2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

WHILE TRAVELING 35MPH I BEGAN TO BRAKE FOR A CHANGING LIGHT SIGNAL. THE INITIAL APPLICATION OF BRAKES BEGAN TO SLOW THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WAS EXPERIENCED. I RAPIDLY LET OFF AND RE-APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH NO GAIN IN BRAKING. I COASTED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION ON A RED LIGHT. THERE WAS NO COLLISION. I DOWNSHIFTED AND USED THE PARKING BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND EVENTUALLY STOP. A BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ONLY AFTER THE COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE LINE REVEALED A RUPTURE TO THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE LINE NEXT TO THE FRAME RAIL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO ENTER ON TO THE FREEWAY. MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I COULD NOT STOP. I HAD TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO AVOID HITTING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. NO EASY TASK AT 45MPH. I VEERED AROUND THE CARS AND WENT OFF OF THE ROAD. AFTER LOOKING, MY SUBURBAN I FOUND THAT 2 BRAKE LINES HAD BLOWN OUT AND WERE SEVERELY RUSTED. THE AREA THAT THEY RUSTED WAS DIRECTLY BELOW THE DRIVERS AREA. I LOOKED AT THE REST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND ALL OF THE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. IN 28 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER HAD A BRAKE LINE GO OUT ON ME. I'VE OWNED SOME CARS WITH UPWARDS OF 250,000 MILES TOO. MY 03 SUBURBAN HAS 75,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED SOMEONE. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE AND SEE THAT THERE IS COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT OF THIS PROBLEM. WHEN IS THE NHTSA GOING TO ACT ON THIS? GM SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES AND FIXING THEM. THESE ARE FAMILY VEHICLES THAT CAN CARRY AS MANY AS 8 OR 9 PEOPLE. THIS IS A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, HE APPLIED THE BRAKES AT AN INTERSECTION BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AND CRASHED INTO A CURB. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES AND THE FRONT CALIPERS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 SUBURBAN I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE. THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING ACTION. AS THE TRUCK CONTINUED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN (THANK GOODNESS NO OTHER CAR WAS CROSSING) I ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BREAK WHICH FAILED TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP AS WELL. I THEN INTENTIONALLY TURNED TO TRUCK OVER A CURB INTO A GRASSY AREA AS TO STOP THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO ROLLING DOWN THE HILL INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. UPON EXAMINING UNDER THE TRUCK I DISCOVERED AN AREA UNDER A CLAMP LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. IT APPEARS THAT IT HAD CORRODED THROUGH. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE AND FUEL LINES WERE RUSTED SEVERELY. IN ADDITION, THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER EXHIBITED RUST CORROSION AND WAS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.

AS I WAS BACKING MY VEHICLE FROM MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION I NOTED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE LINE LEADING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE REAR ABS CONTROLLER WAS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL THE BRAKE LINES ARE REPLACED. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES ON THIS 2003 SUBURBAN ARE HEAVILY CORRODED AND LOOK READY TO FAIL AT ANY MOMENT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A PAVED HIGHWAY, WHEN THE UPCOMING INTERSECTION LIGHT TURNED RED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY SOFT AND JUST KEPT GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AFTER THE PEDAL WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR THEN THE RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION AND LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME. IF THERE HAD BEEN, I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. I DROVE TO A NEARBY TRUCK STOP AND GOT SOME BRAKE FLUID, THE VEHICLE TOOK THE WHOLE CONTAINER. I HAD NO FORE-WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I CAREFULLY DROVE HOME AND BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES, MY BRAKE FLUID WAS DOWN AGAIN AND THE BRAKES WERE FAILING AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVE. AGAIN, THE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AT ANY TIME UNTIL I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MY HUSBAND LOOKED AT THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING AND THE REAR BRAKE LININGS WERE CORRODED AND LEAKING. *TR