2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

ON OCT.7, 2011 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 CHEVY SUBURBAN. IN JUST NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES. A WARNING SOUND CAME ON AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. JUST THAT QUICK !, BRAKE LINE FAILURE! IF SHE HAD BEEN DRIVING FASTER THAN 40 MPH. THEIR MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BAD INTERSECTION COLLISION. SHE NERVOUSLY WAS ABLE TO CREEP THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. I RESEARCHED THIS CONDITION ON-LINE AND WAS STARTLED TO FIND NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING OVER 6 MILLION VEHICLES WITH THE SAME CONDITIONS.IT'S A TRAVESTY THAT THIS CAN GO ON.IT MUST BE THE GOVERMENTS WAY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO POLICE ITS OWN COMPANY. *TR

UPON BACKING INTO THE DRIVEWAY AFTER RETURNING FROM A SHORT ERRAND, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING ACTION. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED SINCE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE STOPPED THE CAR AT LOW SPEED. ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL LAMPS FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM WERE LIGHTED AND THE MESSAGE "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" CAME ON. UPON INSPECTION, THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY AND THE FLUID WAS DRIPPING FROM THE UNDERSIDE A LITTLE FORWARD OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE RUSTED OUT STEEL BRAKE LINES IN A CLUSTER OF FOUR LEADING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER BACK TOWARD THE REAR OF THE CAR. LUCKILY THIS TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING OCCURRED AT THE VERY END OF THE TRIP SINCE THERE WAS NO WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM BEFOREHAND. SIX LENGTHS OF THE RUSTED STEEL BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

IN 2003 I PURCHASED A NEW CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT AND PRESENTLY HAS 26,000 MILES ON IT. THREE WEEKS AGO MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE AT 30 MPH. SHE USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, THE FRONT PASSENGER STEEL BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED COMPLETELY THRU. ON FURTHER INSPECTION, ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTY AND IN BAD SHAPE. I HAVE INQUIRED INFORMATION FROM 6 CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, ALL OF WHICH HAVE SEEN AND REPAIRED THE EXACT PROBLEM MANY TIMES. I AM TOLD THAT IN 2006, GM STARTED ANNODIZING THEIR STEEL BRAKE LINES AGAIN. BUT FOR THE SUBURBANS BUILT IN 2003 AND 2004, THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER RECTIFIED AND GM HAS NO RECALL ON THEM. SINCE SUBURBANS ARE PRIMARILY USED TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE, I WOULD THINK THIS ISSUE WOULD BE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO YOU. I REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES WITH AFTER MARKET STAINLESS STEEL LINES AT MY OWN EXPENSE, $1200. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED RAPIDLY TO THE FLOOR UPON ENGAGING AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL GEAR IN ORDER TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2003 CHEVY SUBURBAN 1500 4WD 5.3L, GM HAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BRAKING ON THESE TRUCKS WHERE IT TAKES TOO LONG TO STOP. I HAVE REPLACED ALL PADS, ROTORS, AND CALIPERS. ALSO PERFORMED ABS BRAKE BLEEDING TO SEE IF AIR WAS IN THE ABS MODULE/PUMP ASSEMBLY. TRUCK STILL AT TIMES SEEMS TO NOT WANT TO STOP. IT ALWAYS TAKES A LONG DISTANCE TO STOP. THERE IS NO ABS ACTIVATING DURING THIS TIME. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN 2007. *TR

CORRODED BRAKE LINES ON 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN CAUSED A FRONT END CRASH WHEN BRAKE LINE BURST AT CORROSION. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE HAD A SNOW BANK IN MY PATH AND NOT ANOTHER CAR. I APPLIED THE BRAKES COMING TO A STOP LIGHT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. MYSELF AND MY WIFE WENT THROUGH THE RED LIGHT, UNABLE TO STOP, WITH NO TRAFFIC COMING FROM THE CROSS STREET, LUCKILY. I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME SLOWLY AND FOUND THE BRAKE LINE CORRODED AND BRAKE FLUID SQUIRTING FROM THE BRAKE WHEN PRESSURE APPLIED UPON INSPECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM THAT THE METAL BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,900.