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Problems with 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SERVICE BRAKES

On average, the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 starts to “feel” problems with the SERVICE BRAKES and its various aspects after 116 144 miles.

Recently reported SERVICE BRAKES problems on 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

As i approached a traffic light at 30 mph and attempted to stop, the brake pedal went right to the floor with no warning. i had to vigorously pump it several time to come to a stop and was lucky i was going slowly and there were no stopped cars ahead of me. no warning lights appeared on the dash and still do not if you start the truck. i was close to home and carefully managed to get to my driveway. a large puddle of brake fluid dripped from the driver side beneath the door. when i inspected it from below, i found the brake lines severely corroded where clipped to the frame and one had burst through, causing the leak and loss of stopping ability. *tr

Brake lines under hood at drivers side rusted hole in line caused brake failure. *tr

I was driving my 2002 silverado on a narrow two lane road with a few steep grades and my brakes went to the floor on one of the down grades. i pumped the brakes but nothing happened. luckily, i had enough time to react and use the emergency brake to get stopped at the bottom of the grade before running through the stop sign at the t intersection and possibly over the embankment directly across from me. once i got home i realized that all the lines running along the frame to the abs box were corroded as well as the ones going to the front calipers. once i started researching this i found out that it was a known problem. also, one that just about everone that i know with a silverado around that same year has had. i'm just glad that my wife or my 16 year old step-daughter wasn't driving when this happened! *tr

I took my 2002 chevy silverado 1500 in to get inspected. it failed due to no parking/emergency brakes. i have never used my parking brake, never been in the where it was needed. i first noticed after removing wheel that everything is rusted beyond what i think it should be at this point, the splash shields are almost completely gone. i removed the drum and brake shoes and noticed that on both sets of shoes, left and right, the pads of the shoes were not really worn, but the actual lining that the shoes are attached to were worn at the very bottom on the drivers side and the very top on the passenger side, both where there are no pads. i followed the directions that came with the new shoes, replaced everything, and still no brakes. i then bought a new cable and swapped it out, thinking the cable may be stretched. still no brakes. i removed the wheel and drum once again and had someone depress the parking brake. i noticed the actuator working, so i reassembled everything, and still no brakes. i then contacted gm customer service to see if there were any recalls for this problem, i was told that there was not. i was told that i can take my truck to a certified chevy dealer for them to diagnose the problem, at my expense, being that i haven't been able to find gainful employment in over 3 1/2 years, i can not afford this. i was told there is nothing further that can be done to help me. i have less than 2 weeks for my truck to pass inspection, if not, then i must pay fines and costs when i do reregister my vehicle. how do i get my vehicle to pass inspection when there is obviously a defect in their design. i'm hitting a brick wall everywhere i turn. with all the complaints and problems that i see being posted online, how could there not be a recall. what has to happen for them to take responsibility for this problem. *tr

Brakes failed due to burst line to rear axle; little or no stopping power from front brakes; emergency brake worked for a few minutes but no longer after couple of miles to my driveway. disassembly revealed e-brake pads had crumbled away inside rear rotors; and all 5 brake lines coming out of abs unit will need to be replaced, not just rear. fyi i have owned in excess of 20 g.m. trucks, but none ever as bad as this on brake lines. daughter in truck with me- this could have turned out very badly. truck unusable until all lines are fixed- very difficult due to positioning of lines ( i have done many brake lines- on much older trucks). thanks... *tr

Most recent(9/15/12),brake line ruptures do to tons of rust... . body mounts totally rusted off , rear brake rotor dust shields rusted off, leaf spring shackles rusted thru and fell off..rear bumper rusted thru,total under carriage rusted thru, railsunder doors totally rusted thru and have big holes in them.. *tr *js

The brake lines on the truck, which is approximately 10 years old are completely corroded. i happened to be pulling into a service station when the driver side front line completely blew out, spraying brake fluid everywhere. i was lucky. the brakes are completely nonfunctional. i could have been killed or killed someone else if i had been anywhere else when this happened. *tr

Steel brake line rusted through at rear of truck near driver side wheel well. all other steel brake and fuel lines in truck heavily rusted and also near blow out point. *tr when rear line failed, brake pedal went to the floor and stopping distance doubled. i was pulling a 3,000lbs boat at the time. the brake warning lamp did not illuminate. brake warning lamp came on only after approx 10 miles of no rear brake availability. i am currently taking preventive measures and replacing all steel lines in truck. old lines available for inspection if you act quickly.

I was attempting to stop for traffic ahead, i applied the brakes which initially slowed the truck but then the brake pedal went to the floor and i was unable to stop my truck and hit the car in front of me. both vehicles sustained only minor cosmetic damage. after making sure the other party was uninjured and waiting for the police to arrive i noticed fluid under the truck. i looked under the truck to find brake fluid dripping from the brake lines that run along the frame rail at the drivers door. all the brake lines where severely rusted and i had to have the truck towed to a repair center to have the brake lines replaced. i don't understand gm's logic of using a stainless steel drive shaft and exhaust systems, but use lesser material for something as important as the brakelines. a recall is clearly in order. *tr

I had applied the brakes to stop, and the abs was going on and off and i ended up going thru the intersection, luckily no one else was in the intersection, i found out there was a recall on it in 2005 and the work was done on 1/23/2007, i called chevrolet to find out that the recall was done they "cleaned" it and hey look 5 years later it does the same thing and gm wont do anything about it. looks like cleaning really didn't do the job. *tr

I was on my way to the autoparts store for an oil filter for my other vehicle when i came upon a light at a busy intersection. as the light changed to yellow i hit my brakes and the pedal went right to the floor. i was doing no more than 30 at this time. there was no way that i could stop, i drifted through the intersection and was able to drift to safety. i was lucky - another car was also about to turn left in front of me as i was drifting through the intersection, he stopped so an accident was avoided. had the vehicle towed and had to have all brake lines replaced. all were rusted and pitted. paid nearly $900.00 to have stainless steel brake lines installed. these (stainless steel brake lines) should have been installed by gm at the factory. manufacturers all use stainless steel for exhaust, why not for brake lines - seems a bit more important to use stainless brake lines. what is the cost differential between cheap steel and stainless - a few extra dollars spent in manufacturing could save someone's life. *tr

Driving 45 mph. needed to apply brakes. no brake at all. i was able to down shift and thank god i was goin up a slight grade and no one was infront or close behind. i was able to veer off road and get it slowed in time to turn into the parking lot of the dealer whewre i had purchased my truck 10+ years ago. they said all brakes lines must be replaced. excessive rust on all. i looked at the line to the left rear wheel after they removed it. it fell apart in the mechanics hand. how it had stopped me is unknown. brake lines do not do this. i've worked on vehicles for 40 years. hard brakes lines do not rust like this. the entire brake line is corroded. not just the top say, from salt. the entire line. i was not able to stop the truck with any remaining brake. physics stopped my truck. feet before plowing into a major intersection. i'd love to buy another gm product. not sure i have the faith that gm wants me to. thanks gm. how can you bailout of this mess? recall it. i spent good money on a chevy because a chevy will last as long as your willing to care for it properly. now i'm spending in excess of $800 to fix your "low bidder" vendors mistake. whomever made the brake lines should be bailing me out. make it right gm. just make it right. *tr

With engine on and going at approximately 45 mph, an 'abs system' warning light came off along with a continuous motor type sound. i parked the car on side road and loud 'motor' type noise continued coming underneath the car. i drove the car back home and abs system light on with continuous sound did not stop. turned engine off and the sound did not stop. after a couple of hours, the sound did not stop and had to disconnect car battery. took car into car dealership and right away before car was formally tested/diagnosed, the service advisor stated he knew exactly what the issue was. the car was diagnosed and service advisor confirmed the car had a 'known' problem related to abcm (abs control module). according to the service advisor this is a potential safety related problem. this is the reason why i am submitting this safety complaint. according to the service advisor, damaged abcm computer can send an incorrect signal and the breaks can close when the car is running. i contacted chevrolet corporate and explained the situation (service req # 71-1092953268). i was informed there are no recalls for this type of problems. i did a quick search in the internet and found that many consumers are complaining about the same problem. also noted that the problem does not seem to be related only to 2002 chevy trucks, but other car models and years. if the cardealer service manager is correct and this is a safety related problem, then this issue could cause serious incidents. can nhtsa please look into this problem and confirm if this is a potential safety problem? thanks in advance for your help. *tr

I was driving when i went to stop and the pedal was soft. the truck still stopped but the pedal didn't feel right. i was able to get to my in-laws house,about 2 miles. when i got out i saw brake fluid leaking from the brake lines running along the frame on the drivers side. they are the lines that go to the abs module. when i inspected further, all 4 lines were either leaking or about to. that is when i noticed both rocker panels, just under the doors, were rusted and the passenger side rusted through. the doors are not rusted and there is very little rust on the truck even where the paint has flaked off. *tr

I was driving down local road, when there was a three car accident way ahead. i sowed right down, may 25-30 mph as we came up on it, realizing as i went to slow down more, my brake pedal went to floor. i made it home and parked. my boyfriend looked at it next morning, i had no brake fluid left, one of the lines was so corroded the fluid leaked all over the driveway. i had recently had my brakes done and inspection within the past month. i bought the truck brand new, and have had a lot of issues with it. including abs that was previously recalled, and never worked after it was replaced, which i did complain about, he interior set material needed replacing, the tail gate cables and hinges are broke, the dealer says there is no recall on them. a sensor went in gas tank, the drivers side mirror fell off, the window cable on drivers side has been replaced twice, passenger side once, the list goes on and on. like i said, i bought it brand new off the lot, traded in older chevy silverado, paid cash with gm discount. i love my truck, but think it has had way too many problems. i have definitely read a lot of complaints on the corroded gas lines among other issues and would hope chevy would stand behind their products. *tr

I had complete brake failure with no warning , brake line is rusted. and had to use emergency brake to stop.was a nightmare. *tr

Had to make a panic stop at a speed of 50 mph....not a full braking panic stop but a minor panic stop when the brake pedal went to the floor. drove 3 miles to home (very carefully) ......service garage said i had blown a brake line due to rust, and all lines were completely rusted. cost to replace all lines, $950.00. *tr

I was driving 60mph when construction cones brought traffic to one lane. as i began to apply my brakes, i could feel my foot going to the floor and i was not slowing at all. i tried the emergncy brake, and also no braking occured. i managed to drive onto the medium, and luckily was able to avoid all the "construction junk" that littered that area. after a very long time, i was able to safely maneuver to a safe stop. when i spoke with the mechanic, he told me there were no brake lines. *tt

Thank goodness i just got off a major roadway in town. my 16 year old son was driving the vehicle. we got home and i had to run back out. i was driving at the time. pulled out of my cul-de-sac and went to apply the brakes at the stop sign and the pedal went to the floor. lucky no cars or children were in my path. all lines are rusted out. had two sections (front) with major rot that were leaking. no indicator lights or signs prior to malfunction. bought new lines from local auto parts store and have been replacing a little at a time. entire underside of truck looks like its 50 years old!!!! will see what rots out next. *tr

My antilock brakes kicked in when i was going 5 mph. i drifted right into a road that i was about to enter. i could not stop the vehicle at low speeds. *tr

While driving, the vehicle operator experienced complete brake failure--vehicle was towed to nearest chevrolet dealer and is now awaiting "new " brake line installation. i have been told that the entire braking system has corroded and will need to be replaced. *jb

I am the original owner of this 2002 chevy silverado. i was driving about 15 mph and as i started braking the pedal went to the floor. once the pedal went to the floor the truck started to brake. i was able to slowly make it home as i was only a half mile away. when i got home i inspected the under side of the vehicle and found the main rear brake line had rusted and was spilling brake fluid near the driver rear shock. after inspecting all the steel tube brake lines they all will need replacing as all are rusted very badly. *tr

Was approaching a red light at approx 30 miles per hour when the brake pedal simply "popped" and went all the way to floor. i was able to muscle it to a stop between the very little braking left, downshifting and the emergency brake. mechanic determined all brake lines rusted and leaking. *tr

While backing my truck out of the garage i lost my brakes due to pedal going to floor and loosing brake fluid. i was able to get it to stop with emergency brake. upon further investigation i noticed all brake lines that route on outside of frame between master cylinder and abs module were rusted badly and were wet with brake fluid. *tr

I was quite fortunate to have been leaving a parking spot and had just left "park" shifted into drive and applied the brake because a pedestrian stepped out. at that time the pedal hit the floor, i steered the truck in the opposite direction from the person, headed for a part of the lot where there were no cars, applied the parking brake, it did'nt work either, so i put it into park. all this and i hadnt applied the gas to the vehicle. only moments before i parked, i had been traveling on the expressway at 70 mph. when i got out of the truck, all the brake fluid was on the ground. upon closer investigation, we noticed the brake lines were rotted out completely. we feel lucky that no one was injured or killed. very angry at chevrolet. *tr

My chevrolet silverado pickup (1500 4x4) has experienced three major brake failures. the first failure was while driving and approaching a stop sign. when i attempted to brake, my foot went to the floor. after pumping a few times, the truck slowed but with little stopping power. the vehicle was immediately towed and brake fluid was actively dripping from the lines. the second failure was about a year later while driving at low speeds (<5 mph) while parking. again, my foot went to the floor before the abs system activated (completely dry conditions) with essentially no stopping power (abs activation but no braking power). this resulted in an accident as the truck did not have enough room to effectively stop (thank goodness the car in the parking space in front of my was unoccupied). after being repaired by the dealer (twice), the problem just occurred again (approx. 2 years later). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet silverado 1500. the vehicle was taken for state inspection when the contact was informed that all of the brake lines were corroded and would have to be replaced. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: ea11001 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 44,000.

The vehicles brakes failed while approaching a stop sign (i was lucky there was no accident or injury). the vehicle was towed and the mechanic reported catastropic failure of the brake lines (rusted through causing complete loss of fluid). *js

Sometimes when i apply the brakes at low speed 5 -10 mph on dry pavement the abs will start to cycle making the stopping distance extremely long. *tr

Brake line ruptured. mechanic said it had rusted through. this happen in 2009 and again today 2/23/2013. *tr

This vehicle, at 46,000 miles had to have all the rotors and brake pads and two calipers replaced because they rusted up and locked up. had to do it again about 65,000 miles, then had a back caliper seize up and replaced both rotors and one caliper along with new pads. i then had to have all the rotors replaced, both front hubs, one new caliper and pads again at beck chevrolet a year ago. on my way down to fl this past fall, with about 84,000 on the truck, another caliper seized up and had to replace the caliper, both back rotors and brake pads. yesterday, 3/27/13, on my way home from town, with 85,000 miles on the truck, the pedal went to the floor and no brakes. inspection showed a ruptured brake line on the driver's side. my repairman said every brake line is swiss cheese and need to be replaced. this is ridiculous. i've spent several thousand dollars and have replaced brakes 3 times, all rotors, most calipers and two front hubs because of rust. the frame and everything under my truck is rusted very badly. i've owned this truck since 2004, and bought it when it had 26,000 miles on it. it drives beautiful and is like new, but it's going to rot right out from under me. please help! *tr

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