AI Damage2002 Chevrolet C/K Pickups: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Chevrolet C/K Pickups filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and parking brake. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 14
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 57% of all complaints
- 2 Parking brake 14% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 6 Wheels 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (57% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Parking brake: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (7% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (7% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 14 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 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
Our truck has a vibration in the brake pedal when trying to stop, but it only occurs at the final stage of stopping, at slow speeds. It has occured numerous times, and with no weather conditions on the road.
2010) the metal brake lines under the drivers door rusted through and nearly caused an accident with 3 people inside,including my son and his 3 year old son. I am having it taken to a garage to get an estimate for repair. I have had many vehicles, none of which have had these problems.
I checked under the hood and noticed to my surprise rust through on the steel brake line. Dealer was contacted was told they would look at it. Had truck towed to dealer,service manager wanted guarantee of payment of 40 dollars and change to look at it,to confirm what I already knew that the brake lines were rusted.
2002 chevrolet 1500 silverado pickup 4 wheel drive automatic transmission, parking brake fails and goes to floor.........it has never been used and does not work ...fail state inspection.......defective design.
I relied on the parking brake while I was doing some work. The parking brake failed to hold, and the vehicle rolled. Luckily I nearly avoided being struck. Further analysis shows that this is a problem on all chevy and gm pickup trucks for 2002.
12/7/2003 sitting on tailgate of 2002 chevrolet pickup going down road 12-15 mph both cables snapped at same time releasing the tailgate down and dumping myself and two others onto the county pavement. Truck in excellent condition bought in effingham illinois at dan hecht chevrolet by tony metter of sigel , il.
The wheel rims cracked on a 2002 chevrolet k2500hd pickup resulting in loss of tire pressure.
Loose fit between front torsion bars and lower a frame on half ton chevy pickup trucks and tahoes.
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 9,551 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C/K Pickups has 29 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 14, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- 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 2002 Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, parking brake, electrical system. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (14%), rollaway, parking brake (14%), rust, corrosion (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.