2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

THANKFULLY IN OUR DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AND WE NOTICED FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE LEFT REAR. OUR VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OUR REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: THERE WAS HEAVY RUST ON THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE METAL BRAKE LINE AT THE LEFT REAR WHEEL HAS A HOLE RUSTED THROUGH. ALL OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES ARE IN VERY POOR CONDITION DUE TO RUST CONTAMINATION. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE INVESTIGATING A RUST ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LINES ON 2003 CHEVY SUBURBANS. WE HAVE MAINTAINED OUR VEHICLE WITH REGULAR SERVICE, AND OIL CHANGES EVERY 3,000 MILES. OUR SUBURBAN LOOKS NEW INSIDE AND OUT. THIS IS THE SECOND ISSUE WE HAVE HAD WITH EXCESSIVE RUST. IN 2008, WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, THE BACKING PLATES RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THANKFULLY, GM PAID FOR THE REPAIR. WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF OUR VEHICLES AND WITH 94,038 MILES (MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES), WE FEEL THAT THE BRAKE LINES RUSTING THROUGH IS NOT AN EXPECTED REPAIR. THE BRAKES FAILING COULD HAVE HAD CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES. I HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR SUBURBAN. *TR

SLOWING DOWN TO TURN ON TO I95, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. HAD NO BRAKES WHAT SO EVER, NO WARNING. THANK THE LORD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF TRAFFIC AND SLOW DOWN WITH OUT HAVING A ACCIDENT. TOOK IT TO GM DEALER THEY REPLACED ALL TO LINES. HAD TO TAKE IT TO OTHER GM DEALER TO TIGHTEN AND REPLACE A PART THE OTHER DEALER HAD STRIPPED THE THREADS ON AND TRIED TO FIX IT WITH TEFLON TAPE. ALSO TIGHTEN BODY MOUNTS THE DEALER LEFT LOOSE. *TR

RIGHT IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY, I APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WITHOUT ANY PRIOR ISSUES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE DASH ALERT CAME ON TO SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM. THANKFULLY, THIS DID NOT OCCUR WHILE ON THE ROAD BECAUSE IT WAS A SUDDEN FAILURE. EVEN AT SLOW SPEED, THE HEAVY VEHICLE TOOK SEVERAL FEET TO STOP. THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE ABS MODULE HEADING TO THE REAR AXLE BURST IN 3 OR 4 PLACES CAUSING A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT. ALL LINES TO AND FROM THE ABS MODULE ARE HEAVILY RUSTED AND LOOK MUCH WORSE THAN OTHER COMPONENTS. AS I LOOKED INTO THIS ONLINE, I'VE DISCOVERED NUMEROUS VEHICLES HAVING THIS AND MUCH WORSE PROBLEMS INVOLVING ACCIDENTS. I CAN'T SEE HOW THIS VEHICLE COULD HAVE EVER STOPPED SAFELY. I JUST DROVE IT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HAD NO WARNING SIGNS. THIS IS MORE THAN NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THESE BRAKE LINES ARE SUB STANDARD AND COULD HAVE BEEN MADE BETTER. ANOTHER SIGN OF LARGE CORPORATIONS TRYING TO USE INFERIOR MATERIALS TO BOOST THEIR STOCKHOLDERS PROFITS. SOMEONE HELP US. *TR

ON APPROXIMATELY APRIL 7, 2014, WHILE ENGAGING VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL WAY TO FLOOR. HAD VEHICLE SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO CHEVROLET OF GADSDEN, AL FOR EXAMINATION. WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINE ON DRIVERS SIDE HAD DEVELOPED A LEAK, AND THE BRAKE LINE WAS SO CORRODED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE WITH A STANDARD REPAIR. I.E., THEY REFUSED TO WORK ON VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT I CAN COME AND PICK IT UP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING A PARKING SPACE THE BRAKES FAILED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND PRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST. THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS EXTREMELY RUSTED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AND THE LOCAL DEALER HAD NOT PROVIDED A REMEDY. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR WARNING LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKES RESPONSE. ROLLED TO A STOP GOING UP A HILL. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER, WHO TOLD US THE BRAKE LINES HAD CORRODED AND FAILED. SECOND TIME THE BRAKE LINES FAILED IN TWO YEARS. *TT

AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS GOING SLOW ENOUGH TO STOP AND AVOID INJURING MYSELF OR ANOTHER PERSON. THANK GOD I WASN'T GOING 50 MPH WITH MY WIFE AND 4 CHILDREN IN THE CAR OR I MIGHT NOT BE WRITING THIS TODAY (OR SOMEONE ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED BY ME DUE TO THIS BRAKE FAILURE). I DISCOVERED THE REASON FOR THIS FAILURE WAS BECAUSE MY BRAKE LINE PREMATURELY CORRODED AND THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN TO NHTSA AND YOU HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. HOW DARE YOU AND GM PUT MY FAMILY AND OTHER INNOCENT BYSTANDERS AT RISK BECAUSE OF YOUR INCOMPETENCE!!! WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL??? A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY THOUSANDS OF CHEVY OWNERS AS WELL AS PREMATURE RUSTING OF THE BODY AND UNDERCARRIAGE WHICH I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 60K MILES AND HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR, BUT I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS THAT CARS WITH 3 TIMES AS MANY MILES SHOULDN'T EXPERIENCE. PERHAPS CONGRESS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS DERELICTION OF DUTY BY NHTSA. HOW MANY AMERICANS HAVE TO DIE OR GET INJURED IN ACCIDENTS BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION??? IF TOTAL FAILURE OF A VEHICLE'S BREAKING SYSTEM DOESN'T SPUR A CALL TO ACTION BY NHTSA THEN WHAT WILL? WHAT COULD BE MORE VITAL TO SAFETY THAN BRAKES ON A 1/2 TON TRUCK? REPAIRS FOR THE BRAKE LINE WILL COST ME OVER $1,200 AND THAT JUST ADDS INSULT TO THIS WHOLE DISGRACEFUL SITUATION. I DEMAND TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS WELL KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE THAT I HAVE TO CORRECT. NHTSA HAS FAILED AND IT'S COSTING WAY MORE THAN $1,200; IT'S COSTING AMERICANS THEIR LIVES. *TR

REAR WINDOW OF OUR SUBURBAN IS READY FALL OUT. THIS WOULD NOT INJURE US, BUT WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO CARS FOLLOWING US. GENERAL MOTORS KNOWS OF THIS DEFECT AS THEY CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE REAR WINDOW IN THE FOLLOWING TWO YEARS. THEIR RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT WAS THAT A FIX WAS AVAILABLE THROUGH SAFE LITE, BUT NOT PERFORMED BY CHEVROLET. *TR

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING. TOOK IT TO CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID STEEL BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. UPON INSPECTION THEY SAID ALL STEEL BRAKE LINES NEEDED REPLACING DUE TO OUTSIDE RUST WHICH I HAD THEM DO. I LIVE IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN. CANT REMEMBER COST OF CHEVY DEALERSHIP REPLACING ALL OF THE STEEL BRAKE LINES. *TR

ON 3-8-14 AT ABOUT 10:00 AM I WAS LESS THAN A MILE FROM HOME WHEN I WAS APPROACHING A TWO WAY STOP SIGN TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH. I BEGAN BRAKING NORMALLY FOR THE STOP WHEN SHORTLY AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE RESISTANCE FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS LOST AND THE PEDAL WENT INSTANTLY TO THE FLOOR. AT THE TIME THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY BREAKING OF THE VEHICLE. I COULD NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE BY BRAKING AND CONTINUED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO CARS IN THE INTERSECTION. PUMPING THE BRAKES LIGHTLY PROVIDED A SLIGHT BREAKING. I CONTINUED TO DRIFT AND DOWN SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL THE CAR COULD BE STOPPED. WHEN INSPECTING UNDER THE VEHICLE, BREAK FLUID WAS SEEN DRIPPING AT A FAST RATE FROM A BREAK LINE UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID WAS QUICKLY BUILDING UP. LATER THAT DAY I WENT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE WAS A REPAIR KIT THAT COULD BE INSTALLED. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE COMMON INSTANTANEOUS BRAKE FAILURE PROBLEM. *TR