2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

I GOT IN THE TRUCK TO LEAVE MY HOUSE. AFTER STARTING THE TRUCK AND PUTTING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO LEAVE MY DRIVEWAY. AT THAT TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT BACK TO PARK AS I HAD NOT RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE YET. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS EMPTY. AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE TRUCK, DRIVERS SIDE INSIDE FRAME RAIL, I DISCOVERED A BURST BRAKE LINE WHERE IT LEADS INTO THE ABS MODULE. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE EXTREMELY CORRODED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH STAINLESS STEEL AT A CHEVY DEALER. I HAD THE DEALER PERFORM OTHER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ITEMS AT THAT TIME AS WELL. THEY DISCOVERED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE A CHAIN GUIDE IN MY TRANSFER CASE, AND REPAIR A HOLE THAT THE LOOSE CHAIN HAD CAUSED. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT CHEVY USED STAINLESS STEEL FOR THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, WHICH LOOKS GREAT AFTER ALMOST 10 YEARS, YET THEY USED PLAIN STEEL FOR THE BRAKE LINES. I WAS LUCKY THIS OCCURRED IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND NOT WHILE I WAS TOWING MY BOAT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE TRANSFER CASE PROBLEM ALSO SEEMS LIKE AN ENGINEERING FAILURE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I SAW A DEER, IT STARTED TOWARD THE ROAD I WAS TRAVELING AT 50MPH THE DEER STARTED TO RUN TO CROSS MY PATH. I APPLIED MY BRAKES (I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED IN PLENTY OF TIME BUT....) THE PEDAL WENT DOWN APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY AS NORMAL AND HELD FIRM, THEN THE PEDAL CONTINUED TO THE FLOOR, THE BRAKES NO LONGER SLOWED MY TRUCK IMPACTING THE DEER. A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED TWO WEEKS PRIOR. THE FIRST TIME THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE FAILED OVER THE FUEL TANK. THE INSTANT INCIDENT THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINE FAILED TWO INCHES FROM THE WHEEL FLEXIBLE BRAKE LINE JOINT. AN AUTOMOBILE THAT IS 9 YEARS OLD SHOULD NOT HAVE BRAKE LINES FAILING, THIS VEHICLE HAS JUST RECENTLY ROLLED OVER 100,000 MILES MARK AND IS USED TO PULL THE FAMILY RVS IT IS NOT A DAILY DRIVER. WHY IS STEEL USED FOR BRAKE LINES? IT RUSTS! WHY IS IT NOT COATED? WHY NOT STAINLESS STEEL? WHY PUT PEOPLE'S LIVES AT RISK USING CHEAP MATERIALS THAT RUST IN A VITAL SAFETY COMPONENT SUCH AS BRAKES. *TR

A BRAKE LINE RUPTURED AS I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY (I WAS TRAVELING DOWNHILL) ON 1/3/2013. I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF BRAKES WITHOUT WARNING (NO DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT). I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I HAD THE LINE REPLACED AT THIS TIME. ON 8/15/2013 I AGAIN EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES WHEN A BRAKE LINE RUPTURED. AGAIN, I WAS TRAVELING DOWNHILL ON A DRIVEWAY/FARM LANE AND WAS ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. AGAIN, THERE WAS NO WARNING FROM DASHBOARD LIGHTS. I HAVE HAD THAT LINE REPLACED ALSO. I AM NOW PLANNING TO REPLACE ALL OF THE ORIGINAL BRAKE LINES. I HAVE NOT HAD TO DO THIS ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. *JB

AT APPROX. 6:00 AM I LEFT FOR WORK WHICH IS A 15-20 MINUTE DRIVE. AT THE FIRST TRAFFIC LIGHT I NOTICED THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE LOW. I CONTINUED MY TRAVELS AND AT THE NEXT LIGHT I VERY NEARLY WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP. WHEN I REACHED MY BUSINESS AND APPLIED THE BRAKES IN THE PARKING LOT, THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP IN AN EMPTY LOT. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PARK MY TRUCK, I GOT OUT OF THE CAB AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE BLEEDING BRAKE FLUID FROM UNDER THE TRUCK. I HAD TO HAVE TO BROUGHT TO MY MECHANIC. UPON INSPECTION HE FOUND ALL THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. EARLY THIS YEAR IN JANUARY I HAD TO HAVE ALL THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES REPLACED IN THE SAME TRUCK BECAUSE THEY ALSO RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY. BETWEEN THE TWO REPAIRS IT HAS COST ME OVER $ 1300.00 FOR A TRUCK WITH ONLY 30500 MILES. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SPEED AND MY BRAKES FAILED IN THIS MANNER, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. GENERAL MOTORS/CHEVROLET SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HAVE NOT NOTIFIED THE OWNERS OF THEIR VEHICLES. *TR

COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES DUE TO BRAKE LINE RUPTURE AND THE SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. VEHICLE TOWED TO GM SERVICE GARAGE WHERE INSPECTION FOUND BRAKE LINE LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVERS SIDE OF FRAME HAD RUSTED AND ROTTEN AWAY. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE REST OF THE LINES WERE POOR CONDITION AS WELL. DUE TO SEVERE RUST ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE TRUCK FRAME, INCLUDING THE BRAKE CALIPERS, ALL FOUR CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO THE BRAKE SYSTEM COULD BE BLED. A CURSORY CHECK ON THE INTERNET AND THIS WEB SITE SEEMS TO INDICATE A MAJOR RUSTING PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LINES. *TR