2000 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

BRAKE LINES RUSTED AND NOW LEAKING IN FRONT OF AND UNDER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR WHERE THE BRAKE LINES START RUNNING DOWN THE FRAME RAIL OF THE TRUCK BODY TOWARDS THE ABS MODULE. LAST WEEK THE TRUCK WAS FINE, AND I DECIDED IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO BRING IT TO MY CHEVY DEALER TO HAVE ANY OUTSTANDING RECALL WORK DONE. THEY TOLD ME AMONG OTHER RECALL ORDERS DUE ON MY TRUCK, ONE IN PARTICULAR IS TO HAVE A 2 FT STRETCH OF ONE OF THE LINES REPLACED, AND THEY REPLACED IT. LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK BACK I NOW HAVE A LEAK COMING FROM ONE OR TWO OF THE OTHER BRAKE LINES IN THAT AREA WHERE THE WORK WAS JUST DONE LAST WEEK. I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS. NOTHING WAS LEAKING TILL THE DEALER TOUCHED IT, SO WHY AM I LEFT WITH A NEW PROBLEM THAT WAS DEALER CAUSED. SECONDLY, WHAT'S UP WITH A RECALL THAT CHOOSES TO REPLACE "ONE PART" OF 1 OF 4 LINES ALL RUNNING PARALLEL, AND ALL RUSTED TO THE SAME DEGREE? THIRDLY, WHY IS CHEVY WHICH HAS A "BUILT LIKE A ROCK" SUGGESTED REPUTATION USING BRAKE LINES THAT CAN SO EASILY SUCCUMB TO RUST, THERE LOTS OF OTHER SOLUTIONS FOR THIS AUTO MAKER. FOR INSTANCE DURING MANUFACTURE, INSTALLING STAINLESS STEEL LINES, COPPER LINES OR COPPER NICKEL ALLOY LINES JUST TO NAME A FEW, INSTEAD OF USING CHEAP STEEL LINES, WHAT GIVES? *TR

WHILE REPLACING FRONT BRAKE PADS, I NOTICED SEVERE RUST/CORROSION ON THE HARD BRAKE LINES COMING FROM THE EBCM. I CONDUCTED A THROUGH INSPECTION AND FOUND ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY RUSTED/CORRODED. THE MAIN BRAKE LINE TO THE REAR WHEEL WAS OOZING BRAKE FLUID WHERE IT BENDS FROM ON TOP OF THE FRAME RAIL TOWARDS THE DIVERTING VALVE. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE BRAKE LINES TO PREVENT A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

NOVEMBER 18 2000 DRIVING TO A MC DONALD'S RESTAURANT WENT TO STOP AND BRAKES FAILED. A LOUD SOUND OF AIR AND THE PEDAL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THANK GOD I WAS NOT DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD OR MY 3 KIDS AND I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY INJURED. I AM AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS WITH THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG A 3 LANE STRETCH OF DIVIDED ROADWAY IN THE FAST LANE. I APPROACHED A NEW INTERSECTION, THE LIGHT CHANGED TO RED AND CARS IN ALL THREE LANES AHEAD OF ME PROCEEDED TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE FLOOR. BEING IN THE FAST LANE AND TRAVELING AT 55 MPH WITH A CONCRETE DIVIDER WALL AND NO SHOULDER TO MY LEFT I IMMEDIATELY DOWNSHIFTED WHILE HOLDING THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND CUT THE WHEEL HARD TO HEAD ACROSS LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE REAR END FISHTAILED OUT TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE BARELY MISSING THE LINE OF TRAFFIC IN THE FAST LANE. LUCKILY I HAD ENOUGH DISTANCE TO SLIDE THE CAR SIDEWAYS FACING SLOW LANE SHOULDER, AND THEN CUT THE WHEEL OPPOSITE TO AVOID THE CARS IN THE SLOW LANE. I BARELY GOT AROUND THEM AND FISHTAILED THE BACKEND THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IN THE SUBURBAN AS IT GRAZED THE GUARDRAIL. AT THIS POINT THE BRAKES WERE STILL OUT, PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, AND I TRAVELED THROUGH A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION (RT 24 AND RT 95) STILL ROLLING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. I GLIDED ALONG THE SHOULDER SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET IN LOW RANGE GEAR WITH PEDAL MASHED TO THE FLOOR BEFORE USING PARKING BRAKE TO STOP! ONCE HOME I INSPECTED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE LINES AS OTHERS HAVE FOUND, ARE CORRODED BEYOND BELIEF. I LIVE IN MARYLAND AND WE SEE ICY CONDITIONS, BUT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE AS HEAVY AS A SUBURBAN WAS EQUIPPED WITH BRAKE LINES THAT WOULD CORRODE AWAY TO NOTHING. ALL THE LINES RUNNING ALONG THE FRAME RAIL ARE COMPLETELY CORRODED OUT NOW AND ALL LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND FROM A SIMPLE SEARCH I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. THE ONLY REASON THERE WASN'T A FOUR CAR MANGLED 55 MPH CRASH WAS DUE TO ME SLIDING A 5000 LB VEHICLE COMPLETELY ACROSS A THREE LANE HIGHWAY. PLEASE HELP BEFORE SOMEONE LIKE MY WIFE IS KILLED DUE TO THESE BRAKE LINES! *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES THE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR. HE WAS FORCED TO STOP TO THE VEHICLE BY PLACING APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT CONFIRMED THE FAILURE WAS CORRODED BRAKE LINES. A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILES WERE 116,000. UPDATED 11/17/11 *BF UPDATED 01/03/12

I OWN A 2000 CHEVY SUBURBAN 1500 4X4, ON MY WAS BACK FROM CAMPING WITH MY TWIN 3YR OLD GIRLS THE WIFE AND THE DOG. AS SOON AS I PARKED THE CAMPER IN MY DRIVEWAY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, FOUND TWO BRAKE LINES UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR ABOVE THE FUEL FILTER HAD EXPLODED. THANKFULLY IT HELD OUT TILL WE GOT HOME RATHER THAN ON THE INTERSTATE! HAVE NOT MADE REPAIRS YET, BUT I HAVE ORDERED A 7PC STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINE SET PRE BENT. $300.00 FOR PARTS SO FAR DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SHOP IS GOING TO CHARGE FOR LABOR. *TR