NHTSA Complaint #10142263 — 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE ON 2001 CHEVROLET 1500 SERIES PICKUP. CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE PUBLISHED A SAFETY ALERT FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM STATING THAT 1999-2005 MODELS ARE AT DANGER BECAUSE OF FRICTION THAT COULD MAKE THE PARKING BRAKE INEFFECTIVE. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, BUT NOT FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE. WE TOOK ONE OF THE TRUCKS FROM OUR BUSINESS FLEET (COMPRISED OF 15-20 CHEVROLET 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS) TO BE INSPECTED TODAY AND IT FAILED BECAUSE OF THIS PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. THERE WAS ANOTHER GENTLEMAN AT THE INSPECTION PLACE WITH A CHEVROLET 1500 TRUCK WHILE WE WERE THERE, AND HIS TRUCK FAILED FOR THE PARKING BRAKE ALSO. WE CONTACTED MORITZ CHEVROLET, A LOCAL DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY SEE LARGE #S OF VEHICLES COME IN FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE AUTO INSPECTION ESTABLISHMENT SAID THEY SAME THING - THEY FAIL COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF 1999-2005 CHEVROLET 1500 PICKUP TRUCKS FOR PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. IT IS GOING TO COST US $200 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. CHEVROLET CLEARLY KNOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM, AND A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED AT ONCE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *JB