2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, I CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND APPLIED MY BRAKES. THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK CAME TO A GRADUAL STOP, TAKING ABOUT 4 TO 5 TIMES THE NORMAL DISTANCE IT SHOULD HAVE REQUIRED. I ENDED UP PARTLY IN THE INTERSECTION BEFORE THE TRUCK STOPPED. FORTUNATELY, NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE AT THE INTERSECTION WHEN I ARRIVED. PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING SIGNS THAT THE BRAKES HAD FAILED. THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR DID NOT COME ON UNTIL AFTER THE BRAKES FAILED AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE FUNCTIONING OF THE BRAKES BEFORE THE FAILURE TO GIVE ANY INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I LIVE IN A MOUNTAINOUS REGION AND I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, ON A RELATIVELY FLAT ROAD, AT AN INTERSECTION WITH NO CARS PRESENT. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED ON THE MAIN ROADS WHICH ARE CURVY AND STEEP IN THIS AREA OR HAD TO STOP SUDDENLY, THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE, AND PROBABLY WOULD HAVE, BEEN VERY DIFFERENT AND TRAGIC. THE TRUCK WAS REPAIRED AT THE NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. THE COST OF REPLACING THE BRAKE LINES CAME TO $1,760.27. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY RUSTED BRAKE LINES. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THIS SAME DEALERSHIP REPLACED BY BRAKE DISKS LESS THAN 15 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND THEY DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE LINES WERE RUSTED AT THAT TIME. I HAVE OWNED 6 VEHICLES AND THERE HAVE BEEN DEFECTS IN MANY OF THESE VEHICLES, BUT NONE OF THE DEFECTS WERE AS SERIOUS OR HAD THE POTENTIAL DANGER THAN THIS ONE WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

I WAS APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN IT TURNED YELLOW AND THEN RED IMMEDIATELY. I HIT THE BRAKES AND WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE LIGHT. THERE WERE NO BRAKES AT ALL AND MY FOOT HIT THE FLOOR. AS I COASTED AND TRIED TO DOWNSHIFT THE TRUCK CAME TO A CRAWL, I TURNED INTO A ROAD WHERE I COULD STOP THE VEHICLE.THERE WAS NO WARNING TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS GOING TO LET GO. I COULD SMELL SOMETHING WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN BRAKE FLUID THAT EMPTIED ALL OVER GROUND. THE IDIOT LITE SAID SERVICE BRAKES AND WAS BEEPING VERY LOUD. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND THE NEW BRAKE LINES ARE GOING TO COST ABOUT SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS TO INSTALL COATED STEEL LINES WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY. ALL FOREIGN CARS COME WITH COATED OR COPPER BRAKE LINES. WHY CAN'T AMERICAN AUTO BUILDERS DO IT FOR OUR OWN COUNTRY? THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS THING THAT CAN HAPPEN AND COULD BE AVOIDED FOR A FEW MORE DOLLARS PER CAR. WHEN YOU SPEND CLOSE TO 40,000 DOLLARS FOR A VEHICLE DON'T YOU THINK WE DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS? *TR

ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION CAME COMPLETELY INTO MY LANE. TO AVOID A HEAD-ON COLLISION, I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES, LAID ON THE HORN AND MOVED AS FAR TO THE RIGHT AS I POSSIBLY COULD. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR COMING TOWARD ME SWERVED BACK INTO THE PROPER LANE AT THE VERY LAST INSTANCE. CRISIS AVERTED? NO ... AS I APPROACHED THE NEXT TURN IN THE ROAD (A SHARP 20 MPH TURN) ON A 45 MPH ROAD, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK BARELY SLOWED ENOUGH TO MAKE IT THOUGH THE TURN. I THEN LIMPED THE NEXT QUARTER MILE USING THE PARKING (EMERGENCY) BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE UNTIL I GOT TO A SAFE PLACE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. AT THAT POINT, I REALIZED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM AT LEAST ONE OF THE STEEL HYDRAULIC LINES INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL ABOVE THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL. SOME OF THE FLUID WAS HITTING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND CREATING SMOKE. I AM NOW HAVING ALL THE RUSTED STEEL BRAKE LINES AND FUEL LINE REPLACED WITH STAINLESS STEEL. *TR

AS I AM OVER 50 I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLE'S AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE LINES. JUST HAD THEM REPLACED TODAY JULY 29,2014. YES I LIVE I A STATE WHERE SALT IS USED ON HIGHWAYS, BUT HAVE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE LINES ON ANY CAR OR TRUCK THAT I OWNED. THANK GOODNESS THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED BEFORE THEY FAILED. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND SAW THIS WAS AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MAKE OF TRUCK... HUMM SEEMS STRANGE WHY SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING SAME ISSUE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.TRUCK IS GARAGE KEEP IN SUMMER AND ONLY DRIVEN IN WINTER. SO I ASK SOMEONE TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER FOR ME, FOR AS A SINGLE PARENT THIS BILL OF $538.00 WILL TAKE ME YEARS TO PAY OFF, FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A DEFECT. *JS

WAS PICKING UP MY CHILDREN FROM SUMMER SCHOOL AND HAD THE AIR CONDITIONER ON. I FELT THE COOL AIR HITTING ME BUT STILL FELT SOME HEAT...I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SUN HITTING ME THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. MY SON COMPLAINED THAT HE WAS HOT AND THERE WAS HOT AIR HITTING HIM. I REACHED OVER AND FELT THE AIR COMING OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT!!! IF MY SON WOULD OF BEEN SITTING ON THE FRONT SEAT HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN BURNED BY THE HOT AIR! I PULLED OVER AND TRIED CLOSING THE VENTS AND TURNED OFF THE A/C BUT HOT AIR STILL CAME THROUGH THE VENTS. THIS IS DANGEROUS, IF ELDERLY PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WITH SENSITIVE SKIN ARE SITTING IN THE FRONT AND THE A/C IS ON AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTS BLOWING SUPER HOT AIR A PERSON CAN GET BURNED!!! YOU NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS AND GET IT RECALLED. *TR

I WENT TO SLOW DOWN TO TURN INTO A DRIVE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKES AT ALL. I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE TRUCK AND GET IT OFF THE ROAD. OUR FAMILY USES THE TRUCK PERIODICALLY - WOULD THEY HAVE KNOWN TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE? WHAT IF THEY HAD BEEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION? ALL BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED THROUGH AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE BRAKE LINES WOULD WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE CORROSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,602 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000. UPDATED 8/28/14*CN UPDATED 11/12/2014 *JS