2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

WELL ABOUT MID 2012 THE BRAKE LINES JUST RUST OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRUCK AND THE REAR. MY GIRL FRIEND WAS DRIVING IT TO WORK AND LOST ALL THE PEDAL PRESSURE. THANK GOD SHE WAS GOING UP IN THE PARKING GARAGE. RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING TO REPLACE LINE FUEL LINES. IT JUST STARTED POURING GAS OUT AFTER I JUST GOT TO WORK. I NURSED IT HOME AND MADE IT. THE RETURN LINE IS JUST ALL RUSTED OUT. THEN I NOTICED ALL THREE LINES WHERE ALL RUSTED OUT. IT'S TO BAD NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET I CAN'T AFFORD THIS! IT IS WELL KNOWN AND UNDERSTOOD BY MANY THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM. ALSO TO TOP THAT THE FRAME LOOKS MORE RUSTED THAN THE 1989 DODGE I JUST GOT RIDE OF. I WASH UNDER THE TRUCK THROUGH OUT WINTER AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S SO BAD ALREADY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 LATE AT NIGHT WHEN A DEER ENTERED MY LANE OF TRAVEL. I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I LUCKILY AVOIDED THE DEER BY SWERVING. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK TO MY RESIDENCE BY DRIVING IN FIRST GEAR AND USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. WHEN HOME I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM ONE OF THE CORRODED BRAKE LINES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME (DRIVER'S SIDE) WHERE IT BENDS TO GO INTO THE ABS MODULE. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LINES ARE COMPLETELY CORRODED CLEAR UP ALONG THE FRAME AND WHERE THEY ENTER INTO THE BRAKE RESERVOIR. NOTICING THIS, I AM NOW GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THE LINES SO THAT I DON'T HAVE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. THESE LINES ARE A DANGER AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY GM. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY SLOWING DOWN FOR A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY HAPPENED. I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYONE THAT IS READING THIS TO VISUALLY INSPECT YOUR BRAKE LINES. A LARGE PORTION OF THE LINES CAN BE SEEN BY SIMPLY LAYING DOWN IN THE AREA OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO THE FRONT WHEEL, AND LOOKING AT THE FRAME TO WHERE THEY ARE ATTACHED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL SUNK ABNORMALLY INTO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT THEN ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT IT ALSO FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY CORRODED. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE LINES AND THE CALIPERS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,305. UPDATED 12/20/13*CN

FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL LINE NEAR FRONT OF GAS TANK. UPON INSPECTION, FUEL LINE WAS ROTTED THROUGH. FURTHER INSPECTION BY MECHANIC FOUND FUEL AND VAPOR RETURN LINES WERE ALL CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A LEAKING FUEL LINE COULD CAUSE A FIRE. ALL BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED TWO YEARS AGO DUE TO CORROSION AND FAILURE OF A BRAKE LINE WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE CORROSION. CHEVY DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE BROKEN LINE, INSISTING THAT ALL BRAKE LINES MUST BE REPLACED DUE TO THE CORROSION. REAR BRAKE SHIELDS HAVE ALSO ROTTED AWAY, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL COVER IS ALSO ROTTING. THESE WILL ALSO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. NONE OF THE CORRODED PARTS DESCRIBED HERE HAVE ANY KIND OF COATINGS TO PREVENT CORROSION. BRAKE AND FUEL LINE CORROSION ARE COMMON PROBLEMS ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR, AND CHEVROLET OR NHTSA DO NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE OR WILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO CREEP FORWARD TOWARD PEOPLE IN THE CROSSWALK. DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL FURTHER RESULTED IN IT FADING, ENDING IN A FULLY DEPRESSED POSITION WITH NO MORE PEDAL TRAVEL AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD INTO THE CROSSWALK. PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL STOPPED VEHICLE MOVEMENT. AFTER STOPPING AND INSPECTING UNDER THE HOOD AND UNDER THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE SHOWED LEAKING BRAKE FLUID FROM ONE OF THE METALLIC BRAKE LINES SERVING THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER AND PLACING IT ON THE SERVICE RACK, INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ALL THE METALLIC BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE LINE SURFACE. THE RIGHT FRONT LINE DISINTEGRATED TO THE POINT WHERE THE LINE SEPARATED WHILE CHECKING THE CONDITION OF THE LINE. THE OTHER BRAKES LINES ARE RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE FAILURE IS IMMINENT. ALL THE METALLIC BRAKE LINES FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER, DOWN TO THE ABS CONTROL MODULE AND THEN OUT TO EACH BRAKE CALIPER MUST BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM CREATED A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN BODILY INJURY TO THE PEDESTRIANS IN THE CROSSWALK. WITHOUT PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL IT WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN. IN ADDITION TO THE BRAKE LINES, THE FUEL LINES SHOW EXCESSIVE RUST AS WELL. THE DEALER DOES NOT RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL LINES AT THIS TIME, BUT REPLACEMENT WILL BE REQUIRED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR

I WAS COMING TO THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WASN'T PROVIDING ANY STOPPING POWER. THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY HAS AN INCLINE AND I WAS ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE TRAVELING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I CHECKED THE BRAKE RESERVOIR TANK AND IT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY EMPTY. I ADDED MORE BRAKE FLUID AND UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES, FLUID WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK. IT WAS DRIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND ALSO FROM SOME PLACE FURTHER BACK ON THE TRUCK. I COULDN'T VERIFY WHETHER THE SOURCE NEAR THE BACK WAS A SEPARATE LEAK. ALL FOUR OF THE BRAKE LINES HAVE SIGNIFICANT RUST AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRUCK IS CURRENTLY NOT DRIVE-ABLE BECAUSE ANY NEW BRAKE FLUID IS IMMEDIATELY LEAKING OUT AND NOT PROVIDING ANY RESISTANCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. I'VE CHECKED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS AND THEY ARE STILL IN ALMOST NEW CONDITION. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN MY OPINION AND YET SEEMS VERY COMMON WITH THIS LINE OF TRUCKS IF YOU CHECK THIS FORUM AND OTHERS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET. HTTP://WWW.CHEVYTALK.ORG/FUSIONBB/SHOWTOPIC.PHP?TID/274830/ *TR

WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT TOWING A TRAILER WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES AND GO IN CIRCLES TILL VEHICLE FINALLY WAS ABLE TO BE STOPPED. I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL AND UPON INSPECTION FOUND THAT A BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED. I ALSO NOTICED THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES UNDER THE VEHICLE WERE EXTREMELY CORRODED. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DRASTIC HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD AT A STOP LIGHT OR INTERSECTION, I OR SOMEONE ELSE WOULD CERTAINLY HAD BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. I UNDERSTAND THAT NHTSA AND CHEVY ARE AWARE OF THE BRAKE LINE RUSTING OUT PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS AND REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT ? *TR

WAS MAKING A 3-POINT TURN ON A LOCAL RESIDENTIAL STREET, AND SUDDENLY, MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SLOWED THE TRUCK DOWN ENOUGH TO AVOID HITTING ANYTHING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP, AND NEEDED A RUSTED-OUT BRAKE LINE REPLACED. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE EXTREMELY RUSTY, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ASAP. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND BRAKE LINE THAT HAS FAILED ON MY 2003 SILVERADO 1500. THIS TIME MY 8MONTH PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING. SHE NEARLY DROVE RIGHT THROUGH A RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THESE LINES BLOW BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR AND DOESN'T EVEN SLOW YOU DOWN! LUCKILY SHE THOUGHT FAST AND KICKED DOWN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO GET DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HOW MANY CLOSE CALLS AND OR DEATHS NEED TO HAPPEN BEFORE SOMETHING GETS DONE ? *TR

TRIED TO USE MY BRAKES TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY. PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. PULLED OVER TO FIND MY BRAKE LINE RUSTED OUT AND LEAKING. *TR