2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD TOWING MY TRAILER AND WENT TO STOP AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT THE FLOOR I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF ROAD IN THE GRASS AND SLOW DOWN TO A STOP LOOKED UNDER TRUCK DRIVERS SIDE NEAR FRONT AND BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OUT AT THE PLASTIC BRACKETS THE WERE RUSTED VERY BADLY ALL THE LINES. I WAS A GM MECHANIC FOR 10 YRS OF MY LIFE AND THIS IS THE WORST I HAVE EVER SEEN. I CAN TELL ALL THE LINES NEEDS REPLACEING THEY ARE ALL THE BENDS ARE VERY RUSTED FROM FRONT TO BACK .

AS I WAS LEAVING A SUPERMARKET PARKING LOT WITH MY FAMILY IN VEHICLE, I APPLIED BRAKES AND WITHOUT WARNING BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME STOPPING VEHICLE. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE USING EMERGENCY BRAKE, GOT OUT OF VEHICLE TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHY BRAKES FAILED AND SAW BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH TRUCK JUST UNDER THE CAB. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES (AS WELL AS THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LINES) WERE RUSTED VERY BADLY AND ONE OF THEM HAD RUPTURED. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED VERY WELL AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN AN AVERAGE OF 4000 MILES YEARLY WITH VERY LIMITED EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THESE BRAKE LINES SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD THIS FAILURE. IT IS ALSO MY OPINION THAT THE TYPE OF MATERIALS USED FOR THESE BRAKE LINES ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR THIS APPLICATION AND ARE A SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE OWNED OTHER VEHICLES WHICH WERE MUCH OLDER AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE NOW. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER GM TRUCKS OF THIS YEAR AND FEEL GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE THESE BRAKE LINES AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. THANK YOU FOR INVESTIGATING THIS MATTER. *TR UPDATED 3/3/16 *JS

CATASTROPHIC BRAKE LOSS. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, TRIED TO PUT ON BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY MANAGED TO AVOID COLLISION. LIMP TRUCK OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED TOW TRUCK. WHILE WAITING FOR TOW TRUCK NOTICE BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING UNDER THE TRUCK IN THE AREA OF THE FIREWALL. LOOKS AS IF BRAKE LINE RUSTED CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. VERY LUCKY NO TO HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. TRUCK IS 10 YEARS OLD AND HAS EXCELLENT CONDITION. *TR

STEEL BRAKE LINE FAILURE/RUPTURE UNDER LITTLE TO NO BRAKING. IN A PARKING LOT, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE BRAKE LINE CLUSTER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, HEAVILY RUSTED ALONG THE FRAME RAIL. THIS IS WHERE THE RUPTURE OCCURRED. THANKFULLY I JUST DROPPED OFF MY THREE KIDS AND THIS HAPPENED BEFORE LOADING THE BED WITH A CORD OF OAK FIREWOOD. I'VE WORKED ON VEHICLES FOR 20+ YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN BRAKE LINES RUST LIKE THIS. NORMAL ROAD SALT HAS NEVER IMPACTED ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED AND MAINTAINED OVER THE YEARS. I GUESS IT WAS CHEAPER FOR GM TO USE ALUMINIZED STEEL RATHER THAN STAINLESS AT THE FACTORY. IF MY TRUCK WAS LOADED WITH FIREWOOD, AND MY THREE KIDS, THE END RESULT WOULD HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

BRAKE LINES JUST WENT, LUCKILY THEY DID WHEN I FIRST STARTED TRUCK UP, THEY WERE RUSTED OUT. AS I HAVE COME TO LEARN, THERE HAS BEEN MANY CASES OF THIS PROBLEM, I KNOW OF MANY CARS AND TRUCKS THAT ARE 20 YEARS OLD THAT HAVEN'T HAD RUSTED BRAKE LINES. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS, BEFORE IT CREATES A MAJOR PROBLEM. IT ALSO COST 1000 DOLLARS TO REPAIR LINES, WHICH I THINK IS WAY TO MUCH. *TR

BRAKING DOWNHILL AT INTERSECTION RED LIGHT. THE REAR BRAKE LINE BURST DUE TO RUSTING. LUCKILY I SLOWED ENOUGH NOT TO REAR END THE VEHICLES STOP AT THE RED LIGHT. HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. REPLACED ALL BRAKE LINES. CHECKED ONLINE AND SAW MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH GM PICKUP TRUCKS. GM NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR

WAS DRIVING DOWN BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN I WENT TO SLOW DOWN TO STOP AT UPCOMING TRAFFIC STOP LIGHT. PUT FOOT ON BRAKES AND WENT TO FLOOR, NO BRAKES, NO WARNING. I WAS IN A HEAVILY CONGESTED TRAFFIC AREA AND IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4-WAY INTERSECTION THAT WAS GETTING READY TO GO DOWN A HILL, WAS ABLE TO TURN UP A STREET THAT WAS A HILL AND HAD TO HIT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO GET STOPPED. HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED. THIS COULD OF BEEN A DEADLY CATASTROPHE CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF FAILED EQUIPMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS VERY HEAVILY CONGESTED INTERSECTION. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED IT ON 04/25/2014. HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES FOR REPAIRS. IT SEEMS THE PROBLEMS NEVER STOP. *TR