2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ALONG COASTING AT A LOWER THAN NORMAL SPEED, (FORTUNATELY) BECAUSE I SAW THE TRAFFIC LIGHT WAY AHEAD OF ME TURN RED....NOT TOWING ANYTHING...NO LOAD IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES,IN A NORMAL/NOT PANICKED MANNER, THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. THERE NEVER WERE ANY WARNINGS/LIGHTS, EVEN AFTER THE FAILURE. LUCKILY I HAD ENOUGH TIME, AND PIECE OF MIND, TO MANIPULATE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND COME SCREECHING TO A STOP (BY JUST THE REAR BRAKES) WITH ONLY A COUPLE FEET TO SPARE. IF I HADN'T, (OR IF THE E-BRAKE HADN'T WORKED) I WOULD HAVE PLOWED INTO SEVERAL SMALL CARS THAT WERE STOPPED AT THE LIGHT., WITH MY BIG CREW CAB TRUCK. CERTAINLY SEVERELY INJURING MANY PEOPLE! I DISCOVERED THE REAR BRAKE LINE HAD FAILED...TOTALLY...IT IS A PILE OF RUST...RESULTING IN COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE! I CAN SEND YOU A PHOTO....I WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU A PHOTO! ALL OF THE LINES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO SAFELY OPERATE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN... I HAVE ALSO FOUND (WITH A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH) COUNTLESS OTHER IDENTICAL INSTANCES OF THIS OCCURRING IN SIMILAR MODEL YEAR GM TRUCKS.. MANY, YEARS PRIOR TO IT HAPPENING TO ME! MINE ONLY HAS 50K MILES ON IT, AND IS GARAGE KEPT...AND ALWAYS KEPT SPOTLESS. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT IF A BRAKE LINE FAILED, THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS SUPPOSED TO SHIFT OVER TO SHUNT/PREVENT THE LEAKING LINE FROM BLEEDING PRESSURE...SO THE REST OF THE BRAKES WOULD WORK?? (NOT LIKE IN THE MOVIES) THE GOV'T MANDATES 5 MPH BUMPERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE SUN, BUT NOT THIS TYPE OF REDUNDANT BRAKE FEATURE? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? THEY DO A RECALL BECAUSE THE TAILGATE CABLES RUST, AND MIGHT DAMAGE THE TAILGATE, BUT DON'T FOR RUSTING BRAKE LINES THAT COULD KILL PEOPLE!!?? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!! I'M VERY ANXIOUS TO HEAR A REPLY TO THIS.. *TR

I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE DRIVING ABOUT 60 TO 70 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRUCK SWITCHED TO FWD LOW ALL ON ITS OWN. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ON THE SHOULDER . I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE BACK IN 2WD. LATER THE SERVICE 4WD LIGHT CAME ON. I ALSO HAVE OCCASIONS WHEN ALL OF THE DASH LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND ALL THE GAUGES DROP AND NOW MY ABS LIGHT FLASHES AND THE WARNING BELL RINGS AS I DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD. *TR

BRAKE LINE FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO ABS UNIT BLEWOUT CAUSING SPONGEY BRAKE AND BRAKE FLUID LEAK. LINE RUSTED OUT. REST ARE VERY RUSTY. *TR

BRAKE LINE FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO ABS UNIT BLEWOUT ALMOST CAUSING ME TO REAR END VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I HAD TO APPLY MY BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN AND I REALIZED THE MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CHECKED AROUND THE TRUCK AND NOTICED FLUID DIPPING FROM JUST BEHIND THE FRONT WHEEL. I OPENED THE HOOD AND REALIZED THAT I HAD BLOWN A BRAKE LINE.WHEN I LOOKED AROUND UNDER THE HOOD AT THE BRAKE LINES, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THEY WERE RUSTED. MY NEIGHBOR HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT WITH HIS 2001 SILVERADO, IT'S DEFINITELY AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVING VEHICLE AT 55 MPH ON UNDIVIDED HIGHWAY. APPLIED BRAKES TO AVOID ANIMAL AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. DROVE VEHICLE SLOWLY BACK HOME AND FOUND THE BRAKE LINE FROM FRONT LEAKING ABOVE REAR END. BRAKE LINES ARE ALL RUSTED BADLY. THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE IS TO REPLACE ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES. I NEVER EXPECTED THIS FROM A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS INOPERABLE AND THE PLASTIC WIRES THAT CAME FROM THE UNIT WERE MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ADDRESSING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND REPEATED THOSE SENTIMENTS. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

SEVERE CORROSION LEAD TO A BRAKE LINE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT INABILITY TO STOP. BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED WAY BEFORE THEY SHOULD HAVE, AND MUCH MORE THAN THE FUEL AND STEERING LINES. THE LINE LEADING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS UNIT WAS THE ONE THAT FAILED, BUT ALL ARE SHOWING SEVERE CORROSION. *TR

WHILE WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT WITH MY WIFE AND NEWBORN, I NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT "SPONGY" AND HAD NO MORE RESISTANCE TO THE PRESSURE MY FOOT APPLIED TO IT. I PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION AT THE SAME SET OF STOP LIGHTS WITH MY TRANSMISSION BEING MY ONLY FORM OF VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR KEEPING MY FAMILY AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD SAFE THAT DAY FROM THE POTENTIAL DEVASTATION THAT COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITH SUCH A CRITICAL FAILURE IN THE MECHANICS OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND CAUSED THE BRAKE LINES TO FAIL. THE CONTACT HAD A DEALER INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE LOSS ALL BRAKING FUNCTION, INCLUDING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000. UPDATED 04/27/12*LJ UPDATED 04/27/12