2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE PEDAL ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT COASTED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION BEFORE APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE BRAKE LINES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 143,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND GOING ABOUT 35 MPH, I WAS PLANNING ON STOPPING SO I WAS COASTING AT A SLOW SPEED, HOWEVER AS I PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BEGIN BRAKING THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND APPLIED VERY LITTLE BRAKING. I DID STOP IN TIME HOWEVER IF THERE WERE A CAR IN FRONT ON ME I AM CERTAIN THAT I WOULD HAVE REAR ENDED THAT VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE BROKE AND DEPLETED THE SYSTEM. THE BREAK WAS CAUSED BY CORROSION TO THE BRAKE LINE. ALL THE BRAKE LINES HAD CONSIDERABLE CORROSION. THE REPAIR COST $1400 BECAUSE ALL THE BRAKE LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED. I FEEL THAT I AM VERY LUCKY THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHERE IT DID. I ALSO FEEL THAT GM HAS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS AND SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO PREVENT THIS FAILURE. I DID CALL CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RECEIVED NO HELP WHAT SO EVER. I HAVE TO HOPE THAT THERE IS A RECALL TO GET ANY REIMBURSEMENT. THIS PROBLEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HURT OR EVEN KILL PEOPLE. I HOPE THE NHTSA IS PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION AND CAN SOMEHOW TAKE ACTION SOONER THAN LATTER. I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PREVENTING INJURIES THAN GETTING MY $1400 BACK. *TR

WAS GOING TO DINNER AND WHEN WE WERE COMING UP TO THE ENTRANCE, I HIT THE BRAKES AND THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET STOPPED IN TIME AND NO ONE WAS IN THE WAY. THE 2ND TIME WAS COMING BACK FROM THE OUTER BANKS. I HAVEN'T SEEN A TRUCK RUST OUT SO BAD BEFORE IN MY LIFE. *TR

WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, I HIT BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I HIT MY DUMPSTER. FOUND THAT A RUSTED BRAKE LINE BURST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. THE CONTACT ADDED MORE BRAKE FLUID TO THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED LATER THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE AND TIME AFTER THE ADDING THE BRAKE FLUID. THE CONTACT LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO HAVE THE BRAKE LINE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

REAR BRAKE LINE HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AND CAUSED BRAKE LINE TO RUPTURE. CAUSING NO BRAKES AND HAD TO PUT TRUCK IN DITCH TO STOP VEHICLE. RUSTED LINE WAS ABOVE FRAME RAIL JUST ABOVE LEFT REAR TIRE. FOUND OTHER AREA WHERE LINE WAS RUSTED SEVERELY. *TR

ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. THE BRAKES WERE WORKING UNTIL I HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 5 MPH. THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD ALREADY STARTED MOVING FORWARD SO NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *TR

BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR. RESULTED IN CRASHING INTO CAR STOPPED AHEAD. *TR

ALL BRAKE HARD-LINES ON MY 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE 1500 4WD ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED AND HAVE BEGUN TO FAIL. THIS WAS DISCOVERED AFTER HAVING ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES BLOW-OUT DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AN EMPTY TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME HAD BRAKED SUDDENLY DUE TO A MISSED EXIT, REQUIRING THAT I APPLY FULL BRAKING INSTANTLY. I WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH THE TRUCK AFTER MY BRAKE LINES BLEW, EXCEPT THAT I WAS ABLE TO SWERVE INTO ANOTHER LANE TO AVOID THE VEHICLE. HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE NEXT TO ME, I WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO THE DECELERATING VEHICLE. ALL OF MY BRAKE TUBING IS CORRODED, AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE FRAME, BRAKE CALIPERS AND REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND DUST SHIELDS. THIS EXCESSIVE CORROSION APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF SUBSTANDARD COMPONENTS WITH INADEQUATE CORROSION PROTECTION. I AM CURRENTLY REPLACING ALL CORRODED BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS (QUOTED $3,100). *TR

AS I WAS SLOWING TO DOWN TO PARK AT A BANK, BRAKE PEDDLE WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITH ALMOST A COMPLETE LOSE OF BRAKING. PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO A REPAIR SHOP. I WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO SEVERE RUST ON UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE, ALL BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS ONE HAD BLOWN. *TR