2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

BRAKE LINE FAILURE - BRAKING ABILITY LOSS. WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS SLOWLY FADING AND MOVING TOWARD THE FLOOR. I ASSUMED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS FAILING IN SOME WAY AND DROVE VERY CAREFULLY. I STOPPED AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM A BRAKE LINE UNDER THE MASTER CYLINDER AREA, I STILL HAD USE OF THE REAR BRAKES, APPARENTLY ONLY THE FRONT SIDE HAD LEAKED. I NEVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FORTUNATELY, AS I BECAME AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WHILE STOPPED. IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT. MY LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE TWO BRAKE LINES THAT RUN FROM THE EQUALIZER TO THE ABS UNIT AT A COST OF NEARLY $300.00. ALL THE LINES WERE BADLY CORRODED BUT I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THEM PROACTIVELY RIGHT NOW. HAVING READ MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS I BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE MORE DAMAGE, SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH OCCURS. *TR

I HAD FULL BRAKE LOSS AT 55 MPH COMING TO A STOP LIGHT, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN FATALITIES . I TOOK MY TRUCK TO MONROE MUFFLER AND BRAKES AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL OF MY BRAKE LINES AND MY FUEL LINES ARE COMPLETELY CORRODED AND THAT THEY ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THIS IN THESE VEHICLES. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE LINE THAT RUSTED THROUGH BUT TOLD ME THAT ALL MY LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASES JUST LIKE MINE WITH THESE SAME TRUCKS. WHAT IS GM WAITING FOR BEFORE THEY RECALL THESE TRUCKS, A HIGHER BODY COUNT? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURE WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD AND BRAKE FLUID WAS SPEWING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

TRUCK: 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500, STANDARD CAB, LONG BED, 133 INCH WHEELBASE, 109,568 MILES ON ODOMETER. BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED, PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, NO FRONT TO BACK SPLIT BRAKING AVAILABLE, TOTAL FAILURE. BRAKE LINE RUPTURED, BRAKE FLUID, UNDER PRESSURE, SQUIRTED ON EXHAUST, LOTS OF SMOKE, BUT NO FIRE. LAID DOWN PUDDLE OF SLIPPERY FLUID ON ROADWAY. PULLED OFF ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. TRUCK IS STANDARD SHIFT, USED TRANSMISSION, TO DOWN SHIFT AND SLOW DOWN, EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS WORKING, BUT COULDN'T STOP VEHICLE ON ITS OWN. DIDN'T USE TOW, RISKED DRIVING VEHICLE HOME, LUCKILY ONLY ABOUT 5 MILES IN RURAL AREA, IN FIRST GEAR AT 5-10 MPH. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK A SMALL CHILD ON A BICYCLE CAME INTO THE ROADWAY, AS I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO SLOW TO A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I QUICKLY DEPLOYED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE TRUCK'S FORWARD MOTION, LUCKILY I WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT ABOUT 25- 30 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED, HAD I BEEN ON A ROAD WITH A HIGHER SPEED LIMIT I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO STOP MY VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION BY MY MECHANIC, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ALL OF MY BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED OUT AND THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO HAVE ALL THE LINES REPLACED. ONE WEEK BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, I WENT UP THE MT WASHINGTON AUTO ROAD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WHILE ON VACATION WITH MY FAMILY AND CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY THAT WE ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY. I BELIEVE THE DOT SHOULD ISSUE OR TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ADDRESS THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER'S FLAW AS I HAVE FOUND OUT THIS A COMMON PROBLEM ON MANY SIMILAR GM CARS AND TRUCKS. THE DOT SHOULD AT LEAST NOTIFY OR HAVE GM NOTIFY OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES THAT THEY ARE IN DANGER ESPECIALLY IF THEY DRIVE THERE GM AFFECTED VEHICLES ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD OR HILLY TERRAIN. MY TRUCK IS ONLY EIGHT YEARS OLD WITH 83,000 MILES ON IT AND THESE BRAKE LINES SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO QUICKLY. THE DOT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER AND THEY SHOULD TAKE SOME SORT OF ACTION TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AT THIS POINT BRAKE FLUID WAS OBSERVED ON THE GROUND AND FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED SEVERELY CORRODED BRAKE LINES. IT WAS LUCK THAT WERE NOT TRAVELING FASTER. THERE IS NO WAY BRAKE LINES SHOULD CORRODE THIS FAST WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. STOPPING TO ME IS THE UTMOST SAFETY CONCERN AND THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

BEGAN TO SLOW FOR UPCOMING TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE LAST INCH OR SO OF BRAKE TRAVEL SEMI-ENGAGED SOME BRAKING ALLOWING ME TO STOP (WHILE APPLYING EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL). AT THE DEALER WAS INFORMED THAT ONE BRAKE LINE HAD CORRODED SO BAD THAT IT BURST, AND ALL OTHER LINES SHOULD ALSO BE REPLACED AS THEY SHOWED THE SAME RUSTED, CORRODED CONDITION. QUOTED A PRICE OF NEARLY $3000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THEM ALL. I'VE NEVER SKIMPED ON MAINTENANCE, AND SINCE THIS IS A GREAT VEHICLE (BESIDES THIS ISSUE), I'M GIVING THE GO-AHEAD FOR THE WORK. HAD I BEEN TRAVELING ANY FASTER, OR THERE HAD BEEN MORE CONGESTION, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. *TR