2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

NOTICED BRAKE FLUID WAS LOW. COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS, WHILE BACKING TRUCK UP, I APPLIED MY BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR. I USED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP MY TRUCK. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK AND BRAKE FLUID WAS DRIPPING FROM THE REAR AXLE. I INVESTIGATED THE BRAKE LINES AND FOUND THEM TO BE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. I WAS JUST LUCKY THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CERTAIN COLLISION CAUSING INJURIES OR DEATH. *TR

LEFT REAR STEEL BRAKE LINE BLEW OUT. UPON INSPECTION, BRAKE LINE WAS FOUND RUSTED WITH A 1/16 INCH HOLE ON THE 3/16 INCH TUBING. *TR

BRAKES FAILED AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP SIGN. NO CROSS TRAFFIC AT TIME SO NO COLLISION OCCURRED. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. ALL BRAKE LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOTAL BILL $750. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL TRAFFIC, I WAS PREPARING TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT WITH VEHICLES AHEAD OF ME. UPON APPLYING BRAKES FROM APPROX 30 MPH, I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE LIKE NORMAL, UNTIL APPROX 5-10 MPH, WHEN THE ABS KICKED ON FOR NO REASON, SENDING MY TRUCK WITHIN INCHES FROM STRIKING ANOTHER MOTORIST IN FRONT OF ME. IT CONTINUED TO DO THIS FOR ABOUT 3 MILES UNTIL I ARRIVED HOME.

MY WIFE COMPLAINED TO ME THE BRAKES ON OUR 2002 CHEVY SILVERADO PICK-UP, FELT FUNNY. I BACKED OUR PICK-UP TRUCK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND WENT TO THE END OF THE STREET, THE BRAKES FELT MUSHY. AS I GOT TO THE END OF OUR STREET IS A STOP SIGN. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20MPH. I WENT TO STOP THE TRUCK AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP. I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND THEN HELD FIRMLY ON THE PEDAL. I QUICKLY OBSERVED CROSS TRAFFIC IN THE ROAD BEFORE ME AND I TURNED SHARPLY ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY WEST JUST BEING NARROWLY MISSED BY WEST BOUND TRAFFIC. I HAD MY WIFE FOLLOW ME TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I COASTED INTO THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT ANY BRAKES AT ALL. THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP I NEEDED ALL NEW BRAKE LINES AND BRAKE CALIBERS. THEY ASKED ME TO COME DOWN AND VIEW THE UNDER PORTIONS OF OUR PICK-UP AND I DID SO. THE TRUCK WAS UP ON THE HOIST AND MECHANIC AND SERVICE REP SHOWED ME HE WAS UNABLE TO TAKE THE BROKEN LINE OUT OF THE BRAKE CALIBER WITHOUT SNAPPING OFF THE NUT HOLDING THE BRAKE LINE. THEY SHOWED ME THE REMAINING BRAKE LINES ALL IN STAGES OF RUSTING OUT INCLUDING THE ONE LINE THAT BLEW OPEN CAUSING THE SUDDEN LEAK AND "NO BRAKES" PROBLEM. THE REPAIR SERVICE COST ME APPROXIMATELY $2800,00. I COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER [XXX], I TOLD HIM I HAVE DRIVEN GM CARS FOR DECADES ON MICHIGAN ROADS AND NEVER HAD ANY BRAKE LINE RUST OUT AND FAIL. I WAS TOLD THE BRAKE LINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE SALTY CONDITIONS DRIVING IN MICHIGAN WINTERS. HIS EXPLANATION STILL DID NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE TO ME. I KNOW CAR MANUFACTURES ARE VERY AWARE OF THESE TYPE ROAD CONDITIONS IN THE MIDWEST AND NORTH EAST. THE DEALERSHIP THAT I TOOK MY TRUCK TO IS THE ONLY REPAIR FACILITY I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS. THAT WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILL. WE WERE LUCKY NOT HAVING AN ACCIDENT ON THAT DAY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA11001 REGARDING CORRODED BRAKE LINES ON CHEVY TRUCKS. I WAS COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT, SOME CARS AHEAD OF ME, GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKES. INITIAL PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL FELT NORMAL, THEN THE PEDAL RESISTANCE DROPPED TO ZERO. BY PUSHING THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I PULLED IN TO A GAS STATION. BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OUT OF A LOCATION ALONG THE BRAKE LINE RUNNING TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. LOCATION ABOUT WHERE THE CAB AND BED MEET. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SLOWLY TO A NEARBY CHEVY DEALER FOR REPAIRS. TOTAL REPAIR BILL WAS $2200. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND PULLED UP TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WAS PREPARING TO STOP, AS I APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AS I WAS PUSHING THE PEDAL DOWN AND EVEN TRIED PUMPING THE BRAKES UP A BIT NOTHING WORKED AND IT WOULD NOT STOP AND I ALMOST HIT A POLICE CAR BUT LUCKILY THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THAT STOPPED ME ENOUGH TO GIVE ME TIME FOR THE CARS IN THE FRONT OF ME TO MOVE ON. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME WAS A SIMILAR SITUATION AND I GOT THAT PART FIXED AND I WAS INFORMED THAT OTHER LINES WERE FINE BUT AFTER LAST WINTER AND THE TRUCK BEING PARKED OUTSIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TRUCK DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF MILES ON IT AND EVEN THOUGH I LIVE IN A STATE THAT USES SALT IN THE WINTER THIS TRUCK WAS NEVER DRIVEN IN THE WINTER AND PARKED IN A GARAGE AND ONLY DRIVEN IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WHICH IS WHY THE MILES ARE SO LOW AND WHY I PURCHASED IT FROM A PRIVATE OWNER. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE BRAKE LINES ARE EXTREMELY RUSTED NOW AND LEAKING AND I CANNOT EVEN AFFORD THE COST AT THIS TIME TO GET THIS FIXED DUE TO HAVING MY HOURS AT WORK LOWERED TO 5 A DAY. *TR

WANT 1600 DOLLARS TO REPLACE EVERY LINE ON THE TRUCK DUE TO RUST...INCLUDING FLEXIBLE HOSE TO WHEELS. DON'T HAVE VIN NO TRUCK AT SHOP UNTIL I DECIDE WHAT TO DO. *TR

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO CHANGE DIRECTION AND GO FORWARD. I HEARD A SUDDEN HISSING NOISE THROUGH THE OPEN DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, BOTTOMING OUT. UPON INVESTIGATION I NOTICED BRAKE FLUID COMING FROM RUSTED BRAKE LINES BEHIND THE LEFT SIDE FRONT WHEEL. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL BOTTOMED, IT DIDN'T APPEAR THAT I HAD ANY BRAKE ACTION AT ALL. VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN IN MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION OR OTHER DANGEROUS LOCATION. *TR

WENT TO STOP AT STOP SIGN, BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR, NO CARS WERE COMING, WENT THRU SIGN BY TIME E-BRAKE WAS HIT. *TR