5.8
fairly significantTypical Repair Cost:
$154.00
Average Mileage:
44,430 miles
Total Complaints:
51 complaints
Most common solutions:
- all the dealer did was lube it up (13 reports)
- not sure (12 reports)
- replaced steering shaft (12 reports)
- dealer replaced steering shaft (8 reports)
- lube failed replaced lower shaft three times (3 reports)
- dealer took a grinder to steering shaft. (1 reports)
steering problem
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Chevrolet dealer.
Helpful Websites About 2003 Chevrolet Silverado thumping from steering column
2005Apr 04
Silverado LT 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 67,000 miles
I lowered my truck and thought that was the cause. Then I came across this site. My steering makes noise only in the morning. the first right turn I make. How can this be fixed does anyone know? I also had to replace my rack from new. Is it in the rack or the column?
2006Apr 20
Silverado LT 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 25,000 miles
Going in for third lube today. We'll see what they want to rip me off for this time!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2005Sep 12
Silverado 3.2L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 20,000 miles
As with everyone else the problem came back after about 10000 miles.
Conveniently for Government Motors it was out of warranty by then.
How do you start a class action to force a recall????????
2004Dec 16
Silverado 1500 LS 5.3L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 11,000 miles
I have this same thumping sound in my steering. I never had it repaired because I had installed a lift kit on my truck and thought it probably had something to do with it but now that I have discovered this site, I now know the true problem. It only takes one person to file a class action lawsuit against GM.
2007Sep 12
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 27,000 miles
The rattle/thumping came back after the dealer fix, but
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2004Nov 03
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 16,000 miles
First time for my truck. The dealer said it was a common problem with this truck and replaced the part after I waited for about 2 weeks for the part to come in. The fix lasted for about 10K miles and then came back just as bad.
2009Feb 03
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 63,252 miles
I think this should be a recall as I know of others that have had this problem. I really like the truck except for the front end clunking.
2006May 16
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 34,000 miles
Felt like ball joints were going out, when you were turning there would be a clunking noise. When I described the problem to the dealer he said he knew what the problem was and that it would be covered under warranty. Dealer said that the steering column was pressed together and that this was a common problem. He indicated the part had been re-engineered and that they would replace it with a new part.
The problem returned about 20,000 miles latter. I have not followed up with the dealer but reading the complaints on this site it appears that GM is not stepping up to the plate and correcting the problem.
I am disappointed that GM is failing it's customers like this. There is no doubt this is a defective part and that a recall should be in order. How can customer loyalty be expected???
2006Dec 00
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 31,000 miles
got 12k and having to replace it again plus another part of steering shaft. I bitched to gm but this is going to cost me $500 just for the new part plus a $100 for the other part that was replaced once before
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Feb 01
Silverado 4.8L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 75,000 miles
Noticed an annoying clunking sound coming from steering and pulling to one side while driving. Brought it to the dealership and they said it was a common problem and they would replace it for nothing. Dealership also said the steering gear was junk and needed to be replace, but of course the extended warranty expired at 75000 and my truck had 75,200 on it. They tried to get me for $700 for the steering gear. I complained enough and they fixed it for $100.
2008Nov 21
Silverado Z71 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 44,561 miles
I have bought 3 new Z71 Chevrolet Silverados over the years and they all have had the same
terrible knocking in the steering column and it is a pain in the ass, you would think GM could figure this out by now. They should od a recall and fix it for free.
2004Oct 28
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 300,000 miles
Had many problem with the steering shaft. Once the warranty and the extended warranty, that was not free, had run out the dealer said I was pretty much on my own. This is after the parts were supposed to be new they used to fix the problems. Why I am I stuck fixing parts "in my opinion" were incorrectly engineered and applied to the problem more than once!
2005Feb 07
Silverado LS 4.8L
- Automatic transmission
- 17,888 miles
I love My 2003 Silverado........But :
with 17000 Miles experienced annoying thumping and rattling in the Steering.
The Dealer lubed the Steering Shaft under Warranty .
At 35000 the problem came back again and this time the Dealer
( after prolonged waiting for a back ordered " improved Version " )
replaced the shaft.Now the truck has 57000Miles on it and all started back again !??
The Dealer does not ( as I suggested ) want to lube the shaft for me but only replace
it for ca $ 240 ! Why don't they install some Lube Fittings on this thing so we could
service it ourselves ??
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2005Oct 06
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 53,000 miles
I bought 2003 Silverado and the steer shaft had replaced in 2005 because there was rattle and fixed under warranty and a few month ago it came back as same problem and went to dealer that I have to pay 450 dollars to replace steering shaft. THATS BULLSHIT. This should have RECALL.
2004Sep 16
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 5,000 miles
my truck now has 22000miles and its now 2008 the dealer worked on it four times since i bought it , almost once every two years and i have hardly any miles on it and now to fix it they want me to pay. this problem has started since day one and there should be a recall on this vehicle.
2003Oct 01
Silverado 3500
- Automatic transmission
- 1,000 miles
started of barely noticeable but has worsened to constant now
2003Aug 13
Silverado 1500 HD 6.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 12,000 miles
dealer fixed first time... been back twice more, 2 lubes and 1 shaft, still knocking...4th GM truck ive owned...will never buy another one
2007Oct 28
Silverado 2500 HD V8
- Automatic transmission
- 88,000 miles
Two months after purchasing my first 2003 Chevy HD 2500 truck the intermediate steering shaft started making noises everytime I turned right. I brought it in had it and replaced. Since then the heat exchanger has also went bad.
2007Aug 08
Silverado LT 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 30,000 miles
happened at 30,000 miles, got lube kit fix, now back at 50,000 miles. This so common from my search of the internet, that Chevrolet should definitely recall and permanently fix this problem!!
2006Sep 06
Silverado 2500 V8
- Automatic transmission
- 25,000 miles
once again I was out of a vehicle for the day this was the 2nd time the truck went in for this problem (the dealership did replace the steering column shaft ).They gave me a very hard time because my warranty had just expired....I pushed the issue until they covered the whole cost( it was not a pleasant experience) 2nd time same problem think Chevrolet should recall this??????
2005Aug 10
Silverado 2500 V8
- Automatic transmission
- 15,000 miles
made loud thump dealer took it in greased it....Was under the normal 3 year they told me it was all set boy were they wrong
2008May 21
Silverado LT V8
- Automatic transmission
- 93,000 miles
I've had the thumping fixed by Chevrolet 3 times, and each time they claimed they had the problem fixed by their latest solution. Now I have 93,000 miles and they won't fix it anymore and admit that it is a problem and they can't understand why it would do it again. Duh??!!! The say that the joint gets dry and they couldn't explain why the company did not put a grease fitting on it. They assure me that it is not a safety issue.
2008Jan 31
Silverado 1500 V6
- Automatic transmission
- 33,000 miles
This is the second time the steering column has started thumping. The first time the truck had less than twenty thousand miles on it. They contacted me and I took it into the dealership. The repairs were covered under warranty. Now, at thirty-three thousand miles it's thumping again. No warranty this time. The dealership wants ninety-two dollars for the intermediate shaft and eighty-two dollars for one hour labor to install it. It's more annoying than anything else.
2007Aug 20
Silverado LS 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 80,000 miles
I have a thump in my steering column, i bought the truck in august and it would only do it when i turn the air on once or twice then stop, but nows it does it every time i start the truck for about a minute and then my air doesn't blow out the vents but out the defrost only!!! no matter what the setting just defrost. any ideas?
2003Aug 31
Silverado 1500 EXT CAB 4.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 50,000 miles
This started out as a minor annoyance and barely noticeable. I guess I tuned out the sound. The thumping gradually has gotten worse but now warranty is expired. I'm not going to pay for any repairs to something that should be recalled in the first place. GM really is irresponsible - this is a SAFETY issue don't you think? I hope the steering column fails (thump - thump - kerplunk) the truck loses control, crashes and burns to the ground!
Next time I'll buy a Toyota.
2007Mar 14
Silverado LT 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 60,000 miles
Chevy has no fix, they told me I will have to keep bringing it in for repair, and they will not
sell the lube kit to the shade tree mechanic, that bull sh*t!
2007Nov 16
Silverado LS 5.3
- Automatic transmission
- 30,000 miles
Going back for my second lube job. This is getting to be a
Thanksgiving tradition at my dealership. I have another year
under my warranty and this really makes me want to buy another Chevy. You know, to keep the annual screwing alive.Ya right!
2007Nov 13
Silverado LX 5.
- Automatic transmission
- 12,000 miles
At 40000 miles the steering shaft needs replacing for a second time, all the dealers were out the first time and took about 9 months to replace so the second one lasted about 22000 miles not good low bid just does not get it( or just a bad design)
I think General Motors should replace for free just from the hassle
2007Oct 24
(reported on)Silverado 2500 HD V8
- Automatic transmission
- 65,000 miles
Ok, it's now the third time, first at 35,000mi, second at 51,000mi, now again at 65,000mi. I haven't gone to the dealer yet, but I'm sure this time they will want to replace it. The first time GM took care of it, the second time the dealer lubed it up, so I'm sure this time they will want to replace it. I don't know what the hell to do, the tires last longer! GM better realize this is a problem and do something. The American Automobile Market, being in the shape its in, can't afford for people like me to start Looking toward a TOYOTA TUNDRA as my next new truck!
2007Oct 24
(reported on)Silverado 2500 HD V8
- Automatic transmission
- 51,000 miles
Called GM, they claim there is not an issue. Even though it happened once before, they would not cover it this time since the warranty was up. I expressed my concern with GM that I had a bad feeling this was going to be an issue every 15-20k miles. They assured me it wasn't an issue and gave me 2 free oil changes.
2007Oct 24
(reported on)Silverado 2500 HD V8
- Automatic transmission
- 35,000 miles
The first time GM was pretty good about taking care of the problem.
2007Oct 19
(reported on)Silverado 1500 4.8L
- Automatic transmission
- 51,000 miles
I actually had the intermediate shaft fixed twice. The first was at 18000 miles and now the second time at 51000 but with a new revised part. The first time it was still under the factory warranty. The second, I had to use my extended warranty and pay the 100 dollar deductible. I really hope that the revised part fixes the problem because I have had other issues with the truck that have made me question Chevy’s quality.
2007Oct 17
(reported on)Silverado 1500 XT-CAB 4.8L
- Automatic transmission
- 34,000 miles
I have a 2003 Silverado at +/-34,000 miles I had a problem with a thumping noise coming from my steering shaft. The dealership explained to me that it was a design flaw and that the problem would continue. Now that I have +/-64,000 miles on the truck....it continued. It is really a discrace that a truck was built with a design flaw and nothing has been done to correct it! My family has bought Chevrolet trucks since 1960 and my father worked for GM in Van Nuys, Ca (for 35 years). I hope one of you good for nothing m!@#$%^&*()^s in Detroit reads this. I don't think I'll ever buy a Chevy or GM truck again.
2007Oct 10
(reported on)Silverado 2LT 5.3L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 85,000 miles
This is a constant problem. About every 4 to 5 months I am back in the shop with the same complaint. All they tell me is the know about the defect but the only fix they have is to charge me to lube steering box. I wonder if FORD dealerships are like this.
2007Apr 06
(reported on)Silverado LT 6.0
- Automatic transmission
- 100,000 miles
I took it in...well we don't hear anything miss. if it starts up again let us know. everything is sound and working well.. We greased everything, should be good. Next time same thing without the grease I got busy and NOW dang it if they can't hear this rattle in the steering column I'm gonna go postal!!
2006Aug 04
(reported on)Silverado
- Automatic transmission
- 46,000 miles
I do not feel that I should be responsible for a manufacturers defect. That is just wrong
2007Mar 11
(reported on)Silverado LS 5.3
- Automatic transmission
- 30,000 miles
Had knocking in the steering column 2 years after purchasing the vehicle new. The service person advised this was an ongoing problem and 3 months back order on replacement part. The intermediate shaft was replaced under warranty. Now 44,000 miles and knocking is back. Told it needs to be repacked with grease ($135).
2007Mar 05
(reported on)Silverado LS 1500 4.8 V8
- Automatic transmission
- 22,000 miles
Brought my truck into the dealer regarding the sound coming from the steering column. Chevy dealer told me they would have to lube it. It worked fine for about 8000 miles. Then it started over again. I brought it in again. This time they said they had a new part to install to take care of the problem. Now I have 54,000 miles on the truck and the noise and jolting are back. Not sure what to do now.
2007Feb 23
(reported on)Silverado LS 3.8 V8
- Automatic transmission
- 40,000 miles
I have a 2003 silverado z71 in which has a thumping in the steering. I took to the dealer under warranty and they took a grinder and ground the steering shaft. Worked for a little while the started back again. I took it back to the dealer this time not under warranty and showed them on their ticket what had previously been done and their fix was to replace the steering shaft at my cost. Which I chose not to do. I shouldnt have to pay for this fix being a manufactures defect.
Maybe it will fall apart and cause an accident and then they will have a lawsuit. Then we can all get ours fixed.
2007Feb 15
(reported on)Silverado 1500 HD V8 6 LITER
- Automatic transmission
- 26,000 miles
after four years of telling me the part is coming chevy finally just started getting replacement steering shafts. got it installed last week and seems good but will have to see if it holds up. They claim this "is the fix". warranty covered it because it started when warranty was still in effect.
2007Jan 27
(reported on)Silverado SS 6.0L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 36,650 miles
I purchased this vehicle under the dealership's 'certified' plan and shortly after the purchase it began making a knocking noise from the steering column. Called the service adviser and they said the warranty period had ended and they could lube the column at a nominal fee of $90.00 and that this would last about 20,000 miles. I told them to screw themselves.
2007Jan 13
(reported on)Silverado LT 6.0
- Automatic transmission
- 20,000 miles
I only have 20,000 miles on my 2003 Silverado and I am hearing a thumping noise in the steering column when turning. I haven't been to a dealer yet, but it appears it may be a worthless trip. I would suggest a permanent fix through a recall. I also have a 2002 Impala which is having the same problem. It has 70,000 miles of it.
2007Jan 08
(reported on)Silverado LX V8
- Automatic transmission
- 16,800 miles
Purchased 2003 Silverado LS in Oct. of 06 with a very low mileage of 15700 miles. Within a couple of weeks steering began making thumping noise when making right turns only. The dealers fix was like all the rest, lubricating steering mechanism. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO REPEATED PROBLEMS..... going back to Ford.
2007Jan 02
(reported on)Silverado
- Automatic transmission
- 16,000 miles
Have been having the same problem with the steering column on my 2003 Silverado. The thumping noises and vibration started about at 16,000 miles. The dealer replaced the shaft under warranty but now at 48,000 miles the problem is back. It is obvious that they replaced the defect with another defect. I do not have extended warranty but plan on calling the dealer and seeing what they can do. It looks like GM would recall this problem or do something. I have always been a Chevy owner but Toyota is looking more attractive.
2006Dec 26
(reported on)Silverado 5.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 34,500 miles
Had a thumping in the steering column a little over a year after purchasing the vehicle new. The service person, at that time a friend of mine, advised me that this was an ongoing problem since the redesign in 2000. The intermediate shaft wasn't properly lubricated and the repair was made under warranty. That repair lasted a year and half and the next one I was told they had a new shaft design, that was at 34,000 miles and now at 48,800 miles it's back with a vengeance. Haven't talked to the dealer yet, will keep you posted.
2006Nov 09
(reported on)Silverado LS 5.2 V8
- Automatic transmission
- 56,000 miles
This same problem happened on another truck I had (2002 silverado) they replaced the rack and pinion on. This time (2003 silverado) GM is telling them to grease it, that this is a maintnance problem. There is no grease fitting for anyone to just grease it, they have to take it off of the truck to lube it. This sounds to me like GM is passing the buck, I say they should have a recall on this problem. brrrrapt, that's a bronx cheer!
2006Oct 21
(reported on)Silverado 1500HD
- Automatic transmission
- 66,000 miles
I am in the process of arguing with GM and My dealer
2006Oct 21
(reported on)Silverado 1500HD
- Automatic transmission
- 20,000 miles
Steering shaft failed second time
2006Oct 21
(reported on)Silverado 1500 HD
- Automatic transmission
- 66,270 miles
Received vehicle July 2003. Sept. 2004 steering sshaft came loose and GM applied lube.
Oct 2004 Lube failed and GM replaced shaft. Oct 2005 shaft failed again and it was replaced under extended warranty. September 2006 shaft failed again and extended warranty would not replace saying "because GM did not have a fix". GM said I could apply the lube for a cost of $90.00cdn. So does that mean I would haave to cover the cost of the lube every year because of a design flaw Of General Motors. That is if the fix by the lube works as it did not work the first time. How about a class action law suit??
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2004Oct 20
Silverado Ls1500 4x4 4.8L
Friends the problem is inside the cab at your feet above them . a plastic white collar is made wrong and allows the shaft to move up and down and causes a annoying noise.I pet a stainless hose clamp next to the collar and pushed it toward the engine and tightend it down. The noise is almost gone. The problem is a gap around the shaft in the cab. Push white collar down and clamp it with hase clamp the noise is almost gone. I am going to take it apart and make my own bushing or something.30,000 dollars and I have to do this my self.
Bo D.
Festus, MO, USA
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