2002 Chevrolet Z71

Routine

Owners filed 24 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the parking brake. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Parking Brake6
000
Air Bags › Frontal3
304
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip2
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control1
000
Tires1
000
Suspension1
000
Structure › Body › Tailgate › Hinge and Attachments1
000
Steering › Column1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Pads1
000
Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Wheel Speed Sensor1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Sep 4, 201234,000 milesCA

MASTERCRAFT COURSER TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE UNDER NORMAL HIGHWAY CONDITIONS. SIZE 265/70/17 DOT # UT1Y FWB 4306 WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND 5 YEARS OLD. THE SEPARATION CAUSED VEHICLE DAMAGE BUT LUCKILY NO INJURIES. *TR

Parking Brake
Filed Sep 10, 201081,000 milesOK

2002 CHEVROLET 1/2 TON EXT.CAB. Z-71 TRUCK PARKING BRAKE PREMATURELY WORN OUT AND TRUCK SLIPPED FROM PARK AND ROLLED INTO STREET. NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE AT THAT TIME. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW AND IT STARTED FAILING WITHIN 2 YRS OF OWNERSHIP. TOTAL PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Feb 16, 201022,000 milesTN

MY WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN AN CRASH WHEN SHE WENT TO SLEEP WHILE DRIVING HER 2002 Z71 TAHOE. SHE HIT AN OAK TREE DEAD CENTER OF THE FRONT GRILL AND BUMPER. THE DRIVERS AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Gear Position Indication (prndl)
Filed Jul 6, 2009130,000 milesMO

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET Z71. WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANUALLY PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT THE SHIFTING CABLE WAS FAULTY IN THE MANNER IT WAS BOLTED AND MOUNTED ONTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 130,000.

Parking Brake
Filed Oct 23, 200875,498 milesMN

NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, SOUNDS LIKE A SQUEAKY DOOR ONLY LOWER FREQUENCY. TOOK TO DEALER ON MAY 22, 2008, WAS TOLD IT WAS THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS LOOSE. I HAD THIS UNIT CHANGED ON MAY 22,2008. ON JUNE 5, 2008, I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR BRAKE WORK WHICH CONSISTED OF REPLACING REAR BRAKE PADS,ROTORS, & EMERGENCY BRAKE LININGS. SINCE THE STEERING WAS STILL MAKING NOISE I HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT AGAIN, THEY DID AND LUBED THE STEERING SHAFT COVER. STILL MAKES NOISE DOES NOT APPEAR TO AFFECT STEERING. ON EA04011 THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS IS THIS NOW IN EFFECT FOR AUTO TRANSMISSIONS? ON SEPT. 3, 2008, THIS VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT OF EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKETS AND BROKEN BOLTS ON MANIFOLD AND ALSO FOR LEAKING WATER PUMP GASKETS ARE THESE NORMAL WEAR OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS? NO OLD PARTS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION, REPAIR TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR

Parking Brake
Filed Oct 8, 2006CA

PARKING BRAKE (E-BRAKES) FAILURE OF CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 Z71 WITH 4-WHEEL DISC ABS BRAKES. TRUCK PURCHASED NEW FROM FAMILY CHEVROLET IN SHINGLE SPRINGS CA. E-BRAKES NEVER WORKED FROM DAY ONE, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS HOW THEY FUNCTIONED DUE TO 4-WHEEL DISC SYSTEM (FROM DEALERSHIP)-WRONG. AFTER ASKING OTHER CHEVY TRUCK OWNERS WITH THE SAME E-BRAKE SYSTEM, THEY TOO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS. I AM VERY SURPRISED THAT GM DID NOT SEND A RECALL NOTICE OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM. THOUGH GM DID SEND OUT A RECALL ON THE TAIL GATE SUPPORT CABLES, I FIND THIS PROBLEM MUCH MORE OF A SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE THE E-BRAKES ARE SUPPOSE TO HOLD BACK A 2 TON VEHICLE OF WHICH IT DOES NOT. A MECHANIC FROM LES SCHWAB TIRES (AND BRAKES) TOLD ME AFTER HE INSPECTED MY E-BRAKE SYSTEM THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM CONTINUOUSLY OCCURS WITH THIS TYPE OF E-BRAKE SYSTEM WITH GM TRUCKS. *NM

Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Wheel Speed Sensor
Filed Jul 13, 200534,000 milesNY

2002 Z71 SILVERADO CHEVROLET TRUCK PERTAINING TO ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAILURE: ONE MONTH AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE PROBLEM RESULTED IN UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AND INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKE APPLICATION. GM INDICATED THAT THE CONDITION CAN OCCUR IF CORRISION FORMS UNDER THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND MOVES THE SENSOR AWAY FROM THE INTERGRAL SPEED SENSOR TOOTHED RING. THE CONDITION DOES NOT SET ANY ABS CODES NOR DOES IT ILLUMINATE THE ABS WARNING LAMP. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER'S MALFUNCTION MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.

Parking Brake
Filed Feb 5, 200545,000 milesTX

PREMATURE TOTAL PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILURE. FAILED TEXAS VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION. VEHICLE INSPECTOR INFORMED ME THE SAME FAILURE WAS COMMON AMONG 2002 TRUCKS LIKE MINE AND WARNED OF A COSTLY REPAIR. PARKING BRAKE WAS VERY SELDOM ENGAGED YET BECAME TOTALLY WORN OUT AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO VEHICLE REACHING 50,000 MILES. DEALER ADMITTED TO A POOR DESIGN BUT SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. HE SAID A BULLETIN WAS ISSUED TO REPLACE THE JUNK PART WITH A BEEFED UP VERSION. MY REPAIR COST EXCEEDED $400.*JB

Parking Brake
Filed Jan 5, 200538,000 milesTX

PARKING BRAKE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. TOOK VECHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY STATED IT WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM. DEALER REPLACED PARKING BRAKE PADS. VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR. ASKED SERVICE ADVISOR WHAT WILL KEEP THE PARKING BRAKE FROM FAILING AGAIN? UNABLE TO ANSWER! HAVE NOT RECIEVED ANY RESPONSE FROM GM. *AK

Steering › Column
Filed Dec 28, 2004CA

THE CONSUMER WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. WHEN DRIVING, THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE THE FRONT END WAS GOING TO COME OFF. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE INSPECTED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN. *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Nov 17, 200428,105 milesMI

BRAKES WERE SERVICED, HOWEVER THEY DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. ANOTHER DEALER STATED NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. ALSO, AFTER CHANGING THE OIL THERE WAS METAL FOUND IN THE OIL. *AK THE DEALER STATED THAT METAL IN THE OIL WAS NORMAL THE BRAKES FELT SPONGY. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT METAL IN THE OIL MEANS THE ENGINE WILL NOT LAST. *TC

Parking Brake › Conventional › Mechanical
Filed Nov 2, 20041 milesLA

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING.*AK

Parking Brake
Filed Jun 14, 200449,000 milesTX

THE PARKING BRAKE CLIP FAILED AND IT COST A LOT OF MONEY TO REPLACE IT EVERY TIME THAT IT BROKE. THREE DEALERSHIPS INDICATED IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN DEFECT. *AK THE CLIP WHICH ALLOWED THE PARKING BRAKE SHOES TO FALL INSIDE THE DRUM ROTOR GIVING NO WARNING. THEY WORE METAL TO METAL WITH STILL NO SIGN OF FAILURE, UNTIL THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE AND IT DID NOT HOLD. THREE DEALERSHIPS INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. GM FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. *SC JB

Structure › Body › Tailgate › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Apr 20, 200427,150 milesOH

ON 4-19-04 WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND INTO MY STREET, MY TAILGATE ON MY 2002 CHEVY SILVERADO FELL FROM THE VERTICAL (LATCHED POSITION). I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE, AND UPON WALKING TO THE REAR OF TRUCK, I NOTICED THAT BOTH TAILGATE SUPPORT STRAPS HAD SNAPPED (BROKEN) APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES FROM THE END. THE TAIGATE ENDED UP RESTING ON REAR BUMPER AT A DOWNWARD ANGLE.

Fuel System, Other1 injured
Filed Feb 24, 200435,423 milesMI

2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE'S GAS TANK BLEW OUT WHEN REFUELING AT GAS STATION, CAUSING A LARGE GAS SPILL BY THE GAS PUMP AND STATION. FIRE DEPT AND POLICE RESPONDED AS THEY WERE CALLED TO THIS INCIDENT. THE PERSON PUMPING THE GAS WENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT AFTER INHALING THE FUEL, CAUSING A HEADACHE, DIZZINESS AND VOMITING. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash3 injured
Filed Jan 26, 2004KS

NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN A MODERATE TO SEVERE ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED TOTALED. FOUR PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THREE OF THE FOUR WERE MODERATELY INJURED. WE WERE ALL WEARING OUR SEATBELTS. THANK GOD. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS TOTALLY SHATTERED AS WELL A THE RIGHT PASSENGER WINDOW. THE FRONT HOOD WAS SEVERELY BUCKLED THE ENGINE WAS COMING THROUGH THE DASHBOARD. THE WHOLE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS CRUSHED IN. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED THREE OTHER CHEVEROLETS. I WOULD LIKE ANSWERS ON WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE SINCE OURS WAS DECLARED TOTALED. WE ARE VERY HESITANT TO GO BACK WITH CHEVROLET. *LA

Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed Nov 19, 200326,169 milesGA

TRANSMISSION CHATTERING, FEELS LOOSE, FEELS AS THOUGH IT'S TRYING TO FALL OUT ON TAKE OFF. REAR DIFFERENTIAL / DRIVE SHAFT. REAR END IS BEING DAMAGED BY TRANSMISSION NOT PROPER. MISSED THE LEMON LAW BY LESS THAN 6000 MILES.*AK

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Oct 15, 2003GA

REAR END OF VEHICLE IS LOOSE DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING ROUGHLY.*MR BY THE SECOND VISIT TO THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A SEVERE CLUNKNG NOISE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS ACTUALLY CHATTERING. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE CLUNKING NOISE WAS CAUSED BY THE REAR DRIVESHAFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. F0060 SLIP JOINT, PROPELLER SHAFT (BETWEEN TRANS AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL) WAS REPLACED. STILL NO REPAIR OR PROBLEM DETECTED WITH TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WOULD RESET ITSELF TO THE CONSUMER'S DRIVING STYLE AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE. THIS WASN'T TRUE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO EXIST. THE CONSUMER STARTED THE PROCESS OF THE LEMON LAW. *PH *JB *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Sep 23, 2003OK

WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Sep 22, 200357,000 milesLA

VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED. DRIVER SIDE NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES.*AK

20 of 24 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1998
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2002 — this page24000Routine
199845030Routine
19964010Routine
19952001Fatalities reported
199415000Routine
199315000Routine

Compare every Z71 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.