Problems with 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving at various speeds, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. the contact had to apply the emergency brake to bring the vehicle to a stop. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear brake line was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 41,000. updated 09/27/16*lj **updated 01/04/17*lj the consumer stated the brake line rusted to the point where it ruptured. updated 01/05/17. *jb

2003 chevrolet silverado. consumer writes in regards to vehicle brake failure. *smd the consumer stated the brake failure happened with no warning. there were no signs of leak and no other visible or physical evidence of a brake system problem. the vehicle was take to a repair facility. the consumer was informed the brake line system needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *jb

While looking at my truck after getting it back from the shop getting all 4 of the brake lines replaced, i noticed the fuel lines are leaking and extremely corroded. i have always been a chevy lover, and this is my first nice vehicle i have ever owned. bought used in september of 2014. so far we have noticed that just about every recall from the past was never fixed on our truck, so we had to shell out almost $900 to replace the brake lines front to back. now the fuel lines, the windshield seems loose, these are all recalls from the past. it doesn't make sense to put a time frame on recalls considering some people may never find out til it's too late, and others may not find out til someone gets hurt. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the brake pedal sank into the floorboard. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver side rear brake line corroded and leaked brake fluid. the failure occurred twice before. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 27,000.

My 2003 chevrolet silverado has now had two brake line failures (one in 2010 and one in 2013) resulting in no braking ability. in both cases the emergency brake was quickly used to avoid a possible accident. both incidents occurred while driving within city driving conditions. both brake line failure were due to corrosion according to the auto repair shop. i have also had to replace a brake caliper and a front wheel hub assembly (due to abs sensor failure).

Noticed that brakes were "spongy" the night before. in the morning i started the car, and started to drive out the driveway when i applied the brakes , the pedal went to the floor. the dash board information center indicated "service brakes". i got out and lifted the hood to detect the issue. i saw fluid leaking from a rusted brake line. upon closer inspection i noted that it ruptured. the real issue is that this could have happened while in traffic or when exiting my driveway which is 100 feet elevation from the road. either way it could have been a very dangerous situation. after this happened i researched similar incidences with the silverado. this seems to be a design default that should have a safety recall. i have owned many vehicles, some years older than this 2003 and this is the first time a brake line ruptured. *jb

2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. consumer writes in regards to hydraulic brake line failure. *smd the consumer stated the hydraulic brake lines, failed twice on the vehicle. the last bill was $1200 for the hydraulic brake lines and $600 for the emergency brake.

Truck experienced catastrophic brake failure when a corroded right front brake line ruptured during an attempted hard stop at a traffic light. the brake pedal went straight to the floor and the truck continued through the intersection. pumping the brake pedal had no effect. shifting the transmission down and applying the emergency brake eventually stopped the truck. fluid leaking from the rupture drained the master cylinder reservoir within five minutes. subsequent inspection of all the brake lines revealed severe corrosion and pitting at many locations along the length of the truck. despite having the front and rear brakes on separate hydraulic circuits, there was not enough braking capability remaining to safely drive the truck, even at low speeds. this was a very close call and it is evident that the corrosion resistance of the brake lines is substandard, posing a huge safety concern.

Had hooked truck to a car trailer and stepped on brakes to put truck in drive and brake pedal went to floor, there was no brakes at all. upon examining i found that three brake lines had failed. the truck was towed to a local garage and they found that all brake lines and also the fuel lines were badly rusted and had to be replaced.

Upon starting the vehicle and depressing the brakes, the brakes went to the floor. upon inspection from a mechanic, it was noted that both brake lines were rotted (one was rotted all the way through causing the fluid to leak from the line). we were also told that the gas line and caliper had severe rotting. upon my research, this seems to be a very common problem with chevrolet trucks. i hope this will be resolved so additional chevrolet owners do not have severe accidents due to these issues. my husband and 4 year old son had to walk quite a few miles in 95 degree weather! this is a safety issue and i hope my complaint will help further the investigation. *js *tr

While driving at approximately 15 mph i applied the brakes to stop and the brake pedal went to the floor. i immediately used the emergency brake to stop. i was right around the corner from my residence so i drove the truck back home using the emergency brake to stop. when i got home i checked the brake master cylinder and the fluid was low. i refilled the master cylinder and had my son pump the brakes as i was under the truck looking for any visible fluid leaks. all of the brake lines were severely corroded and the drivers side rear brake line had ruptured near the frame rail. after repairing the brake line at the point of rupture we re-filled the master cylinder and began to bleed the brakes and the brake line ruptured again at a point under the drivers front seat.

Brakes failed wile driving, had to use mechanical emergency brake to stop. completed stop across two traffic lanes, on coming traffic stopped in time to avoid accident. brake lines "rusted" through and blow out letting all brake fluid sprayed out onto street. *tr

I was coming to a very slow stop when the brake pedal went almost to the floor. i tested the brake several times while moving very slowly, and the pedal continued to go to the floor with a swooshing sound. i had someone check underneath the vehicle while i depressed the brake pedal, and he confirmed that brake fluid was shooting all over. my truck is 9 years old but it has only 50,000 miles, the original tires and has had only 2 brakes replaced just recently i believe that it is premature for the brake lines to have suffered a complete blowout. my former chevy truck which i had for 13 years had no problem with brake lines. *tr

My brake pedal went to the floor as i was backing my truck up to hook up my boat. when i got out of my truck there was a puddle of brake fluid under the truck on the drivers side. when i inspected where the leak was coming from it was from severely rusted brake line that burst. the other brake lines are rusted as well. i have no brakes what so ever. i would not have been able to stop if this had happened while driving especially towing my boat. *tr

when i got home today i noticed a clear puddle under the drivers side rear axle. upon investigating the underside of the truck i spotted a hole in the brake line. i followed the line toward the front of the truck and found several places where the line was severally corroded. this is plainly the result of inferior materials used by gm in their vehicles. *tr

Rusted brake line ruptured while braking and caused immediate loss of braking control. the ruptured brake line is grouped tightly with two other lines, thus it is capturing salt & water causing corrosion. luckily, i was able to actuate parking brake to avoid crash and injuries to others. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving approximately 25 mph, the rear brake lines fractured. the contact discovered extensive rust on all six brake lines, calipers, and the undercarriage. an independent mechanic repaired all six brake lines and replaced the calipers. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Failure of the brake lines due to being rusted out. *tr

Driving my vehicle to work and applied brakes to stop and pedal went to floor..vehicle did come to a stop and did not hit anything but had no brake pressure...found line under l/s along frame rail rotted and leaking...after a full inspection at the dealer.found all brake lines to be rotted or rusted prematurely...this vehicle is not a work truck is very well kept.. *tr

Slowing for a red light in 2003 chevy silverado 1500, applied brakes and foot went down to the floor. no brakes! at a repair shop, truck was put on a lift and the mechanic showed me how all the brake lines were corroded and leaking. truck is well taken care of and not used off-road or in any way that would cause this condition. apparently it is a defect and come to find out after researching the problem online, that there are many complaints concerning this brake corrosian on chevy trucks and drivers have had numerous accidents because of it. no recalls on it yet. how many people have to be killed before chevy fesses up and there is a recall on these trucks? *tr

I was pulling into a restaurant today 01/15/12 and hit the brakes and the abs system engaged and wouldn't stop the vehicle. i had to use the emergency brake to avoid a collision. i had hit a bump previously and heard the door chime then less than 10mins later this failure. previously i have had no problems with brakes until then

I bought a used chevrolet, silverado, 2003, with 55,000 miles from this dealer. within one week, it suffered a brake failure. it was towed back, replaced the leaking tubing, and returned to service. about 4 weeks later, another brake failure, towed back, and this time every steel brake line was replaced. this truck had been garaged by the original owner and was in excellent condition, except for the steel brake lines.(vin-[xxx] this issue is not only very dangerous, but because it is beneath the vehicle, it is very hard to detect before hand. this issue needs visibility and safety alerts so mechanics and automotive and truck dealerships can perform more thorough inspections to preclude fatal accidents. in conversations with other mechanics, they are seeing an increased frequency of corroded steel brake lines. i can get corroded brake lines, if needed for examination. but we need more attention focused on the immediate safety concern & then we need to stop using the de-icers or require vehicle builders to use corrosion resistant steel tubing (such as stainless steel tubing).i know it is more expensive! i hope you can get the ?ball? rolling. let me know what more you need / want. kind regards, [xxx] office:[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Total brake failure due to rusted out brake lines under driver side of truck. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the brake lines were rusted and caused the contact to create a hole in the brake line whenever the brakes were depressed. the dealer was contacted, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 70,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. while the vehicle was going through state inspection, the inspector advised that all of the brake lines were severally corroded. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: ea11001 (service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:hydraulic:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

Just taking the truck out of my garage and my front brake line broke. checked to see what happened and saw that the lines were all rusted. *tr

I have had 2 brake lines on my 2003 chevy silverado 1500 (66k miles) corrode and leak causing brake failure over the last 3 months. fortunately this happened when i was traveling slowly, so no accident occurred after the 2nd failure i took it to a mechanic to review the entire brake line system and all the lines coming from the abs unit to the front of the truck are terribly rusted and corroded. they are bunched so tightly together running along the frame of the truck that moisture can't escape and causes corrosion. this is a poor design, and the brake lines should have been stainless steel for this design to have been used. so far i have spent $300 dollars on the two lines that did fail, and i am now forced to replace all the lines at a cost of over $1000 dollars. please investigate and recall this due to poor design/choice of materials. *tr

All the brake lines are rusted, from the prop valve to each rubber line on all four calipers.it appears that gm used steel lines instead of a material that doesn,t rust(ss).is there a recall for this problem as it is a saftey concern? i was lucky no one or any property was damaged. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. the contact stated while driving the vehicle at a low speed in the driveway, the brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle was leaking brake fluid. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who performed a diagnostic test that confirmed that the brake lines were corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 18,200.

Was driving on my country back road around 35 mph and the brakes went right to the floor when i entered a 4 way intersection luckily no one was going thru at the time couldnt stop.brake line blew fluid under truck couldnt believe the lines are totally rotted out,gm could not use stainless lines this could of been tragic this is a huge issue with these trucks someone has to protect the puplic here we need help.hey we were there for them during the bailout now they can help us out we need a recall and give us what we paid for.i no they are looking into this issues with the rusted brake lines we just need someone to act upon these issues i can no longer drive this vehicle for saftey reasons. *tt

while riding on merrick road,i stepped on the brakes to stop for a red light. the brake pad went to the floor and i went thru the red light with no brakes. no cars were in front of me and the cars on the side streets saw me coming and did not go. i was able to put the car in neutral and coast to a stop further down the road. i had the car towed and the mechanic informed me that 2 to3 feet of my brakeline was corroded and blew open wend i hit the brakes,the rest of my brake lines were good. *tr

Brake line running to the rear ruptured under the driver's side door and all braking was immediately lost to the vehicle. only way to stop the vehicle was by use of the emergency brake. *tr

Brake failure, 2003 chevrolet siverado 1500 ls z71. i was traveling approximately 45 mph, went to stop at intersection,brake pedal went all the way to the floor. i was able to steer off the roadway in to a grassy area to stop the vehicle. no prior brake problems. vehilce only has approx, 55000 miles. once stopped observed leaking brake fluid. brake line found to be rusted through and had burst, other brake lines also have heavy rust and appear to be ready to break. vehicle not repaired yet,since failure just occured this date 8/8/11. checked on line for possible recalls and tsb for brake line failure / similar complaints. found other complaints. felt it was important to report my incident also. *tr

Full brake failure. pedal to floor when trying to stop. luckily no accident, was able to control and stop vehicle due to low speed. corrosion on hydraulic brake line. *tr

The brake lines on this vehicle have rusted through causing the brake fluid to drain out and make the brakes inoperative. the brake lines are constructed of steel tubing, they should have been stainless steel to avoid rusting. the manufacturer claims normal wear and tear. i totally disagree. these lines should have lasted much longer. i have owned many cars which have been many years older and have had more than twice the number of miles on them. i have never heard of such a thing before. *kb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated the brake line failed as he depressed the brake pedal and it extended to the floor. a significant amount of fluid was underneath the driver's door. the red brake warning light illuminated stating to service brakes soon. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and found rust on the brake line. the dealer replaced four brake lines on the front and one in the rear which was not under warranty. the total repair cost was $1,100. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 67,477.

One of the brake lines from the master cylinder to the equalizer rusted through and i had no brakes. the next month another line going from the equalizer to the left rear rusted through, then in august a line going to the front of the truck rusted through. luckily in all 3 cases i was able to safely control the truck to have repairs made. why for the sake of a few dollars aren't the brake lines made of stainless or a better grade of material. *tr

Traveling on main road, had to stop quick to avoid vehicle in front making sudden stop, brake pedal went to floor. was able to swerve to right of stated vehicle to avoid contact. pulled over to side of road, observed fluid dripping from beneath truck by driver's door. brake line cluster attached to frame rusted through.

Tl* the contact owns 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the brake line was severely rusted. the contact stated the vehicle was mostly parked inside a residential garage and away from the elements and believed the brake lines should not have rusted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for repairs. the contact stated that he had not experienced a brake failure. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that as he started the vehicle and depressed the brakes to shift to park, the brake pedal abnormally traveled to the floorboard. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and after inspection, they advised that all of the brake lines were severely rusted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileage was 42,000. updated 05/04/11 *bf updated 11/04/11

Brake failure,rusted corroded line in brake line above gas tank led to a leak,causing brakes to fail while driving. no warning light. steered away to avoid crash. brake pedal went all the way to floor. repaired at gm dealership all brake lines replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact was operating a state of maryland fleet 2003 chevrolet silverado k1500 vehicle . while driving approximately 10 to 20 mph, the brake were applied and the brake pedal initially had braking and the depressed to the floorboard with zero braking. the vehicle rolled through a red light and a hard right turn was made to avoid a collision and drifted to a stop using low gear. after stopping the brake reservoir was checked and found to be full. brake fluid was observed dripping under the drivers seat. the truck was towed to a local repair shop. the contact was informed the brake lines were severely corroded and fractured. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 145,000. updated 03/23/11 *bf updated 07/11/11

Brake line corrosion / failure. brake rotor corrosion / failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated while driving 40 mph and applying the brakes, the brake pedal went into the floorboard and the brakes would not respond. the contact had to apply the emergency brake to bring the vehicle to a stop. the vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where a diagnostic test was performed and located the failure as a corroded brake line clip. the failure was causing the brake lines to deteriorate and leak brake fluid. the mechanic partially repaired the brake line clips but advised that eventually, the remaining clips would also fail. the failure and current mileage was 44,050. updated 12/14/2011 *cn updated 05/20/11

I was braking to get off an exit ramp, and the brake pedal went to the floor, brake warning light came on, and warning bell was ringing. i was able to stop vehicle without hitting anything because i stayed on the main road. if i had turned down the exit ramp, i would have rear-ended stopped traffic ahead of me. the cause was a broken brake line - brake fluid was dripping from vehicle under the driver's door. took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told that all of the brake lines on the truck had to be replaced due to corrosion. total cost estimate was $1800.00. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the brake lines failed. the contact did not hear any noises nor did any warning lights illuminate on the instrumental panel prior to the failure. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to his destination without further incident. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 24,800.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact was traveling 35 mph when the brakes failed. the contact had a problem with the anti- brake system while driving under 5 mph. when the vehicle was inspected he was informed that the brake lines were completely covered with rust. the failure and current mileages were 90000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact was driving approximately between 5-10 mph approaching a complete stop when suddenly, the abs activated suddenly. the contact was able to continue with an increase in stopping distance. also, the contact disabled the abs fuse. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Applied brakes and the brake pedal almost went to the floor,i was able to safely pull to the curb with the assistance of the emergency brake.upon inspection of the problem i found that all the steel brake lines under the vehicle were rusted. one brake line had burst due to the corrosion. there should be no reason that these brake lines should rust and fail ever, nevermind at 36000 miles. this could have been alot worse, someone could have been killed.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving approximately 5 mph, the contact applied the brakes and the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard; the service brakes light also illuminated. the vehicle coasted to a stop and was towed to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the brake lines fractured due to rust and corrosion. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 53,300 and the current mileage was approximately 55,000.