Driving 45 miles per hour along a rural road following another vehicle. the vehicle i was following applied his brakes to turn left onto a side road. when i applied my brakes i felt the abs system kick in, then the brake pedal went immediately to the floor with only minimal stopping power. i had to drive up onto a lawn to avoid crashing into the rear of the vehicle in front of me. because my truck is a standard transmission, i was able to nurse it home. this is the second blown brake line i've had on this truck. in august of 2014 while towing a trailer i had a brake line fail. luckily there was no other vehicles around. i replaced the rusted line and bled the brakes, after which they operated normally. i've owned this truck since new, purchased in december of 2003, and noticed within a couple years that the brake lines were rusting unusually quickly. i'm an aircraft mechanic and am used to inspecting my vehicles for any mechanical defects or unusual conditions.
Total brake failure on 2 occasions, both with trailer attached - badly rusted brake lines to both front wheels burst under the added pressure of stopping while trailering. other lines to the rear are also badly rusted, but have not yet failed. front lines (providing the majority of braking) are held in horizontal plastic clips that do not readily drain, and accelerate corrosion damage. both incidents involved near miss accidents and possible injuries. one, while backing the trailer into parking spot with someone behind providing directions, and the other just after hooking up the trailer and proceeding into traffic (if that failure had been one stop later, it would have occurred while stopping to turn onto a highway). due to a fear of admitting guilt, gm has not offered replacement parts for purchase, and all new lines must be custom built, with a cost estimate of over $1000 to replace the bundle of all 5 lines. finally, this truck (1 owner) is otherwise totally rust free - there is no explanation for the first 2 things to rust out on an otherwise rust-free truck to be brake lines. without trailers or high loads, the half system failure leaves the vehicle with limited reserve stopping capability, but under the higher load conditions (exactly when the compromised brake lines fail) the reserve capability is greatly reduced. one of the reasons there likely have not been more injuries and fatalities, is that once the owner is aware of the problem, there is little or no trust in the brake system. why must there be a death count before something is done about a problem reported hundreds of times over many years on both gm and chrysler truck (both using the same lines)? at least order the oems to provide kits of all brake lines at reasonable cost to owners.
Brake line was rusty and ruptured when i applied brakes. brake pedal went all the way to floor.
After reading about so many multiple brake failures i decided to check my vehicle and was horrified to see my brake lines were so badly pitted and rusted. it looks like i'll have to replace all the brake lines in the truck. the truck is only 10 years old with about 54,000 miles. i don't understand why such an important system in a vehicle wound fail after such a short period of time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving at approximately 60 mph, the brake pedal was difficult to depress. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear brake lines fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. two months later, the contact observed a puddle of brake fluid on the ground under the front of the vehicle, which caused the brake lines to fracture. the vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the front brake lines fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
While servicing my brakes i inspected my brake lines since gm continues to ignore the issue of rusty and failing brake lines. found mind rusting in the same critical area (brake line distribution box) that my daughters 2004 1 ton brakes were rusty and failed in ohio with a 4 horse goose neck trailer attached. she was lucky it happened in the driveway of her barn and not on the road to a horse show with a load of horses. how many accidents, brake failures and possibly people killed before nhtsa forces gm to recall all the trucks with problems including the 2004 year series. gm uses stainless steel in the exhaust system but not brakes. stupid. i didn't get killed in vn don't want to get killed or kill someone here because gm is too cheap to put proper material in critical areas. *tr
Brakes became very spongy while driving. when i stopped in my driveway i noticed brake fluid leaking under the truck. when i checked where the leak was i discovered my brake lines are completely rusted from front to back! they have leaked through under the cab. this looks like an expensive repair and is completely unnecessary had the company not used such cheap material to save themselves some money. the brake lines should not be in the rusty condition that exist on this truck. *tr
Brake line ruptured at abs unit under driver side floor panel. total loss of braking. luckily, was in a parking lot when it happened and used emergency brake to stop. all brake lines at this point very badly corroded and were replaced. mechanic showed me that lines at this point were paper thin from corrosion and lucky that they hadn't ruptured causing an accident before this. *tr
Driving home from work on the highway i exited the off ramp and depressed the pedal. the pedal went right to the floor. the truck maintained about 15% stopping power enough to just get it stopped before i would have entered a busy intersection and would have probably been responsible for killing and slamming 6,000 pounds of metal into someone children. i know several people with this same truck within 2 years and all have suffered the same problem or had it fixed out of fear. it's not how it's when.... *tr
I was on my way home from work, traffic came to a sudden halt. i hit my brakes, which felt funny, so i pumped and the peddle went all the way to the floor. i swerved into an apartment complex with a circular driveway and thank god there were no cars or people in my path. i used the parking brake to stop my truck. contrary to the statement being made by gm, that you still have brakes, this is bull, the peddle goes to the floor. after being quoted from the dealer, that my truck needed rotors, calipers, (of which this is the third time) pads, all fuel lines and all brake lines, with a total price of $5,600 plus, i decided to check for brake problems with gm trucks. i was shocked to say the least and then angry. who the hell is believing all of the excuses from gm. i have been around cars all my life brake lines and fuel lines don't fail on this scale. i don't care what part of the country you live in. what genius decided it was ok to use steel tubing for something as important as fuel and brake lines. steelrusts. the numbers being quoted for failure, i'm convinced after reading all morning, are very low. do people have to die for someone to admit they made a mistake and correct it? this goes for the ntsb, and gm. *tr
Attempted to stop for yellow light, brake pedal went to the floor causing vehicle to continue through intersection. had to downshift transmission manualy to get the vehicle to come to a complete stop. all brake lines had to be replaced. @$400.00. people need to be made aware that total brake failure occurs in this situation. thank you *tr
When applying brakes to avoid another vehicle, the brake pedal went to the floor and there was little braking effort available. avoided a severe accident by swerving into the opposite lane nearly colliding with another oncoming vehicle. slowed vehicle with emergency brake and transmission downshifting. cause was ruptured brake line due to corrosion. all lines are severely corroded. *tr
My truck was standing in traffic with my foot on the brake pedal when suddenly the brake pedal went straight to the floor. i brought the truck to my mechanic and he told me that the brake lines had severe rusting and that the line had burst. he refused to fix it saying that he did not want to take responsibility. i then brought the truck to another mechanic who also said that he would not attempt to fix it either. now i am stuck with no way to get help. *tr
I was traveling down the road towing my trailer and went to stop and brake pedal went the floor i was able to get off road in the grass and slow down to a stop looked under truck drivers side near front and brake fluid was pouring out at the plastic brackets the were rusted very badly all the lines. i was a gm mechanic for 10 yrs of my life and this is the worst i have ever seen. i can tell all the lines needs replaceing they are all the bends are very rusted from front to back .
I backed up to hook my truck up to the trailer, as i pulled ahead i stepped on the brakes and the pedal went straight to the floor. brake fluid was leaking directly under the driver from the brake line that went over the frame into the abs. *tr
As i was leaving a supermarket parking lot with my family in vehicle, i applied brakes and without warning brake pedal went to floor and i had a difficult time stopping vehicle. once i was able to stop vehicle using emergency brake, got out of vehicle to try to determine why brakes failed and saw brake fluid leaking from underneath truck just under the cab. after further inspection, i found that all the brake lines (as well as the transmission fluid lines) were rusted very badly and one of them had ruptured. i purchased this vehicle new and it has been maintained very well and has only been driven an average of 4000 miles yearly with very limited exposure to the elements. it is my opinion that these brake lines should not have had this failure. it is also my opinion that the type of materials used for these brake lines are not adequate for this application and are a safety concern. i have owned other vehicles which were much older and have never had this problem before now. after further research, i have found that this is a common problem with other gm trucks of this year and feel general motors should be required to replace these brake lines at no cost to the consumer. thank you for investigating this matter. *tr updated 3/3/16 *js
Catastrophic brake loss. while driving down the road, tried to put on brakes and the pedal went completely to the floor. luckily managed to avoid collision. limp truck off to the side of the road and called tow truck. while waiting for tow truck notice brake fluid dripping under the truck in the area of the firewall. looks as if brake line rusted causing loss of brake fluid. very lucky no to have caused a major accident. truck is 10 years old and has excellent condition. *tr
Steel brake line failure/rupture under little to no braking. in a parking lot, brake pedal went to floor. i immediately noticed the brake line cluster on the driver's side coming from engine compartment, heavily rusted along the frame rail. this is where the rupture occurred. thankfully i just dropped off my three kids and this happened before loading the bed with a cord of oak firewood. i've worked on vehicles for 20+ years and have never seen brake lines rust like this. normal road salt has never impacted any other vehicle i have owned and maintained over the years. i guess it was cheaper for gm to use aluminized steel rather than stainless at the factory. if my truck was loaded with firewood, and my three kids, the end result would have undoubtedly been catastrophic. *tr
Step on brake pedal, line ruptures. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving 25 mph, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard prior to the brake pedal being depressed. the vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake line failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred numerous times. while driving 35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed but another vehicle collided into the front driver side of the contact's vehicle. a police report was filed. the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained injuries to the left shoulder that required medical attention. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 108,000. the vin was not available. updated 11/08/16*lj *tr
Brake lines just went, luckily they did when i first started truck up, they were rusted out. as i have come to learn, there has been many cases of this problem, i know of many cars and trucks that are 20 years old that haven't had rusted brake lines. i feel there should be something done about this, before it creates a major problem. it also cost 1000 dollars to repair lines, which i think is way to much. *tr
Was driving down busy highway when i went to slow down to stop at upcoming traffic stop light. put foot on brakes and went to floor, no brakes, no warning. i was in a heavily congested traffic area and in the middle of a 4-way intersection that was getting ready to go down a hill, was able to turn up a street that was a hill and had to hit the emergency brake to get stopped. had to have the truck towed. this could of been a deadly catastrophe considering the nature of failed equipment in the middle of this very heavily congested intersection. i have had several problems with this vehicle since i have purchased it on 04/25/2014. have had to take it back to the dealership several times for repairs. it seems the problems never stop. *tr
Braking downhill at intersection red light. the rear brake line burst due to rusting. luckily i slowed enough not to rear end the vehicles stop at the red light. had the truck towed to repair shop. replaced all brake lines. checked online and saw many complaints about this problem with gm pickup trucks. gm never issued a recall for the problem. *tr
Driver side rear brake line rusted through and ruptured during operation causeing loss of brakes and run stop sign was able to stop vehical with e brake. *tr
One day i went to stop on a dry road and when i was almost stop the brake pedal dropped and the abs engaged. i had the brakes inspected and all of the rotors were almost gone from rust with chunks of the rotor missing on the rear. i had all of the rotors replace with new pads and i still have the same problems with the abs engaging about 5 mph when stopping increasing my stopping distance. i have no abs light or check engine light. *tr
Traveling north on hwy 41 approaching construction zone north of new high school, semi truck decided to change lanes to avoid congestion ahead and did not check for traffic in the lane he moved to. i was approximately 4 car lengths behind him and required to jam on brakes. pedal went nearly to the floor and virtually no braking power was felt. i pumped breaks but the pedal consistently pushed to about 1/2" from the floor. fortunately i was able to avert collision by switching lanes (shoulder) and turned on flashers. i slowed to about 25 mph on the highway and pulled over to the nearest safe spot. first i checked the brake fluid - which was down from the weekend significantly. then i looked at the wheels and they looked ok. crawling under the vehicle, there was fluid dripping from the gas tank area, from the cables for the emergency break, spray over the spare tire and spray on the inside of the passenger rear tire. all liquid (which appeared to be brake fluid) was on the left hand side of the vehicle. when i arrived home, i crawled under the truck & inspected more closely. there were apparently 2 spots where the brake lines had corroded (one was not visible - above the gas tank - but obviously the major leak was there). the second leak was from the steel line that joined near the rubber brake line on the left rear wheel. truck is not drivable at 41000 miles. *tr
Another 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500 ext. cab brake line rupture. the line broke under the cab by the drivers door, and this left me with absolutely no brakes. general motors claims there will still be limited braking force, not so! i was stopping at a crosswalk pedestrian crossing and i started to stop, reduced speed to about 10 mph and the brake pedal went right to the floor, there was no braking force left at all. i went through the cross walk and stopped with the parking brake down the street. i had to steer into the other lane to avoid the pedestrian and another car. i live in atlantic canada, similar climate to new england, i just though i would add my incident to your file as this issue needs to be address by gm, i am also informing transport canada, and gm canada. we all know brake lines corrode, but the braking system should have a redundancy, this is the issue with these vehicles the master cylinder does not work this way. we have annual safety inspections in new brunswick, canada and this was done at the gm dealership in march, 2014, the vehicle was also in the gm dealership in sept., 2014 for an oil change and the brake line broke a few weeks later. i realize this is an american association, but a lot of canadian cars are on your roads, i am adding this incident to the failure list, the truck was built in texas. i crawled under the truck after this incident and the brake lines are all rusted out and need replacement before this truck is safe to be on the road. i am sure there all lots of these brakes lines ready to fail on these trucks. *tr
Pulling out of the driveway onto the main road hit the brakes to stop for a vehicle coming down the road and the brake pedal went to the floor had all i could do to keep from hitting the vehicle after getting the vehicle stopped inspected the vehicle to find a ruptured brake line on the frame below drivers door. *tr
When applying brakes, the pedal went to the floor. found ruptured brake line along frame below drivers side rear door. inspected all other lines and found all to be in need of replacement do to rust. *tr
Approaching a red light when applying the brakes the pedal went to the floor. luck had it that i proceeded through the red light and the intersection without being involved in an accident. upon inspection, brake fluid was leaking behind the front wheel driver side. the underside of the truck is in good condition with the exception for the brake lines. all the brake lines were extremely corroded. it is obvious in the appearance, that the material used to make the brake lines were not consistent with the corrosion resistance of the other components of the vehicle. the brake line failed to the front brakes. there was not enough remaining braking by the rear brakes to stop the vehicle. *tr
Went to drive truck and when i turned the key to the on position the check brake light came on and alarm bell sounded. after checking under vehicle i noticed brake fluid under the left rear (driver's side) tire. i checked for the source and noticed that the solid brake line had corroded in that location. *tr
All the truck brake lines are rusted and a leak sprung up on the section under the radiator feeding the passenger front wheel. have looked the entire us for parts and gm has a improved nylon coated part number 22932587 they have apparently discontinued. numerous sites point to an ongoing investigation of such vehicles with a documented failure rate of 1:1000. the question...if the failure rate is this high, and it has been going on since 2010 - why is gm not being pressured to make this right with customers? this repair may cost me approx $1800.00 and that is a lot considering the defect is so widely known. *tr
After running errands i was returning home and when i came down my street the brakes did not work.the pedal went all the way to the floor. luckily i was traveling slow and was able to stop with my e-brake. i looked under the truck and found brake fluid dripping under the drivers door. the brake lines had rusted . i got the truck to a brake shop where they found all of my brake lines were badly rusted and it cost approx. $1000.00 to repair.i can't understand why chevrolet would make stainless steel exhaust but not stainless steel brake lines. this truck has only 27000 miles on it. *tr
Brake line rusted through and all stopping power was lost causing vehicle to run a red light. after having repairs done, it has now happened again. *tr
I was driving down the road at 45 mph, when a deer stepped out only 40 yards ahead of me, i applied my brakes and heard a loud pop and my brake pedal went to the floor and had absolutely no brakes. luckily the deer started to sprint because i missed the deer by only a couple feet. after looking under the hood i found out the master cylinder blew a o-ring. i did some research and it looks like chevy knew about this problem *tr
I was stopping to turn onto the road that my work is on. there was a car in front of me turning the opposite direction. i applied my brakes to stop and the pedal slowly went to the floor. i applied them again and the pedal went right to the floor. i was able to slow down enough to not hit the vehicle ahead of me. i parked at the 911 center where i work and looked under my truck. the brake line under my driver side door was leaking extremely bad. there was already a large pool of brake fluid on the ground by the time i got out to look. *tr
I was driving my vehicle and was attempting to come to a stop to turn into a parking lot when my lines blew. i went to repress the brake pedal to find no pressure. i went to rely on my emergency brake when that also failed after 3 presses. now i am being quoted $1,500.00 for a repair that i shouldn't have to make do to faulty material. *tr
While driving home from local grocery store, i noticed my brakes getting spongey.i made it trough 5 green lights and 4 miles to my driveway when all of a sudden the bells and whistles sounded.i parked my truck , crawled underneath and discovered the rear brake line rusted and leaking fluid. now it sits waiting until i can get it towed, further inspected, and repaired. *tr
My son and i were going home from a day of hunting when we started going down a large curvy hill (back road) when no warning, brakes starting going out. the pedal became very spongy and i pushed it all the way to floor to slow down and down shifted to first gear to get to bottom of hill. it was scary for both of us, it reminded me from a scene from a movie unfortunately this was no movie. the truck has less than 100,000 miles on it and has been babied in a garage and serviced regularly. apparently i am one of many that have experienced this problem of rusty brake lines. i am very disappointed in the quality of materials that gm has used on brake lines. in hindsight i am not surprised from gm. *tr
Brake pedal went soft and went to floor. vehicle had slow stopping ability, brake line to rear rotted and leaked. 2 weeks later same thing happened and a front line broke. now changing all lines. *tr
While driving on a city street, i came to a stop sign and applied my brakes. the brakes failed and the brake pedal went completely to the floor. the truck came to a gradual stop, taking about 4 to 5 times the normal distance it should have required. i ended up partly in the intersection before the truck stopped. fortunately, no other vehicles were at the intersection when i arrived. prior to this failure, there was absolutely no warning signs that the brakes had failed. the brake warning indicator did not come on until after the brakes failed and there was no change in the functioning of the brakes before the failure to give any indication that there was a problem. i live in a mountainous region and i am very thankful that the brakes failed while driving at a low speed, on a relatively flat road, at an intersection with no cars present. if i had been driving at a higher rate of speed on the main roads which are curvy and steep in this area or had to stop suddenly, the outcome could have, and probably would have, been very different and tragic. the truck was repaired at the nearest chevrolet dealership. the cost of replacing the brake lines came to $1,760.27. the service department stated the failure was caused by rusted brake lines. it is noteworthy that this same dealership replaced by brake disks less than 15 months prior to this incident and they did not notice that the lines were rusted at that time. i have owned 6 vehicles and there have been defects in many of these vehicles, but none of the defects were as serious or had the potential danger than this one which caused the brake failure. *tr
I was approaching a traffic light when it turned yellow and then red immediately. i hit the brakes and went right through the light. there were no brakes at all and my foot hit the floor. as i coasted and tried to downshift the truck came to a crawl, i turned into a road where i could stop the vehicle.there was no warning to let me know that the brake line was going to let go. i could smell something which must have been brake fluid that emptied all over ground. the idiot lite said service brakes and was beeping very loud. i had the truck towed to my mechanic and the new brake lines are going to cost about seven hundred dollars to install coated steel lines which should have been installed from the factory. all foreign cars come with coated or copper brake lines. why can't american auto builders do it for our own country? this has to be one of the most dangerous thing that can happen and could be avoided for a few more dollars per car. when you spend close to 40,000 dollars for a vehicle don't you think we deserve better than this? *tr
As i am over 50 i have owned many vehicle's and never had to replace brake lines. just had them replaced today july 29,2014. yes i live i a state where salt is used on highways, but have lived here all my life and never had to replace brake lines on any car or truck that i owned. thank goodness the problem was noticed before they failed. i searched the internet and saw this was and is a common problem with this year and make of truck... humm seems strange why so many people having same issue all over the country.truck is garage keep in summer and only driven in winter. so i ask someone to please look into this matter for me, for as a single parent this bill of $538.00 will take me years to pay off, for something that should not have to be replaced due to a defect. *js
Another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction came completely into my lane. to avoid a head-on collision, i slammed on my brakes, laid on the horn and moved as far to the right as i possibly could. fortunately, the car coming toward me swerved back into the proper lane at the very last instance. crisis averted? no ... as i approached the next turn in the road (a sharp 20 mph turn) on a 45 mph road, i applied the brakes and the brake pedal went to the floor. the truck barely slowed enough to make it though the turn. i then limped the next quarter mile using the parking (emergency) brake to slow the vehicle until i got to a safe place to get off the road. at that point, i realized that brake fluid was leaking from at least one of the steel hydraulic lines inside the wheel well above the driver's side front wheel. some of the fluid was hitting the catalytic converter and creating smoke. i am now having all the rusted steel brake lines and fuel line replaced with stainless steel. *tr
Coming to an intersection 10 mph, brake paddle went to floor. emergency brake saved me. rotten brake lines were the cause of the failure. one year later four more brake llines replaced because of leaks. all four were rusted out.
Brakes failed in driveway. upon inspection i noticed that the lines were badly rusted and one of the two under the hood had ruptured. there was no warning and fortunately no one was injured as i was not driving on the highway at the time. *tr
I was backing up in a parking lot, when i hit my brakes my peddle went to the floor. i decided to try and get to a parts store, but the newer vehicles are not like the older ones. when i hit my brakes in my 2004 chevy 1500 i had no brakes at all. the people who engineer these vehicles need to use a little sense and not put steel brake line on the outside of frame behind front wheel. because when they treat roads for bad weather it has chemicals in it that eats metal. my brake line had busted near driver door, it was eat up with rust at only ten years old. new engineering sure is not like the old. you pay a much bigger price now days for a lot less quality? is this becoming the american way because we seem to be getting less quality for higher price on about every thing we buy. *tr
I went to slow down to turn into a drive and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor with no brakes at all. i used the emergency brake to stop the truck and get it off the road. our family uses the truck periodically - would they have known to use the emergency brake? what if they had been approaching a stop sign at a busy intersection? all brake lines were rusted through and needed to be replaced. *tr
Dropped vehicle off at my mechanic's shop complaining about rubbing noise from driver's side front wheel (i told him it sounded like disc pad rubbing on rotor & was present even when the brake pedal was depressed.) he took vehicle for test ride to duplicate & locate the noise. while on the highway test drive he applied the brakes & a brake line failed dumping fluid on highway. upon inspection back at his shop he found all four brake lines rusted & in need of replacement. he replaced all brake lines from master cylinder to abs unit & from abs unit to all calipers. he also replenished brake fluid & bled the brake lines after the new brake lines were installed. *tr
Brake line ruptured from excessive corrosion... lost braking! pumped brakes to a stop. *tr