2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

ONE OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES BETWEEN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE ABS MODULATOR VALVE RUPTURED DURING A STOP DUE TO CORROSION. ALL BRAKE LINES IN THE VEHICLE HAVE SIMILAR LEVELS OF CORROSION NEAR THE AREA THE AFOREMENTIONED LINE RUPTURED, AND AT VARIOUS OTHER LOCATIONS ON THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES HAD FAILED APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS PREVIOUSLY DUE TO CORROSION. THE CORROSION AND RUST ON MANY COMPONENTS BENEATH THE VEHICLE AND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS BECOMING RATHER CONCERNING. *TR

WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM THE DRIVEWAY, COMING TO A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK IN THE DRIVEWAY, A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID WAS RUNNING OUT FROM A LOCATION UNDER THE DRIVERS DOOR AREA. AFTER INSPECTION, THE BRAKE LINE TO THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND RUPTURED. ALL BRAKE LINES LOOK TOTALLY RUSTED. LIMITED OR NO BRAKES IS A BIG PROBLEM ON A 3/4 TON VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE'S UNDER CARRIAGE IS WASHED ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY FRIEND TO WORK IN OK 4/30/14.. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF WHAT INSTIGATED OUR HEAD ON COLLISION BUT I HAVE SEVERAL INJURIES, HAD TO CUT OUT OF THE DASHBOARD AND AIRLIFTED TO OU MEDICAL CTR. IN OK CITY.. SHATTERED ANKLES/FEET, BROKEN NECK INCLUDING SUSTAINABLE FACET DISRUPTION THAT IS PERMANENT AND 8 BROKEN RIBS COMBINED BOTH R & L DUE TO SEVERE IMPACT WITH OUT ANY AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. ASHERBRIDGECRASH.COM AND I WAS IN THE WHITE SUBURBAN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN HILL THE LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL TURNED RED. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES, HEARD A POP AND HISSING NOISE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK WAS SLOWING BUT NOT BY MUCH. I PULLED IT INTO LOW GEAR AND BLEW THE HORN. THE CAR SITTING AT THE LIGHT TOOK NOTICE AND PULLED OUT OF THE WAY AND I WAS ABLE TO GO AROUND THE CORNER ONTO LEVEL GROUND AND STOP THE TRUCK. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OUT ON THE GROUND. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THE FAILURE AND THE TRUCK HAS BEEN GM DEALER SERVICED INCLUDING BRAKES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SUBURBAN AND HEADING SOUTHBOUND ALONG WASHINGTON BLVD. IN ARLINGTON COUNTY. AS I APPROACHED MERGING TRAFFIC FROM RT. 50/ARLINGTON BLVD. AND FT. MYER, I ADJUSTED MY SPEED TO ALLOW VEHICLE #1 TO MERGE IN FRONT OF ME. SIMULTANEOUSLY, VEHICLE #2 SPED UP TO ABRUPTLY MERGE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE #1, CAUSING THAT VEHICLE TO BRAKE HARD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I ALSO HAD TO BRAKE HARD TO AVOID HITTING VEHICLE #1 AND UPON DOING SO MANAGED TO GET STOPPED WITHOUT CONTACT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME LOST ALL FURTHER BRAKING ABILITY. THE BRAKE LIGHT AND A WARNING MESSAGE TO "SERVICE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY" BOTH ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE AND CALLED AAA FOR TOW SERVICE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER'S INITIAL ASSESSMENT WAS THAT THE BRAKE LININGS HAD LEAKED OUT. AFTER HAVING THE TRUCK TOWED AND FURTHER ASSESSED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE LINES HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO THE ABS MODULE. ALTHOUGH NOW A 11 YEAR OLD VEHICLE, IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ROUTINELY BY EITHER THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED OUR SUBURBAN, OR WITH OUR LOCAL SUNOCO MECHANIC. IT ALSO RECENTLY PASSED INSPECTION IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS INDICATION OR WARNING OF ANY POSSIBLE BRAKE ISSUES. FORTUNATELY, THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT SERIOUS; HOWEVER, I BELIEVE IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED ENTIRELY HAD GM NOTIFIED OWNERS OF POSSIBLE BRAKE LINE FAILURE. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION AT A STOP SIGN. THERE WAS A CAR APPROACHING ON MY LEFT THAT HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY AND DID NOT HAVE A STOP SIGN. THEY WERE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND IT SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE FLOOR. MY VEHICLE WENT INTO THE PATH OF THE ONCOMING CAR AND I COULD NOT STOP. I CUT MY WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND ACCELERATED QUICKLY TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. AFTER I WAS CLEAR OF THEM, I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP AND THE REAR METAL BRAKE LINE HAD FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

BRAKE LINES RUSTED THRU GOING TO ANTI LOCK BLOCK. THESE LINES RUN ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME. *TR

BRAKE FLEX LINES BETWEEN ABS AND MASTER RUSTED AND FAILED, TWICE, WITHIN 2 YEARS, BRAKE LINES RUSTED OUT BETWEEN 90-106 K MILES, GM DOES NOT MAKE THE PARTS ANYMORE, AND AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE SKETCHY QUALITY FROM CHINA! POOR DESIGN, CHEAP STEEL LINES, TOO THIN, AND NO SUPPORT OF THEIR PRODUCTS! CLEARLY GM HAS A MYRIAD OF OTHER RECALLS AND FAILURES, BUT THESE ARE BRAKES, A CRITICAL PART AND SAFETY COMPONENT IN VEHICLES THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER- IF YOUR GOING TO DESIGN SAFETY PARTS TO COMPORT WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, SUPPORT THE PRODUCT FOR REASONABLE USE WHICH IS 25 YEARS, BETTER DESIGNS. 3 BRAKE FAILURES IN 3 YEARS, OVER $1800 NOW AND NO PEACE OF MIND IT WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN. *TR

WHEN DEPARTING FOR THE DAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. THE STOPPING TIME OF THE VEHICLE WAS COMPROMISED. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING USED TO TOW A 19 FOOT BOAT, THE TRIP WAS ABORTED IN THE FIRST MILE AND THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE BRAKES, A SEVERE LEAKING OF BRAKE FLUID WAS DISCOVERED. THE BRAKE LINES WERE CHECKED AND EXTENSIVE RUSTING OF THE LINES WAS DISCOVERED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF BRAKE FLUID LEAKS OR REDUCED PRESSURE FROM ANY INDICATOR SIGNAL. THE FAILURE WAS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED AS THE BRAKES WORKED WITHOUT ISSUE THE PREVIOUS EVENING. *TR

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKE AND FUEL LINES WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 221,000.