2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

DRIVING HOME FROM MY WIFE'S PARENTS HOSE ON RT 40, THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGED. AND WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I STARTED TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND WAS LUCKY TO STOP MY TRUCK BEFORE I WENT THROUGHT THE LIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO NURSE MY TRUCK HOME. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED MY MECHANIC AND HAD THE PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF. *JS

I WAS TRAVELING ON A TWO-LINE ROAD NEARING THE CITY AND NEAR THE TOP OF A HILL WHEN A LINE OF CARS SLOWED QUICKLY IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD TO GET ONTO THE BRAKES QUICKLY TO MAINTAIN A SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE, BUT WHEN I DID THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. HAVING VERY LITTLE TIME TO REACT, I NOTICED THE TRAFFIC IN THE ONCOMING LANE HAD STOPPED OR SLOWED GREATLY ABOUT 100 YARDS IN FRONT OF ME, SO I WAS ABLE TO SWERVE INTO THE LEFT LANE TO AVOID REAR ENDING AN ENTIRE LINE OF CARS WITH MY 6000LBS TRUCK. FORTUNATELY THE DRIVER AT THE FRONT OF THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC SAW ME AND STOPPED. I WAS THEN ABLE TO BARELY MANAGE MY WAY BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE AS SOME OF THOSE CARS STARTED MOVING AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I WAS JUST CRESTING A LARGE HILL AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. A POLICE OFFICER IN THE ONCOMING LANE HAD ALREADY SEEN ME AND ACTIVATED HIS LIGHTS AND THEN STARTED WORKING TO TURN AROUND IN THE ROAD TO CHASE ME. WHEN I WAS BACK IN THE RIGHT LANE I FINALLY HAD A SECOND TO TRY TO LOCATE THE PARKING BRAKE, BUT ACTIVATING IT HAD ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT. I COASTED NEARLY 1/2 MILE DOWN THE ROAD AND FORCED THE TRUCK INTO A PARKING LOT, OVER A LARGE SET OF RAILROAD TIES AND INTO A YARD WITH AN UPSLOPED HILL. IF I COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN IT STOPPED THERE I COULD HAVE COASTED DOWN AN EVEN STEEPER HILL AND INTO A VERY BUSY MULTI-LANE INTERSECTION AND KILLED SOMEONE. THE POLICE OFFICER ENDED UP BEING UNDERSTANDING OF MY SITUATION AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK FOR ME AND I HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP. THE SHOP SAID THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY AND BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR SETS OF LINES WERE LEAKING. I DID NOT HAVE ANY DASH LIGHT INDICATING THAT THE FLUID WAS SLOW EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE SHOP OWNER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THESE TRUCKS DO NOT HAVE A PROPORTIONING VALVE IN ORDER TO ALLOW ONE OF THE FRONT OR REAR BRAKES TO CONTINUE WORKING IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE. *TR

TO:[XXX], ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY AND TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION PLEASE OPEN THE LINK- HTTP://WWW.WXYZ.COM/MONEY/AUTO-NEWS/RUSTY-BRAKE-LINES-CAUSE-CONCERN-FOR-GMC-CHEVY-TRUCK-DRIVERS I AM WRITING THIS EMAIL BECAUSE AFTER THE EXPERIENCE I HAD DRIVING MY 2004 CHEVROLET 2500 SILVERADO 4WD TRUCK TO WORK WITHOUT BRAKES DUE TO THE FACT THAT GENERAL MOTORS INSTALLED DEFECTIVE BRAKE LINES IN THEIR GMC AND CHEVY TRUCKS. (OPEN AND READ THE LINK ABOVE) THE LAST TIME I HAD DRIVEN MY 2004 CHEVROLET 2500 SILVERADO 4WD TRUCK, MY WIFE AND I HAD JUST RETURN FROM A HAGERSTOWN, MD CAMPGROUND TOWING OUR 5TH WHEEL RV TRAILER, I DISCONNECTED THE RV FROM THE TRUCK AND PARKED 10 FEET IN FRONT OF THE RV. THANK GOD, THAT THE BRAKE FAILURE DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE WE WERE DRIVING THE 2004 CHEVROLET 2500 SILVERADO 4WD TRUCK WHILE TOWING THE 5TH WHEEL RV TRAILER, IT MAY HAVE A CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AND POSSIBLE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I WONDER HOW MANY AMERICAN FAMILIES SUFFERED WITH THE STRESS, INJURIES, OR EVEN DEATH DUE TO THE INDIFFERENCE FROM GENERAL MOTORS AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY AND TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

RETURNING FROM PERFORMING A DRILL OPERATION AND TOWING OUR DRILL MACHINE BACK TO THE OFFICE. ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND ALL FAILED AT APPROX. 60MPH. I UTILIZED THE TRAILER BRAKES TO BRING THE TRUCK AND TRAILER TO A STOP WHERE I FOUND A MAIN BRAKE LINE HAD SPLIT. HAVING IT REPAIRED THE MECHANIC ADVISE ME THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM SHOULD BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION/RUST ON ALL LINES INCLUDING THE FUEL LINE WHICH COULD ALSO FAIL. IT WAS SO BAD THAT THEY DID NOT ATTEMPT TO BLEED THE LINES AS THE BLEEDER MAY BRAKE OFF. AFTER THAT THE TRUCK HAS BEEN STORED UNTIL IT CAN BE REPAIRED AT OVER $2100.00 FOR ONLY THE BRAKES AND DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FUEL LINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED IT WAS INOPERABLE. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT ON JANUARY 8, 2013 HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE BRAKES HYDRO BOOST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO SOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

AFTER PLACING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I GOT A BRAKE WARNING LIGHT. I OPENED THE MASTER CYLINDER CAP AND SAW NO BRAKE FLUID. I FILLED IT UP AND THE LEVEL KEPT DROPPING SO I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND SAW A PUDDLE OF FLUID. I TRACED THE FLUID TO THE METAL BRAKE LINES AND NOTICED THAT THEY WERE ALL MASSIVELY CORRODED TO THE POINT OF HAVING FLAKES OF METAL PEELING OFF THE LINES. ONE OF THE LINES HAD RUPTURED AND WAS SPRAYING FLUID ONTO THE ENGINE MAKING SMOKE AND CONTINUED TO DRIP EVEN WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING PRESSED. *TR

MY TRUCK WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WHILE IN DRIVE; AT IDLE; WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING FORWARD. WITHOUT WARNING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK BEGAN MOVING FORWARD. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON STOPPING THE TRUCK. AS THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD, I PUSHED DOWN ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL WHICH DID BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, I OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE WHERE 2 BRAKE LINES ARE LOCATED ALONG THE TRUCK'S FRAME. THE LEAK OF BRAKE FLUID IS COMING FROM THE BRAKE LINES WHICH ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. DOING A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALS THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON, PERVASIVE AND PERSISTENT ISSUE WITH GM PICKUP TRUCKS SINCE 1999, WITH SOME REPORTS INDICATING IT HAS CONTINUED TO AFFECT MODEL YEARS ANNUALLY THROUGH THE 2009 MODEL. THE REPAIR COST APPEARS TO BE RUNNING CLOSE TO $2000 TO REPLACE THE OEM LINES WITH STAINLESS STEEL. WHY GM AND NHTSA HAVE ALLOWED SUCH A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO CONTINUE FOR SO LONG, WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS, IS SIMPLY REMARKABLE. *TR