Driving at speeds of 60 the truck will just shut down. The truck engine light comes on and it reads reduce engine power. I have no gas, no brake, very little steering. Chevy dealer says it's the truck going into limp mode. Is limp mode a real thing? I googled it..but couldn't find anything on it. I tried to look up recalls on 2003 Chevy Avalanche but couldn't find any of those either. There have got to be more people out there experiencing this problem. Help!!!! I have 2 small children and don't want them hurt in the vehicle.

- Petersburg, VA, USA

First of all my vehicle is a 2003 Chevy. Avalanche, well maintained and only has 62,000 miles. To get started, I was driving down the street when I heard this banging noise, so I pulled into the nearest GMC dealership. They checked the engine out and found out there was absolutely no fluid going into the engine. We were told we needed a new engine so I authorized them to put a new one in. The service manager and a couple of tech's looked at the engine and agreed it was a defect. I contacted GMC immediately because the dealership told me they have a goodwill policy and they felt they should pay something towards the engine. Customer service insisted that I put the engine put back in and have it owed to a Chevy dealer. I asked them what the difference was between GMC and a Chevy dealer and they could not respond to me. I did not have the vehicle removed because of the cost all I was asking was for them to have a rep. Go to the dealership and look at the engine but they said no. By this time I was very frustrated and angry. I called GMC executive office and spoke to another girl and she assured me she would help me. Well low and behold she said "I didn't bring my vehicle to a Chevy dealer therefore they will not help me out financially.. all I want is some financial help from GMC as $6,000 is alot of money and I am on a fixed income, ss only. I had to pay the bill of $6,000 plus $125 for a rental on various charges because I didn't have the cash. It would be greatly appreciated if you could advise me on how to proceed. I sent a certified letter to the president of GMC and he won't even pick up the letter from the post office. I wrote a letter to the detroit press and have heard nothing also. The dealership that repaired my truck also covers the warranties and repairs chevorlet vehicle. So why should I have to tow my vehicle out of there?

- Summerfield, FL, USA

I have a 2003 Chevy Avalanche Z71 with 59000 miles. I noticed my vehicle being very sluggish the day before. When I left for work, I could barely get up to 50 mph, in order for me to stay at 50 mph I would have to reach 3000 RPM. After I turned down a side road, I could only get up to 20 mph at 3000 RPM. I pulled over and called for help. I took it to a Chevy dealership. They found the intake gasket was bad which caused the converters to fail and clog up the Y pipe. It's hard to believe this happened with only 59000 miles. I take great care of my Avalanche. I've read on forums where there is a lot of people that is having the same problem with the same type of truck and year. The dealership replaced the gasket, both converters, Y-pipe and the O2 sensors.

- Toledo, OH, USA

On December 12, 2003 vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection, resulting in a crash that could have been fatal. Consumer stated, this vehicle had been seven to eight times at dealer with engine and transmission problems. Dealer could not duplicate or correct the problem.

- Brunswick, OH, USA

Shortly after refueling the vehicle the consumer smelled a fuel odor. He stopped the vehicle and as he pulled the hood release he saw flames shooting up onto the windshield. A police officer nearby attempted to put the fire out using a fire extinguisher. A second police officer arrived and emptied his fire extinguisher before the fire was put out. The engine compartment was completely burned out. The vehicle was totaled. The cause of the fire is unknown.

- Visalia, CA, USA