2003 GMC Sierra 1500

MY TRUCK HADN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING AMISS THE LAST TIME I DROVE IT. THE TRUCK IS PARKED AT THE TOP OF A APPROX. 40FT. LONG DRIVEWAY THAT IS MODERATELY STEEP. I STARTED THE TRUCK AND SLOWLY BEGAN BACKING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IT FLEW DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, GOING BETWEEN A PARKED CAR AND ANOTHER STEEP HILL, WINDING UP IN MY NEIGHBORS FRONT YARD, WHERE I MANAGED TO ABRUPTLY TURN IT AND BRING IT TO A STOP BEFORE GOING THRU HIS LIVING ROOM. FREQUENTLY, THERE ARE AS MANY AS 6TO8 KIDS PLAYING THERE, BUT BEING A BAD WEATHER DAY(COLD),, LUCKILY, THERE WAS NOBODY THERE. THE POSSIBILITIES OF A TERRIBLE DISASTER ARE FRIGHTENING. AS IT STANDS, THE ONLY 'DISASTERS' ARE THE RUTS IN MY NEIGHBORS YARD, A DESTROYED RECYCLING CONTAINER AND MY BANK ACCOUNT,-TO A TUNE OF JUST OVER 1700$. MY MECHANIC SAYS HE HAS DONE OVER A HALF DOZEN OF THESE REPAIRS LATELY. TO MY WAY OF THINKING, GM IS SERIOUSLY NEGLIGENT REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I HAVE DISCOVERED IS FAIRLY COMMON. ARE THEY WAITING TO SEE HOW MANY HORRIFIC EVENTS OCCUR BEFORE ADDRESSING THIS? AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY SHOULD GIVE REIMBURSEMENT TO THOSE OF US THAT HAVE GONE THRU THIS. AND WHERE IS NHTSA'S ACTION ON THIS ISSUE??? *TR

I HAVE A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHEN TURNING AT LOW SPEED AT TIMES THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN COMES BACK. YESTERDAY I ALMOST HIT A CAR HEAD ON DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TURNING INTO A GAS STATION AND THE STEERING WENT OUT. A CAR WAS PULLING OUT OF THE STATION AS I WAS PULLING IN AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS GOING STRAIGHT AT AND I STRUGGLED THROUGH IT TO MAKE THE TRUCK TURN. IF MY WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE TRUCK, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS BUT YESTERDAY WAS A CLOSE CALL. *TR

STARTED MY VEHICLE APPLIED THE BRAKE TO SHIFT TO DRIVE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND ON THE DRIVER SIDE UNDER WHERE THE DRIVERS SEAT IS. THERE WAS BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING FROM A RUSTED BRAKE LINE. I'M LUCKY THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND NOT WHILE I NEEDED STOP BECAUSE IT WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES.

BRAKES FAILED WHILE ON BOAT RAMP CAUSING BOAT TO KNOCK ME DOWN UNDER TRAILER AS I WAS PULLING DRAIN PLUG .DRIVER WAS ABLE TO APPLY PARKING BRAKE AND PUTTING TRUCK IN DRIVE . BRAKE LINES FAILED BRAKE PETAL WHEN TO FLOOR RUSTED LINES . THEN FOUND OUT THAT IS VERY COMMON WITH GM TRUCKS IN THIS YEAR . RESULT I AM PISSED , A NOTICE FROM GM WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE . WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I HAD TO STOP AT A INTERSECTION OR ON THE INTERSTATE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE REAR SEAT BELT LATCH FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,917.

THE ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEED BRAKING UNDER DRY ROAD CONDITIONS WITHOUT THE TIRES LOCKING UP. THE BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATES AS IF I WERE ON ICE WITH THE TIRES LOCKED UP. BRAKING EFFECT IS REDUCED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND WHEN IT DOES I CANNOT BE SURE IF I CAN STOP IN TIME BEFORE HITTING THE VEHICLE OR OBJECT IN FRONT OF ME.

PULLING TO A STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY MY BRAKES SLOWED THE TRUCK AND THEN COMPLETELY GAVE WAY WITH THE PEDAL HITTING THE FLOOR. I STOMPED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE PORCH. I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN AT LOW SPEED OFF THE ROAD. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A TRAGEDY ON THE HIGHWAY. TURNS OUT THAT MY BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND ONE OF THE 2 LINES COMING OFF THE MASTER CYLINDER NOW HAS A PINHOLE LEAK IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE FRAME WHERE IT BENDS 90 DEGREES TO GO BACK TO THE ABS MANIFOLD. APPLYING THE BRAKES JUST SQUIRTS FLUID OUT OF THE LINE. I THOUGHT A SINGLE FAILURE WAS SUPPOSED TO RESULT IN REDUCED BRAKING POWER, NOT COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. NOTE THAT MY TRUCK IS IN OTHERWISE GREAT SHAPE AND I SIMPLY HAD NO IDEA. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE NHTSA HAS BEEN BAMBOOZLED BY GM. BRAKE LINES ARE A CRITICAL LIFE SAFETY SYSTEM, INSTALLED ON AND IN SOME PLACES IN THE CHASSIS BEFORE THE VEHICLE BODY AND BED ARE ATTACHED. IT IS NOT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE TO RINSE THE BRAKE LINES LET ALONE REPLACE THEM. GM PUSHING THIS BACK ON THE CUSTOMER IS COMPLETE BS. YOU CAN BUY NYLON COATED OR STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINES FOR LESS THAN 100 $. THE INCREMENTAL COST TO GO FROM STEEL TO SOMETHING THAT WOULD LAST THE OPERATIONAL LIFE OF THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 50 $. I'M WAITING ON AN ESTIMATE FROM MY NON-DEALER SHOP, BUT A DEALER CHARGING 3600 $ IS NOT SURPRISING CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF LABOR THAT MUST BE INVOLVED. THE NHTSA DECISION ON THE ISSUE IS UNCONSCIONABLE. GUESS IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF THEY HAD RUN OVER A CHILD AT A CROSSWALK OR IF THEIR CHILD WAS MOWED DOWN BY CORPORATE GREED. HOPEFULLY THAT NEVER HAPPENS, BUT WITH SO MANY ROTTING GM TRUCKS ON THE ROAD, WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED.

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME RUNNING 45 MPH IN LIGHT TRAFFIC. WHEN I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. I WAS ABLE TO PUMP THEM ENOUGH TO MAKE THE TURN AND LUCKILY I WAS ONLY THREE BLOCKS FROM MY HOME. I WAS ABLE TO COAST IT HOME. I RAISED THE HOOD AND ALL THE BRAKE LINES ARE SO RUSTY. I HAD MY WIFE STEP ON THE BRAKE AND YOU CAN SEE ONE LINE BUSTED. I CHECKED WITH DEALER AND THEY DON'T OFFER REPLACEMENT PARTS. YOU HAVE PAY SOMEONE TO MAKE THE LINES FOR YOU.