2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

BRAKES FAILED ON A RURAL ROAD BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP. TRIED TO PUSH THE BRAKES LIKE NORMAL, BUT THEY WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO STOP, BUT WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND EVEN THOUGH I JUST HAD NEW BRAKE PADS, ROTORS AND CALIPERS PUT ON, I NEED TO BUT NEW BRAKE LINES IN WHICH IS OVER $1000. SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IN A CAR. I WAS LUCKY TO BE ON A RURAL STRETCH OF ROAD WHERE I WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT HURTING MYSELF OR OTHER PEOPLE. *TR

DRIVING DOWN A HILL ON MY STREET THE BRAKES GAVE WAY. I PUSHED THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND STOP THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE SERVICE STATION INDICATED THE REAR BRAKE LINES FAILED DUE TO RUSTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE TWO REAR BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED AS WELL AS A FROZEN CALIPER. UPDATED 08/27/14

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP BECAUSE OF A RUSTED-THRU BRAKE LINE. THIS TIME, I WAS ENTERING A HIGH-SPEED MERGE FROM ONE FOUR LANE HIGHWAY TO ANOTHER AND TRAFFIC WAS BACKING UP. I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES SLIGHTLY HARD TO SLOW DOWN IN TIME. PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITH ABOUT 20% OF THE NORMAL BRAKING POWER AVAILABLE. WAS NOT GOING TO STOP IN TIME AND WAS FORCED TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID REAR-ENDING ANOTHER CAR AND ONTO THE ROAD SHOULDER AT SPEED. BARELY HAD ENOUGH ROOM BETWEEN A MAJOR HIGHWAY SIGN WHICH WAS NEXT TO THE SHOULDER AND THE CARS IN MY LANE. AFTER REPEATEDLY PUMPING THE BRAKES (WHICH YOU ARE TAUGHT NOT TO DO WITH ANTILOCK BRAKES), THE SUV FINALLY CAME TO A STOP. WITHOUT THE SHOULDER, I WOULD'VE CAUSED A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES. I DROVE THE CAR AT SLOW SPEED DIRECTLY TO MY SHOP WHO RECOMMENDED REPLACING EVERY BRAKE LINE (EVERY BRAKE LINE WAS HORRIBLY RUSTED AND BRITTLE). CUSTOM BRAKE LINES FOR THIS REPAIR COST $1800!! I HAD SPENT $400 ON THE FIRST REPAIR. TRUST ME, EVERY GM SUV FROM THESE YEARS HAS THIS PROBLEM AND ARE GOING TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND PEOPLE WILL BE KILLED!!! THIS VEHICLE WEIGHS 5500 POUNDS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON MAY 12 FROM FILLMORE CA TO LAX AIRPORT I WAS ON FREEWAY 5 PASSING VALENCIA BY THE EXIT OF FREEWAY 14 WHEN A WHITE BAN HIT THEIR BRAKES I DID THE SAME THING BUT I THINK THE BRAKE OF MY CAR DID WORK PROPERLY AND I LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR SO I WENT TO THE LEFT LINE AND A GREY CIVIC HIT ME ON MY DRIVER SIDE BY THE FRONT TIRE I HAD MY TWO KIDS WITH ME THEY WERE SO SCARE BECAUSE I WAS BLINDING FROM MY HEAD MY AIR BAGS NEVER CAME ON IF YOU HAVE ANY PLEASE CALL [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *JS

COMING TO A STOP LIGHT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. ONLY WAY I COULD STOP WAS BY USING THE ELECTRIC BRAKES ON MY TRAILER TO STOP THE COMBINED VEHICLE. EXAMINATION REVEALED A RUSTED BRAKE LINE COMING FROM THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS MODULE AT THE ABS MODULE UNDER THE VEHICLE. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE 4 BRAKE LINES FROM THE ABS MODULE TO THE WHEELS WERE ALL RUSTED/PITTED AND ABOUT READY TO RUST THROUGH. *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON 1/25/2013. COMING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION I WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BY AN 18 WHEELER. I WOKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL ALMOST A MONTH LATER. PICTURES OF MY VEHICLE SHOW THAT MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. GOOD THING I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON. MD SAY THE BRUISING TO HEART OTHER INTERNAL INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING IN A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS AND THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TIGHT TURN IN DRIVEWAY ABS BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES, VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING ALMOST RUNNING INTO GARAGE DOOR. IF HAD BEEN AT INTERSECTION I WOULD HAVE HIT CAR ON FRONT OF ME! CAR TOWED TO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN ARLINGTON TX

2001 SUBURBAN - WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES COMING TO A STOP SIGN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR LEAVING ME BARELY ANY BRAKING POWER, BUT FORTUNATELY SINCE I WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED (25 MPH) I WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME. I THEN DROVE TO A GARAGE WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO WHERE I WAS AND HAD THEM PUT IT UP ON THE RACK TO LOOK AT IT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT ALL OF MY BRAKES LINES WERE VERY RUSTY AND THE ONE REAR LINE HAD BROKEN, I LEFT IT THERE AND HAD THAT LINE REPLACED BUT AFTER REPLACING THAT LINE ANOTHER 2 LINES BROKE DURING THEIR TESTING AFTER THE FIRST REPAIRS. I ENDED UP HAVING 3 REAR LINES AND THE 2 LINES TO AND FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED (3 THAT BROKE AND 2 OTHER ONES THAT LOOKED REALLY BAD) AT A COST OF ABOUT $800, I AM NOW GOING TO GET THE REMAINING 2 FRONT BRAKE LINES REPLACED "BEFORE" THEY BRAKE ON ME ALSO. THESE 2 LINES ARE THE HARDEST TO REPLACE AND I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF ABOUT $700-$800 TO REPLACE THEM. THE ONE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS EARLIER HIS BRAKE LINES ALSO BROKE ON HIS SUBURBAN COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT AND HE HAD TO DRIVE ON THE BIRM TO AVOID REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM. HE HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF HIS SUBURBANS BRAKE LINES.I LIVE IN WESTERN PA AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING HERE FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS WITH MANY DIFFERENT VEHICLES DURING THAT TIME BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD BRAKE LINES RUST AND BREAK LIKE THIS. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN READING, THIS MUST BE FROM FAULTY BRAKE LINE MATERIAL, NONE OF MY MANY OTHER VEHICLES HAVE EVER HAD THIS HAPPEN SO CHEVY CANNOT JUST BLAME IT ON LIVING IN A SNOW/ROAD SALT AREA. *** I PLAN ON GOING WITH A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER WHEN I GET MY NEXT SUV. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE IGNITION WAS ABNORMALLY LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.