Problems with 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the brake lines had extensive rust to the point of corrosion. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed that the brake lines needed to be replaced. the vehicle was no repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 135,000. ...updated 09-05-14 *bf updated 3/30/2015 *js

Had a complete failure of the braking system when pulling into a convenience store. pedal went to the floor and brake light came on, but appeared to have a small amount of residual braking on front wheels. upon inspection the left rear brake line had rusted through. went straight to garage for repair and was told that all brake lines were in danger of rusting through in several spots. also entire undercarriage is badly rusted as to rotors, shocks and such. actually had all rotors replaced about three years ago at chevrolet dealer in order for truck to pass the state inspection. have other vehicles even older than this truck with no apparent problems with rust under them. was told by garage mechanic that he has seen a very large number of chevy trucks of this vintage with same problems. it's a shame, because this truck looks almost new in every other aspect.

There was a recall on august 29 2005 for this problem. recall number 36327 i have this problem with my truck right now how should i handle this situation? it is the hydraulic: abs sensor (the problem started slowly and now its bad) i just found out about the recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact was traveling 45 mph when the brakes failed to work when the depressed. the contact discovered that the brake lines had ruptured. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 141,600 updated 08/16/12*lj the consumer stated there were no warning lights on bfore, during or after the brake lights. updated 08/21/12

My wife was on an errand and when she got into the truck to come home the brake peddle was soft and went to the floor before she was able to stop. she was scared and tested the brakes and found there was some so came home slowly with a plan in her mind to hit something other than another car in the case the brakes failed completely. had this happened on the road there may have been a crash. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado k 1500. the contact was driving 5 mph when the brake line failed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 81,220.

I was driving down the hwy and my brakes went completely out. no warning light that is a lie and so is the statement about it slowly coming to a stop. luckily i was going up a hill so it came to a stop then started rolling backwards into on coming traffic and i had to go off the road and hit a pole and broke my tailgate off cause the tailgate pins were rusted to and i live in alabama. no salt anywhere. thanks chevy, now i can't even fix the truck because its going to cost me 1,000 dollars. *tr

i purchased my vehicle in march of 2011 and since have noticed a significant amount of rust on all the brake lines going and coming from the abs module under the driver's side frame rail. i have read many cases of owners that have had their lines burst in as little as 2 years after purchase from the dealership. i am very concerned about the safety of operation of my truck with the brake lines corroded to the extent that they are and hope that general motors will do the right thing and fix this safety hazard. there is also a significant amount of rust on the entire underside of the vehicle (frame rails, bolt locations, weld locations, underside of bumpers, ect). *tr

Rusting fuel line caused a significant fuel leak in the rear of the vehicle near the fuel tank, while repairing that line i observed several other rusting lines in that area brake, and more fuel lines. *tr

While pulling into my parking area and braking, the break pedal went to the floor. a hissing sound was heard while the pedal was being pushed. upon inspection a break in the brakeline under the driver's side cab was identified at the hanger. based upon visual inspection their appears to be corrosion around the break in the line. *tr

Brakes failed due to loss of brake fluid caused by rusted out brake line from abs unit. *tr

Brake line corroded at abs unit along frame. *js

When starting my vehicle i had my foot on the brake, in short order the pedal went to the floor. i tried pumping the pedal but the soft pedal feel did not subside and the pedal would still go to the floor. i then got out and checked under the vehicle and found brake fluid pouring out of a ruptured line. a pin hole sized rupture is at the driver rear axle near where the hard line connects to the flex rubber line. i feel that it is relevant that though this vehicle is now in a southern state, the first five years of its existence was in a salt-belt state. *tr

Brake lines all rusted causing complete failure.. rocker panels totally rotted out..

2001 silverado 1500 4wd ext. cab short bed. original owner purchased new in 2001. just so happens that i experienced my brake failure during a return trip after purchasing a used lawn tractor that i was bringing back home on my 6x10 single axle trailer. i was approaching the off ramp to my exit off of major highway traveling at approximately 60 mph. along with other vehicles taking exit also i started to brake to go into exit and suddenly with no warning the brake pedal immediately went to the floor and i started heading to collide with the vehicle in front of me that was slowing down into the turn. i luckily was able to swerve back onto the shoulder of the highway without collision to any vehicle and then press down on emergency brake to come to a slow stop. i must mention also that i had my 9 year old son with me who was oblivious to everything going on until i explained what just happened. i had to call my wife to come so that i could unhook trailer from my truck and hook back up to her 2003 gmc yukon. after gathering myself and pondering the situation i then proceeded to drive my truck home downshifting the auto trans to slow myself and using emergency brake to come to a complete stop and sit for redlights. after getting home i crawled under truck to determine where my failure occurred and noticed a large wet spot right under the drivers side front door where all 4 brake lines run alongside the wiring harnesses. there is also a large black plastic clip at this location that holds the 4 brake lines. this area is immediately behind the front tire which in my opinion takes a large amount of splash up from the tire. i must mention that at no time did any warning light come on and has not come on yet. i had no brakes...unlike the theory that i should have had brakes on the other circuit of the brake system. i have not fixed truck yet due to cost of repair. *tr

Brake line rupture while backing out of garage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while attempting to park, the brake pedal went all the way to the floorboard and she was unable to engage the brakes. the vehicle would not stop and the contact crashed into a guard rail. a police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake lines, rotors, and brake pads needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 53,000. updated 11/16/11 *bf updated 11/21/11

Wheel speed sensors replaced under recall failed again failing to stop vehicle in safe distance under 10 mph. had to replace both wheel speed sensors again. was told brake lines also corroded. have found that a common complaint on chevy silverado. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph or less, he noticed that the abs would activate and increase stopping distance and time when braking. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 155,150. the vin was not available.

I applied brakes going down hill when all of a sudden the pedal went all the way to the floor causing my vehicle to be very unresponsive to braking almost causing me to crash. i was able to stop the truck after a lengthy time. i would not have been able to stop up any conditions if needed to do so if there wasn't a long area of road to gradually stop like i had. i'm really concerned because this truck was garaged most of its life and is very low mileage(45k). it has no rust on body, only on the brake lines and i believe the fuel lines. *tr

Driving on rt 280 in nj. traffic was merging to one lane, got cut off by merging car, hit brakes hard, pedal went to floor, was able to stop by flooring pedal, downshifting and using rumble strip. brake lines under truck are completely rusted, it appears to have failed in more than one spot. *tt

I lost my brakes completely, luckily i suspected a brake line leakage due to the brake fluid needing to be refilled prior to my trip. there was confusion amongst drivers ahead of me merging onto the highway, everyone got hard on their brakes including me. my abs kicked on and immediately the line ruptured, i saw a mist of brake fluid in the drivers side mirror and my brake pedal dropped to the floor rendering my brakes useless. i missed rear ending the person in front of me by inches. my truck is currently in the shop getting all of the brake lines replaced due to the fact that they are all rusted from front to back and deemed unsafe. *kb

My wife was driving the vehicle and when she went to stop, the brake pedal went completely to the floor with virtually no stopping ability. she was able to get the truck to a parking lot safely. when i arrived to inspect the vehicle there was a huge puddle of brake fluid under the truck at the area under the drivers feet. upon inspecting the failure i noticed that all of the steel brake lines at the point where the cross the frame to the abs control module were massively rusted to the point where the fluid was purging out of at least one of the lines. upon testing the brakes myself there was absolutely no stopping ability due to complete loss of all brake fluid and air that had now entered the system. after reviewing this issue on the internet i realized that i am not the only gm owner having this exact same issue. luckily, it did not result in a crash and injuries or death. had this happened 2 weeks earlier while is was towing my 30 foot jayco camper, the outcome would have had an entirely different outcome. something needs to be done to recall these vehicles before someone gets killed. there also needs to be reimbursement for the thousands of dollars that it is going to cost to have this fixed. in thirty years of driving, i have owned only chevrolet's. this will probably change in a year or two when i replace this vehicle and probably go to a foreign manufacturer, may life may depend on it! to reiterate, the brakes lines are rusting along the frame rail under the area of the driver's feet to the point where they fail and all of the brake fluid is purged. there had been absolutely no indication (ie: seeping, leaking, or dripping) prior to the complete and rather instant failure. i have taken digital pictures for future proof.

On july 30th, 2011 at about 22:00 hrs, i was operating my 2001 chevrolet silverado on interstate 476 in the philadelphia metro area and initially it was functioning properly. without warning a catastrophic brake line rupture occurred. i inspected the steel lines and they are all corroded to an alarming degree and must be replaced. the truck has 70,000 miles and after use during the same trip with no problems when the brake pedal sunk to the floor. to safely stop i had to down shift to a lower gear, and use the emergency brake and shift again to neutral to stop safely. *tr

Was pulling into garage applied brakes was running 4 mph anti lock activated peddle went to floor hit work bench knocked wall out of back of garage & damage truck $5000 total damage. found out wheel sensor was bad replaced no more problems. seams like something that's is suppose to help you stop should not keep you from stopping if it goes bad crappy fail safe. *tr

I was approaching a stop sign at about 45 mph i applied the brakes to slow down and there was nothing, i hit the emergency brake and realized they never worked. luckily, i could slow down and put it in low range until it stopped. further investigation showed a rupture in the rear brake line due to corrosion. dealer replaced line (shabby job) at a huge cost. i feel these lines should have lasted longer that this, i noticed the lines at the front splitter are also severely corroded, i am afraid to put my grandkids in this truck. i have always owned chevy's but maybe its time for a change. all i ask is this problem be corrected. thank you.

The abs sensor on both sides of my 2001 silverado went out, this causes your brakes to be soft and not stop at slow speeds. although there is a recall on these vehicles, mine is not included. i had to pay 725 just to repair one side. chevy knows these parts are defective and they wont do anything about it. *tr

Experienced brake failure due to corroded brake lines form the master cylinder to abs unit. the brakes failed while attempting to stop at red light on a major highway, causing the truck to enter the intersection. both main lines blew causing total brake failure. any vehicle in the north east region (usa) should come stock with stainless steel brake lines, as to prevent such premature corrosion.

My brakes are beginning to fail when making sharp turns. noticeable when turning into parking spaces. i hit the back of a parked vehicle this weekend because of it and now i'm afraid to drive my truck. when the sharp turn is made (in either direction) the abs kicks in and the pedal begins to vibrate then goes to the floor. the vehicle is a 2001 chevy silverado 1500, 4 wheel drive. on 6/21/2011 i called chevrolet to report this problem and ask for help and they would not because a recall had not been made. i found other recalls online stating this same kind of problem; (nhtsa recall campaign id number 05v379000) i would like for you to issue a recall as soon as possible so i can be reimbursed for the repairs i am going to have to make right now to make my vehicle safe to drive. *tr

Rusted through steel brake lines failed today as i was braking the lines ruptured and i lost brakes. at frame mount location at rear left wheel and also at proportioning abs block on frame rail below drivers seat nothing done to repair yet sitting in my driveway after being towed home. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact was driving approximately 15 to 20 mph and depressing the brakes when the anti-lock brakes activated abnormally, causing the rear brake line to fracture. the vehicle was then towed and repaired by the owner for the front and rear hub assemblies. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 107,400. the vin was unavailable.

2001 chevy silverado 4 door extra cab , brake failure two months ago from brake line rupture of heavily rusted steel brake line,located above gas tank. close inspection revealed frame and other brake and gas lines, rotors, brake rotor shields, emergency brake cables badly rusted! no repairs made yet. 60,000 miles on truck. body except for rocker panels and rear bumper is excellent ! bottom of truck pressure flushed weekly during winter and spring since 2002. failure when in my driveway, will replace section of line with leak this week. is truck safe to drive? *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado. the contact was traveling 35 mph when he had to abruptly apply the brakes to avoid crashing into a vehicle that drove into his lane. there was an unusual increase in stopping distance and time. the contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the brake lines from the master cylinder to the abs unit and from the abs unit to the front brakes were corroded. the failure mileage and current mileage was 115,000.

Hydraulic brake failure. nhtsa action number:peo5020 was told by the dealer this was likely the "wheel speed sensor" and required a complete wheel bearing replacement as that is the only way the "wheel speed sensor" could be replaced. i became suspicious after looking at the "service advisors" writ-up which was nothing like i had described to him or the mechanic and nothing like they had told me the repair was. when confronting the "service advisor" about the way it was written up, his response was "this was my way of writing it up". after looking up the nhtsa information which i printed out, it appears the manufacturer was to pay for the complete repair. i was charged by the dealer for the complete repair. after getting home i searched the internet for recalls and here i am - looking for help in this fraud by the dealer. i am now suspicious that they might be double charging - ie: charge the customer and also charge gm? another repair i had completed at the same time was a defective parking brake - total failure. nhtsa action number: eao4011 was told by the dealer mechanic the linings wear even when the parking brake was not applied. required linings and other part replacement for which i was also charged. in the recall vehicles i did not see my vehicle however the mechanic described the condition just as the recall notice described it so i'm thinking this vehicle might also be included? they also recommended a brake flush - which i had done and now am thinking this might have been required when the recall work was completed? i first started noticing the problem (nhtsa action number: peo5020) when pulling into parking spaces this winter however dismissed it at first thinking i may have been on ice. i came very close to smashing into a block wall on one occasion, a fence and parking curb on others. thanks. thanks. *tr

Speed wheel sensor failure, gm do not want to be responsible for the safety recall, they gave me a case number, and told me because i was the second owner warranty does not cover to fix the problem. *tr

Brake failure. *tr

As i approached a stop sign in my 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500, i applied pressure to the brake pedal only to have it go all the way to floor. thankfully i was not going fast, and there was enough pressure remaining in the brake line to slow me down (had i been going faster than 5 mph, i don't know that would have been the case). after being towed to the dealer, the inspection showed that the brake line had rusted through; this caused the brakes to fail. the vehicle had its most recent maintenance done less than a month and 20 miles prior and no issues were found. i followed up with further review of my own on the internet to find that this is a problem, especially in the rust belt states where salt is used each winter. i am glad that i was able to stop, and am grateful that i was not on a busy road going at a higher speed. i cannot imagine why such a vital piece of equipment on any vehicle would be made of a material that could not withstand the elements better. in addition, i would have thought that such a flaw would have prompted a safety recall before anyone does get hurt. *tr

In my 2001 chevy silver auto, every time i come to a stop at a stop sign i am experiencing unwanted anti-lock brake system application. this happens every time i stop and happens at low speeds only. i have found there was a recall on this same issue ( nhtsa campaign # 05v379000). this however does not include my vehicle but it needs to !! *tr

Loss of brakes due to brake line corrosion, rust out. a deer ran into the highway, hit brakes to stop and brake pedal went to floor. hit deer and did major damage to front of truck. after inspection, all brake lines need replaced. unsafe to drive. this can cause a major accident, injury or even death. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph and decelerating, the brake pedal went to the floor board causing an increase in stopping distance and time. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the brake line was rusted and leaking brake fluid. the dealer advised that the brake lines would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 46,900.

I'm complaining about my 2001 chevrolet silverado. the wheel speed sensor malfunctions, even on dry roads, and causes loss of brakes. if the roads are slick it malfunctions constantly when trying to brake, making the vehicle undrivable. it was fixed under recall once already but happened again only a year later. this is now the 3rd wheel speed sensor issue with my vehicle. i've had to put up with it since chevrolet won't fix it at their expense even though it's an ongoing recalled safety issue. i don't understand how this extreme safety issue is allowed to continue like this! *tr

Brake lines on my 2001 chevrolet silverado have deteriorated to the point where the brake lines will not pass the yearly vehicle inspection. the corrosion rate of these brake lines are significantly greater than should be expected for the age of the vehicle. i would like have this instance added to the ongoing investigation into this safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the front and rear brakes were rusted from the brake line to the abs control unit. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for repairs or diagnosis. the failure mileage was 157,000 and the current mileage was 158,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado k1500. while driving approximately 10 mph, the braking system failed without warning causing the contact to use the emergency brakes to avoid an accident. the dealer was contacted and stated that the wheel bearings needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 94,000.

2001 chevy silverado 1500 pickup abs control module failure at 85,000 miles. abs light illuminates along with brake light while driving. vehicle has no or intermittent abs brakes . pump continues to run after vehicle shutdown. at slow speeds vehicle may not stop. gm dealer acknowledges problem exist but says gm does not warranty the part and no recall exist. *tr

Total brake failure due to rusted brake lines. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact was driving 5 mph when he applied the brakes and the pedal went straight into the floorboard. the emergency brake was applied and the vehicle coasted to a stop. the brakes were repaired. the failure mileage was 97,000 and the current mileage was 97,050. updated 01/04/11*ljb updated 01/10/11*j

Upon stepping on brake at low speed to stop, it felt as though abs took over and caused truck to lose braking power. almost crashed into fence. than second time less than one hour later had same thing happen pulling into driveway. third time a day latter pulling into drive abs felt again and brake not engaging. *tr

Brakes failed while driving down my driveway, and the pedal went almost to the floor. all five lines leading to the abs unit located inside the frame rail, under the drivers seat, are severely rusted and will need to be replaced. one of the lines rusted through and sprung a leak. since the lines are running along the top side of the frame rail from the master cylinder and to the front wheels, the replacement will be a difficult job. to the best of my knowledge, the manufacturer does not carry replacement lines and they must be custom bent. since the lines are typically installed on a bare frame without the chassis, the original installation is much easier than field replacement. given the difficulty of field replacement and the consequences of brake failure, the manufacturer should use a higher quality original part. *tr

I lost the brakes on my 2001 chevy silverado, coming home from a family outing. once i was finally able to stop the truck, my husband saw all of the brake fluid leaking out. when the local chevy dealer inspected it they said all the brake lines were corroded & badly rusted that both the front & the back brake lines had to be replaced. they, of course, no longer make the brake lines for this truck so they had to be hand made. *tr