Stopped to get gas. as i was pulling out the lot, brakes went to the floor. tried to pump brakes to pressurize. i decided to pull over. as i was turning off road to investigate i heard a loud pop. check brake light and audible came on. pulled over immediately only to discover brake line had ruptured. further investigation revealed all brake line tubings were severely corroded. chevy had finally made wise decision to go stainless steel for exhaust system. puzzling why they did not make same decision for the brake lines. brake system is critical safety item that should mandate highest safety measures. not the exhaust system! i was fortunate failure did not occur on the highway. i was able to tow the vehicle to dealer for repair. while pulling into parking stall at the dealer, i heard another loud pop. and even though my foot was on brakes, the truck began to accelerate. i had to put the truck in park to stop. it appear there was just enough stopping power to get off the road. must advise anyone who experience this not to attempt to drive home! no matter how close. i was considering this option. good thing my good sense prevailed. *tr
Approaching a 3 way stop intersection, upon depressing the brake pedal in order to stop at the intersection, the brake pedal went to the floor. no warning lamps of any sort were illuminated prior to the brake pedal going to the floor. pumping of the pedal did not produce any resistance. after couple minutes the "service brakes" warning came on. i was able to bring the truck to a stop by slowing down. had to have the truck towed to a firestone service center the technician, the service consultant, and i all observed the rusted brake lines, they were all badly corroded, one of the lines had developed a pin hole lead resulting in the brake failure. i have owned many vehicles far older and with far more mileage and have never had to replace the steel brake lines. i believe the design is flawed (the routing and placement of lines and module) or the brake line material (steel, instead of stainless steel) is insufficient. *tr
Coasting to a stop sign. pressed brakes and pedal went to floor. engaged emergency brake just before rear end collision with vehicle at stop. a puddle of brake fluid remained after a tow home. *tr
Had just driven 30 miles on backroads to my parents house to pickup an enclosed race trailer (fully loaded) and was backing up to hookup, had gotten out to check lineup and when i got back in to backup further the brake pedal went to the floor and got a "service brake system" warning on the gauges. upon investigation i found one of the front brake lines that run on top of the frame rail in the engine bay that runs on the drivers side next to the engine had burst and the lines were rusted. i would hate to wonder what would of happened if this happened while i was pulling trailer on country backroads as i was getting ready to do......gm really needs to address this problem. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado c1500. the contact stated that he tried to stop the vehicle and the brake went all the way to floor. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who inspected the failure and stated that the entire brake line needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 69,974. updated 05/10/13*lj the consumer stated the brake lines rusted causing brake fluids to leak out. updated 05/28/2013 *js
Brake lines completely rotted beyond repair, so bad that they cannot be removed from the abs unit, which should not be underneath the truck, so vulnerable to corrosion from salt. they should have been stainless lines, or routed differently. same with the fuel lines. i was a die hard chevy guy, but this is ridiculous. sooo many people have issues with this, gm needs to step up. i can't wait to sell this truck and buy an antique. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while decelerating and descending a hill at an unknown speed, the brake pedal went to the floor and stopping distance was increased. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic for diagnostics. the mechanic stated all of the brake lines had excessive rust and needed to be replaced. the contact did not call the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 101,000.
I was driving around 45mph and when coming to a stop the brake pedal went to the floor. i did not have total loss of brakes, however, if this was an emergency braking condition, i would not have been able to stop safely. the front right brake line rusted and fluid came out. this is an obvious engineering failure. brake lines should not be made out of material that can rust. *tr
2003 chevy silverado, purchased new with 92k miles on the clock now. while starting out from my driveway, i stopped for oncoming traffic and the brake pedal went to the floor with no pressure resistance. i returned to the garage and saw brake fluid dripping from the left front. a quick examination showed that a steel brake line burst obviously due to massive rust. this is a serious, unexpected and a critical design failure. this truck has never seen snow/salt and the steel brake lines along the underbody are like-new (even though this would be the area that corrosion would be expected!). i am no longer young and have driven many vehicles with over a hundred thousand miles on most of them. i have never had a steel brake line burst. to see hundreds of similar complaints just on this database is clear evidence of a safety issue that has --- to date --- been ignored. if not a recall, at least provide notice to owners that there exists a potentially fatal flaw in the materials used in the brake systems of these vehicles. since i'm still on the original front brake pads, i think it's safe to say i am a gentle driver and have not abused the brakes. thanks. *tr
Driving down 2 lane road at approximately 40 in a 45 mph zone. traffic light turned yellow at the worst possible moment. decided to panic stop, pressed the pedal hard, immediately the pedal went to the floor and the brake warning came on. truck did not have sufficient braking to stop and i had to plow through the intersection, thank god i made it through safely. from this point until i reached home, very little braking was possible, very unsafe. upon inspection, the rear line had burst, requiring $200 in repairs. a few months earlier the gas line rusted through also, costing another $200. *tr
Vehicle resides in "salt belt" state but rarely driven in the winter months; mainly to leave for a 2-month trip south. thanks to god that my wife, others and i escaped serious injury. just prior to this incident, vehicle was at dealer for regular service/check. previous brake work at 47k miles in 02/2010 pads on one wheel completely gone and pads on other were worn to 1/16? thick. front pads at 85% at that time. technician blamed ?road salt?. filed a complaint with gm but only got a reminder that vehicle was no longer under warranty. current incident occurred 01/11/13 approx. 11 mi from nashville, tn. while on the freeway, traffic ahead began slowing down fast. i began applying the brakes and when i pushed down harder to stop as traffic stopped, i heard a "sound" like a low thump and the brake pedal went straight to the floor. i managed to whip the truck around the back of the car in front of me onto the shoulder and avoid collision, and finally came to a stop. i was able to determine that i had some braking power remaining, and we slowly continued in to nashville. located a dealer who inspected the brakes and said front brakes were completely gone/brake line was shot. it was friday afternoon, so in addition to the $2100 in repairs, we incurred meal and lodging expenses for 3 days/nights (approx. $600), before the repair could be completed on monday. again was told that brake deterioration was due to road salt. i disagree with this first, vehicle is rarely driven in the winter and second, i've never had a similar problem with any other vehicle in all the years i've lived in "salt belt" states. i believe there is an inherent design deficiency with the brakes in this vehicle. i have the parts if needed for inspection. i can be reached by phone at # listed in complaint thru 03/15/13. after that at permanent home address (listed). *tr
This is a 2003 chevrolet silverado, regular cab, 5.3l v-8. it has about 164500 highway miles. the vehicle has been well cared for. the brake lines rotted out, and almost caused me to hit other vehicles...without warning. gm will not offer any help, although this is a huge problem based on research and just hearing others tell of the exact same problem. they should recall all of the vehicles that have this problem; and reimburse those who have suffered financial hardship repairing an obvious flaw that is a huge safety hazard. *tr
Brake lining &frame. *tr
2003 chevrolet silverado 4x4 pickup. service brake system warning appeared on dash display. brakes almost went to the floor. checked the undercarriage and found a major brake fluid leak from the rear driver side brake line. also discovered that all of the brake lines were rusted and corroded. an online web search revealed too many incidents regarding the same topic. any malfunction of a vehicles braking system is a major defect and there should be a recall. *tr
Application of brakes upon slow down of getting off of exit ramp was soft and farther then normal. 3 or 4 applications for turns seemed ok. final application to turn into property had brake fail appear and brake go to floor and vehicle not slow quickly enough and truck running into my fence scrapping the side of my truck down fence. upon inspection found reservoir empty and fluid leaking from ruptured rusted line on left side of vehicle at drivers door. inspection found many areas of the lines badly rusted. *tr
I was driving my 2003 chevy silverado on a rural but residential road with a steep decline at about 35 mph. i attempted to slow down but when i stepped on the brake pedal it went to the floor and the service brakes light came on. it felt like there was air in the brake lines so i attempted pumping the brakes hoping to prevent any more acceleration down the hill and that is about all i got. i could not stop and had no choice but to ride it out until i crossed the bridge at the bottom of the hill and started up the other side.when my truck finaly came to a stop i quikly put it in park to prevent it from rolling backwards down the hill. i popped the hood and got out. i checked the brake fluid and it was almost full so i didn't know how air could get in the brake lines.unfortunately it was snowing out so i couldn't tell if i had a leak. i was only a mile from my house so i decided i would drive it home on a different "flat" road at very low speed, about 10mph. once home i was able to have my wife press on the brakes while lying under the truck and i found that the brake line supplying the rear brakes was rusted out and had a severe leak. if this had happened a few minutes later i would have been on a state highway doing 45 to 50 mph with other vehicles. why isn't chevy/gm being made to fix these problems ? *tr
I was pulling a trailer full of firewood out of a pasture and the brake pedal went to the floor and the service brake system light came on the dash. the vehicle stopped after going about another 10 feet and i got out and found a large amount of brake fluid on the ground under the driver's door. looked under the truck and found a pin hole in the brake line and brake fluid would spray out when i pushed on the brakes. the brake lines were severely rusted and i was able to snap the brake line in half with little pressure when i repaired it there in the field to get home. *tr
I stopped at a fast food establishment and when i came out, i saw brake fluid puddled by the front of my vehicle. i looked under the truck and saw the fluid leaking out of very corroded lines. i called a tow truck as i was far from home. i had to have all the brake lines replaced due to corrosion. i recently found out this is a very common occurrence. *tr
Brake lines on truck are extremely corroded, areas affected are crossing the rear end along the chassis and under the hood where no moisture is present. all lines on truck will need to be replaced as this is an extreme safety hazard. *tr
I was attempting to stop at a traffic light and ruptured a brake line,when i inspected the brake lines they were completely rusted. i've owned several chevrolets and have had brake line problems with the last three i've owned ,all rusted prematurely in my opinion. i think with a safety issue such as this gm should recall and replace with stainless brake lines all vehicles of less than ten years old. *tr
My son was driving my truck to college and pulled into the parking garage and when looking for a space to park the brake pedal went all the way to the floor. he was able to keep going long enough for the vehicle to coast into a parking spot but the brakes were completely out. g.m. states that the salt that they treat the roads with along with the weather caused the lines to rust out. if that was the case that would be happening to alot more vehicles. i think there is definitely a problem with the brake lines that were installed on these vehicles. *tr
Aug. 1,2012 right front lines burst. nov.15,2012 left front brake lines burst. shop recommended that all brake lines corroded and needed replaced. estimated $1600 to 1800 per racetrack auto berlin maryland. i have already paid $200 for the right brake line and expect approx the same bill for the left corroded line. please help, this is a safety issue! *tr
Brake performance was poor, but brakes did work before servicing the system. replaced rotors, pads, calipers on all four wheels. brakes bled successfully. was beginning a test drive of the vehicle and when putting in reverse brake pedal went to the floor with dash warning of brake system failure. brake fluid was leaking from under the vehicle. inspected and found abs unit to rear brake line failed due to corrosion and line from abs unit to right front failed due to corrosion. inspected lines more carefully and found multiple areas of corrosion on all lines that appeared to be in imminent danger of failing. corrosion seemed to be primarily where lines were placed in plastic clips to hold them in place. the complete system failure was not preceded by any warning and resulted in total loss of front and rear brakes simultaneously. fortunately vehicle was in the repair bay and not moving at the time of failure. *tr
Came to a stop but the pedal felt soft, went two more miles to my destination and brakes felt even softer. when i went to leave i noticed a puddle under the drivers door, i put some on my finger to smell it and knew it was brake fluid. i took it to my mechanic who said it was a blown brake line caused by rust, he said he has seen this on alot of silverados. i called my chevy dealer and they didn't offer any recalls or discounts so i had my mechanic replaces all the brake lines because they were rusted as bad as the blown line , also had to replace two calipers because the bleeders were so rusted they couldn't be removed. total cost 850.00 i've had alot of trucks with alot more miles and never had problems with the brake lines. i think g.m. should reimburse at least 50 % of the cost. *tr
i was driving my 2003 silverado on the local highway pulling my 7 x 14 trailer in traffic and went to apply the foot brake pedal and it went to the floor with no signs of anything wrong, tried to pump the pedal and nothing went straight to the floor with no help of stopping, the only thing that kept me from a crash was the trailer brakes and the e-brake of the truck. i got off the highway and checked the brake fluid and both front and rear were empty, i started to look under the truck and saw were the fluid was dripping from the rusted thru brake lines and down the frame rails, now with no brakes and pulling a trailer i had to call a wrecker and have the truck and trailer towed 35 mile to my mechanic and replace 4 rusted brake lines that run under the truck, mine rusted thru almost right under the drivers door.. *tr
While applying the brakes in an attempt to stop at a red light, the truck started to slowdown in a normal fashion. just before coming to a complete stop, the brake pedal proceeded to the floorboard. at that moment, and not before, a warning light came on and a system message was displayed saying to service the brake system. the vehicle rolled to a stop without further incident. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop to repair a hole found in a rusted brake line. *tr
I was driving 45 mph coming up to a stop light i applied the brakes and they felt fine then all the sudden the pedal went to the floor and i didn't have any brakes what's so ever. i tried applying the brakes again and they went to there floor again and was not stopping. i was able to get the vehicle stopped by down shifting the truck and applied the emergency brake. once i was able to see what the problem was there was a hole in the brake line on the drivers side back brakes where the main line coming from the abs go to the connections on the back brake. the hole was two inches above the connection. the brake line rusted out and a hole started. after looking at the brake lines they all appear to be rusting. this could of caused a bad accident or even someone's life. this is a major problem and chevy will not do anything about it. *tr
Hit brakes and a line blew almost hit car infront of me. like all gm trucks in snow country my brake lines rusted thru along with my rear backing plates rusting off. gm dealers all know about this but nothing is ever done. i don't know how many people have to be killed from blown brake lines for them to do anything. i guess alot since they held off ten years on there current problem. i can't understand why when acouple of people get hurt or die and you know you have a problem it isn't delt with. maybe because all of you are in bed together and it will cost some one some money. thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *js
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while parked, brake fluid leaked from the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 39,882 and the current mileage was 39,892.
Was attempting to back vehicle and camper trailer down inclined driveway when suddenly the brake pedal went completely to the floor and i had absolute minimum braking force. was able to stop vehicle before it and trailer went over the hill, (an approximate 15 - 20 foot drop if it had occurred). upon inspection i found brake fluid on the driveway. upon further inspection i discovered that a brake line leading from the master cylinder to the abs controller was leaking. upon further inspection i found that all the brake lines were severely corroded and ready to fail. i cannot believe how much rust is present on the brake lines and the fuel lines. this appears to be a major accident waiting to happen. *tr
I was pulling out of a convenience store parking lot when my brake pedal depressed straight to the floor. the truck immediately started showing brake failure warnings. i coasted to a local mechanics and my brake lines had rusted out. i had to have the entire brake line system rewired with non-corrosive material. he told me this is a very common issue on these vehicles. *tr
I parked my truck at a restaurant parking lot no problem. we finished eating, started truck, pushed on brake to put in reverse and pedal went to the floor, no brakes or resistance. inspection revealed no signs of leaks. lines were extremely rusted and eventually a small leak was found in the front driver wheel well area. upon research this is an extremely known issue. as a chevy owner i was never contacted about this issue. luckily no accident occurred but it easily could have as we were on our way home about 30 miles on a 65 mph highway. please advise as to what remedies are being offered. this could be a deadly problem. thanks. *tr
Traveling on expressway at 65 mph. cut off by another driver shifting into my traffic lane. had to hit my brakes hard. rear brake line failed. brake pedal went to the floor. had to drive off the road and into the grass median to avoid accident. upon inspection, all brake lines are severely corroded. *tr
When coming to a stop at slow speeds abs comes on and feels like truck will not stop. it happens quite often. abs lite does not come on. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. the contact stated that the brake pedal was abnormally depressed into the floorboard. the contact had to coast to a stop. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who advised that the brake lines were rusted and needed to be replaced. the contact stated that all of the brake lines from the front of the vehicle to the rear were replaced. the failure and the current mileages were 34,925.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that when the brake was depressed, the brake pedal became stuck to the floorboard. the contact inspected the vehicle and found that the brake fluid was leaking due to corroded and broken brake lines. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 103,823.
Brake line rusted. *tr
I was slowing in traffic to stop at a red traffic light. the brake pedal went to the floor when applied. i passed the red light and my truck came to a stop in the intersection when i through it into park and applied emergency brake. i narrowly missed a motorcyclist that was legally passing through the intersection. the brake lines are corroded. this requires a recall. this is the second time this has happened. *tr
I started drivin when my brake warning came on. i went to apply the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. i took my truck to a mechanic shop and he advised me the brake line rusted through and he couldn't order a replacement because there was other problems like mine. *tr
Brake line rusted through and sprung leak which resulted in no brakes (to the floor) even with pumping brakes there was little braking. *tr
Coming to a stop at the bottom of a hill and the brake pedal went to the floor, was able to roll to stop before i went through the intersection. made it to a repair shop barely, this could have been a lot worse. mechanic fix the one that broke but said the others are about to go any time . now i'm driving with the fear of my brakes going at any time because of $900.00 repair that is needed.*tr
On a down hill road , a car pulled out in front of my truck and i went to apply brake and pedal went all the way to floor. no pressure felt and i immediately pushed emergency brake and avoided collision. i had 50% of brake fluid in master cyl. and fluid dripping on ground under truck at brake distribution . antilock controller w/flash lite on. rear line dripping also. had car towed to mechanic. had all newbrake lines installed. this is a major problem. *tr
Was driving about 35mph, and went to stop at a stop sign. brake pedal went to the floor. i had no warning that the brakes were malfunctioning. the brake warning light went on after the brakes failed. *tr went under the truck, and noticed all brake lines are corroded. in the process of calling a mechanic to fix the lines. but went online to see if there is a recall, noticed many complaints about this problem. very lucky only person on road, and did not injure myself or others.
The brakes failed because the brake lines to the front wheels rotted and burst. all the brake lines are rotted. *tr
Going down driveway and brakes felt weak. pushed harder on brake pedal and it went to the floor with little residual braking capability left. stopped vehicle with parking brake. upon inspection, noted that the brake line had ruptured along the drivers front wheel well from excessive corrosion. further inspection of the brake lines elsewhere on the vehicle showed corrosion on all brake lines that will necessitate replacement of all the hard formed brake lines for safety reasons. also noted that the brake fluid sprayed directly onto the left catalytic converter. if the vehicle had been fully warmed up, there would probably have been a fire. if this had occurred in traffic, the vehicle could not have been stopped quickly enough to prevent an accident. *tr
We where driving along a state route with our 21 foot boat in tow heading to the lke. we went to slow down to enter a gas station. pedal went to mush, and i knew i had lost the rear brake line on my truck. got it stopped with out incident, and got it towed back home. the stream of brake fluid would tell me i could only stopped it one or two more times. the corrison is right where the bed and the cab meet onto of the frame rail. you can ad mine to the ever growing list of people having this issue. thank you. *tr
Severe corrosion on all steel brake lines - very close to rusting through at left rear caliper to axle mount and along side rail of frame. *tr
I was driving back home from charleston sc on hwy 526 going to issle of palms sc when i put on brakes to slow down for another car in front of me,and the brakes didn't feel right by the pedal went to floor. i stopped and saw the brake reservoir was out of fluid. i refilled the tank and continued on my way. the brakes were still spongie, and when i got home by driving a lot slower. i made it home and found out,the brake line going to the passenger wheel was coroded and ruptured,making it to leak and affect the stopping ability of the vechile. it was good that i didn't have to stop suddenly or i would have been in an accident. *js
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 on my way home my brakes went to the floor and i almost hit another car. i was almost home and was able to get into the driveway. under the truck there was brake fluid spraying out and the lines are rusted out. i am going to have to replace all my brake lines because they are rusted every where. the frame also has rust every where. i am taking pictures of under the truck. *tr