2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SILVERADO 1500 DOWN A 3 LANE WIDE ROAD IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC UP TO A STOPLIGHT AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 15-45 MPH. I NOTICED THAT MY BREAKS FELT DIFFERENT THAN THEY NORMALLY DID, REQUIRING ME TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET "MODEST" BREAKING, NOT NEARLY THE NORMAL EMERGENCY/QUICK BREAKING ACTION I'M USED TO. AFTER SLOWLY COMING TO A STOP, I NOTICED THAT IF I HELD THE BRAKE PEDAL AT THE SAME PLACE/SAME PRESSURE, THE TRUCK STARTED ROLLING AGAIN! I EVENTUALLY HAD TO PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER 2 STOPLIGHTS WITH THESE SIMILAR SLOW BRAKING CONDITIONS, THE RED "BRAKE" LIGHT ON THE DASH LIGHT LIT UP AND A MESSAGE OF "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" POPPED UP ON THE DASH PANEL. WITH SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS OF NEARING RUNNING INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, I PULLED OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY TO A LOCAL MIDAS LOCATION, AND THEIR TECHNICIANS EXAMINED THE TRUCK IN THE PARKING LOT. THE HOOD STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDERNEATH AND MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL. MY FRAME NEAR THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WAS COMPLETELY SOAKED IN BREAK FLUID, AND WHEN WE PRESSED DOWN ON THE BREAKS, WE COULD VISUALLY SEE THE LEAK COMING FROM THE RUSTED THROUGH BREAK LINES. THE SMOKE WAS FROM THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID, AND COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN RUST DO SO MUCH DAMAGE AND CREATE SUCH A SAFETY HABIT IN MY 13 YEARS OF DRIVING AND MAINTAINING MY VEHICLES. THE STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY CAKED IN RUST, AND HAD CLEARLY BURST WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE MANAGER TOLD HE WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ME TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, WITH FEAR TO MY SAFETY. IF I WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGHER SPEED, TOWING A GREATER WEIGHT, OR HAD TO MAKE A QUICKER STOP...I HAVE NO DOUBT IN MY MIND I WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH DUE TO THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. I HAVE NEVER FELT THIS AFRAID TO DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH SUBDIVISION APPROX. 20 MPH I APPLIED BRAKES. PEDAL DROPPED TO FLOOR, SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKES WITH NO WARNING. BRAKE FLUID IS LEAKING FROM DRIVER SIDE LINES REAR OF MODULE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM DUE TO GALVANIC CORROSION. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ?? *TR

TRAVELING 25 MILES HOME ON INTERSTATE VAN HAD BEEN CUTTING OUT IF I PULL OVER STOP WAIT, CAN RE-START AND GO A WHILE. CANT PREDICT IT SEEMED TO STAY RUNNING IF I WENT FASTER BIG MISTAKE MOVED TO PASS IT QUIT, AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS ALMOST HAD TO GO INTO MEDIUM AFTER YELLING AND WAVING ARMS AND PRAYING I GOT BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE PULLED OFF ONTO SHOULDER AND WENT TO PIECES. IT THEN STOPPED MORE AND MORE FINALLY GOT HOME AND HAVE NOT TOUCHED IT SINCE. I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT SIMILAR EVENTS AND IT SEEMS IT IS THE CRANKCASE POSITIONING SENSOR. I AM JUST HAPPY TO BE ALIVE. NEED TO FIX IT AND SELL IT. THANKS FOR LISTENING I AM SENIOR CITIZEN. *TR

BRAKE LINES FAILED IN 2 PLACES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DUE TO CORROSION. RUSTED THROUGH UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR AND AT THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR CALIPER. TRAVELING 40MPH APPLIED BRAKE TO MAKE TURN, INITIAL BRAKE RESISTANCE, THEN PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. REMOVED FOOT AND REAPPLIED PEDAL. ABLE TO MAKE TURN, TESTED UPON STOPPING WITH TWO ADDITIONAL HARD STOPS WHEN GOING LESS THAT 5MPH. BOTH INSTANCES PEDAL HAD RESISTANCE. BACKED INTO DRIVEWAY TO ATTACHED TRAILER, PRESSED PEDAL TO TEST TRAILER LIGHTS, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND BRAKE LIGHT WARNING ILLUMINATED. LOSS OF FLUID WAS OBSERVED ON THE STREET WHERE 2 ADDITIONAL TESTS TOOK PLACE, MAIN LOSS OF FLUID APPEARED IN DRIVEWAY DURING LIGHT TEST. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PUSHED AND WENT TO THE FLOOR IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. APPARENTLY THE BRAKE LINES RUPTURED DUE TO BEING RUSTED THROUGH. *TR

HAD BEEN DUCK HUNTING WITH MY GRANDSONS PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND STARTED BACKING MY TRUCK INTO GARAGE WITH BOAT ATTACHED AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. AT THAT POINT I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. HAD TO PUSH PARKING BRAKE TO STOP TRUCK. WHEN I GOT OUT I SAW PUDDLE OF LIQUID ON DRIVEWAY ( BRAKE FLUID) . I LOOKED UNDER TRUCK AND SAW THAT THE BRAKE LINE UNDER THE DRIVERS FLOOR AREA IS RUSTED AND BLEW OUT. I JUST THANK GOD THAT IT HAPPENED WHEN IT DID AND NOT AS MY GRANDSONS AND I WAS GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. I GOT ON INTERNET AND I SEE THAT THERE IS MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING SAME ISSUE WITH BRAKE LINES ON CHEVY TRUCKS. I JUST MUST ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET HURT OR DIE BEFORE GM FIXES THIS PROBLEM???? I THINK IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THIS ... *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HIS 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO PULLING A TRAILER WHEN A DOG JUMP OUT IN FRONT OF US. HE PUT ON HIS BRAKE BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY. THERE WAS A CAR IN THE OTHER LANE, A DROP OFF ON OUR SIDE OF THE ROAD AND A DOG IN FRONT OF US. WITH GOD'S HELP MY HUSBAND MISSED ALL OF THAT. MY HUSBAND STARTED CHECKING AND FOUND A RUPTURED BRAKE LINE PROBABLY DUE TO THE RUST ISSUE. NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COST OF TOWING THE VEHICLE AND REPLACING THE BRAKE LINES - WHICH WON'T BE CHEAP. GM NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE GET KILLED!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN BUSY ROAD, FOR NO REASON ENGINE POWER WAS SUDDENLY REDUCED WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. CALLED GM. NO RECALLS. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM, NOT WEAR AND TEAR. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP. *TR

I FILED COMPLAINT 10650327 YESTERDAY AFTER LOOSING BRAKING ABILITY BECAUSE OF A BRAKE LINE RUPTURE IN THE SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES OF MY TRUCK. MY TRUCK WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TODAY THEY TOLD ME THE HYDRAULIC MODULE THE BRAKE LINES CONNECT TO IS CRUMBLING APART WHEN THEY TRY TO UNSCREW THE LINE CONNECTIONS. THEY TOLD ME THE MODULE IS ALUMINUM AND THAT THE BRAKE LINES ARE STEEL WHICH IS AN APPARENT DESIGN FAILURE. WHAT APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING IS ACCELERATED DETERIORATION BETWEEN THE TWO METALS CAUSED BY GALVANIC CORROSION. SURELY THIS CONDITION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED DURING ES TESTING IN THE PROTOTYPE STAGES OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND IS A DESIGN FLAW. IT IS A KNOWN FACT THAT STEEL CONNECTED TO ALUMINUM ESPECIALLY IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER OR ESPECIALLY SALT WATER WILL EXPERIENCE RAPID AND ACCELERATED CORROSION AND POTENTIAL FAILURE. *TR