2005 Chevrolet Suburban

The vehicle was idle for about 4 months. I took it to a carwash to clean the dust off. Upon returning (abt a 2 mile trip) the brakes failed and steam was coming out from under the hood. I opened the hood and brake fluid was sprayed all over the driver's side of the engine and wheel well. A brake line had rusted through and burst. Fortunately, I made it home carefully because I had noticed the brakes were soft.

ON 4/11/2020, WHILE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON N. MAIN STREET, FAYETTEVILLE, NC AND ACCELERATING FROM THE STOPLIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF CAMDEN ROAD, I WAS REQUIRED TO APPLY THE BRAKES FORCEFULLY AND SUDDENLY DUE TO THE ACTIONS OF ANOTHER MOTORIST. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES, I LOST ALL BRAKING POWER AND RESORTED TO UTILIZING THE MANUAL PARKING BRAKE TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND DRIVE IT CAREFULLY BACK TO MY RESIDENCE. AT THE MOMENT OF FAILURE, THE DASHBOARD BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT (AKA, IDIOT LIGHT) ILLUMINATED AND A "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY DURING THE TRIP BACK TO MY RESIDENCE WHEN TESTING THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR RESUMED FUNCTIONALITY. AFTER ARRIVING HOME, I PERFORMED A QUICK INSPECTION OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND FOUND THAT THE PORTION OF THE BRAKES LINES LOCATED ON THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRAME RAIL HAD RUSTED AND PERFORATED NEAR THE ABS MODULE, CAUSING THE FAILURE ALONG WITH MASSIVE FLUID LOSS (SEE ATTACHED PICS). I PERFORMED A CURSORY INTERNET SEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT THE NHTSA HAS ALREADY PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS EXACT ISSUE AND THE INVESTIGATION WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED WITH NO RECALL ISSUED BY GM. OF NOTE, GM VEHICLES USE A MANUAL PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL SWITCH LOCATED WITHIN THE BRAKE COMBINATION VALVE THAT ISOLATES THE DAMAGED CIRCUIT IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE AND ALSO ILLUMINATES THE DASHBOARD BRAKE LIGHT. THIS SYSTEM DID NOT OPERATE IN THIS INSTANCE AS EVIDENCED BY LOSING ALL BRAKING, AS OPPOSED TO REDUCED BRAKING, AS WELL AS THE BRAKE LIGHT NOT REMAINING ILLUMINATED. BASED ON THE APPEARANCE OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND INDICATION OF RUST IN SEVERAL SPOTS ON THE BODY (E.G, TAILGATE), I BELIEVE THIS TRUCK WAS OPERATED IN ONE OF THE RUST BELT STATES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BY A PRIOR OWNER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND VEERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, WHICH ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY ONSTAR TO DENOOYER CHEVROLET (127 WOLF RD, ALBANY, NY 12205, (518) 458-7700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 111,795.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN I HAD TO APPLY A STRONG FORCE TO THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING A VEHICLE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE SURBURBAN BRAKES BECAME VERY STIFF AND I LOST POWER STEERING AT THE SAME TIME. AFTER APPLYING AN EXTREME EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FORCE I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I HAD TO FIND THE NEAREST EXIT AND WHILE DOING SO IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A 15 DEGREE TURN AND ALSO EXTREMELY HARD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND I WAS SCARED FOR MY LIFE. I TOLD A MECHANIC ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID IT SOUND LIKE A BAD HYDRO BOOSTER. I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT. WHEN I LOOKED IT UP IT SAID 0 OPEN. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE HELP!.

THE 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 WAS TRAVELING ON A CITY STREET AND THE BRAKES BECAME SOFT INSTANTLY, A COLLISION WAS AVOIDED BY STEERING AWAY FROM THE CARS AT THE INTERSECTION AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS USED. THERE WAS NO WARNING ON THE SUDDEN FAILURE, OTHER THAN A INDICATOR ON THE DASH. A SHORT DRIVE TO THE HOME DRIVEWAY, THE REMAINING BRAKE FLUID HAS ALL LEAKED OUT UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR LOCATION.

THE FUEL LINE THAT IS ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK ROTTED THROUGH. THE BRAKE AND TRANSMISSION LINES ROTTED AND LEAKED. THE CHASSIS IS ROTTING IN DIFFERENT PLACES I HAVE LESS THAN 77,000 MILES ON IT SINCE I BOUGHT NEW. I HAVE A 1969 MALIBU THAT I'VE HAD SINCE IT WAS NEW AND I KEEP IT OUTSIDE IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER AND NOT ONE PART OF THE CHASSIS IS ROTTED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF STEEL THEY USE NOW TO BUILD THESE CARS AND TRUCKS, BUT IT SHOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATES THESE THINGS HAPPENED, BUT I DO HAVE ALL THE REPAIR BILLS FOR THEM. WHEN THE BRAKE LINE ROTTED THROUGH I WAS GOING TO THE STORE AND WHEN I CAME TO A YIELD SIGN THE BRAKE PEDAL WHET TO THE FLOOR. IT'S A GOOD THING IT HAPPENED THEN, BECAUSE I LIVE ON A MOUNTAIN AND WE HAVE A ROAD CALLED BREAKNECK AND IT IS A 25% GRADE. IT WAS RAINING THE DAY THAT THIS HAPPENED AND ALL I HAD WAS A LITTLE BIT OF FOOT BRAKE AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I SURELY WOULD HAVE HAD A BAD ACCIDENT IF I MADE IT TO THAT HILL.

REAR BRAKE LINE FAILED. MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE IN THE 2005 SUBURBAN 1500, SHE MANAGED TO PRESS THE EBRAKE THEN TURN THE SUBURBAN INTO SOMEONE'S FRONT YARD WHERE IT EVENTUALLY CAME TO REST ON A HILL. SHE WAS HEADED DOWNHILL ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. TOOK TO HUNDRU CHEV IN MANHEIM PA I WAS TOLD THE REPAIR WILL BE SOMEWHERE AROUND $2300.00

AS I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT A PARKING LOT ONTO A FOUR LANE ROADWAY, THE BRAKES ON MY 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN FAILED. I LIVED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THIS LOCATION AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE HOME. IT WAS A LITTLE SCAREY WITHOUT ANY STOPPING POWER, EVEN THE EMERGENCY BAKE WOULD NOT HOLD. WHEN I GOT HOME, I USED A FLASHLIGHT TO TRY TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. FOUND A PATTERN OF BRAKE FLUID LEAKING. REMOVED THE SPARE TIRE TO GET A BETTER LOOK AND FOUND A BRAKE LINE BETWEEN THE ABS AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE HAD RUSTED OUT. FROM THE LOOKS OF THE LINE CONDITION, THEY NEED TO BE ALL REPLACED. NEVER IN MY 70 YEARS HAVE I SEEN BRAKE LINES ON A TEN YEAR OLD VEHICLE LOOK LIKE THEY DID, REALLY IN BAD SHAPE. LOOKED AT OTHER LINES, FUEL, TRANSMISSION, THEY ALL LOOKED LIKE THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED.

WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN I NOTICED MY BRAKES FEELING MUSHY AND THE PEDAL NEEDING TO BE PRESSED FURTHER INTO THE FLOORBOARD. MY "CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM" LIGHT CAME ON AND UPON INSPECTION NOTICED THAT I WAS LOW ON BRAKE FLUID. I FILLED THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR TO THE MAX LINE. THE NEXT DAY THE SAME WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND I FURTHER INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES TO FIND THAT THE LINES FROM THE ABS BOX TO THE REAR HAD RUSTED OUT AND WERE LEAKING BADLY. *TR