2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR BOARD; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND TWO OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I BACKED INTO A TREE BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP. BENT MY BUMPER INTO THE FENDER. UPON INVESTIGATION I FOUND THE METAL BRAKE TUBE UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE REAR HAD FAILED AND ALL THE BRAKE FLUID DRAINED OUT. IT LOOKS AS IF THE HOSE RUSTED THROUGH. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND MANY OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES RUSTED AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. *TR

ON 6/28/2012, ENCOUNTERED NO BRAKING CONDITION WHILE DRIVING AT 25-40 MPH. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO CHEVY DEALER WHO DISCOVERED ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES WAS HEAVILY RUSTED AND HAD BURST. NEW LINE INSTALLED. ON 8/10/2012 SAME CONDITION OCCURRED TO ANOTHER BRAKELINE. UPON INSPECTION, FOUND ALL LINES HEAVILY CORRODED AND NEED REPLACEMENT EXCEPT FOR THE ONE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING AND WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKE, MY FOOT WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WAS NO BRAKE APPLICATION, I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE AND PUT THE GEAR SELECTOR IN THE LOWEST GEAR TO SLOW AND STOP THE TRUCK. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A TRAFFIC LIGHT, LUCKILY THERE WAS NOBODY IN FRONT OF ME, THE ROAD WAS STRAIGHT AND LEVEL, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE OPTIMAL AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC AT THE INTERSECTION. I HAD MY WIFE AND 16 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN THE VEHICLE. IT WAS A VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHICH MOST DRIVERS MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE QUICK THOUGHT TO REACT THE WAY I DID AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT. UPON INSPECTION ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING HEAVILY FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A ROTTED BRAKELINE IN A SPOT NOT VISIBLE TO INSPECTION. THE BRAKE LINE WAS THE ONE THAT RUNS FROM THE ABS DITRIBUTION/CONTROL UNIT TO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK; AN ALMOST 12 FOOT LINE. IT ROTTED OUT WHERE THE LINE RUNS ALONG THE LEFT FRAME RAIL, ABOVE THE FUEL TANK. UPON DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MY TYPE OF VEHICLE AND UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA. I AM NOT SURE WHY GM DID NOT USE STAINLESS STEEL FOR THE BRAKE LINES ON THESE TRUCKS OR HAS NOT ISSUES A WARNING TO OWNERS OR OFFERED TO REP[LACE THE LINES AT THEIR EXPENSE. THIS IS A TRULY UNSAFE SITUATION! STAINLESS STEEL COULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE FOR A MINIMAL EXPENSE AND PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER. AFTER ALL THEY USED STAINLESS STEEL FOR THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM....WHY NOT THE BRAKE LINES? *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON A LOCAL 2-LANE HIGHWAY, HIT THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN FOR A CAR THAT MOVED INTO MY LANE, PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I ALMOST REAR-ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET A RECALL? DOES A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK NEED TO GET KILLED BEFORE SOMEONE DOES THE RESPONSIBLE THING? BRAKE LINES RUN AROUND $1500 TO REPLACE. IT LOOKS LIKE THE LINE IN THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT BURST. IN REVIEWING THIS ONLINE, I SEE MANY MANY MANY MANY CHEVY OWNERS ARE HAVING HE SAME PROBLEM. NEVER GM AGAIN. WHAT HAPPENED TO PRIDE AND QUALITY IN AMERICAN MANUFACTURING? IT'S A SHAME, MY TOYOTA AND INFINITI DO NOT HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. *TR

EVERYTHING RELATED TO MY TRUCK'S BRAKES SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE. I HAD JUST DRIVEN THE TRUCK ~100 HIGHWAY MILES WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER REACHING MY DESTINATION, I BACKED MY TRUCK UP AND HITCHED MY BOAT TRAILER TO IT. THE TRUCK BRAKES WORKED FINE AS I MANEUVERED THE TRUCK TO ALIGN IT WITH THE TRAILER. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY IMMINENT FAILURE - NOTHING ON THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS AND THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD A NORMAL FEEL TO IT. AS I BEGAN TO PULL AWAY WITH MY BOAT IN TOW AND PREPARED TO TURN, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED - NO WARNING LIGHT AND ABSOLUTELY 100% LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. I QUICKLY PLACED THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND THE DRAG OF THE TRAILER ACROSS THE LAWN SLOWED THE TRUCK ENOUGH THAT I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD, I NOTICED THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LOW. I ADDED 12 OUNCES OF THE APPROPRIATE BRAKE FLUID, RESTARTED THE TRUCK, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL STILL WENT TO THE FLOOR. MY WIFE, WHO WAS STANDING ALONGSIDE THE TRUCK (SHE WAS BEHIND IT AS I BACKED UP - THANK GOD THE BRAKES DIDN'T FAIL AT THAT POINT), NOTICED A STREAM OF BRAKE FLUID COMING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK AND NEAR THE FIREWALL. I CALLED AAA AND HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO A LOCAL AAA APPROVED SERVICE CENTER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT MY BRAKES LINES WERE LEAKING, SEVERELY CORRODED THROUGHOUT, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRUCK IS STILL IN THE SHOP. I'M SAVING THE BILL AND ALL OF THE RELATED PARTS. FORTUNATELY I WAS ONLY INCONVENIENCED - NOT HURT. *TR