Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Abs activation upon low speed stop on dry pavement. *tr

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

Hello, i have a 2004 chevy silverado 1500 4x4 extended cab. i started to notice that the anti-lock brakes were acting unusual. between 10 mph and 7 mph, the anti-lock brakes will act like they were on wet pavement or icy pavement, pulsating until i come to a complete stop. i have 62,000 miles on the vehicle, it has been properly maintained and looks like the day it came from the dealer. i have been doing some research and have noticed that the goes back to the 1999 model year. i have contacted my dealer and there is not any recalls for my vehicle. thank you *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500 with 58,283 miles on it. i took it to the dealer for state inspection and found that the rotors are all rusted and have to be replaced. in checking these at the dealer, i discovered that the steel has a lot of carbon in it. the manufacturer is using an inferior product for these rotors. in checking the on line, i discovered that this seems to be normal for general motors, that they are aware of it and it doesn't matter if you have 100 miles or more this is happening to these vehicles. general motors is using inferior materials. *tr

Defective brakes on 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500 crew cab. at just over 50,000 miles i had to have all four rotors and pads replace because the rotors were rusting because of bad metal(rusting from the inside out and pitting), and now at 79000 i am getting a shaking and vibrating (probably from the abs) at low speeds. *tr

Soft service brake pedal. pedal travels to the end of travel with minimal effort, and without full braking force. taken to dealer 4 times and they cannot figure it out. *tr

The brake lines failed on my 2004 chevy silverado. i crashed. the body shop stated the brake lines had rusted through. i only have 34674 miles on the truck, and i am the only owner and driver. i have checked numerous website (consumer affairs.com) and have found a lot of data concerning chevy brake lines rusting. chevy dealership advised they should not have rusted but will not fix them. nhtsa should get involved and look into chevy brake lines rusting before a fatality occurs!!!!!! i believe this is a serious issue and should be looked into and a recall of gm/chevy trucks should be issued by your agency. under "component name" there is not a description for brake lines so i put down "other or unknown". *tr

Takes a lot of pedal pressure to stop the truck & w/ no load & the braking is poor, takes longer distance to stop than it should. brake lines have rusted bad but no failure yet. *tr

I have had constant brake problems with rotors rusting. i have been told this is due to not driving my truck enough, that it sits too much. it's drove about 180 miles a week. this is both front and rear. for chevrolet silverado 1500 4x4 2004. have had problems since it was under warranty. since day one of owning the truck. contacted gm and they said they would not cover. now gm wants $904.00 to replace rotors and pads. had the vehicle in while under warranty and they just cleaned them. second time i complained i had 23,800 miles on the truck, over warranty time/ under mileage. *tr

2004 chevrolet silverado abs breaks pulse at low speed when stopping on non slippery surfaces, greatly increasing stopping distance and control characteristics of the vehicle. this sudden change in breaking performance and vehicle to pulling to the left, almost resulted in a collision. this condition is known to nhtsa as id# 10004310 or tsb# 030525007 i strongly believe that this safety defect should be corrected by recall. as i understand it earlier models have a safety recall for this condition which is caused by metal corrosion. *tr

My 2004 chevy silverado has low speed abs activation even on dry pavement. the pedal locks up and you cannot stop the truck. earlier trucks were recalled for this but not mine. gm does not want to assist in the repair of the vehicle. the problem is a well known problem that greatly affects the safe operation of the vehicle. it has almost made me crash many times, it is now parked in need of repair. my other complaint is that the emergency brake will not hold the vehicle. it is a very poor design that is also well known. the ebrake is useless, this is also a large safety concern. couple these two problems together, and its deaths waiting to happen. *tr

10/28/08 i woke @ 6 a.m. to let the dogs out. and i heard this loud noise coming from the garage. come to find out it was the abs control module, just running away. no keys in the truck. just running. so i unplugged it and plugged it back in. it stopped the noise but i don't trust it now. *tr

Normal daily driver one day the abs pump motor started running and would not shut off even with the key shut off. the only fix is to buy another abs module (faulty ). *tr

2004 chevrolet siverado abs light on making a humming noise, taking to dealer tomorrow. *tr

Brake failure 2004 chevy silverado 1500. loud grinding noise in the right rear area of my pickup led me to stop at the nearest repair location to diagnose problem. inspection indicated brake pad on inner right rear wheel was worn down to metal and was grooving into the rotor. advised to drive as little as possible and bring truck the next day for repairs. the next day i took it back and had to have a rotor replaced and all four rear brake pads, even though the other three pads still had 75% of the pads left on them. technicians who worked on my vehicle recognized common problem seen in many 1500 chevy silverado's of this age/era. technical bulletin from chevrolet (00-05-23-005b, dated may 27,2003) states problem with this model truck including year models 1999-2004. solution to problem was to install mud flaps in front of rear tires to prevent road debris from being thrown up onto caliper assemblies and causing excessive wear to the right rear inner brake pad. we purchased this truck in december of 2003, well after this bulletin was published and they sold it to us with no mud flaps installed and no mention of the need for mudflaps or that there was a known design flaw in the vehicle that could cause rear brake damage. chevrolet should have installed mud flaps on all affected truck models sold after they were aware of this flaw. they did not, nor did they later issue a recall to address this issue. mud flaps they recommend are not longer being manufactured by them. i have attempted to resolve this issue with chevrolet and they have refused any responsibility or assistance in obtaining the mud flaps (part # 15765007) or reimbursing us for the brake work that would not have had to have been done, if not for this known design flaw in our truck. i believe that there are thousands of truck owners out there that have had this same problem and perhaps did not have access to the bulletin, and are unaware of chevrolets knowledge of the design flaw and the mud flap solution. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that his brakes had to be completely replaced at 18,000 miles. the rotor was rusted, corroded, soft, and spongy. the dealer replaced the brakes for free. currently, at 28,000 miles, the brakes are in worse condition than before the previous repair was performed. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer for repair; however, they wanted to charge him for the service. the contact feels that he should not have to pay since the brakes were not properly repaired the first time. instead, the contact took the vehicle to a private mechanic for repair. the failure mileage was 28,300.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving 55 mph, the contact heard a loud grinding noise as if the brakes were dragging. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the entire braking system needed to be replaced because the vehicle was not driven enough. the failure and current mileages were less than 9,000. updated 09/25/08 *bf updated 09/25/08. *jb

Brakes became weak. upon inspection, i discovered that the inside of the rotor was wearing in only a 1" wide circle around the rotor. the rear of the rotor was rusted over inside and outside o where the pad should have left them clean and shiny. pad was almost worn out, but still serviceable. outside pad was like new. *tr

Brake rotors rusting out ,this truck has 38,000 miles on it, brakes do not work well like this. i had to have rotors replaced, could not turn because to much rust. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving approximately 20 mph, the contact attempted to brake but the brake pedal extended to the floorboard. the brake service light also illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle coasted to a stop. upon inspection, the contact noticed that brake fluid was leaking from under the hood. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the brake lines were rusted through and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired at that time. after two years, the contact noticed that the brake lines had rusted again. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 17,000. the current mileage was approximately 20,000.

Ongoing - low speed actuation of abs while vehicle is decelerating, nearing stopping speed. increased stopping distance. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that when he depresses the brake pedal, the vehicle vibrates excessively. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced and turned the rotors down. after 7,000 miles, the failure recurred. the dealer stated that because the vehicle exceeded the warranty, the contact would be responsible for the repair costs to replace the brake rotors. the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. the failure mileage was 28,000 and current mileage was 35,000. updated 06/02/08 *bf updated 06/02/08 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the abs sensors malfunctioned when he attempted to stop the vehicle. when he attempted to come to a complete stop, the vehicle lunged forward and almost struck a school bus. the failure worsened over time. he stated that 4 out of 5 times, when he would attempt to stop the vehicle, the abs would malfunction and prevent sufficient braking control. he took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the hubs were corroded. the current mileage was approximately 52,000 and failure mileage was approximately 40,000. updated 6/2/08 *cn 06/02/08

Normal use caused significant need for repair of brakes, emission system, and engine. *tr

I have two apparent defects on my 2004 chevrolet silverado. the truck was purchased in december 2003 and has 15.000 miles on it. i have noticed rusting brake rotors and poor ability to stop the truck. i noticed rust on the brake rotors inside and out. i have approached my dealer with the scenario but since the truck is out of warranty by time (3 years) there is nothing other than a discount that he would offer to fix. i have read quite a bit on this issue and it appears to be a pervasive safety problem. i even have a co worker who has the exact same scenario...same year and same problem. i have decided to repair myself but i believe this is a design defect. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving 15 mph with the four wheel drive activated, the tires begin spinning. the failure occurs when the ground is slippery due to mud, snow, or ice. when the tires regain traction and the brake pedal is depressed, the pedal will not go down at all. the vehicle revs and surges. the abs motor can be heard but the brakes fail to operate. the contact was involved in three crashes due to the failure. the first crash dented the driver side. the second crash occurred when he struck a tree while driving in reverse. the bumper was bent and the quarter panel was caved inwards. the third crash occurred when he accelerated and the vehicle revved and slipped on wet grass. the vehicle then went off the edge of the road and down 30-40 feet into a snow bank. a tow truck had to retrieve the vehicle. the vehicle has been to the dealer approximately 5 or 6 times, but they cannot duplicate the failure. the contact has the work orders. the current mileage was 72,000 and the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to midas for a brake inspection. the rotors were removed and found to be rusting from the inside. the midas mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as needing new rotors. the chevrolet dealer is only willing to turn the rotors down so that they will be within specification. the contact would be responsible for replacing the brake pads. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage is 36,800 and failure mileage was 35,000.

Severe corrosion/rust on all 4 in board side brake rotors, which caused in board disc pads to wear out (to the metal). mileage 19,680. had to replace pads and rotors on all wheels. *jb

Rear disc braking system on 2004 chevy silverado with 41k miles suffers from excessive corrosion on rotor edges, causing reduced brake pad contact, and leading to poor stopping ability overall. replacement of these rotors and pads is the only action that can be taken to correct the problem. *jb

2004 chevy silverado, brakes began making a grinding sound and it became more difficult to stop. checked pads and rotors, rotors are rusted and badly pitted causing an unusual wear pattern on pads. vehicle only has 44,000 miles. this is indicative of faulty design or faulty materials. my previous gm vehicles did not have a problem like this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a chevrolet silverado 1500. while driving at a low speed in an attempt to stop the vehicle the brakes failed. the dealer informed the contact that they could not diagnose the brake failure unless the incident recurred.. the contact stated this failurewas a safety concern and could result in a crash. *ak

Tl* - the contact stated that on 10/25/05, he took vehicle to the dealership for a free oil change. he received a repair order and didn't pay attention to the order and folded it up and put away in glove box. the contact stated that on 12/23/06 a mechanic looked at the vehicle and told the contact that the brake rotors were rusted and chewed up and the pads were gone. when he looked over the repair order from 10/25/06 he found that they noted on the repair order that the rotors were rusted at that time. the contact called the manufacturer, and was given file # 71-461701161. the manufacturer contacted dealership and informed them that they must resurface the rotors. the parts and labor would be the contacts responsibility. the contact felt that with such low mileage on the vehicle brakes should not be repaired so soon. updated 02/09/07. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated when the brake pedal was depressed, the brakes vibrated and pulled regardless of speed. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who determined that all the rotors were severely rusted. the dealer machined 3 of the rotors, and replaced one. updated 10/18/2006 - *nm

The brakes on my 2004 silverado k1500 are very poor. i have had it in 3 times, but each time i have been told the brakes are fine. the 3rd time in they told me the brakes were in gm specs, but then told me how to fix them. that tells me there is a problem and they are ignoring it. *jb

Took the truck to the chevy dealership for pulsating brakes and a weird 'clunking' noise/feel in the steering when cornering. they replaced the rotor assembly, but never located the cause of the steering issue. this issue has continued to this day. last week i met another chevy silverado owner who had experienced the same problem and had received a recall on this issue. i've never been notified nor have i seen the bulletin on this site (he recommended this site to obtain the data). his vehicle was the same make & model, but one year older (mine is a 2004). this 'clunking' noise/feel is consistent when turning corners in either direction. it effects the performance feel of the vehicle. and leaves us wondering if the steering box is about to fall apart at any moment. please advise if recall has in fact been issued for this make & model year. *tr

Dt: the contact stated, the break pedal was positioned almost to the floor, making stopping difficult. also, there was a loud popping sound, (ba-bang) from the area of the fuel tank, within a few minutes of turning off the ignition. both issues have been addressed with the dealer and no solution was found for the breaks and changing the brand of fuel was suggested for the popping sound. both issues continue unresolved.

Dt*: the contact stated after taking the vehicle in for an inspection, the mechanic informed the contact the rear brakes and rotors were bad. the contact inspected the rotors and noticed the rotors were pitted very badly. prior to inspection, on the first of may 2006, the the vehicle was to a dealership for a routine oil change and they determined that the brakes and rotors looked good. the contact expressed concern of how the rotors could have become so pitted in such a short period of time.

When braking, if the vehicle is on a very rough road that makes the truck bounce sharply several times in a brief period, the abs system activates. this increases the stopping distance on a dry road. on a certain country asphalt road i have driven there is a short rough are immediately preceding a stop sign at an intersection. as an experienced driver i know when to commence braking. however, the first time i drove my abs-equipped silverado at the location mentioned, the stopping time was increased unexpectedly due to the abs activation and my truck went part-way into the intersection. future stops were made safely after i became aware of the strange abs behavior and began braking at that intersection earlier than normal and crawled over the rough pavement section at a snail's pace. danger exists when driving in an unfamiliar location and coming upon a very rough spot. these rough spots are not always readily visible especially on an asphalt covered roadway. the bumps do not have to be large, just enough to jostle the truck vertically, causing the abs to engage. i notified the dealer but they mentioned a lack of opportunity to replicate the conditions that caused the problem along with expressing doubt about the problem actually occurring. an internal groan emerged as i heard the 4-wheeler driving rookies spew their blather as this long-haul trucking professional driver who drives in one year what they do in ten was doubted. typical. i admit, the problem is difficult to replicate unless a location can be found with the proper pavement conditions. the spot where i first noticed the problem is in california, i am now back home in nebraska and have not found a place hereabouts where the abs activation occurs due to a rough roadway. *jb

Although i have not had an accident, the brakes on my 2004 silverado k1500 are dangerous. the pedal is very soft and when pulling a 4000# travel trailer i have serious problems stopping safely. i have had to take the shoulder on one occasion to avoid hitting another vehicle. even when empty, it takes an excessive distance to safely stop. my dealer has told me the brakes are within gm specifications, but has also told me what i can do to improve them. at my cost of course. *jb

Faulty abs braking with 2004 chevy silverado since time of purchase, low speed braking results in pulsing and unsafe stopping distance on dry pavement. i have 40,000 miles on this 2004 truck and have had 2 full brake jobs (rotors and pads, and had the rotors turned once) i mostly use the truck for commuting without much braking (highway miles). i have never had the abs light come on, yet the brakes are dangerous. the dealership i purchased from simply said gm went with rear drum brakes the next year to make it better, with no service bulletin or recall created. do i have any solution or recourse for this costly and dangerous braking system? *tr

Rear rotors fail at about 30,000 mile interval replaced once under warranty --after that it was out of my pocket. *tr

Dt: the vehicle is a 2004 gm chevrolet k1500 z71 extend cab 4x4. anti lock brakes were defective. when consumer applied pressure to the abs they did not hold. on 2-11-05 he took vehicle to the dealer to be repaired, and they did nothing to fix the issue. while driving on 6-23/24-05 the abs did not hold , causing consumer's vehicle to lightly bump another vehicle. when consumer contacted the manufacturer they told him to take it to city chevrolet. he took it to them on 7-5-05 ,and he still has not gotten it back yet. consumer found that there was a recall in november . 2004 in canada concerning corrosion in the abs brakes. the vehicle he owned was manufactured by general motors in canada ltd.. *ak there is a special order part that was not immediately available in dealer inventory for the inoperative brakes. vehicle downshifts at highway speeds to 2nd gear. engine surges while driving and the brake pedal is hard to push down and doesn't stop well. *tt

I had serious problems with the brakes on my 2004 chevy silverado k1500. the dealer looked at it 3 times and said everything was ok, but the delaer never even drove it to check out my complaint. this vehicle had less than 12,000 miles on it and it would not stop on a sharp decline unless the brake pedal was constantly held all the way on the floor. i paid an outside compnay to repair the problem because the chevy delaer would not do anything to fix this unsafe vehicle. i have since sold the vehicle but have spoken to other chevy k1500 owners who have the same complaint. those brakes are defective and unsafe, people are going to get killed because chevy refuses to admit to the problem of poor safety design!

The vehicle would not stop in a reasonable distance and i had to go to the right of vehicle in front. no accident resulted. now i must begin stopping well ahead of time because the rear brakes never seem to stop well. gm has worked on the brakes at least three times, including replacing the rear calipers and pads all in the first 30000 miles. *jb

The brakes on my 2004 silverado 1500 4 x 4 are terrible. took truck to dealership while truck was still under warranty. replaced rear rotors. brakes were still bad. took truck back to dealership, was told everything was fine. brakes still bad. service manager drove my truck and a different truck a couple of years older to compare them. acknowledged brakes were not near as good on my truck. they checked truck again and could not find anything wrong. brake pedal is very spongy and when i need to make an emergency stop, i stand on the brake pedal and wait for the truck to come to a stop. there has to be a common problem. i have heard that i am not the only person with this problem. this needs fixed before someone gets hurt or worse. *tr

Dt: the consumer complained about the braking system. the brakes experienced extended stopping distance. the problem has been ongoing since june 2004 when he purchased the vehicle. there have been no accidents as of yet. when he contacted the dealership they said that it was the way the vehicle was made. the abs did not work properly either. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. the contact stated that he had issues with his braking system. when he began to drive and attempted to depress the brake pedal at approximately 5-10 mph, the brakes would resist. he could hear the abs motor running, but the brakes would not apply at all. in addition, the rpm would also rev and the vehicle would continue to move. unless the contact removed his foot from the brake pedal and depressed the pedal again slowly, the brakes would not activate. on one occasion, the vehicle drove into a snow bank before the vehicle would stop. he was also involved in three other crashes because of the brakes. he took the vehicle to the dealer over ten times and they attempted to correct the failure approximately 3-4 times. the dealer changed the front abs hub, but the remedy would only correct the issue for approximately 1-2 weeks. the current mileage was approximately 80,360 and failure mileage was approximately 9,000. updated 7/17/09. *lj updated 07/20/09*jb