AI Damage2001 Chevrolet C/K Pickups: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Chevrolet C/K Pickups filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 24
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 38% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 17% of all complaints
- 3 Latches, locks, linkages 8% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Parking brake 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 9 complaints (38% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 4 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Latches, locks, linkages: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 24 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The driver side airbag failed to deploy. The impact was a few inches left of center and was such that it moved the engine block back into the cab of the pickup. It should have deployed.
Upon examination, the sensor also had the same rust problem as the rotor. The sensers will also be replaced a owner's expense ($110/per sensor). The was no mention of any rotor problems in the bulletin. A 2001 vehicle with 85,000 miles should not have the rotor damage that existed.
Was looking to park in a super market and when I slowed to turn in and pressed the brake pedal it vibrated and actually attempted to speed up slightly. Took it to the dealer and they said it was because the stainless steel rotors had rust on them and the sensor wasn't working right.
Intermediate steering column shaft - constant clunking noise. Had serviced at 21k miles and now bad again at 43k miles. Supposedly safe per dealer, just an annoyance. But it could duplicate/mask a similar clunking noise which could be suspension related and unsafe.
I am an automatic car wash owner. I have tried to engage the area service representative from chevrolet to meet with me, but this person has yet to agree to personally discuss their (in my opinion) engineering defect with me.
They have said it is a recall on failing anti-lock sensors that have rust from salt, but minnesota is not one of the states. We don't use salt on roads up here during the winter? What a joke.
It was rattlin . The shop said they would grease it . They were asked if it would be ok they said yes. Now that it is out of regular warraty . The soay it should be changed. Their are other people complaining about this also. It on a2001 chevy pckup. I just was wondering if it is a safety hazard. Also it is like gm.
Power steering pump failure. Shaft broke on pump causing loss of steering and brakes.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C/K Pickups has 29 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 24, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, latches, locks, linkages. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (21%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%), airbags did not deploy (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2001 Chevrolet C/K Pickups from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2001 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.