2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

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

THE STEERING MECHANISM HAS GONE OUT ON MY 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HALF TON PU 4 TIMES IN 100,000 MILES, THE FIRST TIME AT APPROXIMATELY 32,000 MILES. YOU START FEELING PLAY AND KNOCKING IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I GET IT REPAIRED WHEN I START FEELING THE KNOCK. THE MECHANICS HAVE SAID THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING MECHANISM IN MOST SILVERADOS OF THAT AGE SEVERAL TIMES. IT SEEMS THE STEERING IS A SAFETY ISSUE & THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT HAS COST ABOUT $900 EACH TIME TO REPAIR IT. EVEN THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE. *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

2004 CHEVY SILVERADO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE FAILURE IN VEHICLE. *SMD UPON LEAVING A SERVICE STATION AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. DUE TO BEING CLOSE TO HOME, THE CONSUMER DROVE VERY SLOWLY AND PARKED AT A LOT CLOSE TO HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC CALLED AND SAID THE BRAKE LINE WAS VERY RUSTY. HE REPLACED A SECTION OF THE LINE; APPROXIMATELY $400. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE LINES AND ALL FOUR OF THEM WERE RUSTY. IT WOULD COST $900 TO REPLACE ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES.

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

NOTICED COOLANT LEVEL WOULD GET LOW. FOUND WATER PUMP MOUNTING GASKET LEAKING, REPLACED WATER PUMP AND GASKETS, BUT CONTINUED LOSING COOLANT. FOUND OUT THERE IS A KNOW DEFECT WITH CHEVY 4.8 AND 5.3 VORTEX ENGINE HEADS CRACKING AROUND THE MOUNTING BOLT HOLES. CHEVY ISSUED A TSB BUT WILL NOT WARRANTY A KNOW DEFECT. IT STRANGE THEY WILL COVER A HVAC BLOWER MOTOR ISSUE THAT IS KNOW BUT NOT A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH HEADS CRACKING WITHOUT ANY FAULT OF THE OWNER. *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

I HAD PARKED MY TRUCK AT A CHRISTMAS TREE FARM. UPON RETURNING TO MY TRUCK, I RESTARTED IT, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO BACK UP IN THE FIELD WHEN IT APPEARED TO HAVE SLID IN THE MUD WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. I CONTINUED UP THE HILL AND HAD ROUNDED THE TOP OF THE FARM CONTINUING BACK DOWN A MODERATE SLOPE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT PROVIDED VERY LITTLE STOPPING POWER. THE BRAKE LIGHT IN THE DASH ILLUMINATED AND A NOTE IN THE DASH INDICATED TO HAVE THE BRAKE SYSTEM SERVICED. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO A GMC DEALER FOR REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT ALL OF MY BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED OUT AND REPAIRS WOULD COST BETWEEN $1200.00 AND $1300.00. I WILL CONTACT THE DEALER TOMORROW TO SAVE ALL OF THE OLD BRAKE LINES FOR INSPECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BRAKES LINES WERE COVERED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE COVERED WITH AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 1/23/13 *CN UPDATED 2/12/2013 *JS

WE HAD A FLAT ON OUR 2004 SILVERADO TRUCK AND WE WERE UNABLE TO DETACH THE SPARE TIRE TO REPLACE THE FLAT TIRE ON THE TRUCK. IT IS WAY TOO COMPLICATED TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE AND FORTUNATELY FOR US IT HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE AT WORK IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOW STORM SO WE WERE ABLE TO PULL IT INTO OUR HEATED GARAGE TO ATTEMPT THE REPAIR. WE LET IT WARM UP OVERNIGHT AND ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE THE NEXT DAY. EVEN IN A 70 DEGREE HEATED GARAGE IN DRY CONDITIONS WE COULD NOT REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE. I THINK THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE IF THIS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSTATE OR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RURAL COUNTRYSIDE IN WINTER OR RAINY WEATHER IF SOMEONE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE. THE PARTS RUST FROM EXPOSURE AND THE MECHANISM TO RELEASE THE TIRE FAILS TO WORK. FROM TALKING TO TWO TIRE DEALERS EACH SAID THAT THEY HAD TO CUT THE WIRES HOLDING THE TIRE IN PLACE WITH A BLOW TORCH TO EVEN REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE. I ALSO BELIEVE THERE IS A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT YOU HAVE A SPARE TIRE ON THIS VEHICLE IF THERE IS A FLAT TIRE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR YEARS EACH TIRE DEALER SAID AND CHEVROLET HAS NEVER ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE. I JUST IMAGINE A 16-18 YEAR OLD YOUNG MAN WHO IS STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD STRUGGLING TO FIX THIS ISSUE BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED FIGHTING TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE. THIS IS 2012 AND THEY CAN'T FIND A BETTER WAY TO SECURE A SPARE TIRE ON A PICK UP? *TR