2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

BRAKES FAILED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AFTER LEAVING A GAS STATION. BRAKE FLUID LEAKING DOWN FRAME RAIL NEXT TO ABS BOOSTER BY THE FUEL TANK. *TR

APPROACHING STOP SIGN AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. AFTER LOOKING AT LINES ,THEY ARE ALL CORRODED TERRIBLY AND I NOTICED THE NHTSA HAS AN OPEN COMPLAINT ON THIS VERY THING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IDLING AT A STOP SIGN, THE SPEEDOMETER PROVIDED AN ERRONEOUS READING OF 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR OUR STATES' REQUIRED ANNUAL VEHICLE INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC OBSERVED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE EXTREMELY RUSTY AND, IN HIS OWN WORDS, ON THE VERGE OF COMPLETE FAILURE. HE SHOWED ME THE LINES WHICH WERE FLAKING AND ALREADY PITTED AND CREVASED. HE NOTED THIS WAS A **VERY** DANGEROUS CONDITION AND COULD RESULT IN A "NO BRAKE CONDITION". AFTER SHOWING ME THE BRAKE LINES IN QUESTION, HE RECOMMENDED FULL BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT. I TOOK HIS RECOMMENDATION SERIOUSLY AND I WENT HOME AND DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THE INTERNET ABOUNDED WITH OWNERS OF 1999-2003 SUBURBAN (AND OTHER CHEVY/GM MODELS) PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RUSTING OF BRAKE LINES. !!! I WAS APPALLED THAT SO MANY PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AND WITH NO FORMAL RECOURSE/ACTION TAKEN BY CHEVROLET. [AS A RELATED NOTE, IN THE PRIOR ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR THIS VEHICLE, THE ABS SENSORS WERE NOTED AS RUSTED THROUGH, AND WHICH I HAD REPLACED]. WE LIVE IN VIRGINIA WHERE THE WEATHER IS MODERATE AND THERE IS NOT THAT MUCH WINTER CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE ROAD SALTING, ETC. SO THIS IS NOT A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE LIVING IN HARSH ROAD-SALTED CONDITIONS. I ENDED UP DECIDING TO SPEND THE $$ TO REMEDIATE THIS DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION AND TO GET ANOTHER 10 YEARS OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED A STAINLESS STEEL SET OF PRE-BENT BRAKE LINES SPECIFIC TO THIS VEHICLE (SHOWS THAT THERE IS A DEMAND FOR THESE IN THE MARKET BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION) AND HAVING THEM INSTALLED (OVER $1K TOTAL). OUCH! CHEVROLET NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE, ADMIT CULPABILITY, AND MAKE IT RIGHT FOR VEHICLE OWNERS. COME ON CHEVY... *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, HEARD A POP AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. DEALER SAID FRONT TO BACK BRAKE LINE CORROSION. COST WILL BE $2000 TO FIX. WE SEE THERE IS A PENDING INVESTIGATION ON THIS AND WANT TO KNOW STATUS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKELY FROM RESEARCHING THIS THAT A RECALL IS POSSIBLE. CAN YOU PROVIDE A STATUS ON BRAKE LINE CORROSION INVESTIGATION AMONG 1999-2003 GM VEHICLES. NOT FAIR THAT WE HAVE TO PAY $2000 FOR BRAKE CORROSION THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. PLEASE ADVISE IF POSSIBLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DECELERATING AND APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

BRAKES FAILED ON HIGHWAY. HAD TO HAVE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES REPLACED DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING 35MPH I BEGAN TO BRAKE FOR A CHANGING LIGHT SIGNAL. THE INITIAL APPLICATION OF BRAKES BEGAN TO SLOW THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WAS EXPERIENCED. I RAPIDLY LET OFF AND RE-APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH NO GAIN IN BRAKING. I COASTED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION ON A RED LIGHT. THERE WAS NO COLLISION. I DOWNSHIFTED AND USED THE PARKING BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND EVENTUALLY STOP. A BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ONLY AFTER THE COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE LINE REVEALED A RUPTURE TO THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE LINE NEXT TO THE FRAME RAIL. *TR

ALL BRAKE LINES AND FUEL LINE RUSTED ,WAS NOT DRIVING FAST ,DEALER TOLD ME IT WOULD COST 3500. HAVE TO TAKE TRANS OUT ,I THINK GM SHOULD HELP PAY FOR THIS THEY HAVE 3 OTHER TAHOES AND SUBURBANS THERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ,TOO BAD THEY GOT BAILED OUT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO ENTER ON TO THE FREEWAY. MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I COULD NOT STOP. I HAD TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO AVOID HITTING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. NO EASY TASK AT 45MPH. I VEERED AROUND THE CARS AND WENT OFF OF THE ROAD. AFTER LOOKING, MY SUBURBAN I FOUND THAT 2 BRAKE LINES HAD BLOWN OUT AND WERE SEVERELY RUSTED. THE AREA THAT THEY RUSTED WAS DIRECTLY BELOW THE DRIVERS AREA. I LOOKED AT THE REST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND ALL OF THE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. IN 28 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER HAD A BRAKE LINE GO OUT ON ME. I'VE OWNED SOME CARS WITH UPWARDS OF 250,000 MILES TOO. MY 03 SUBURBAN HAS 75,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED SOMEONE. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE AND SEE THAT THERE IS COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT OF THIS PROBLEM. WHEN IS THE NHTSA GOING TO ACT ON THIS? GM SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES AND FIXING THEM. THESE ARE FAMILY VEHICLES THAT CAN CARRY AS MANY AS 8 OR 9 PEOPLE. THIS IS A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR