Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I was driving on a paved secondary road at about 40 mph. as i approached a rr crossing i put my foot on the brake pedal and when i tried to apply the brakes, the pedal went to the floor. this was a normal gentle application, not a panic stop situation. i then pumped the brake pedal and got just a little braking ability and i was able to stop the vehicle. i was about one mile from my home, so i turned around in a driveway and very slowly returned to my house. i parked in my driveway. about an hour later i went out to the vehicle and noticed a puddle under the vehicle; i then opened the hood and there was a lot of brake fluid sprayed around the engine compartment on the driver side of the vehicle. i made arrangements to have the vehicle checked & repaired and had the vehicle transported to the repair shop. the shop said a brake line was ruptured due to corrosion, also said all of the brake lines had excessive corrosion and recommended that i have all of the brake lines replaced. i did have all of the brake lines replaced. in looking at complaints on your website, i see that this is a common problem on gm pickups; i am surprised that nhtsa has not forced gm to step up to fix the problem vehicles. now that my truck is fixed, i am still concerned about all of the other gm pickup trucks on the road that have severely corroded brake lines. this problem is too serious for nhtsa to ignore.

When i went for my recent inspection i was told by my mechanic all brake lines leading to abs system and after were badly rusted and needed to be replaced. is there any recall to help on getting this fix? *tr

I realize that this vehicle is well out of the 3 year 36,000 mile manufacturer warranty. but lately with how rapidly this truck with less than 70,000 miles seems to be falling apart on me its just really been frustrating. i've only had the vehicle out of the shop less than two weeks for front wheel bearing/ abs sensor repair when my speedometer completely went out. most of the time speedometer is reading 0 mph occasionally it will flutter between 5-10 mph. reading online i see gm extended their speedometer warranty to 7 yrs/70k miles. just very frustrating general motors. i can only imagine what this what this repair will cost. in the past year alone the repairs that were made to this truck with less than 70,000 miles have been... front wheel bearings,sway bar(links/bushings), inner/ outer tie rods( both sides), upper/ lower a arms (both sides), new brakes/rotors( all the way around) , a front end alignment with my new tires. this is a 2 wheel drive 1500 truck not a 2500 4x4 that was used to plow snow with for years. no idea why the whole front end of my truck was so rotted out to the point everything needed replaced. not for a truck with so few miles on it. and now this. *tr

Tl * the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the brakes traveled to the floorboard when depressed and failed to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that all the brake lines were rusted and corroded. as a result all of the brake lines needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 42,548. updated 12/30/13*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the brakes traveled to the floorboard while depressed and failed to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was advised that the brake lines were severely corroded, which needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 99,000. the consumer stated as he approached the top of the hi,, and the road leveled out, he saw a vehicle stopped with the turn signal on, indicating a he/she was going to make a left turn, the consumer pushed on the brake pedal to slow down and the pedal went to the floor. no warning lights appeared on the dashboard, nor was there any indication there was a problem with the brakes. as the consumer was speeding toward the stopped car in front of him, with no brakes, he saw a driveway leading to a small shopping area. he turned abruptly into the driveway and was able to stop, using the emergency brake without damage to his vehicle or any other vehicles or property. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined the brake line had rusted through and brake fluid was lost.

Got cut-off in traffic, stepped on the brakes it held for a second then went to the floor. got the truck home only to find that the brake line was rusted thru and leaking, and with that i was checking the other lines found them to be rusted as well. *jb

Was driving 15 mph in a parking lot when a person stepped in front of my truck. when i hit the brake pedal, the pedal went to the floor requiring me to pump the brake pedal rapidly (many times) with the emergency brake to avoid hitting the person. very scary! i purchased this truck new and has always been garaged! there are so many times i or someone else would have been killed if the brakes had failed at another time. this is a very serious issue (brake line rust) for a 9 year old vehicle with only 89,100 miles. chevrolet should be held responsible!. *tr

Steel brake line failed causing a loss of brake fluid and hydraulic pressure and vehicle failed to stop. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that while having the vehicle examined by an independent mechanic, he was informed that the brake lines were severely rusted and corroded. the rotors and backing plates were also corroded. as a result, the contact stated that pieces of the backing plates fractured while driving. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were notified, but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 43,000. updated 06/06/12 *js

Owner was driving on a major highway when another vehicle pulled onto the highway from the shoulder. during the emergency stop the brakes began to fail, and completely failed at the conclusion of the stop, with the brake pedal going to the floor. although there was no resulting accident, the potential for a serious accident was very prevalent. upon inspection, brake fluid was found dripping from the frame rail just below the master cylinder and brake block area. the brake lines had rusted to the point of failure where the lines was mounted to the frame and held in place by plastic retaining clips..on additional inspection, the other brake hardlines were found to be rusted as well. the only viable fix would seem to be a total replacement of the existing lines, to prevent concatenated failures. *tr

Brake line failed as i was backing out of my driveway . found the cause to be severe rusting of the underbody i find this condition unacceptable for a 30.000 dollar truck with this many miles. i am thankful there were no injuries or property damage. *js

Brake lines rusted and ruptured at a bend going to left front wheel. this truck was bought new by me in south florida and never driven on the beach or in salty conditions. why are you only looking at 1999 through 2003 when they clearly did not improve the brake lines for 2004? the underside of my truck has bad corrosion. *js

On saturday march 3, 2012, my son was backing the truck out of a driveway when the brake pedal went to the floor. investigation showed that brake fluid was squirting from a broken brake line under the bed of the truck and about 6 - 8 inches rearward from the back of the cab. subsequently, i found that all brake lines are defective and there will be a cost in the area of $1600 to repair these items. *tr

When i had the oil changed i had the garage check the brake lines since i had heard of many failures. they determined and showed me that the lines were corroded and the connections to the calipers were also so corroded that they broke when they tried to remove them. i had everything replaced to prevent a failure of the system. *tr

Brake line from master cylinder to the antilock control box failed to line corrosion. *tr

Driving on i-95 in florida exit 289 as i was exiting i applied brakes pedal went to floor used e-brake to slow vehicle down which took some distance lucky for me exit ramp very long, i noticed no traffic on rt.1 so i went through stop sign. there was no warning light on dash or any other warning. i finally stopped got out and found a major leak behind left front tire along side frame i noticed 4 brake line stacked 2x2 against frame rail.they were totally rusted and rubbing frame truck now at dealer. i have owned many chevy trucks with more mileage and age never had this happen or brake lines rustout so bad. *tr

After returning to the truck from an errand i started the engine and, upon depressing the brake pedal to put the vehicle in gear, the brake pedal went to the floor. no warning lamps of any sort were illuminated prior to the brake pedal going to the floor. pumping of the pedal did not produce any resistance. after a few minutes the brake fluid level warning lamp came on. brake fluid was added but did not result in any resistance from the pedal. had to have the truck towed home where it then sat over-night. the next morning i observed a large wet spot on the driveway just below the driver's side door. i looked underneath and saw that all of the brake lines going into or out of the abs module were severely corroded and at least one had obviously been leaking brake fluid. the truck was towed to a chevrolet dealer. i arrived as they were raising the truck on a lift. evidently they also added some brake fluid because quite a large puddle was forming on the shop floor below where the brake lines enter the abs module. the technician, the service consultant, and i all observed the rusted brake lines, and fluid was literally dripping from one that had obviously burst. the dealer advised that gm does not make replacement steel brake lines so all the lines would need to be hand fabricated by the technician. dealer also advised that the abs module may have to be replaced because of how corroded the brake line fittings are (fittings are steel, abs module is aluminum) where they screw into the module. we also observed that the fuel lines were severely corroded. i have owned many vehicles far older and with far more mileage and have never had to replace the steel brake lines. i believe the design is flawed (the routing and placement of lines and module) or the brake line material (steel, instead of stainless steel) is insufficient. i have photos and the old parts. *tr

Front brake lines blew out at different times first left front brake line blew out in 2010 then a year latter the right front brake line blew out in 2011. *tr

Brake line failure. lines completely rusted, and leaking fluid. the failure happened just after unhooking a small trailer i was pulling loaded with 2000 lb of sand and gravel. *tr

I own a 04 1500 4x4 silverado. as i was stopping behind a car that was waiting to make a left turn i press on the brake pedal to slow down the pedal went to the floor. i had to pump the pedal and go off to the side of the road what a ride!!!!! to stop.by the way i'm a mechanic too. i look under the truck to see if there were leaks. found that 4 brake lines under the cab on the driver side outside of the frame was very very rusted and leaking as well rested under the truck all under how many is bad i don't know. i just has it tow to the dealer the next day. i don't drive the truck much because i have a 98 s-10 p/u the brake lines on that is holding up so far. *tr

Brakes failed while stopping for a red light. had to narrowly swerve into other lane to avoid a crash, with both feet on the brake pedal to the floor. line ruptured due to corrosion, just in front of driver's door, along frame. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the brake lines failed without warning and were completely rusted. the dealer inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the brake lines needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 58,900 and the current mileage was 59,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500 pickup. the contact stated the brake lines were covered with rust, making it difficult to stop the vehicle which could cause a crash. the dealer was notified, but denied any assistance with repairing the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 55,000.

Was about to pull out onto the highway when the brake pedal went to the floor. with truck in park, checked underneath and noticed puddles of brake fluid on the ground. turned truck around and parked it using the parking brake to slow/stop. after parking the truck, the instrument cluster said to service brakes soon. further investigation revealed the hydraulic brake lines along the frame rail are prematurely deteriorated. all need replacing. *tr

Backing out of driveway and had no brakes. got out and saw dripping fluid near mid frame. brake line had ruptured due to excessive corrosion. all brake lines on the truck are very corroded and need to be replaced. i have never had anything like this on any vehicle at this age and mileage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. as the contact attempted to decelerate at 3 mph, the vehicle would not respond. the brakes were abnormally depressed into the floorboard. the vehicle was coasted from the main roadway and towed to the dealer for inspection. after inspection, he was told that all the brake lines were ruptured from corrosion. the dealer replaced all the brake lines. there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 65,800.

I was driving my 2004 chevy silverado pickup to work when upon slowing down to enter a driveway the brake system ruptured and i lost all braking. luckily i was going 5mph or i would have hit something or someone. later that evening i went on-line to research chevy truck complaints and i found the brake failure i experienced is epidemic with 2000-2006 models from all parts of the country, and that gm is doing nothing about it-blaming it on salt etc.. if that were the case ,all vehicles would be suffering these issues, not so. the consensus is that the brake lines are made of inferior materials and placed on the frame in such a way as to accumulate dirt,salt and moisture and hold it creating the perfect spot for corrosion to occur. almost all of the ruptures occur in the same spot-under the drivers seat area, behind the left front wheel. as mine did. my concern is that someday an unsuspecting owner will put his /her brakes on,say, to avoid a child or at a busy intersection, and have the same failure , resulting in injury or death. my concern is that gm and its dealers are aware of this and have not warned truck owners about the dangers. my dealer just serviced my truck and gave it a safety check, but did not seem to notice the brake lines were rusting out to the point of failure. i wonder how many trucks with prematurely rotting brake lines they have repaired over the years (and not have noticed a pattern), only to remain silent? pleas help me do something before people get hurt or killed. *kb

Driving condition warranted a quick stop. applied brakes but pedal went to the floor without any stopping ability. i applied emergency brake to stop as i drifted into intersection, then put automatic transmission into park engine was still running and i noticed that if i depressed brake pedal i could engage transmission drive, but as i attempted to move the vehicle it coasted since i was on an incline .then i contacted aaa and they arranged a tow to local repair shop. there it was determined that my brake line failed due to corrosion. all truck brakes were just replaced and state inspected 12/18/10 at the dealer from where i bought truck. *tr

Went to stop for a vehicle turning left and had a sudden brake failure .. unable to stop and drove through a lawn to miss rearending a car. first time noticed any brake problems .. truck is now at automotive repair shop with one busted brake line and all five lines corroded and needing replacement. *tr

2004 chevrolet silverado 1500 4 wheel drive. abs system activates when coming to a normal stop at about 5 miles per hour. this causes the brake pedal to push back your foot back and the brakes to release slightly. it happens intermittently and you never know when to expect it. no accidents yet, but i can see where this could cause many. there are also numerous complaints on the internet where other drivers of like gm owners are experiencing similar problems. *tr

I experienced a catastrophic brake failure in my 2004 silverado while approaching a traffic light. fortunately, traffic was light and i was able to downshift, use the ebrake to come to a halt and gather my wits. there was no warning until the brake pedal went completely to the floor then the warning light and audio indicator came on. i nursed the truck home driving slowly and using the ebrake. upon arriving at home and performing an inspection of the brake system i discovered a severely rusted/corroded through brake pipe directly below the proportional manifold leading to the abs unit. absolutely no redundancy here, total failure. upon further inspection of the brake system, i discovered an unacceptable amount of rust/corrosion on brake pipes. the corrosion also appears on other lines as well as the whole underside of the truck. i am appalled that gm does not have a recall on this very serious defect that is life threatening but does have recalls on parts that are not life threatening such as lights or tail gate cables. i have never had a failure such as this in this new of a vehicle in my 50 plus years of driving, even in michigan. something needs to be done to rectify this serious defect. i plan on replacing the entire brake pipe and lines with a stainless steel system. i am sure most other gm owners are unaware of this defect as i was and having this type of incident definitely is not the way to find out about it. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact stated that he applied pressure to the brakes yet the vehicle continued to accelerate. he then used the emergency brake to idle the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where they performed a diagnostic test which confirmed that the brake lines were rusted and corroded. the manufacturer assured the contact that they would contact the dealer on his behalf. the contact was awaiting a response. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileage was 70,500.

Truck had a sudden and complete failure of the braking system. the failure resulted in a low speed collosion when the vehicle would not stop and the pedal went to the floor. upon examination of the truck, it was determined that a steel brake line had burst and was releasing brake fluid. all the brake lines appear to have excessive corrosion. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving approximately 30 mph the contact applied pressure to the brake pedal approaching a red light and fell to the floor. the contact pulled the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the tow truck driver informed the contact that the brake line was broken. brake fluid was leaking and the under carriage was severely covered with rust. the vehicle was in the dealers possession for diagnostic testing and repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 52,000 . the dealer replaced all the steel brake lines and bled the brake system. updated 05/19/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the vehicle brake lines were corroded. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs. the manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 43,986.

I was traveling down the road approximately 30 mph, when i applied the brakes the pedal went to the floor. a leak in the front line to the abs pump caused total brake failure. truck coasted to a stop and had to be towed. this should not have resulted in total brake failure. i feel this could cause a serious accident and should be recalled by chevy.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while reversing and attempting to brake, the pedal extended to the floorboard which caused the vehicle to crash. there were no injuries. the contact noticed brake fluid draining from under the driver seat. the brake line ruptured. whenever the air conditioner was turned on, it blew hot air on the driver side and cold on the passenger side. the contact had to turn the vehicle off and back on to reset the problem. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop but had not been inspected. the vehicle had previously been taken to an authorized dealer for a brake failure and the contact was informed that the problem was due to a lack of maintenance on his part. neither the manufacturer nor the dealer had been notified. the failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that after having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, he noticed that the brake lines were corroded and rusted. the dealer informed the contact that there were no recalls and after six months, it was normal for the brake lines to be corroded. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 65,000.

2004 chevy silverado brake lines ( i am a mechanic and have been watching these for a year now) have finally let go . rust on the lines has caused brake failure of the truck . fortunately it was in my own driveway . this truck is a pampered vehicle with only 50k miles on it and it looks like new on the outside . *tr

Complete brake failure. i went to start the pickup truck and when i stepped on the brake pedal it went to the floor. the truck had just been used a few minutes earlier and the brakes worked fine. due to rust, a brake line burst. i thought with a dual master cylinder i would never loose both front and back brakes at the same time. this was not the case. the brakes do not to stop this vehicle. *tr

Brake failure occurred on my 2004, silverado, due to a ruptured brake line. incident occured in driveway. the leak was a pin-hole type, which shot a stream of brake fluid when the brakes were activated. the truck has 48,000 miles and was purshased new. *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet pickup with 55,000 miles. today i was informed while the vehicle was being inspected for the state of maine, that the brake lines are so severally rusted that they all need to be replaced at a cost of $900. i have already replaced all the brake rotors two years ago and the front ones again this year. *tr

Truck lost ability to stop effectively. truck was taken to local repair shop. mechanic found brake lines had ruptured because of corrosion. brake lines were replaced. *tr

Vehicle was being operated in a normal manner. after stopping for a brake and preparing to leave the parking area, the brake pedal was depressed in order to shift into reverse. the pedal immediately went to the floor and the service brake system warning light and chime alarm activated. upon exiting vehicle, brake fluid was seen pouring to the ground from an area under the driver's seat. after being towed to a repair facility and put on the lift it was discovered that a brake line mounted onto the chassis had rusted completely through. a subsequent investigation of all the brake lines showed severe rust and corrosion damage and all were replaced. vehicle was returned to normal usage afterward with no problems noted. old parts are not available. *tr

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) abs false activation at low speed, when almost stopped on 2004 chevy. silverado. increased stopping distance almost resulted in accident. hub corrosion causes abs failure and was subject of recall # 05v379000 (nhtsa action # pe05020) covering 1999 to 2002 model years. same design seeing same problem on subsequent years. gm tsb # 03052007-d covers description for 1999 to 2006 model years, but "special (warranty) policy" only covers 1999 to 2002. tried working with gm before repair and received case # [xxx]. after repair was completed, was told by district manager (patrick) that repair would not be covered due to age of vehicle. dealer confirmed with gm customer rep (edward) that truck was low mileage, not abused, and passed "multi-point" check without any problems. paid $212 out of pocket to get truck released. it is ironic that if the truck was 2 years older it would be covered. this recall needs to be expanded to cover all model years, after 2002, with this same hub design! district manager also said if recall is expanded, they would issue refunds to people who already paid out of pocket for this repair. work was performed at shearer chevrolet, shelburne rd., south burlington, vt on 05-20-2010. their phone # 802-658-1111, service rep was sandy, invoice # [xxx]. [xxx] *tr

During slow speeds, under 10 miles per hour, stopping (approaching stop signs, traffic lights, other vehicle traffic, etc.) the abs kicks on without warning making braking very difficult. the vehicle has no abs warning light on. much more pressure must be applied to the brake pedal in order to overcome the abs and come to a complete stop. makes driving the truck much more dangerous and has a large potential for a vehicle accident. my opinion is that this issue should be a vehicle recall item. i live in the snow belt where much sand and salt is spread on the roads. *tr

2004 chevrolet silverado extended cab, poor braking. replaced brakes and rotors and still have poor braking. have to bear down on pedal to stop. speedometer reading goes up and down on it's own. had a speed sensor replaced but didn't correct the problem had the dealership replace steering coupling in steering column because of clunking in the steering. the clunking, loose feeling has started again. *tr

I have a 2004 chevy silverado i have to plan my stop or i will crash i have had to swerve in on going traffic to keep from hitting people my truck has extremely poor stopping is there a recall [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

My 2004 chevy silverado goes into abs mode at speeds under 10 mph increasing stopping distance . this occurs at every stop. the dealer cleaned rust from the front speed sensor seat ,this fixed the problem. this is the same problem that 2002 and prior models had that resulted in a recall. the dealer said this recall was for the same problem but did not cover 2003 and up. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. when she engaged the brake pedal it extended to the floor. all four of the rotors were completely corroded. the dealer first stated it was from road salt, but then revised the statement to say it was because the consumer had only driven the vehicle 3800 miles in one year. the rotors were replaced. the manufacturer was notified and she is waiting for a response. the failure and current mileages were 30,257. updated 10/20/09 *cn updated 10/22/09