2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

WHILE TRANSITING THE PARKING LOT AT THE END OF THE WORK DAY LAST THURSDAY, I WAS APPROACHING THE STREET ENTRANCE WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW MY VEHICLE. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDDLE, I ENCOUNTERED NORMAL BRAKING RESISTANCE FOR ABOUT A HALF SECOND BEFORE RESISTANCE STOPPED AND THE PEDDLE FLOORED. I PUMPED THE PEDDLE SEVERAL TIMES TO ATTEMPT TO BUILD PRESSURE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I ABANDONED THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM AND DEPLOYED THE PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE ENTERING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE CROSS STREET. THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT ENTERED TRAFFIC. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES. THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM APPEARED TO HAVE SUFFERED A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IN FACT, THE "BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE" INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT COME ON UNTIL SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. ON SITE INSPECTION SHOWED RUSTED BRAKE LINES AND NO BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIRS. THERE WERE LARGE PUDDLES OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND AT BOTH THE LEFT FRONT AND LEFT REAR WHEELS AND A TRAIL OF BRAKE FLUID LEADING BACK UP THE PARKING LOT. THERE WAS ALSO A SMALL PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID BY THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW, CONFIRMS THAT ONE BRAKE LINE RUPTURED DUE TO CORROSION AND THAT THE OTHERS WERE ALSO CORRODED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. PLEASE NOTE: THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN AND HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY GARAGED IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND HAS NEVER BEEN OPERATED FOR SIGNIFICANT PERIODS OF TIME IN TRADITIONAL "SALT BELT" STATES OR IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS WHICH WOULD ACCELERATE CORROSION. WERE "STAINLESS" OR CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS MANDATED OR USED IN THESE BRAKE LINES? *TR

BRAKE FLEX LINES BETWEEN ABS AND MASTER RUSTED AND FAILED, TWICE, WITHIN 2 YEARS, BRAKE LINES RUSTED OUT BETWEEN 90-106 K MILES, GM DOES NOT MAKE THE PARTS ANYMORE, AND AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE SKETCHY QUALITY FROM CHINA! POOR DESIGN, CHEAP STEEL LINES, TOO THIN, AND NO SUPPORT OF THEIR PRODUCTS! CLEARLY GM HAS A MYRIAD OF OTHER RECALLS AND FAILURES, BUT THESE ARE BRAKES, A CRITICAL PART AND SAFETY COMPONENT IN VEHICLES THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER- IF YOUR GOING TO DESIGN SAFETY PARTS TO COMPORT WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, SUPPORT THE PRODUCT FOR REASONABLE USE WHICH IS 25 YEARS, BETTER DESIGNS. 3 BRAKE FAILURES IN 3 YEARS, OVER $1800 NOW AND NO PEACE OF MIND IT WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN. *TR

ON APPROXIMATELY APRIL 7, 2014, WHILE ENGAGING VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL WAY TO FLOOR. HAD VEHICLE SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO CHEVROLET OF GADSDEN, AL FOR EXAMINATION. WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINE ON DRIVERS SIDE HAD DEVELOPED A LEAK, AND THE BRAKE LINE WAS SO CORRODED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE WITH A STANDARD REPAIR. I.E., THEY REFUSED TO WORK ON VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT I CAN COME AND PICK IT UP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING A PARKING SPACE THE BRAKES FAILED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND PRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST. THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS EXTREMELY RUSTED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AND THE LOCAL DEALER HAD NOT PROVIDED A REMEDY. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME MUSHY, TOOK PRECAUTION TO GET HOME WITH SLOW SPEED. ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM MY DRIVEWAY THE BRAKE SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. COMPLETE LOSS OF HYDRAULIC BRAKING POWER. COASTED INTO DRIVE AND APPLIED PARKING BRAKE. CHECKED BRAKE LINES AND FOUND ALL BRAKE LINES RUSTED BUT THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE LINE RUSTED THROUGH ALLOWING ALL BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT. THE BRAKE RESERVOIR WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. *TR

BRAKE PEDAL ALMOST TO FLOOR, EXTREMELY LONG TIME TO STOP.NO WARNING JUST DRIVING IN COLUMBUS TRAFFIC AND LOST BRAKES. FOUND MASTER CYLINDER ALMOST EMPTY. BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH LEFT SIDE DRIVERS FLOOR/FRAME RAIL AREA. DEALER ESTIMATE $1200 TO$1600. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AS ON LINE INVESTIGATION VERIFIES.WEB SITE SHOWS OPEN CASE,NO RE-CALL TO REPAIR. *TR

WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP. THREW SHIFTER INTO PARK BEFORE IT ROLLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND DOWN EMBANKMENT AND INTO WOODS. INSPECTION OF VEHICLE FOUND BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM CORRODED BRAKE LINES AT REAR OF VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ALL BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED AND MUST BE REPLACED. *TR

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CAR WOULD NOT STOP. HAD TO USE THE PARKING BREAK AND RUN INTO THE CURB TO STOP. FOUND THERE WAS NO FLUID SO FILLED THE MASTER CYLINDER AND PUMPED BRAKES. FLUID WAS RUNNING OUT OF THE LINE JUST UNDER THE DRIVER'S DOOR. I INSPECTED ALL THE BRAKE LINES AND FOUND THEM SEVERELY CORRODED AND WILL NOW REPLACE THEM ALL. THE LAST TIME I HAD TO CHANGE A STEEL BRAKE LINE WAS ON A 1952 BUICK, BUT THAT WAS IN 1984, WHEN THE CAR WAS 32 YEARS OLD. THERE SHOULD BE EITHER A RECALL OR AT LEAST A NOTICE FROM CHEVROLET THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. I COULD HAVE EASILY WRECKED MY TRUCK AND/OR KILLED A PEDESTRIAN. *TR