WHILE TOWING A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER AT 60 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR (PASSENGER) WHEEL CAME OFF THE TRUCK. FIVE OF THE EIGHT WHEEL STUDS SHEARED OFF, THREE OTHERS LOST THEIR LUG NUTS. THE TRAILER WEIGHT DID NOT EXCEED THE AXLE, WHEEL OR TIRE WEIGHT RATINGS. *TR
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2011 record →
WHEN TRAVELING ON A GRAVEL ROAD OR DRIVING ON SOME PAVED ROADS, THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY TRUCK PULLS BACK AND FORTH IN MY HAND AND GRABS ON BUMPS. THIS SUMMER THE PROBLEM WAS SO SEVERE I GOT UNDER THE TRUCK TO SEE WHAT MAY BE CAUSING THE MOVEMENT. I FOUND OUT THERE WAS NO STEERING STABILIZER SHOCK INSTALLED ON THE TRUCK. THE BRACKETS TO HOUSE THE STABILIZER SHOCK ARE THERE, BUT THE STEERING STABILIZER SHOCK ITSELF IS NOT THERE. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THE TRUCK DOESN'T COME WITH A STEERING STABILIZER SHOCK. HE DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHY THE TRUCKS DON'T COME WITH THE STABILIZER SHOCK, BUT THERE IS AN AFTER-MARKET PART THAT THE CUSTOMER CAN ORDER AND THEY WILL INSTALL FOR ABOUT $200. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS TO ASK FOR AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY SUCH AN IMPORTANT STEERING COMPONENT WAS NOT PROVIDED IN THE TRUCK. RAMON FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLED ME TO EXPLAIN THAT THE TRUCK WAS "DESIGNED" WITHOUT THE STEERING STABILIZER SHOCK. THERE WERE BRACKETS TO HOUSE THE SHOCK INCLUDED FROM THE FACTORY AND INDEED THERE IS AN AFTER-MARKET SHOCK I COULD BUY AND HAVE INSTALLED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I ARGUED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND FELT THAT THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE FACTORY ISSUE. THE TRUCK SHOULD COME WITH THE SHOCK AND IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WITHOUT IT. I DON'T BELIEVE PEOPLE WHO ARE BUYING THE NEW TRUCKS ARE EVEN AWARE THAT THE STEERING STABILIZER SHOCK IS MISSING. IT WILL BE JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT CAUS
NEW VEHICLE FRONT END SUSPENSION BEGAN TO RANDOMLY VIOLENTLY SHAKE AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS (ONCE @ 55 MPH & ONCE @ 70 MPH). THE SHAKING WAS SO BAD THAT THE DRIVER COULD BARLEY HOLD THE WHEEL STRAIGHT TO AVOID LOSING CONTROL & CRASHING. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING THE VEHICLE 4 WD LIGHT WAS BLINKING DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN 2 WD. ONCE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER HE INSPECTED THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO FIND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES (NO FLAT TIRES, THINGS IN THE WHEELS, ETC...). DRIVER THEN BEGAN DRIVING AGAIN & THE VEHICLE WAS FINE AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. DRIVER CALLED ONSTAR & THEY STATED THERE WERE NO FAULT CODES IN THE SYSTEM. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH. THIS TIME THE DRIVER NEARLY GOT INTO A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION THERE WERE AGAIN NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. OWNER DROVE TO DEALER & WAS TOLD TO BRING BACK THE NEXT DAY. OWNER INQUIRED IF VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE & WAS TOLD "I HOPE SO" BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN. GM CUSTOMER CARE WAS CALLED & STATED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES WITH THE 2011 HD VEHICLES. OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER NEXT MORNING & SEVERAL HOURS LATER WAS CALLED & TOLD IT WAS MUD IN WHEELS (NOT POSSIBLE SINCE THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THERE WAS NO MUD). OWNERS SON THEN LOOKED ON INTERNET TO SEE MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE IN THIS MODEL YEAR VEHICLE. THE SON THEN FOUND THAT A TSB WAS ISSUED BY GM TO ALL DEALERS FOR A STICKY BREAK PEDAL THAT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 EQUIPPED WITH MASTERCRAFT COURSER A/T TIRES, SIZE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A SHIMMY AND SHAKE; HE NOTICED MAJOR VIBRATION. THE FAILURE PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIRES COULD NOT BE BALANCED AS THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT CALLED THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED TO BALANCE THE TIRES BUT THE CONTACT REFUSED AS THAT METHOD HAD BEEN ATTEMPTED TWICE BY THE DEALERSHIP; THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,020. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 → · Every Silverado 2500 year → · How the figures are calculated →