2003 GMC Sierra 2500

II PUT NEW BRAKE CALIPERS ON MY TRUCK TODAY AND HAD MY WIFE PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDDLE AS I BLED THE BRAKES AND GOT TO THE LAST CALIPER REARS THEN THE 2 FRONTS WHEN SHE TOLD ME THE BRAKE PEDDLE WAS NOT HOLDING LIKE IT WAS , AND THEN SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE TRUCK AND I LOOKED UNDERNEATH & SEEN BRAKE FLUID EVERYWHERE BELOW DRIVERS DOOR THE FLUID UNDER PRESSURE BLEW OVER AGAINST THE HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS AS U HAVE TO RUN ENGINE WHEN BLEEDING THE LINES LUCKY I GUESS IT DID NOT CATCH FIRE, BUT AFTER I GOT ON THE INTERNET TRYING TO FIND A REPLACEMENT I FOUND THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM , I DID SEE THE OTHER LINES LOOKED BAD ALSO THE FUEL LINES LOOKED THE SAME GOOD THING IT HAPPENED IN THE DRIVEWAY AT HOME . MAYBE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF IF IT BURNT DOWN , G.M SHOULD FIX ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH THESE TRUCKS ON THEIR DIME AS MUCH AS THESE TRUCKS COST. !! *TR

DRIVING TO WORK ONE DAY, A CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY STOPPED TO TURN LEFT. I HIT MY BRAKES AND FELT A "POP" AND THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR, NO BRAKES. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55 MPH SO AT THAT POINT, I AM A 55 MPH SPEAR ON WHEELS. I SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND DROVE ACROSS SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY AND THROUGH THEIR YARD. THIS WEEKEND WAS THE CITY WIDE GARAGE SALES, AND THANKFULLY, THESE FOLKS WERE NOT HAVING A SALE IN THEIR DRIVEWAY OR YARD, OR ELSE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. THE ONLY RUST ISSUE WITH THIS TRUCK IS THE BRAKE LINES AND FUEL LINES. IF YOUR LINES RUST BEFORE YOUR BODY RUST, THEN I FEEL THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW. IF IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE RUSTING THEN IT WOULDN'T BE AS BIG OF A DEAL. BUT WHEN YOU ARE TALKING BRAKE LINES, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS FLAW CAUSES ANOTHER CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE, LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. A 10 YEAR OLD TRUCK SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED VEHICLES THAT WERE 15, 20 YEARS OLD AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE LINES. SOMEONE'S LIFE IS WORTH SO MUCH MORE THAN A CHEAPLY MADE BRAKE LINE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 03 SIERRA, APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SLOW AT FIRST BUT THEN THE PEDDLE IMMEDIATELY WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. I BEGAN TO PUMP IT BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I WAS HEADING TOWARD THE INTERSECTION, THE LIGHT WAS RED, WITH BUSY CROSS TRAFFIC. THE STREET I WAS ON IS NARROW AND STEEP AND I BEGAN TO PICK UP SPEED. I SHIFTED THE TRANS INTO THE LOWEST GEAR AND STEPPED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE TRUCK FINALLY CAME TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION, AS ONCOMING CARS LUCKILY AVOIDED HITTING ME. WHEN I WENT TO MY MECHANIC TO ARRANGE TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED, HE KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. HE TOLD ME, SIGHT UNSEEN, THAT THE BRAKE LINE UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAD RUPTURED. LATER, UPON INSPECTION, HE WAS CORRECT. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THAT YEAR. HE REPLACED THE LINE AND I THOUGHT THAT HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEM; UNTIL TWO DAYS AGO. AGAIN, I AM DRIVING DOWN A HILL AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I WAS TOWING A VERY LARGE TRAILER THIS TIME AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD LITTLE AFFECT. LUCKILY, THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO RIDE IT OUT WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH NOT ONLY THE 03 YEAR BUT 4 OR 5 YEARS PRIOR ALSO. ANOTHER MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF LINES SHOULD BE REPLACED SINCE GM USED A UNCOATED STEEL WHICH BEGINS TO BE COMPROMISED WITHIN JUST A FEW YEARS WHERE SALT IS HEAVILY USED IN THIS AREA. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT GM USED UNCOATED STEEL INSTEAD OF COATED OR STAINLESS TO SAVE A FEW DOLLARS. HAD MY 17 YEAR OLD SON BEEN DRIVING, THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THIS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS TRUCK. ANOTHER IS ERRONEOUS SPEEDOMETER READINGS. I WILL ADDRESS THESE IN ANOTHER POST. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN MY BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR, I HAD TO USE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP MY VEHICLE. LUCKILY I SWERVED TO AVOID TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME AND WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY. UPON HAVING MY TRUCK TOWED, MY MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT MY BRAKE LINE FROM MY MASTER CYLINDER HAD RUSTED OUT CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

GOING DOWN A HILL APPROACHING A "T" INTERSECTION I PRESSED THE BRAKE AND WENT TO FLOOR, TRIED PUMPING NOTHING SO I PUT THE TRUCK IN 3RD GEAR AND THEN 2ND AND SHUT OFF MY LIGHTS TO SEE IF ANY CARS WHERE COMING INTO "T" . I NEED TO TURN LEFT, LUCKILY NO CARS MADE IT THRU. BUT I HAD TO CROSS A HWY BEFORE GETTING HOME. I DID THE SAME THING WENT FROM D TO 3RD TO 2ND, AGAIN NO CARS. WAS VERY LUCKY. *TR

AS I BEGAN BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY MY BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD A RAPID DECREASE IN BRAKING POWER. UPON INVESTIGATION I NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE BRAKE LINES RIGHT ABOVE THE FRAME RAIL ON THE DRIVER SIDE. IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING IT COULD HAVE LED TO INJURIES OR FATALITIES ESPECIALLY WHEN SUCH A LARGE AND HEAVY TRUCK SUDDENLY LOSES BRAKING POWER. *TR