2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, I.E., WERE OPERATING PERFECTLY FINE UP UNTIL THE FAILURE AND NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. HAD TRUCK TOWED TO OUR DEALERSHIP; ALL BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF ALMOST $1500. REGULAR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON TRUCK THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE BY THE SAME DEALERSHIP. GM REFUSES TO COVER COST. HAVE ANOTHER CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD, A 2004, AND WILL NEED TO HAVE DEALERSHIP CHECK THE BRAKE LINES ON THAT TRUCK AND POSSIBLY REPLACE THE LINES, FOR ADDITIONAL COST. COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED; COULD HAVE KILLED OTHERS. NEVER RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION FROM GM, CHEVROLET OR THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT I HAVE THE BRAKE LINES REPLACED OR INSPECTED. I AM IN A "SALT BELT" STATE. *TR

I FILED A COMPLAINT IN 2009 WITH THE NHTSA AND HAVE YET TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM THE AGENCY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. IN THE SAME YEAR AS THE COMPLAINT, I HAD MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACE A SECTION OF BRAKE LINE BY THE ABS MODULE THAT HAD FAILED DUE TO EXTREME CORROSION. THIS PAST WEEK I RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALER TO HAVE THEM REPAIR ANOTHER SECTION THAT HAD ALSO FAILED. I WAS TOLD THAT, DUE TO POSSIBLE LITIGATION THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE LINE AS THEY HAD IN THE PAST, BUT WOULD REPLACE THE ENTIRETY OF THE LINE FOR AN ESTIMATE OF $1200.00. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO STATED THAT FIGURE COULD GO HIGHER AS MORE WAS DISCOVERED. I CAN'T SEE PUTTING THIS KIND OF MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE KNOWING THAT MORE FAILURES ARE SURE TO FOLLOW EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK HAS ONLY 95,000 MILES ON IT NOW. GM KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM. THEY COULD CARE LESS AND THE CUSTOMER IS GOING TO FOOT THE BILL FOR THEIR MALFEASANCE AS USUAL. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES, FUEL LINES, FUEL STRAPS AND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WERE RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE MOST VEHICLES WITHIN THE EASTERN REGION EXPERIENCED THE SAME RUST FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

2003 CHEVY 2500HD TRUCK BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN LEAVING GARAGE.....UNDER VEHICLE FOUND BRAKE FLUID PUDDLE....UPON INSPECTION FOUND SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING.....YEAR PRIOR HAD SAME ISSUE WITH A DIFFERENT LINE, SO CHANGED OUT LINE. EVEN CHANGED A RUSTED LINE THAT WASN'T LEAKING....WHEN FILLED RESERVOIR WITH FLUID AND PRESSED PEDAL, BRAKE LINE GOING TO REAR OF TRUCK IN AN OBSCURED, ABOVE THE GAS TANK LOCATION, STARTED TO LEAK....ONCE AGAIN .....SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINE, IN AN AREA FREE FROM ANY ROAD DEBRIS....SO ALAS, AFTER DROPPING THE GAS TANK AND REPLACING THIS LINE, WHICH MEANT EVERY LINE HAS BEEN REPLACED......NO LEAKS!!! WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THESE LINES.....I BABY THIS TRUCK AND IT IS IN THE GARAGE 95% OF THE TIME ALWAYS CLEAN...THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!!!! AFTER BEING A CHEVY MAN ALL MY LIFE.......I'M DONE.... DRIVE SHAFT, FUEL TANK GUARD, AND FUEL LINES AND FILTER ALL RUSTED.....FROM WHAT????? *TR

IN LATE DEC MY DIESEL FUEL RETURN LINE ROTTED OUT FROM RUST, AND WAS LEAKING DIESEL FUEL ALL OVER THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING OR STOPPED AT IDLE. I DIDN'T NOTICE IT UNTIL I STOPPED TO RE-FUEL AND REALIZED FUEL WAS DRIPPING FROM THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE TRUCK. I WAS ON TRAVEL FOR CHRISTMAS, ABOUT 500 MILES FROM HOME AND THERE WERE NO OPEN AUTO SHOPS AROUND THAT I COULD FIND. I WAS ABLE TO CUT THE ROTTED SECTION OUT AND BAND AID FIX THE SYSTEM WITH SOME RUBBER FUEL LINE AND HOSE CLAMPS FROM AUTOZONE. THIS FIX HAS SEEMED TO HOLD UP FAIRLY WELL FOR THE TIME BEING, BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN USING MY TRUCK. FAST FORWARD TO LAST WEEK WHEN MY BRAKE LINE DECIDED TO BURST, SPEWING BRAKE FLUID ALL OVER THE ROAD AND THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF MY TRUCK. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND GET IT TOWED BACK HOME WHERE IT NOW SITS. I'VE BEEN DOING THE RESEARCH AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WITH THESE SAME RUSTED OUT LINE ISSUES ON THESE GMC VEHICLES. I HAVE YET TO CONTACT GM ABOUT IT BUT I AM SURE THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME AS THE TRUCK DOES HAVE HIGHER MILLAGE. HOWEVER, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WITH UNDER 100K ON THEIR VEHICLES! HERE ARE SOME OF THE LINKS... NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP10003 HTTP://TRUCKS.ABOUT.COM/B/2011/08/01/BRAKE-LINE-CORROSION-SUSPECTED-IN-GM-TRUCKS.HTM HTTP://TRUCKS.ABOUT.COM/OD/GENERALMOTORSTRUCKS/A/BRAKE-LINE-CORROSION-PROBLEMS-IN-GM-TRUCKS.HTM HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/WEBX/.F0D4FE5?DISPLAYRECENT

RECENTLY I HAD A CLOSE CALL WITH MY 2003 2500HD SILVERADO. I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP BUT THE PEDAL JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR. I QUICKLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND AND USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO ASSIST IN GETTING THE TRUCK STOPPED. I NARROWLY MISSED CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I DISCOVERED THAT ATLEAST 1 OF MY BRAKE LINES HAD RUPTURED DUE TO CORROSION. I'VE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND THEY RECOMMEND ALL THE BRAKE LINES BE REPLACED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE CORROSION IN ALL THE LINES. I WAS ABLE TO INSPECT THE PROBLEM AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE TRUCK ON THE LIFT. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKE LINES. THIS IS MY PERSONAL TRUCK. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN KEPT VERY CLEAN INSIDE AND OUT AND IS ONLY USED LIGHTLY. I BELIEVE THE LINES ARE DEFECTIVE. BRAKE LINES DON'T TYPICALLY RUST OUT IN AN 8 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. I DON'T LIVE NEAR THE OCEAN, SO THE ONLY SALT IT MAY SEE IS IN THE WINTER MONTHS. THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED AND GM SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND MAKE THE REPAIR. *TR

WENT OUT TO THE TRUCK, STARTED IT AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR ALONG WITH A WARNING BEEP INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. NO SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO THIS WAS GIVEN, WHICH IS VERY SCARY AS I COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, UPON INSPECTION (WORD FOR WORD FROM INVOICE) "BRAKE LINE FROM ABS TO UNIT TO REAR AXLE AND ONE RUSTED THRU FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO ABS UNIT, OTHER LINES FROM ABS UNIT VERY RUSTY ALSO, REPLACED ALL RUSTED BRAKE LINES, FREE UP BRAKE BLEEDS AND BLEED BRAKE SYSTEM, ROAD TESTED AND RECHECKED OKAY" THIS KIND OF FAILURE SHOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE, TRUCK WITH THIS LOW MILES AND AGE, REALLY? COST TO FIX $1,010.64 WITH TOW. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE LINES WITH BRAKE LINES THAT WILL NEVER CORRODE, WHY WASN'T THIS DONE AT FACTORY TO BEGIN WITH? I REGULARLY TOW HEAVY EQUIPMENT, GRANTED THE TRAILERS HAVE BRAKES, BUT THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR