2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

WENT TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR. HAD TO SWERVE NOT TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND SWERVE AGAIN NOT TO KILL THE GUY WALKING ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE I HAVE DRIVEN LOTS OF CAR INTO THE GROUND NEVER HAS THIS EVEN BEEN A THOUGHT. ALL BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED 1100 DOLLARS LATER! *TR

I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AND APPLIED MY BRAKES. I COULD FEEL THE ABS SYSTEM FUNCTIONING AS I WAS ON A SNOW-COVERED ROAD. AFTER ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS OF ABS ACTIVATION, THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST ALL PRESSURE AND CONTINUED TO THE FLOORBOARD. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP AND COULD SEE THE BRAKE LINE LOCATED ON THE DRIVER SIDE UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT, SQUIRTING BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE GROUND EACH TIME I ENGAGED THE BRAKE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL AT O'HARE AIRPORT TERMINAL 5 I WENT TO STOP FOR THE LIGHT AND THERE WAS A BRIEF SECOND WHERE THE BRAKES ACTED NORMALLY AND THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I HAD MAYBE 10% BRAKING POWER. I HAD TO DRIVE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THROUGH THE RED LIGHT TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC WHO SAID THE BRAKE LINE ABOVE THE GAS TANK RUSTED RIGHT THROUGH. *TR

DROVE TO MILAN, MI FROM YPSILANTI, MI. TO LOOK IN ON SISTER IN LAW WHO IS INCAPACITATED DUE TO BROKEN FEMUR FROM FALL. BRAKES FELT MUSHY AS I SLOWED TO ENTER HER DRIVEWAY. AFTER ENTERING THE DRIVEWAY AT LOW SPEED I APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. TRIED PUMPING BRAKES WITH NO RESULT. THREW SHIFTER INTO REVERSE TO KEEP FROM PLOWING INTO SISTER IN LAWS VEHICLE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED EARLIER ON THE BUSY ROAD LEADING INTO TOWN I WOULD HAVE SURELY HAD AN ACCIDENT. FOUND BRAKE LINES BADLY RUSTED AND BOTH LINES LEAKING THAT RUN FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO ANTILOCK MODULE MOUNTED TO FRAME UNDER DRIVERS AREA. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT THESE TWO SAFETY SENSITIVE LINES ARE MADE OF UN PROTECTED STEEL AS OPPOSED TO COPPER NICKEL AND ARE RUN OUT OF THE PROTECTED UNDER HOOD AREA TO THE HIGH CORROSION PRONE UNDERBODY TO MEET THE INAPPROPRIATELY PLACED ANTILOCK MODULE. TWO YEARS PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF THIS TRUCK GM HEAVILY ADVERTISED THE RUST RESISTANT GALVANIZED PANELS THEY WERE USING IN THEIR TRUCKS. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THEY QUIETLY REMOVED THIS RUST PROTECTION. I HAVE ORDERED NEW BREAK LINES TO TOTALLY REPLACE ALL METAL LINES ON THIS, MY LAST CHEVY TRUCK. I CAN ONLY WONDER HOW MANY FATALITIES HAVE RESULTED FROM THIS OFTEN REFERENCED CONDITION. THE DIFFICULTY WILL BE IN EVER PROVING THE CAUSE AND AFFECT (EFFECT) OF THESE ACCIDENTS SINCE THEY WILL BE SO DEVASTATING IN NATURE, THE DRIVER WILL PROBABLY BE KILLED AND NOT BE ABLE TO TESTIFY ABOUT THE TRUE CAUSE AND ALMOST ALL GM TRUCKS OF THIS VINTAGE (ESPECIALLY IN THE RUST BELT STATES) WILL HAVE BREAK LINES SO RUSTED THAT THEY WILL CRUMBLE IN ALMOST ANY ACCIDENT. MY EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT THE UNFORTUNATE DRIVER WON'T ALWAYS HAVE "SOME" BRAKING ABILITY LEFT ON A LINE FAILURE. *TR

I HAD REPLACED ANTILOCK BRAKE MODULE LAST YEAR AND HAD BRAKES WORKED ON THIS YEAR AND LAST AND REPLACED BRAKE PADS. THE ROTORS HAD BEEN TURNED BEFORE, ON A TRIP TO MY DAUGHTERS MY BRAKES STARTED TO GO OUT. THEY WERE COMPLETELY OUT BY THE TIME I REACHED HER CORNER. I HAD TO HAVE ALL NEW BRAKE LINES AND ROTORS AND PADS EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE ONLY 6,000 MILES ON THE PADS. I ALSO HAD RUSTPROOFED THE TRUCK INCLUDING THE UNDERBODY AND CARRIAGE WHEN I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2002. IT'S A RUST BUCKET DESPITE THE EXTRA PROTECTION. THE ANTILOCK BRAKE MODULE WAS RUSTED. THE BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. AND NOW THE FUEL PUMP IS OUT AND THEY FUEL LINES ARE RUSTED AS WELL. WHAT GETS ME IS I PAID SO MUCH EXTRA FOR EXTRA RUST PROOFING. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE RUSTED THROUGH THIS BAD AT ONLY 125000 MILES. THE ANTILOCK BRAKE MODULE IS PLACED WHERE THE RUST CAN GET AT IT RIGHT UNDER THE CHASSIS PART UNPROTECTED. SO MUCH FOR SAFETY. THAT WENT OUT AT ABOUT 75000 MILES BUT JUST GOT IT REPLACED AT 100000 MILES OR SO. THE BRAKE LINES AND THE FUEL LINES ARE A JOKE ON THIS VEHICLE. I USED TO MAKE AND INSPECT AND TEST THEM AT A FACTORY AND THESE WOULD HAVE NEVER PASSED INSPECTION FOR CORROSION TEST. BUT THEY WEREN'T MADE THERE. THE FACTORY IS CLOSED. NO UNION WAGES EITHER, BUT WE DID GOOD WORK NOT THIS GARBAGE. IT COST OVER $500 FOR MODULE AND IT COST 2500 FOR THE REST OF BRAKE JOB. AND NOW THE FUEL LINES AND PUMP AND FILTER WILL COST OVER $1000. PLUS MY TRUCK BODY IS RUSTING THROUGH ON THE ROCKER PANELS. I BOUGHT A SILVERADO BECAUSE THEY HOLD THEIR VALUE AND ARE DEPENDABLE. NOW MY VEHICLE IS ONLY WORTH ABOUT HALF OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE AND I'M PAYING THOUGH THE NOSE ON TOP OF IT! WE HAVE A 98 CHEVY BLAZER WITH 195000 AND NO RUST ON THE ROCKER PANELS AND THE BRAKE LINES ARE JUST NOW GETTING REPLACED. THERE WAS NO EXTRA RUST PROTECTION ON IT EITHER! WHEN IS GM GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE? *TR

CRESTED A SMALL HILL TO SEE A RED LIGHT WITH THREE CARS IN LINE. I DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED USING THE PARKING BRAKE AFTER SWERVING INTO EMPTY LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING THE LINE OF CARS FROM BEHIND. UPON INSPECTION, THE FRONT BRAKE CIRCUIT WAS BLOWN IN THE PIPING JUST AFT OF THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STOP A LARGE TRUCK WITH EMPTY BED USING ONLY THE REAR BRAKES AS THEY LOCK UP EASILY. THERE SEEMED TO BE NO BRAKE POWER USING THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH IS WHY THE PARKING PEDAL WAS USED. EVEN WITH A FUNCTIONAL PARKING BRAKE, THE "FAILSAFE" OF HAVING ONLY ONE CIRCUIT IS NEARLY USELESS GIVEN AN EMPTY TRUCK BED (LOW REAR-WHEEL TRACTION) AND A LOSS OF PRESSURE ON THE FRONT CIRCUIT. IN MY OPINION, LOSING THE FRONT BRAKES ON A TRUCK IS CATASTROPHIC. IN ANY EVENT, IN MY CASE, THE SUPPOSED FAIL-SAFE EITHER DID NOT WORK OR WAS INCONSEQUENTIAL. ALL OF THE HARD LINES (FUEL AND BRAKE) ON THIS VEHICLE ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED AND ARE BEING REPLACED WITH STAINLESS. THIS CAR SPENT THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF ITS LIFE IN OKLAHOMA AND MISSOURI (WHERE LITTLE TO NO SALT IS USED) AND MOVED TO NH IN 2006. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE ROCKER PANEL IS ALSO RUSTED THROUGH AND THE FRAME HAS VERY SIGNIFICANT RUST, ESPECIALLY ON THE LEAF SPRING HANGERS. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVESHAFT IS RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT I WILL NOT OPERATE THE VEHICLE IN 4WD UNTIL I REPLACE IT. THIS VEHICLE SEEMS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUST, ESPECIALLY THE BRAKE LINES, SOME OF WHICH CRUMBLED IN MY HUSBANDS HANDS WHILE REMOVING. *TR

I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP FOR A SAFETY INSPECTION. THEY FOUND THAT THE METAL BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND WERE LEAKING. FORTUNATELY THIS PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED IN THE SHOP, AVOIDING A POSSIBLY CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. I HAD THE FRONT LINES REPLACED BY THE SHOP AT A COST OF $581.50, AND I AM REPLACING THE REAR LINES MYSELF. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM AS IT RELATES TO PREVIOUS REQUESTS TO GM BY THE NHTSA TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR