Problems with 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Started the truck and put into reverse. there was no brake and no steering control. i had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. all fluids were topped off as normal and i regularly maintain this vehicle. after reviewing this issue in the diesel forum numerous duramax owners have endured the same problem with some ending in crashes. this is a major safety issue!!!!!!!!!!!! simultaneous brake and steering failure. are you kidding me? wow! i tried chatting with gm and was dumped during the chat. no help there! i'll try again! *tr

We were traveling east on i-90 in mass. traffic came to a sudden stop. when the brakes were applied the truck began to slow and then the brake pedal went to the floor. upon investigation after the crash we found at least two badly corroded brake lines that had burst.*jb

This is the second time the brake lines have failed on this vehicle and a report issued to nhtsa. this time, my son was driving and applied the brakes to stop at a stop sign. the brake pedal went to the floor. he went through the stop sign, crashed into a median that slowed him down, and ended up on top of the median. thank goodness the truck was empty and no one was using the right-of-way at the intersection. inspection showed yet another corroded brake line. this brake line was oem. the brake lines were replaced after the previous incident look fine and are not corroded. it appears that all of the brake lines need to be replaced to correct this safety defect. *tr the consumer stated he experienced hydraulic brake failure at 51,848 miles due to corroded brake lines. the lines burst in an area that was weakened by corrosion and failed under normal usage and brake line pressure. there was no indication that failure was eminent. the dealer replaced the rusted brake lines from the master cylinder. updated 04/03/13

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact stated that while attempting to avoid being crashed into by another vehicle, the contact engaged the brakes but the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard abnormally. the contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the brake lines had burst, causing a leak. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 81,711. updated 12/6/12*lj updated 12/06/12

Comming to a stop light i was slowing down and when i went to come to a final stop the brake pedal went right to the floor and i rolled through the intersection. i have owned a lot of cars and never in my life have i had this happen even in the oldest of cars or trucks, before this with only 20000.00 miles on the truck i had to replace all four rotors due to such bad corrosion that they could not be cut. and now with only 75000.00 miles i have to replace all the brake lines for the same reason. *js

Brake line to rear end burst causing my truck to be unable to stop at a red light. fortunately, no cars were coming the other way. *tr *js

On wedfeb15/12 the abs light was on fully and upon braking the truck pulled towards on coming traffic sounding like metal on metal.-letter feb20/12 to gm.the steering wheel was pulled out of my hands-letter dec9/13 to gm.i have complained by letter to gm.mar14,apr5,jun4,oct19 and dec9/13 about this abs problem and they keep closing my file and as of jan9/14 by phoning me refuse to respond to my complaints.mr roesti-owner bradley chev has stated by letter if a sensor is not working properly all sorts of strange things could happen.barnes wheaton chev service mgr jessie-if one brake sensor isn't working properly the computor will send all the braking power to the opposite wheel.nov13/13 preston chev service advisor-he has had problems with these abs systems at low speeds-replaced controller to correct problem.

Came home from getting fuel, backed up to attach trailer brake pedal went to floor, inspected and found steel brake line failed due to corrosion. *tr

recently i had a close call with my 2003 2500hd silverado. i was pulling out of a parking lot and applied the brakes to stop but the pedal just went to the floor. i quickly downshifted to 2nd and used the emergency brake to assist in getting the truck stopped. i narrowly missed causing a serious accident. i discovered that atleast 1 of my brake lines had ruptured due to corrosion. i've taken the truck to the dealer and they recommend all the brake lines be replaced due to the extensive corrosion in all the lines. i was able to inspect the problem at the dealership with the truck on the lift. the underside of the truck is in excellent condition except for the brake lines. this is my personal truck. the truck has been kept very clean inside and out and is only used lightly. i believe the lines are defective. brake lines don't typically rust out in an 8 year old vehicle. i don't live near the ocean, so the only salt it may see is in the winter months. this shouldn't have happened and gm should stand by their product and make the repair. *tr

Went out to the truck, started it and brake pedal went to floor along with a warning beep indicating a problem with the brake system. no symptoms prior to this was given, which is very scary as i could have been driving when the failure occurred. had it towed to dealership, upon inspection (word for word from invoice) "brake line from abs to unit to rear axle and one rusted thru from master cylinder to abs unit, other lines from abs unit very rusty also, replaced all rusted brake lines, free up brake bleeds and bleed brake system, road tested and rechecked okay" this kind of failure should be unacceptable, truck with this low miles and age, really? cost to fix $1,010.64 with tow. the dealership replaced the lines with brake lines that will never corrode, why wasn't this done at factory to begin with? i regularly tow heavy equipment, granted the trailers have brakes, but this issue should be recalled immediately before someone gets hurt. *tr

In late dec my diesel fuel return line rotted out from rust, and was leaking diesel fuel all over the road while driving or stopped at idle. i didn't notice it until i stopped to re-fuel and realized fuel was dripping from the under carriage of the truck. i was on travel for christmas, about 500 miles from home and there were no open auto shops around that i could find. i was able to cut the rotted section out and band aid fix the system with some rubber fuel line and hose clamps from autozone. this fix has seemed to hold up fairly well for the time being, but i have not been using my truck. fast forward to last week when my brake line decided to burst, spewing brake fluid all over the road and the under carriage of my truck. luckily i was able to control the vehicle and get it towed back home where it now sits. i've been doing the research and there are thousands of others with these same rusted out line issues on these gmc vehicles. i have yet to contact gm about it but i am sure they will not do anything for me as the truck does have higher millage. however, this is something that is happening to people with under 100k on their vehicles! here are some of the links... nhtsa action number: dp10003 http://trucks.about.com/b/2011/08/01/brake-line-corrosion-suspected-in-gm-trucks.htm http://trucks.about.com/od/generalmotorstrucks/a/brake-line-corrosion-problems-in-gm-trucks.htm http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx/.f0d4fe5?displayrecent

While driving the vehicle i noticed that the brake pedal was on the floor. i was traveling slow enough that i was able to avoid any collisions. upon inspection under the hood my husband found that there was no brake fluid and it must have blown a line. we added brake fluid and got it home. upon further inspection my husband found that the brake and fuel lines are completely corroded. he is a corrosion control specialist and knows defective materials when he sees them. *tr

brake lines in my chevrolet 2500hd 2003 burst. the amount of rust is very excessive. the amount of complaints about the same issue is astounding. *tr

While backing to attach a single axle trailer, trying to stop the brake pedal went to the floor and no brakes. finding a rusted brake line had broken. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact was driving 10 mph into a parking lot but was unable to engage the brakes. the contact mentioned that the pedal was depressed into the floorboard and once he inspected the vehicle, he noticed that the brake lines were corroded. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 53,000.

A steel brake line located on the drivers side of the vehicle in front of the tire on the radiator support cross member burst due to rust. more to follow after a complete inspection of the brake system. *tt

My 2003 silverado 2500 hd with only 55k miles on it did not pass a recent safety inspection due to corroded brake lines. the truck gets very little use and i find this to be very disturbing that brake lines are failing without warning. had i not gotten an inspection i would not have been notified of this emminent and dangerous problem. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. while driving approximately 25 mph, the brake pedal was applied and began extending abruptly to the floorboard. the vehicle continued to accelerate. the emergency brake was immediately engaged and the vehicle came to a stop. an authorized dealer was notified of the failure and they advised that the failure was contributed to faulty brake lines. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact planned to inform the manufacturer of the brake malfunction. the approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph and depressing the brakes when they traveled to the floorboard. in addition, there was a massive loss of brake fluid when the brakes were depressed. the vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 68,700.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. the contact stated while driving 30 mph the brakes were applied and they malfunctioned causing the brake pedal to extend to the floorboard. the contact had to down shift and apply the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake line blow out was due to excessive corrosion. the contact dealer did replace the brake line and advised the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the failure mileage was 20,000. updated 09/27/11 *bf updated 2/28/12 *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact applied pressure to the brake pedal when it went to the floorboard abnormally. the contact also discovered that brake fluid was leaking when he applied the brakes and that the brake lines were rusted and corroded. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and all four brake lines were repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the current and failure mileages were 70,900. updated10/13/11 *bf updated11/07/11*jb

Moving at 30 mph towards intersection with light , went to slow down and brake pedal went to the floor ( no brake response). applied the parking brake and the truck swerved sideways. fortunately there was no traffic coming the other way. this was a very serious near miss. sudden failure of braking system. this needs a recall asap as its happening on too many of these chevy trucks. *tr

The brakes failed on my 2003 silverado 2500 hd due to brake line corrosion. i purchased the truck new in september 2002. luckily, my son, who was driving, had just pulled out of the driveway and was able to return safely home. i had the truck towed to the local chevrolet dealer in winchester, kentucky, who diagnosed the problem as corroded brake lines and replaced them. i found several references to the same problem via google search and the nhtsa incident ea11-001, which describes the same symptoms i experienced. *tr

steel brake lines rotted and ruptured causing loss of brakes. the people in front of us were in extreme danger of being injured or killed as they suddenly stopped due a traffic jam. when i attempted to stop the brake peddle went to the floor as the rotted brake line ruptured spilling the brake fluid out to the road. to prevent injury to others i drove the truck into a guardrail at a glancing blow until it stopped. at the time of the accident i was traveling with my 13 yr old daughter to visit her dying grandmother for last time. my daughter was crying hysterically and clearly distraught at the accident. *tr

Total brake failure. pedal just went to the floor with no warning that there was a problem with the braking system. the warning system did not come on until the truck was shut off and restarted. inspection of the brake lines shows that they are rusted, especially at the points where the clips hold them to the frame. there appears to be leaks in multiple spots with no prior indication (spots under the vehicle) of any problem. i just had it inspected a week prior and it passed. i also own a 1998 toyota camray with 250k + miles and have not had any problem with the brake lines rusting out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. while driving approximately 5 mph the contact depressed the brake pedal and stated that it fell onto the floorboard. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the brake lines were extremely corroded and fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: ea11001 (service brakes, hydraulic service brakes, hydraulic:foundation hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) that may be related to the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

Vehicle stopped while waiting for fuel pump. pressed brake pedal, and brake pedal went to the floor. during fill-up, inspected under vehicle and saw fluid dripping from front end. identified liquid as brake fluid. rear brakes still functioned minimally. took into mechanic. front brake line had failed. nearly entire brake line was severely corroded. at mechanic's suggestion based on safety, replaced all brake lines -- $2100 (approx $300 parts, $1700 labor). mechanic applied undercoat spray to brake line as rust protection. i kept a section of brake line. note: previously owned 1991 chevrolet c1500 had similar failure on the brake lines around the rear differential. *kb

At speeds at or below 10 mph the abs comes on in all types of weather causing longer stopping distances allowing the truck to go into oncoming traffic or hitting the car ahead. the pedal goes almost to the floor. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact was driving 35 mph when the brake was depressed and the vehicle exhibited an unusual humming and rubbing from the brakes. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who was unable to locate the cause of the failure. after inspecting the brake lines and hoses, he contact found corrosion and rust. the mechanic stated that he could replace the lines and hoses but the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the contact referenced a concurrent investigation of the defect that could have been related to the failure under nhtsa action number: ea11001 (service brakes, hydraulic service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). the failure mileage was 75,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph, he applied pressure to the brake pedal and the pedal depressed to the floor. the vehicle was coasting to a stop when smoke began to rise from the engine. the contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. the contact examined the vehicle and noticed the brake lines fractured under the engine compartment, causing a small fire. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop where the contact was told the brake lines were very corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileages were 160,000. the vin was unavailable.

5/12/2011 2003 chevrolet 2500 hd 85,000 miles while approaching stopped traffic began to brake when brake pedal went all the way to floor and had no braking ability. struck the automobile in front of me at approx. 20 mph which struck the automobile in front of them. luckily no injuries reported at time of incident. $1,500 repairs to front end of my truck and unknown amount of damages to repair other automobiles. both were drivable although approx. same amount of damage as mine. truck was towed from scene. dealership found brake line had ruptured due to corrosion. all brake lines had to be replaced, $1,600. *tr

Sudden brake line failure on 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500hd - brake lines ruptured due to rust. to correct, needed to replace all brake lines on truck, as the remaining lines were near failure as well. i see there is an open ea11001 on this, and i wanted to let someone know i have the very same issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact was driving 45 mph and applied the brakes but the vehicle failed to immediately decelerate, increasing stopping distance and time. the abs warning light was illuminated sporadically prior to the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the instrument panel was replaced. the brake line was also repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 26,000 and the current mileage was 41,500.

Leaving woods going down a hill with a load of firewood in bed. applied brakes & pedal went to floor. had to replace brake line because it was too corroded to repair. 2nd incident: backing trailer into water to take boat out. applied brakes & pedal went to the floor. this occurred on 07/28/2011 with mileage @ 105,000. at this time all i know is the brake line blew.

Sudden braking failure on 2003 chevy 2500hd. loss of brake fluid due to sudden loss of brake line pressure. brake lines failed while driving. *tr

Rear brake line rupture behind fuel tank on 2003 chevy silverado while normally driven. inspected the lines for repair and found severe corrosion of all lines aft of the a.b.s. unit. have replaced lines with aftermarket bendable ones as performed are not available i am told. large sections of old line are in my possession. 60,000 miles on unit undercarriage corrosion is terrible. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet k2500hd silverado. the contact was reversing 5 mph from a residential driveway. as the contact applied the brakes, there was no response from the vehicle yet he was able to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the mechanic discovered that the rear and front brake lines were corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 50,000.

Catastrophic brake line rupture in both circuits of the redundant hydraulic brake system. the failure occurred in a shopping center parking lot. if it had occurred 5 miles earlier, their would have been a 7000 pound machine rolling on i83 with no brakes, placing unwary motorists and the driver at significant risk of injury or death. as you continue your preliminary investigation, you should ponder the possible criminal negligence associated with the failure to report this latent defect in the manufacture of these behemoth machines. at the very least, each registered owner should be notified immediately of the possible fatal malfunction. if it saves one life!!! if it causes one death??? my 1990 jeep cherokee still has the original brake lines at 297000 miles! this is what happens when managers, accountants and lawyers tell engineers to shut up. remember the challenger (space shuttle)? faster! cheaper! better???? corporate usa has already failed, size is irrelevant. being a part owner of gm, can you spell conflict of interest? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact was driving in reverse approximately 5 mph and applied the brakes. the brake pedal depressed into the floorboard abnormally and the contact discovered that brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken for diagnosis or repairs. the failure and current mileage was 120,000. the brake lines failed due to rust. 08/19/11

Rusty brake lines, all system brake lines and brake parts are rusting to the point of failure. two lines failed. all system parts are being replaced. *tr

Steel brake line running from left front brake to abs pump corroded where the line is exposed in the wheel well. brake pedal suddenly went to floor and pool of fluid was noticed under front of vehicle. happened while parked in driveway so no accident. *tr

Brake lines corroded causing lack of braking ability. vehicle is a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500hd with 51848 miles. brake lines were replaced, as all were corroded (material problem). *tr

2003 chevrolet 2500 hd pick-up. i pulled into my driveway slowly and when i applied my brakes to stop, the brakes failed. grabbed emergency brake to stop truck. upon inspection, rear driver side metal brake line had split in the bend it makes to reach the rear axle from the frame. all connections were tight and leak free. metal line had corroded and failed for no reason. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. the front and rear brake rotors dissenigrated and fell apart. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on two occasions. the dealer replaced the rotors on the rear and front brakes. the brakes failed and the brake shoes fell off of the truck 5,000 miles after the rotors were replaced. there were no recalls and the dealer stated that the contact is responsible for the repair cost. the failure mileage was 32,754.

My 2003 silverado has a great deal of rust on the under carriage of the truck. most would consider it surface rust, but the brake lines disturbed me. i was worried about them rusting through. sure enough, while towing my trailer i had to stop for a quick changing traffic light, and my foot went to the floor. pumping did not help much since both main lines going to abs unit (located under the truck) blew out. i used my trailer brakes to help stop the truck. i had my truck towed to my mechanic and we felt it was unsafe to drive the truck with the other brake lines in the same condition. we replaced all the lines with stainless steel ($350). but since the rust effected all of the calipers, they had to be replaced as well as the rotors. i have the old lines for inspection updated 05/11/10.*jb

The abs system on my 2003 chevy c2500hd pick up truck were malfunctioning constantly for several weeks. each and every time i came to a stop the abs system would engage, the pedal would almost bottom out and the truck was hard to stop. and several times i was almost in the middle of an intersection before stopping.the right and left abs sensors were replaced with new sensors at a cost of almost $500.00. i was not given the old parts. this 03 truck has only 41,000 miles and i fill that the original sensors were defective. these sensors are not a normal maintenance part and are not like filter,oil changes ,brakes jobs wiper blades which are normal wear and tear items. these sensors are an very important part of the entire brake system . i believe chevrolet has a problem with this part but will not acknowledge their responsibility in this matter. i have complained to chevrolet motor division and told them that chevrolet should pay for the premature failure of these parts.. these faulty sensors can cause an accident.. *tr

Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado k2500hd. the contact stated that corrosion in the break line of his vehicle caused break fluid leakage. break failure increases the risk of vehicle crash. he is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. he filed a complaint with the manufacturer.the current and failure mileages were 80,000.

2003 chevrolet silverado 2500hd, 6.0 4wd ls. current mileage: 94,000 miles. vehicle is well out of warranty. in iowa. 1st owner. brake failure or really spongy brakes. requires multiple pedal pumps to slow vehicle down or applying brake pedal to the floor to stop at stop sign in city driving. i removed the front tires and inspected the pads and rotors. front pads had 75%+ material on them. the inside of each rotor had 50% contact surface on them. i took them into o'reillys in council bluffs, iowa where they turned them down enough to clean up both sides of rotors. rotor were rusting and flaking. i have not inspected rear rotors or pads as of yet. was told by technician that chevrolet had problems with rotor. after replacing turned rotor and installing new pads brakes go unchanged. inspection of rear rotors and pads will occur 22 june 2009. with numerous complaints concerning a major safety issue, gm/chevrolet should invest in dealing with correcting this issue to avoid losing their loyal customers. i understand that a few here and there, but when multiple chevy site say the exact same thing....how many of us silverado owners haven't posted on here??? i love my silverado and will try to keep it until the wheels fall off...ok wrong choice of words....but if there is a means to correct this, whether if it is on the 1500 to the 3500hd, especially brake system, gm/chevrolet needs to roger up and fix this! having brakes are important, unless your a crash test dummy!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact own a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500hd. the contact stated that the brake lines, fuel lines, fuel straps and the exhaust manifold were rusted and corroded. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic for routine maintenance and when the contact was advised of the failure. the dealer was notified who advised the contact that they would not repair the vehicle because most vehicles within the eastern region experienced the same rust failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 62,000.

I filed a complaint in 2009 with the nhtsa and have yet to hear anything from the agency regarding this problem. in the same year as the complaint, i had my local chevrolet dealer's service department replace a section of brake line by the abs module that had failed due to extreme corrosion. this past week i returned to the same dealer to have them repair another section that had also failed. i was told that, due to possible litigation they would not repair the line as they had in the past, but would replace the entirety of the line for an estimate of $1200.00. the service manager also stated that figure could go higher as more was discovered. i can't see putting this kind of money into this vehicle knowing that more failures are sure to follow even though the truck has only 95,000 miles on it now. gm knows there is a problem. they could care less and the customer is going to foot the bill for their malfeasance as usual. *kb