NHTSA Complaint #10171273 — 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS AND 80,000 MILES OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE THE FUEL PUMP HAS DIED ON ME 5 TIMES. ALL 5 TIMES THE PUMP WAS REPLACED WITH AC DELCO PARTS FROM GM. THE LAST TWO TIMES IT WENT OUT I HAD IT REPLACED BY A CHEVY DEALER IN TAMPA. THE SECOND TO THE LAST FAILURE CAUSED A DOMINO EFFECT THAT ENDED UP BEING VERY COSTLY TO ME. FRAGMENTS FROM THE PUMP TRAVELED TO THE FILTER, SOMEHOW MADE IT PAST THE FILTER AND RUINED THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. FRAGMENTS FROM THAT TRAVELED FURTHER ALONG AND DESTROYED THE THROTTLE BODY METERING VALVE AND ALL 8 FUEL INJECTORS. AFTER HAVING ALL THIS WORK DONE, THE LAST FUEL PUMP ONLY WORKED FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS BEFORE IT WENT OUT AGAIN. THIS TIME IT LUCKILY DID NOT RUIN THE ABOVE MENTIONED ITEMS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE GM PART BEING DEFECTIVE, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH AS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I'VE NEVER LET THE TANK GET BELOW 1/3 FULL BECAUSE I KNOW IT CAN DAMAGE THE PUMP BELOW 1/4 FULL. THE PUMP FAILS WITHOUT WARNING AND HAS CAUSED A DANGER TO MYSELF AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. *NM