2003 GMC Sierra 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE AND SPEEDOMETER WERE BOTH INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRUCK SORTA HESITATED AND LOST ALL ENGINE POWER AT WHICH POINT I NOTICED THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING CAME ON AND I TRIED ACCELERATING TO TRY AND MAYBE TRAVEL ALONG TO PULL OVER AT A SAFE PLACE AND COME TO FIND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL, I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE ONTO THE GRASS ALONGSIDE THE ROAD BUT MY FEAR IS THAT I LIVE CLOSE TO ORLANDO, FL AND TRAVEL THERE AT TIMES LUCKILY THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED WHILE THERE AS THERE ARE 3-4 LANE HIGHWAYS POTENTIALLY PUTTING ME & OTHERS IN A FATAL POSITION IF I AM CAUGHT IN A CENTER LANE BUT I TRY TO AVOID THIS FOR THE MOST PART, I EITHER TRAVEL ON THE FAR LEFT OR FAR RIGHT GIVING ME ACCESS TO THE EMERGENCY SHOULDER IF NEEDED, BUT NOT SURE WHAT TO DO IN REGARDS TO THIS PROBLEM AS I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED AND NOT SURE HOW TO GO ABOUT CHECKING IF THIS IS A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE OR NOT AS I AM NOT ABLE TO AFFORD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW FINANCIALLY...AND THIS HAS OCCURRED LIKE AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE LIKE IN THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE PURCHASE AND CONTINUED LIKE EVERY OTHER WEEK FOR LIKE THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT IT HAS NOW CUT DOWN TO LIKE ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS OR SO, THE LATEST OCCURRING NOV 21, 2014. *TR

ENTERED 1ST LANE OF TRAFFIC , ACCELERATED AND ENTERED SECOND LANE. AT THAT TIME TRAFFIC SLOWED ABRUPTLY. APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKE, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR--PUMPED BRAKE, TOTAL FAILURE CAUSING ME TO HIT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE, HOWEVER TRACTOR TRAILER WAS BEHIND HONKING HORN , CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING ME. WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE APPLIED, FORCED TRUCK TO BREAKDOWN LANE. LUCKILY NO INJURIES--JUST CAR DAMAGE INCLUDING A NEW FRONT BUMPER THAT HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED DUE TO CHRONIC GM RUSTING. TOW TRUCK ARRIVED--DRIVER NOTICES SEVERE BRAKE FLUID DRAINAGE ON GROUND AND ON TRUCK BED WHEN RAISED UP. TRUCK BROUGHT TO REPAIR SHOP, WHERE MECHANIC REPORTED ALL BRAKE LINES BURST DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. MECHANIC STATED--NO WONDER YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKES BECAUSE ALL LINES FAILED--NOT SURPRISED DUE TO GMC HAVING BRAKE LINE ISSUES. NEEDLESS TO SAY--TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE UNDER DIFFERENT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THINK ABOUT CHILD RUNNING ACROSS ROAD--TRACTOR TRAILER NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP IN TIME....HIGHER SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY-- THINK ABOUT IT--I CERTAINLY AM!!! *TR

ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT RED LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. SWERVED TO NOT REAR-END CAR IN FRONT. RAN RED LIGHT BECAUSE UNABLE TO STOP. PULLED INTO RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREET AND SLAMMED INTO PARK. BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK. NOT TOWING ANY LOAD. NO LOAD IN TRUCK BED. UPON INVESTIGATION AFTER STOPPING, BRAKE FLUID SPRAYING OUT LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE NEAR AXLE WHEN PEDAL DEPRESSED. *TR

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO USE BRAKES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (70-75 MPH), PEDAL WENT IMMEDIATELY TO FLOOR WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. PEDAL HAD HELD FIRM MOMENTS BEFORE. NO REDUCTION IN SPEED FROM PUMPING PEDAL. NO WARNING OF MALFUNCTION UNTIL DANGER WAS IMMINENT. A CERTAIN CRASH WAS AVOIDED IF EVASIVE DRIVING WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED WITH A COMBINATION OF SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL, KICKING ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND SHIFTING TO THE BERM. STOPPING DISTANCE ESTIMATED TO BE AT LEAST A HALF MILE TO 3/4. VEHICLE SUFFERED MINOR FRONT END DAMAGE FROM USING THE BERM TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, A HARD STEEL REAR BRAKE LINE ABOVE FRAME HAD FULLY RUSTED THROUGH. IT HAD COME APART WITH A LARGE WINDOW, RATHER THAN A SMALL PERFORATION WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED SOME BRAKE MODULATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS AND THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE BRAKES AND NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. UPDATED 8/19/14*CN