2004 GMC Sierra 2500

ON 2/1/2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 AM, I WAS STOPPING AT MY BROTHERS MAILBOX TO GET HIS MAIL WHILE HE WAS ON VACATION. WHEN I WENT TO STOP AT HIS MAILBOX, THE BRAKE PEDAL ON MY TRUCK WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE ON THE PEDAL. I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES, PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND IT CAME TO A GRADUAL STOP OVER AN EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCE OF 20 TO 30 FEET (WHICH IS SLIGHTLY UPHILL). THERE WERE NO LIGHTS LIT ON THE DASH AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS BETWEEN THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM LEVELS ON THE RESERVOIR, WHEN I EXAMINED IT AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. WE LIVE ON A DIRT ROAD WITHOUT MUCH TRAFFIC, SO I PLACED THE TRUCK IN LOW RANGE 4WD AND DROVE IT THE 1/2 MILE HOME. UPON RETURNING HOME THE TOP BRAKE LINE WHICH RUNS ALONG THE FRAME FROM THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE BLOCK BACK TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR OF THE TRUCK HAD RUPTURED. THE BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER NEVER WENT BELOW THE MINIMUM LEVEL, SO I ATTEMPTED TO REFILL IT TO SEE IF I COULD GET ANY BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE BACK. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR STILL AFTER MULTIPLE TRIES WITH A FULL MASTER CYLINDER. THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED WHERE IT IS ATTACHED AT A GREEN PLASTIC FACTORY HANGER. THE BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED/RUSTED WHERE IT HAD FAILED. IF I WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED AT MY BROTHERS MAILBOX, IT IS 1 MILE DOWN HILL ON AN APPROXIMATE 12 DEGREE GRADE TO THE MAIN ROAD. THE INTERSECTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ROAD IS A 90 DEGREE, T INTERSECTION IN A CREEK BOTTOM, WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO STOP PRIOR TO ENTERING THE MAIN ROAD. WE HAD JUST CAME HOME ON 1/31/2015 FROM A 8.0 HOUR ROUND TRIP TO SEE MY SON AT COLLEGE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF MARYLAND AND WEST VIRGINIA ON I-68 AND HAD DRIVEN VARIOUS MAJOR BUSY HIGHWAYS INCLUDING I-79, I-68 AND I-81. DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF FUEL WHICH WE WOULD HAVE USED, WE DECIDED TO TAKE MY OTHER SON'S WRANGLER ON THE TRIP OR I MAY HAVE BEEN SENDING THIS EMAIL FROM THE HOSPITAL IF WE WERE LUCKY. *TR

ON 9-19-2014 THE TRUCK WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND STARTED TO INCH FORWARD. SLIGHT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED THE MOVEMENT. THE EVENT WAS SO QUICK AND SLIGHT I THOUGHT NOTHING ABOUT IT. I TURNED ON THE FREEWAY AND DROVE 30 OR 40 MILES BEFORE TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN. WHEN I DID IT WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT SLOWING THE TRUCK SPEED ANY APPRECIABLE AMOUNT. AT THAT POINT I KNEW I HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I GEARED THE TRUCK DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. IF I HAD NEEDED TO COME TO A FULL AND FAST STOP IT COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED GM HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME WITHOUT NOTICE TO TRUCK OWNERS THAT IT EXISTS. AN INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE LINES WAS DONE AND INDICATED A FAILURE IN THE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM DUE TO RUST. THE FUEL LINES SHOWED THE SAME KIND OF DETERIORATION. PICTURES CAN BE PROVIDED TO VERIFY THE LACK OF ADVANCED RUST CONDITIONS TO THE UNDERNEATH OF THE TRUCK OTHER THAN THE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM, THE FUEL LINE SYSTEM, AND THE DRIVE SHAFT. THE TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN THERE 90% ON THE TOTAL MILEAGE ON IT. *TR

THIS SELDOM USED, WELL MAINTAINED, GARAGED TRUCK, BLEW OUT THE BRAKE LINES ON LEFT SIDE ON THE FRAME, UNDER THE DOOR, RESULTING IN TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. I HAD TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I WAS ON MY WAY TO PICK UP A #9000 BOAT. IF I HAD THAT BOAT BEHIND THE TRUCK, IT COULD HAVE KILLED ME, OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. BRAKE LINES ARE NOT A NORMAL SERVICE PART. REPLACING ALL THE BRAKE LINES IS COSTING ME 1300, AT A MINIMUM. MY NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR HAS A SIMILAR 2004 GMC SIERRA, WITH ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE, ONLY HIS IS A 1/2 TON, WHERE MINE IS 3/4 TON. HIS TRUCK HAD THE SAME FAILURE THE WEEK BEFORE, IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION ON THE LINES. DO A SIMPLE SEARCH LOOKING FOR BRAKE FAILURES ON THESE VEHICLES, AND YOU FIND THAT ITS WELL DOCUMENTED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED. THERE IS NO WAY THAT I SHOULD BE LOOKING AT BRAKE LINE FAILURE ON A 10 YEAR OLD GARAGED TRUCK THAT HAS A TOW CAPACITY OF OVER 10,000 #'S. HOW SHOULD SOMEONE DETECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE BRAKE LINES TO DETERMINE WHEN THE SHOULD BE REPLACED? *TR

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE LIKE THAT. TAKES OVER 100X LONGER TO STOP A 3/4 TON TRUCK. I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES RUSTED OUT. I ALSO FOUND SEVERAL HUNDRED REPORTS OF THE SAME THINGS ON GM TRUCK ONLINE. I ALSO HEARD YOU WERE INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE ALREADY. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I AM COUNTED AS ONE OF THE EFFECTED PEOPLE. I ALSO READ WHERE GM DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. I DISAGREE. THE LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS UNIT BLEW SO I HAD ZERO BRAKE PRESSURE AND PEDAL. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS IT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT OVER $1000 AND A WEEK TRYING TO FIX THIS AND REPLACE ALL THE RUSTED LINE. I STILL DO NOT HAVE THE TRUCK BACK ON THE ROAD. THANKS *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION THAT CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE TRUCK BEGAN TO STOP AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. AT THIS POINT THERE WERE NO BRAKES AT ALL. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME SO I WAS ABLE TO COAST UNTIL THE VEHICLE SLOWED, AND THEN USE THE E-BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH TO TURN. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, A BRAKE LINE HAD BROKEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. HE CONTINUED APPLYING PRESSURE UNTIL THE PEDAL TOUCHED THE FLOORBOARD AND FINALLY, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEEL BRAKE LINES EXHIBITED MASSIVE CORROSION AND WERE LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT DEALER WHERE THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.