2000 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 Complaints

JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CHEVY WITH THE 4.8L OR 5.3L ENGINE, THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKE OFF. CAUSING AN EXHAUST LEAK, AND SHORTENING THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE. EPA SHOULD BE INVOLVED, AS MOST OF THESE VEHICLES EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE. IT IS RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO FIX, $2500+. *TR

BRAKE LINE RUPTURED WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY, ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF US WHEN APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT. I HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS TOWING THE CAMPER, OR BOAT !!!!! WHICH IS WHY I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE !! *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME, AND THE BRAKES WERE VERY SPONGY, THEN THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO GO OUT ON ERRANDS AND THE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING, I HAD TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER TILL I CAME TO A STOP. *TR

STARTED TO PULL OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A REAR BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH, LEAVING A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND. *TR

I WAS BACKING UP MY 2000 CHEVY SUBURBAN 1500 IN MY DRIVE WAY AND THE BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE BACKING UP THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR EACH TIME. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE BRAKES WERE GOING TO FAIL. I WAS ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE REAR BRAKE LINE IS SEVERELY CORRODED AND THE LINE FAILED AT THE CHASSIS LOCATION ABOVE THE REAR AXLE ABOVE THE COIL SPRING BRACKET. THERE WAS A LARGE ABOUT OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE, CHASSIS AND ON THE GROUND. THIS FAILURE ALSO INDICATES THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO FRONT BRAKES EITHER. UPON INSPECTION, ALL THE BRAKE LINES ON THE VEHICLE ARE SEVERELY CORRODED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I AM DISAPPOINTED IN GM ENGINEERS TO PRODUCE A VEHICLE THAT COULD HAVE A FAILURE OF THIS NATURE. THEIR DESIGN CONTROLS AND PROCESS USING A DFMEA (DESIGN FAILURE MODE AND EFFECTS ANALYSIS) WOULD HAVE HAD CORROSION ON BRAKE LINES AS A POTENTIAL FAILURE MODE. IF THEIR MARKETING KNOWS THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF VEHICLES WOULD BE SOLD INTO REGIONS THAT USE CORROSIVE AGENTS TO KEEP OUR ROADS AND HIGHWAYS CLEAN IN THE WINTER, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE SHOWN THAT THE BREAK LINES COULD FAIL GIVEN THEIR CHOICE IN BRAKE LINE MATERIALS AND COATINGS USED ON THIS VEHICLE. ALSO, I AM DISAPPOINTED IN MY GM DEALER AND THE STATE SAFETY INSPECTION PROCESS WHERE I LIVE THAT SHOULD ALSO HAVE CAUGHT THE FACT THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD TO HAVE HAD MY REAR BACKING PLATES REPLACED ON THE SAME VEHICLE LAST YEAR DUE TO A CORROSION FAILURE THAT RENDERED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES USELESS AND WOULD NOT PASS THE STATE INSPECTION PROCESS. *TR

BRAKE LINES RUSTED AND NOW LEAKING IN FRONT OF AND UNDER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR WHERE THE BRAKE LINES START RUNNING DOWN THE FRAME RAIL OF THE TRUCK BODY TOWARDS THE ABS MODULE. LAST WEEK THE TRUCK WAS FINE, AND I DECIDED IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO BRING IT TO MY CHEVY DEALER TO HAVE ANY OUTSTANDING RECALL WORK DONE. THEY TOLD ME AMONG OTHER RECALL ORDERS DUE ON MY TRUCK, ONE IN PARTICULAR IS TO HAVE A 2 FT STRETCH OF ONE OF THE LINES REPLACED, AND THEY REPLACED IT. LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK BACK I NOW HAVE A LEAK COMING FROM ONE OR TWO OF THE OTHER BRAKE LINES IN THAT AREA WHERE THE WORK WAS JUST DONE LAST WEEK. I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS. NOTHING WAS LEAKING TILL THE DEALER TOUCHED IT, SO WHY AM I LEFT WITH A NEW PROBLEM THAT WAS DEALER CAUSED. SECONDLY, WHAT'S UP WITH A RECALL THAT CHOOSES TO REPLACE "ONE PART" OF 1 OF 4 LINES ALL RUNNING PARALLEL, AND ALL RUSTED TO THE SAME DEGREE? THIRDLY, WHY IS CHEVY WHICH HAS A "BUILT LIKE A ROCK" SUGGESTED REPUTATION USING BRAKE LINES THAT CAN SO EASILY SUCCUMB TO RUST, THERE LOTS OF OTHER SOLUTIONS FOR THIS AUTO MAKER. FOR INSTANCE DURING MANUFACTURE, INSTALLING STAINLESS STEEL LINES, COPPER LINES OR COPPER NICKEL ALLOY LINES JUST TO NAME A FEW, INSTEAD OF USING CHEAP STEEL LINES, WHAT GIVES? *TR

MY REAR BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH, FORTUNATELY I WAS GOING SLOW AT THE TIME. I WAS ABLE TO STOP. EXPENSIVE REPAIR AS THE FUEL TANK HAD TO BE DROPPED TO GET AT THE LINES. *TT

WHILE REPLACING FRONT BRAKE PADS, I NOTICED SEVERE RUST/CORROSION ON THE HARD BRAKE LINES COMING FROM THE EBCM. I CONDUCTED A THROUGH INSPECTION AND FOUND ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY RUSTED/CORRODED. THE MAIN BRAKE LINE TO THE REAR WHEEL WAS OOZING BRAKE FLUID WHERE IT BENDS FROM ON TOP OF THE FRAME RAIL TOWARDS THE DIVERTING VALVE. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE BRAKE LINES TO PREVENT A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

NOVEMBER 18 2000 DRIVING TO A MC DONALD'S RESTAURANT WENT TO STOP AND BRAKES FAILED. A LOUD SOUND OF AIR AND THE PEDAL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THANK GOD I WAS NOT DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD OR MY 3 KIDS AND I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY INJURED. I AM AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS WITH THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE. *TR

UPON STOPPING THE SUBURBAN, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM KICKED IN AT A LOW SPEED RESULTING IN A ACCIDENT AND REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. I'M WORRIED FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY WITH THIS SUBURBAN. UPDATED 11/07/11 *BF