I was sitting at a drive through waiting for food. suddenly with my foot on the brake pedal, it started getting a mushy feeling and the pedal sank to the floor. when i got it home, i found there was a leak in one of the front brake lines which were rusted pretty badly. the next morning, i took the truck in to get the front brake lines replaced for just over $300. the rear are rusted pretty bad but my automotive shop said they usually don't replace them if they aren't leaking. i was very fortunate to not be dead or injured (along with anyone else) as i was on the high way earlier that night and driving around quite a bit. i heard there was an open investigation on this issue, so i wanted to offer my experience and inquire on why the investigation is still open and no recall has been issued? it seems like something so crucial to safety should be either more protected or be less prone to rust, even in the snow belt with all the corrosive salt on the roads. this is something the car manufacturers must account for. *tr
My wife an i were traveling home from shopping as we approached a traffic light i went to apply the brakes the pedal went to the floor. i swerved to the shoulder of the road and put the vehicle in a lower gear. passing three other vehicles in our lane and going through a traffic light. i was able to slow the vehicle on the shoulder of the road to a stop. inspection under the drivers side door showed the brake line was rusted through. we had the vehicle towed home. the inspection there revealed the brake lines were rusted to the point you could collapse them with your hand. we could have been killed. the chevy dealer stated he had never heard of such a problem and said it was normal wear and tear. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet tahoe. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, he depressed the brake pedal but the brakes failed. the contact avoided a collision by driving on a grassy area. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where it was stated that the brake lines were corroded. the mechanic stated that the brake lines were repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 49,945. ...updated 11-12-13 *bf updated 11/18/2013 *js
While driving vehicle the brakes became soft, brake warning light came on. when i tried to stop the brake pedal went to floor with no stopping power. fortunately i was able to slow down and come to a stop without collision or injury. brake fluid was dripping all over. taking vehicle to mechanic, but appears that brake line has rusted through and will need replacement. found information on-line that brake line rust through is under investigation on these vehicles as it is occurring more frequently. *tr
I started the vehicle on 2/27/13 to go to an afternoon wedding. brake light warning and sound alarm went off - no brakes. brake fluid had leaked all over driveway. thank goodness the brakes had not failed on the previous day when my wife had gone to a luncheon. vehicle was towed on monday (7/29/13) to chevy dealership. inspection revealed that all brake lines plus rusted front rotors and back plates needed replacement. currently being repaired at a cost of over $3500.00. rusted rear rotors were replaced a few years ago. as a long time chevy owner, i never, ever had a problem, such as this, with brake lines and components. this is a low mileage vehicle, for its age, and never driven in the snow or on salty roadways. i am very skeptical of purchasing another gm product if they insist on using inferior parts. *tr
Brake failure due to a rupture in the brake lines caused by rust. the failure was in the left front steel brake line. *tr
This is the first of three (3) occasions that a metal brake line on this vehicle has ruptured. the results were an immediate and complete brake failure. i have to let the vehicle coast to a stop while using the emergency brake to assist. i live in a rural area so in all three times i was very lucky that were light or no traffic. *tr
While traveling on a 4 lane us highway, traffic conditions required a rapid deceleration from 55mph to approximately 10mph. the vehicle slowed normally, but the brake pedal traveled much further than usual. with the assumption that the brake pedal travel was due to the abs activation, the trip was continued. approximately 3 miles later a downhill sloping exit was taken at approximately 50 mph, and when the brake pedal was depressed, the pedal went full travel to the floor, a red 'brakes' light on the annunciator panel illuminated, the driver message center read 'service brake system' and an audible chime sounded. the vehicle was not slowing rapidly enough for the space remaining so the parking / emergency brake was applied. the vehicle did not stop within the confines of the off-ramp, but fortunately, the traffic conditions allowed the vehicle to continue past the stop point into an adjoining road without causing an unsafe situation for other drivers. the vehicle was towed back to the owner's residence, upon inspection a steel brake line was found to be rusted through approximately 12 inches forward of the abs valve body. coincidentally, three other lines in the same area were in similar conditions and will have to be replaced. *tr
Brake line failure on 2003 tahoe near the spare tire. complete loss of brake line pressure. vehicle only has ~ 84,000 miles. vehicle operated in ohio and massachusetts. reference existing nhtsa action number (ea11001) on chevrolet vehicles. *tr
Just hooked up my boat and trailer and proceeded to head out my lane, when i hit the brakes they went to the floor and a message came on dash to service brakes. i got my wife to press on brakes while i looked under vehicle, brake fluid was pouring down on ground. when i saw the steel line was rusted and burst i wondered if this was a common problem so i looked for a notice or recall. i found that the problem was investigated several time but no notice or recall sent out if this had happened at highway speed it could have been catastrophic. i have had other gm vehicles that had severe rust problems. my avalanche was recalled after i had put all new rotors and brake parts on from rust. after reading of several other failures i cant believe gm didn't even send notices out. *tr
Rear brake line burst... fluid leaking and no brakes!!! this is dangerous... lucky i was going slow when this line burst... brake lines completely rusted.. this truck is only 10 years old, brake lines are rusted and needs to be replaced... gm needs to use better steel... *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet tahoe. the contact stated while the brake was depressed in an attempt to slow the vehicle down it felt spongy and stocked to the floor board. the contact was able to avoid a near crash. the vehicle was towed to the mechanic for inspection.the failure was located in the brake lines which were corroded with holes that caused the brake fluid to leak. the vehicle was repaired and the steel brake lines were replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 31,349. the approximate current mileage was 31,500.
I started my 2003 tahoe up to drive to york and when i stepped on the brake the pedal went all the way to the floor. we took it down the road by using the emergency brake to our local shop. they said all of the brake lines were rusted and all needed to be replaced. *tr
Driving west on i-78 in nj. went to get off the highway and the brakes failed without warning. the vehicle did not sufficiently slow down to allow me to enter the exit ramp. used the transmission to help slow the vehicle and left the highway at the next exit. the repair shop replaced a rusted brake line. i drove a 1978 suburban for over 20 years with 250,000 miles and never had a brake line fail. *tr
Rear brake line rusted through and lost brakes. brake pedal went to floor losing 95% of braking ability. i wasn't in the car, wife was driving with my children. if this had been at a higher speed or going down a hill i shutter at what could have happened. mechanic replaced 90% of the brake lines as he said they were in bad shape. thousand dollar job. my wife's highlander (other vehicle) has 175k on it, same year and we don't have this problem, i will double check them though. i asked the mechanic if he sees a lot of toyota's in here for brake lines, nope. they use better stuff with a special coating. mostly chevy, dodge, ford come through. you would think these manufacturers would know better with some states being in the "salt" belt. *tr
My wife went to start the vehicle by placing foot on the brake pedal. at start-up the brake pedal went all the way to the floor and she realized she had no braking power. i crawled under the vehicle to notice a significant amount of brake fluid leaking from very corroded brake lines. luckily, we were two blocks from a repair shop. once at the repair shop they advised that not only were the front brake lines leaking but all of the brake lines were corroded and needed replaced immediately. this repair cost me over $815.00 on a 9 year old vehicle. i've never had brake lines go bad on any vehicle i've owned. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet tahoe. the contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the brake lines were corroded. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the mechanic stated that the brake lines would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. the consumer stated when he backed up and applied the brake pedal, it went to the floor. the consumer noticed fluid leaking from the driver side front of the vehicle.
i was driving on the highway, and a truck cut me off. i applied the brakes, and the pedal went to the floor. i was able to avoid crashing by pumping the brakes. i pulled off the side of the highway, and saw brake fluid under the truck. as i was only a few miles from home, i crawled home using the emergency brake. upon further investigation, all of the brake lines ,from front to back, were rusted and rotted. i paid a mechanic shop to replace all of the brake lines with stainless steel lines. in all of my years of driving, i have never seen brake lines rot out after only nine years and 40,000 miles. i would like to be reimbursed by chevy for the replacement of the brake lines. a very serious accident could have occurred. and to think that just a few days before, i was driving with my family in the truck! *tr
I was advised by a gm technician during visit to dealer for regular maintenance to replace corroded brake lines if i intended to keep the vehicle. cost would be approximately $2,000 to $2,500 and that i shouldn't wait too long to do so for obvious safety reasons. service manager at this gm dealership stated that they have replaced a "ton" of them at owners' expense. my vehicle is never driven in snow or ice and i have never had to replace brake lines on any vehicle that i have owned over the past 50+ years - very disheartening. *tr
Returned to a friends from a trip to access my vehicle and head for home. brakes pushed to the floor and when i tried to move a little, car wouldn't stop with either the brake or emergency brake and proceeded to roll forward into a steep embankment in front of my friend's home. luckily i was not injured but needed all the brakes repaired and drivers side door replaced. i am in the process of waiting to hear from my claims adjuster. *tr
I was driving down the street at 10 mph and then went for my brakes and the but they were gone . pedal went to the floor and bells started ringing and my warning system indicated (check brake system) bad brake lines. *tr
On september 3rd, 2012 i was driving my 2003 chevy tahoe and i had just pulled into a shopping center and as i was approaching a stop sign i applied the brakes. the brake pedal went straight to the floor. i went straight through the stop sign, but, luckily there were no other vehicles at the intersection. i was able to put the vehicle into 1st gear and guide it into a parking spot away from other vehicles. when i exited the vehicle and looked under the truck, i could see all of the brake line fluid pouring out of the brake lines. the tahoe was towed to my mechanic. during the repair, the mechanic showed me all of the brake lines and they were all severely corroded. every brake line had to be replaced. there is no other corrosion on the vehicle. *tr
The brakes failed approaching a downhill t intersection with a busy highway. a severe collision was narrowly avoided. *tr
Complete failure of brake lines and calipers secondary to rust. truck (a gm tahoe) was inspected at the dealer one month ago and passed pa inspection. approximately 1 month later (1000 highway miles) my truck had to return to the dealer to rectify something they had previously been fixed, unrelated to the brakes. upon picking up the truck after that repair, the brakes were applied after starting the car to put into gear and the entire break system blew. thank goodness, the vehicle was not in motion because i would not have been able to stop. the dealer them put the car up on the lift and i was told the entire system was rusted, including all the bolts to the system. the only way to repair was to cut the entire brake line system off and replace. the rear caliper covers also began to rust, so they are also being replaced. i can provide pictures of all areas prior to repair. *tr
My brakes failed completely as i was driving home i was only able to stop by going up hill. the brake warning light did not go on until the brakes were failing. we had the car towed to our service station and had to replace the complete brake system. *tr
On the evening of july 13 my wife was driving the tahoe when the check brake warning light came on. she was able to enter our driveway and stop the vehicle. the next morning i checked the vehicle and there was no resistance on the brake pedal and the pedal went to the floor. looking under the hood i found the brake fluid reservoir was empty. the mechanic that repaired the vehicle found the rear steel brake line rusted out. the vehicle is only 11 years old and has 116,184 miles and i feel that it is a bit premature for the brake line failure due to rust. i owned two chevrolet's and a ford product for over 20 years each and never had a problem with the steel brake lines. *tr
Vehicle parked in my driveway, attempted to pull out of driveway and had no braking ability (7/12/12) all front brake lines replaced due to rust. then on 2/11/14, had left um hospital with wife, noted something was not functioning properly with brakes but continued to a restaurant. when i got out of restaurant, attempted to pull out from curb and had no brakes. all rear brake lines had to be replaced due to rust. both occasions required a flatbed tow truck from aaa. total cost for repairs was $2050.74. *tr
I had driven to a doctors office and parked in the lot. i came out, started the truck and when i applied the brakes the pedal went all the way to the floor. the brake warning light never came on. i had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. the brake line on the passenger side of the vehicle rusted through and failed. i had the entire passenger side line replaced. on june 24th 2013, i had another brake line failure on the drivers side. i was going 40 miles per hour, came to a traffic light that turned yellow, applied the brakes and the pedal went all the way to the floor. i went through the light and managed to stop using the lower transmission gears and finally the parking brake. the brake warning light never came on. i had the line repaired at a local garage. the line rusted through near the abs unit. the truck had just over fifty thousand miles at this time. *tr
In nov. 2011, with 79,800 miles, while in my driveway, the brake pedal collapsed to the floor. two front brake lines burst with no warning. there was almost no rear braking power at all. i had to push the pedal to the floor, before the rear brakes engaged and barely stopped the tahoe in my driveway at 5 mph. my 03 tahoe and my dad's 06 tahoe have the weakest brakes, of any vehicle we've ever owned. love the tahoe-hate the brakes. i had the lines replace and had to replace the front calipers as well. the aftermarket calipers helped the weak braking problem a little, but there is still a design flaw somewhere. now in aug. 2013, with 90,200 miles, two more brake lines burst with no warning, while driving 25 mph, again with almost no rear brake power to stop. i barely missed crashing the truck. it's in the repair shop now and the tahoe needs several lines replaced, 2 that burst and others that are extremely rusted, obviously about to burst. the nhtsa needs to look at, not only the rusting brake lines, but also into the weak breaking system on these trucks, including why the rear brakes are so weak. seems that about 90-95% of the braking power is the front brakes. this problem is discussed all over the internet. this is a serious problem on the tahoe, from 2000-2006, and this entire brake system should examined and even recalled, it's weak, dangerous and unreliable. *tr
While backing out of the driveway on a sunny saturday afternoon (june 4, 2011), i applied the brakes when approaching sidewalk and street. my 2003 chevy tahoe brake pedal went all the way to the floor with minimum resistance. the tahoe rolled past the sidewalk, out into the street, and up the neighbors driveway before coming to rest. fortunately the vehicle did not strike anything. i would estimate the braking capacity of the vehicle at 5%, as i drove it to the service station at 5mph in low gear about 1/2 mile away. tim lally chevrolet in bedford, oh determined brake failure caused by corrosion of the brake lines. all brake and fuel lines were replaced in a frame off restoration costing about $4,000.00 usd. *tr
I own a 2003 chevy tahoe. i first begin having issues with the abs system in 2010. the brakes would flutter before coming to a complete stop. while traveling out of state the brakes completely failed and went to the floor. i was stuck in traffic in a residential area with passengers in my car. the parking emergency brake would not work so i had to carefully drift into a parking spot using the curb as a brace. i ended up having to replace all the brakes lines which were completely corroded. i was just told by my mechanic today that the pads, rotors, backing plate, parking brake system, etc. is all corroded and has to be replaced costing me well over $1000.00 dollars. i like my vehicle and other than the issues with the brakes it runs fine. but for such an expensive luxury vehicle to have this type of safety issue is completely unsatisfactory to the customer. to many manufacturers are cutting cost at the expense of customer safety and vehicle reliability. this matter has to be addressed quickly and a recall and/or help with cost is greatly needed. *tr
Brake lines began to corrode at attachment points near all wheel wells. of most concern is 4 brake lines mounted with steel support brackets on drivers side front wheel well. these lines are not protected from environmental conditions. the corrosion began at the support brackets in 2006 and has worked its way down the lines to the point where they need to all be replaced. this is simply bad engineering---unprotected steel placed in the most environmentally vulnerable area on the vehicle and secured with corrosion vulnerable steel clips. *tt
Brake lines are completely rusted out, and fuel lines, whole undercarriage is bad, brake lines fail with no warning, brake pad goes to floor. *tr