NHTSA Complaint #10450482 — 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

MY 2003 SILVERADO PICKUP TRUCK HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE A COMMON AND RECURRENT PROBLEM. EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BREAK, AND ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR, THEY CAN BE EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. A FEW MINUTES OF WEB SEARCHING ON THIS TOPIC PRODUCED A NUMBER OF RESULTS AND MY CONCLUSION IS THE ISSUE IS COMMON. THE ONLINE COMPLAINTS ALSO INDICATE THAT THE SUCCESS RATE FOR THE REPAIR IS NOT GOOD, WITH MANY REPAIRED VEHICLES HAVING SUBSEQUENT BOLT FAILURES. MY VEHICLE IS IN AN AUTHORIZED CHEVY SERVICE GARAGE HAVING THE BOLTS REPLACED. THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS FOR $486, IF CYLINDER HEAD DID NOT NEED TO BE REMOVED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN BROKE A TAP OFF IN THE REAR MOST BOLT LOCATION. I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAPPENED BEFORE HEAD REMOVAL OR AFTER. IT BECAME NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE CYLINDER HEAD AND WAS REQUOTED AT $1600. A CALL WAS MADE TO GM 3-6-12. THE RESPONSE WAS THAT MY TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE FORE THEY COULD BE OF NO ASSISTANCE IN THE MATTER. I AM CERTAINLY AWARE OF THE WARRANTY TERMS. MY ISSUE IS WITH THE SCALE OF THIS ENGINEERING/MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THE COST TO THE OWNERS. THE ISSUE CAN CAUSE EMISSIONS PROBLEMS DUE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE AND FURTHER EXPENSE. *TR