2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO C 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES WOULD BECOME STUCK TO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT BRAKE FLUID ON WAS LEAKING AND THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

SPONTANEOUS FRONT AND REAR BRAKE FAILURE ON A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 LT PICKUP TRUCK. I WAS PULLING UP TO MY DRIVEWAY AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I TRIED TO PUMP THE BRAKE WITH NO SUCCESS. NO PRIOR BRAKE LEVEL OR ABS OR PROPORTIONING VALVE WARNING LIGHTS WERE INDICATED. I APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND CAME TO A STOP. ONCE I PARKED THE TRUCK I NOTICED BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING DOWN BELOW THE DRIVER'S DOOR. I CRAWLED UNDER TO DISCOVER THAT ALL FOUR STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND FLUID WAS STEADILY COMING OUT. A LARGE PUDDLE UNDER THE TRUCK HAD ACCUMULATED OVER A SHORT TIME. I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LINES WERE ALSO SEVERELY RUSTED IN THE SAME AREA. I AM 65 YEARS OLD AND HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES OVER MY LIFETIME (INCLUDING CLASSIC CARS), BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD A BRAKE LINE RUST AS BAD AS THESE. I AM EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT I WASN'T ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO MAKE A QUICK STOP FOR TRAFFIC AHEAD. MORE SERIOUSLY THAN THE RUSTED LINES IS THE FACT THAT NO PRIOR WARNING WAS GIVEN BEFORE TOTAL FAILURE. DUAL MASTER CYLINDERS AND ISOLATED FRONT AND REAR LINES DID NOT PERFORM AS DESIGNED. I HAVE BEEN ON THE INTERNET TODAY AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. I CAN JUST IMAGINE OTHER PEOPLE/FAMILIES WHO WILL NOT BE AS LUCKY AS ME IF THIS CONTINUES WITHOUT SOMETHING BEING DONE TO WARN AND CORRECT THE SITUATION. THIS SHOULD BE ON THE NEWS AND GM SHOULD BE INVOLVED AND RESOLVING THE ISSUE. THANKS *TR

2004 SILVERADO 1500 Z71: PREVIOUS OWNER LIVED IN PHILIDELPHIA- WHERE I BELIEVE MOST OF THE RUST CAME FROM. WHILE ON MY WAY TO VISIT MY FATHER IN THE HOSPITAL, MY BRAKE LINE TO THE REAR WHEELS BURST. I HAVE A TENDENCY TO BEGIN BRAKING EARLY, WHICH KEPT ME FROM RUNNING A RED LIGHT INTO A BUSY 4-LANE INTERSECTION. REALIZING THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO MY BRAKES, I CONTINUED TO THE HOSPITAL DRIVING CAREFULLY SO THAT I HAD EXCESSIVE BRAKING DISTANCES AND/OR AN AVAILABLE RUN OFF AREA. UPON ARRIVING AT THE HOSPITAL I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED ABOUT TEN SECONDS AND RESTARTED IT TO TEST IF THE BRAKES HAD MANAGED TO PRESSURIZE. UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO ROUGHLY AN INCH ABOVE THE FLOOR AND THE DRIVER INFORMATION CONSOLE DISPLAYED A WARNING, ACCOMPANIED BY A CHIME, INDICATING THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE SERVICED. SO I SENT MY MOTHER INSIDE TO VISIT WITH MY FATHER WHILE I CALLED MY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME WHERE THE BREAK LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND WONDERED ABOUT WHERE ALL OF THE RUST HAD COME FROM (NOT AS MUCH SNOW HERE IN THE DEEP SOUTH). I LATER HAD MY TRUCK TOWED FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO A PEP BOYS DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP WAS LYING TO ME ABOUT WHAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND INFLATING THE COST OF THE PARTS. HAVING TAKEN SOME TIME TO LOOK AROUND THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THESE LINES, I SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS OF PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. I AM SORELY DISAPPOINTED WITH GENERAL MOTORS UNWILLINGNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE MAJORITY OF THE REPORTS I HAVE READ THE DRIVER HAD NO WARNING BEFOREHAND AND THE BRAKE LINE THAT HAD RUSTED THROUGH WAS THE ONE GOING TO THE REAR (ROUTED ABOVE THE GAS TANK) THREE QUARTERS OF THE TIME, OR THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE THE REST OF THE TIME. *TR

MY DAUGHTER AND I LEFT A RESTAURANT AND WENT ABOUT 200 FEET TO A BUSY INTERSECTION AND I WENT TO STOP AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR NO WARNING OR ANYTHING JUST NO BRAKES AT ALL WE COULD OF BOTH BEEN KILLED A JEEP WAS TURNING AND I TRIED MY BEST TO AVOID HITTING HIM BUT I HAD NO WERE TO GO AND AFTER THE WRECK I NOTICED BRAKE FLUID POURING OUT UNDER THE DRIVERSIDE DOOR THE BRAKES HAD JUST BEEN CHANGED A FEW MONTHS EARLIER AND THE MEC NEVER NOTICED RUSTY BRAKE LINES BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN PAINTED OVER WHEN MY DAD BOUGHT THE TRUCK BUT BY LOOKING AT THEM THEY LOOKED OK BUT THERE IS 4 LINES RUNNING 2GETHER AND YOU CAN'T SEE THE BACK 2 BUT WHEN I HAD THEM REPLACED WITH STAINLESS STEEL LINES I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW GM WOULD USE SUCH POOR QUALITY OF LINES ON SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS BRAKE LINES THERE ARE THOUSANDS OTHERFAMILIES LIVES AT RISK RIGHT NOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET HURT OR EVEN GET KILLED BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING IM LUCKY MY DAUGHTER AND I WASN'T KILLED I HAVE GOT A 49 KAISER AND THE LINES ON IT ARE STILL IN PERFECT SHAPE BUT I CANT BELIEVE HOW ROTTEN ALL THE LINES WERE ON MY TRUCK AND WE DON'T EVEN GET MUCH SNOW IN TN WHY HAVE THEY GOT AWAY WITH THIS HOW MANY PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE TO UNKNOWINGLY RISK THERE LIFE EVERY DAY BEFORE SOME ONE DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT IS GM PAYING PEOPLE OFF OR WHAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO GO ON THE KEDSHOULD ATLEAST SEND THE OWNERS OF THESE CARS TO ATLEAST GET THEM CHECKED OUT SO PEOPLE DON'T PUT THERE LIVES OF RISK. *TR

FIRST INCIDENT: UPON LEAVING WORK, I MERGED ONTO THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELED AROUND THE CIRCLE, STOPPED, CROSSED ONTO ANOTHER HIGHWAY, STOPPED AGAIN, ACCELERATED NORMALLY, REACHED APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES HARD TO STOP BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME STOPPING SHORT. THE NEXT TIME I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT TRAVELED NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. THE LINE FROM THE ABS UNIT TO THE REAR BRAKES HAD CRACKED. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MY GARAGE WHERE I REMOVED(AND SAVED) AND REPLACED THE LINE. SECOND INCIDENT: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH. ON MY WAY TO WORK, NORMAL DRIVING AND BRAKING, APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, LIGHT CHANGED TO YELLOW, I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL, PEDAL CONTINUED TO TRAVEL AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION AFTER THE LIGHT HAD TURNED RED. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY. I WILL MOST LIKELY RECEIVE A TICKET AS THE LIGHT HAS A CAMERA THAT PHOTOGRAPHS ANYONE RUNNING THE LIGHT AND SENDS THEM A TICKET IN THE MAIL. THIS TIME, A LINE GOING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT CALIPER BROKE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK TO MY GARAGE WHERE I CUT OUT AND BEGAN THE DIFFICULT TASK OF REPLACING THIS LINE. I ALSO NOTICED THE LINE GOING TO THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT CALIPER WAS EQUALLY RUSTED, BUT HAD NOT BROKEN YET. IT IS NOW THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST. I HAVE MISSED 3 DAYS OF WORK AND NOW I WILL HAVE TO HAVE MY TRUCK TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP I WORK AT WHERE I WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO REMOVE THE BODY OF THE TRUCK FROM THE FRAME TO PROPERLY INSTALL NEW BRAKE LINES TO THE FRONT CALIPERS. I HAVE SAVED THE OLD BRAKE LINES AS EVIDENCE. THEY LOOK MORE LIKE ROTTEN TWIGS THAN THEY LOOK LIKE STEEL BRAKE LINES. IT'S DISGRACEFUL THAT A VEHICLE ONLY 9 YEARS OLD WOULD NEED ALL NEW BRAKE LINES WHEN I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OLD VEHICLES FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S WHICH HAD ORIGINAL BRAKE LINES THAT DID NOT BREAK. ONLY SURFACE RUST APPEARED ON THEM. *TR

LEAVING A PARKING LOT, I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE AT THE STOP SIGN. THE BRAKES INITIALLY WORKED, THEN THE PEDAL QUICKLY WENT TO THE FLOOR. I BEGAN PUMPING THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE ROLLED OUT INTO THE STREET. I SWERVED TO THE RIGHT, AND ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING FROM THE LEFT SWERVED LEFT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I BACKED INTO THE PARKING LOT AND TESTED THE BRAKES. EACH TIME I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES WOULD ENGAGE A MINIMAL AMOUNT, BUT THE PEDAL WOULD VERY QUICKLY GO TO THE FLOOR. WITHOUT CONSTANT PUMPING, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THE BRAKE LINES UNDER THE HOOD SEVERELY CORRODED, AND A SIGNIFICANT LEAK FROM A LINE DIRECTLY BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER. MY MECHANIC REPLACED ALL THE BRAKE LINES EXCEPT THE TWO RUNNING TO THE BACK BRAKES. CONTRARY TO WHAT GM ADVERTISES, THIS BRAKELINE RUPTURE RESULTED IN A COMPLETE FAILURE OF BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. IN OLDER SYSTEMS, THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE OPERATED FROM TWO COMPLETELY SEPARATE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS. I UNDERSTAND THAT NEWER BRAKING SYSTEMS USE SOME TYPE OF METERING VALVE BETWEEN FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK AS EXPECTED. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE, AND I AM FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT RESULT IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT. THREE FACTORS PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT. MY SLOW SPEED, MY ABILITY TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT, THE OTHER DRIVERS ABILITY TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT. WITHOUT ALL THREE, A SEVERE ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. *TR