Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud cracking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact noticed the loud cracking sound while driving over a pothole in the road. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact completed a thorough inspection of the vehicle and noticed a fracture behind the cab of the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed corrosion of the undercarriage of the vehicle. The contact stated that the corrosion extended from the front passenger's side to the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.
I was driving on hwy 495 which is a city road towards hwy 19 driving approx 53 MPH in crystal river, fl. The vechile ahead of my mine was 3 car lengths ahead when I saw there brake lights on, I applied the usual appropriate brake pressure which is no harder or softer then any other time. Once I slowed down to 40 MPH in the back passenger side rear tire felt like it exploded and heard a huge explosive type sound and actually felt the entire back end of my Silverado lift up and shift leftwards into the opposite lane causing my truck to also get struck by another truck causing what was a extremely well maintained truck without a single ding or mechanical issues until this occurred. I am a engineer and have never witnessed a tire that looked the way this did , by simply driving . I have all records for maintaince,rotations etc.. …
Where clutch master cylinder mounts in clutch pedal assy broke. Was unable to get out of gear causing me to hit a pole. Damaging bumper hood fender headlight turn signal and grill. Called the dealer they told me that clutch braking issues while driving is not a safety issue. I have done some checking and there are a lot of people with this issue but because GM says not a safety issue they just want to sell us parts to fix this problem.
Was replacing brake lines after a rusty line broke and seen excessive rust on the passenger side frame in the front 1/4 of pickup. The frame has a long hole on bottom of frame spaning about 10 inches and above the same section of frame has a long rusted crack running parallel with the frame spaning about 8 inches. The rest of the frame looks in good condition.
Chevy rust. Brake lines rusted out completely and failed - happen at slow speed no one injured. Shackled broke off and hit bottom of bed without towing. Frame is rusted out. Neighbor has similar vehicle with same problems (put jack on frame and it went through the frame.) many complaints online about these very issues.
The fuel lines rust away and start leaking fuel badly. All lines have to be replaced. The rust on this truck is unbelievable. GM will not stand behind the product. The rocker panels all rusted out as well. The frame is rusting out. These truck are just rust buckets
Stopping the vehicle, the anti-lock brakes would kick in at around 3 to 5 miles per hour and the vehicle would not stop, would roll a few more feet. Almost hit a woman and child in cross walk, had to stand up on brakes. This not stopping happened 5 or 6 times, this was the came reaction as in 2005 recall, called GM. GM Chevrolet customer assistance center said, go and get this problem confirmed by a GM dealership, did oct. 9, '08 and they said corrosion build in same area, but because right front hub was replaced with a non GM part (after market part) they have no responsibility. This hub came with the sensor attached. In 2005 my 2002 Chevrolet Silverado was issued a recall for severe corrosion area between the front hub/bearing assembly and the wheel speed sensor. They found the left side sensor was missing an o-ring, they installed under the recall. …
Took truck in for state inspection, truck failed inspection due to rusted brake lines, power steering pump leaking , dealer said it would be $1228.43 to $1420.99 to just fixed the brake lines all lines needed replaced and calipers screws. Power steering pump cost 535.00 to replace. Poor quality ,high cost to fix and lack of safety on GM part for not covering rubber coating or using stainless steel lines to protect our family very discouraged with service tech said these are the prices. What happened to our safety. Brake lines and gas lines should not be made of steel that can corrode and rust out and break. Power steering pump with these few miles should not have gone out. My 1988 Chevy truck never had these problems. There needs to be a recall.
I was driving when I went to stop and the pedal was soft. The truck still stopped but the pedal didn't feel right. I was able to get to my in-laws house,about 2 miles. When I got out I saw brake fluid leaking from the brake lines running along the frame on the drivers side. They are the lines that go to the ABS module. When I inspected further, all 4 lines were either leaking or about to. That is when I noticed both rocker panels, just under the doors, were rusted and the passenger side rusted through. The doors are not rusted and there is very little rust on the truck even where the paint has flaked off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the brake pedal traveled to the floor when depressed. The vehicle failed to stop until the emergency brake was engaged. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed that the front driver's side brake line fractured due to excessive corrosion. The four brake lines were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 104,685. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 08/12/14 updated 07/06/2017
Body complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the body & structure of the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 6% of the model year's 509 complaints. The component named most often is body (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.