3rd Jan 2011, 23:09

I am now part of GM's Pinhole Club!

I have a 2003, 1500 Silverado, I noticed the pinhole in the transfer case about 3 months ago, I JB welded it like everyone else, it held about 2 months... I had my mechanic to remove the transfer case, he took it apart and the pump is wearing a hole in 4-5 places around the transfer case. The clip that holds the pump in place is a poor design by GM.

I contacted GM about this problem and they said they have never heard of it... This problem will continue to happen, until GM owns up to their defective design in their transfer case.

For 30+ years I have owned nothing but GM Products, NO LONGER, GM doesn't stand behind their problems, so why should I be loyal to them?

9th Jan 2011, 20:20

My 98 Suburban 1500 developed a crack in the housing of the transfer case. $798 to repair. This weekend the TC blew up at 60 MPH. After reading all these comments about this well known problem I am done with GM products.

31st Jan 2011, 13:28

My 2003 Silverado (90000 miles) has joined the pin hole in transfer case club. The Chevy dealer I use for all service informed me that it will be $2000 in parts alone to fix. Looks like another JB weld Chevy truck will be on the road. My wife drives our 2002 Suburban, and I wonder when or if this will also self destruct. Has anyone ever mentioned maybe a class action suit to hold GM accountable for defective trucks?

2nd Feb 2011, 04:30

GM finally got back with me; a really nice woman there, acting as our advocate, took all our information, and told me what to do.

We had to have our truck diagnosed by a GM dealership, and we did, to find out the same thing we had already been told about our transfer case. They reviewed our complaint, and the list I sent them of all these issues, and we were denied any help for our truck, due to its age, so now we are still sitting here with a broken down truck that we really like, and it's going to cost us 1800.00 dollars to fix, in hopes that we don't get another transfer case that will cause us future problems, and 9 months of payments still left.

I don't feel good how they just said no. I don't know what the answer is, other than don't buy a 4 wheel drive Chevy, because the transfer case might go out.

For the new one that came up January 31, 2011, have your dealership contact GM, and you contact them; they say they don't get any complaints on them, and that is what it takes to get something done. But for some of us, it's too late, but not too late for you.

Mine is a 2002 with 110,000 miles.

Good luck, I hope things go better for you.

Sue in Peru, Indiana.

7th Feb 2011, 15:33

I'm researching this for my father-in-law. $1,115.25, same as all of you - I have not contacted anyone at GM yet - am gathering info first.

This is clearly a fault that should be recalled - but if any of them admit it to us on a casual basis it is admitting liability. I'll be sending a letter to Indiana, as suggested above, and may start a "GM Rub Club" on Facebook, who knows - strength in numbers. Maybe one exists on Facebook already?

9th Feb 2011, 11:39

I currently own a 2001 Chevrolet K1500 4WD. It has over 200,000 miles. It runs and drives like a brand new one! I will get another one and another one!

I hate that some are having issues, but GM isn't the only one with regular problems. When issues like this come up, they should stand behind them, but they have the longest warranty available on the market. They can't cover a vehicle forever!

13th Feb 2011, 19:04

I am also adding myself to the leak club. I have a 2003 Silverado 4X4 Ext Cab that I bought new in 2003.

At approx. 104000 miles I had to replace my first transfer case. Now at 177000 miles, it looks like I will need another one. I would think that Chevy could make a transfer case that lasts more than 100000 miles.

I need my truck for work, but if this issue is not fixed, I am very hesitant to buy another transfer case that is only going to fail. If GM has, as so many have stated, been telling customers that there is no problem with their transfer cases, am I to assume that GM is building a disposable extremely expensive product?

15th Feb 2011, 19:46

I had the same problem with my truck. 138k 04 Chevy.

I am having it fixed and getting a deal made by Kennedy Diesel to put in the TC to keep the problem from happening again. Mine is only going to cost me $400. I caught it before my case seized up.

26th Feb 2011, 10:25

Add another sorry fool to the pinhole club. I've got a 2002 half ton, which I bought in 08. Noticed leak at 111,000 miles. Have done the weld twice already, dealer I bought it from says it can be fixed for 1600 bucks. I say the dealer knew about this problem before it was sold to me, so I will be looking into some action against the dealer, because there was not a full complete and HONEST disclosure about said problem. This is really a big concern for many of us, let's do the right thing and demand something for our troubles. SAYONARA CHEVY!

15th Mar 2011, 23:53

Three days of research and I get sicker every day...

2003 Suburban 2500 with 97,000 miles. Was told the TC was leaking while getting an oil change. Took it to a repair shop and was told it should be good with JB weld... 2 weeks later my driveway and under carriage is oil soaked. I crawled under the vehicle and can see the hole. I am getting a new rear half of the case and hoping for the best. Mechanic says he has done many of these.

Thanks GM. Don't we own GM? Government motors?

20th Apr 2011, 20:03

How do you purchase an upgrade kit from merchant automotive? Where are they located?

I also have the pin hole in my 2002 Silverado 4x4 TC.

21st Apr 2011, 18:43

I have a 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500HD, and just got a pinhole in the transfer case, and continued to drive it, because I was on a trip to Oklahoma, and couldn't pinpoint the whine.. thinking it was just the horse trailer braking system...

Now the hole is patched, so no leak, but the damage was done to the transfer case, so the whine is still 'available'... I got a used transfer case for $1000, and am going to have them add the oil pump upgrade kit from merchant and see if I can roll on... Truck body has 235,000 miles on it and 85,000 on the replaced motor. Motor was replaced due to son's mudding negligence :).

I truly think GM should somehow be responsible. The dealership was gonna charge about $2100. $1800 of this for a rebuilt transfer case. GM/Chevy knows about this problem. I have researched it, and if you don't already have this problem, you should check into getting the upgrade kit so you don't get the problem.

See the YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj5ZS8wOmNk