NHTSA Complaint #768971 — 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING UPON COLD START UP AT APPROX. EIGHT THOUSAND MILES, AND A PROBLEM STARTED WITH A ENGINE PINGING NOISE(VALVE CLATTER) AT THE SAME MILEAGE. THE PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES IN WHICH NO ATTEMPT FOR CORRECTION WAS MADE ON REPAIRING THE ENGINE KNOCK. THE VALVE CLATTER PROBLEM HAS BEEN WORKED ON MORE THAN THREE TIMES WITH NO SOLUTION. NOW THE PROBLEM IS DEEMED UNREPAIRABLE OR AS THE DEALER STATES "NORMAL" AS MY REPLY IS THAT THE TRUCK DID NOT MAKE ANY NOISE UNTILL 8,000 MILES, IF THE NOISE IS NORMAL WHY DID IT TAKE 8,OOO MILES FOR THE PROBLEM TO ARRISE. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE ENGINE KNOCKS ON BOTH HOT AND COLD START AND VALVE CLATTER IS EXPERIENCED UPON ACCELERATION, CONSTANT SPEEDS, AND IS THE WORST WHEN TRYING TO TOW A TRAILER OF LESS THAN 30% OF VEHICLES MAX GVWR. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THE BUMPING, KNOCKING LOOSE STEERING SENSATION FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO BEEN WORKED ON SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SOLUTION. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE ARE NEW INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PARTS THAT ARE SUPPOSE TO FIX MY PROBLEM, BUT I AM NOT BEING TOLD OF A COMPLETION OR DELIVERY DATE ON THIS CORRECTION. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE STEERING IS GOING TO MALFUNCTION CAUSING A ACCIDENT. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES WITH MY CONCERNS. THE ONLY REPLIES I HAVE RECEIVED ARE "YES THERE IS A PROBLEM, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT, OR WILL CALL YOU!" IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A MANUFACTURER THAT CAN DESIGN AND MANUFACTURER MILLIONS OF VEHICLES SHOULD KNOW HOW TO FIX WHAT THEY PRODUCE. DT