLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

2001 CHEVROLET 2500HD 4X4 SILVERADO STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND TURNING CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING. PLEASE SEE NHTSA ID 07V521000. I AM TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING IN MANY 6.0 TRUCKS AND A RECALL ONLY COVERS A SMALL PORTION. VERY DANGEROUS FOR A POPULAR WORK SERIES TRUCK. *TR

I WAS DRIVING UP AN UNPAVED HILL THAT WAS SLIPPERY FROM SNOW BUT HAD BEEN PLOWED. IT WAS NIGHT TIME AND THE HILL IS STEEP WITH LOTS OF SHARP CURVES. ON MY WAY UP I NOTICED MY STEERING BECAME STIFF. I CAME TO A POINT WHERE I WAS NOT MAKING ANY MORE FORWARD PROGRESS AND HAD TO STOP.(MY TIRES ARE NOT THE BEST) WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES I THEN REALIZED I DIDN'T HAVE ANY. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK INTO REVERSE BEFORE I STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS TO FAST AND SAFELY MANEUVER BACK DOWN THE HILL BACKWARDS WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS. I FEEL THIS SHOULD FALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V005000. *TR

VEHICLE IS 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD WITH 6.6L DURAMAX DIESEL AND ALLISON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AT APPROXIMATELY 88,000 MILES / APPROX 2500 HOURS, THE TRANSFER CASE HYDRAULIC PUMP WORE THROUGH THE REAR HALF OF THE TRANSFER CASE, RESULTING IN LARGE AMOUNT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BEING RELEASED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SINCE THE OIL IS FLAMMABLE AND IT GETS SPRAYED ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE (INCLUDING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM) IT PROBABLY PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD. IT IS AT THE VERY LEAST A KNOWN DEFECT, AS MINIMAL RESEARCH ONLINE (SEE HTTP://WWW.DIESELPLACE.COM/ AND SEARCH IN THE DRIVETRAIN THREAD FOR "PUMP RUB") WILL SHOW DOZENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE TYPE THAT ARE HAVING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR