2002 GMC SIERRA Complaints

DEAR SIR OR MA'AM, I HAVE A 2002 GMC SIERRA TRUCK THAT I BOUGHT NEW IN 2002. THE BRAKES RECENTLY FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 26, 2014. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT BRAKING ACTION. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY AND WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. UPON EXAMINATION, THE BRAKE LINE TO THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. I EXAMINED THE REST OF THE LINES AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINES, THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE AND THE FUEL LINE ALL SHOW SIGNS OF MAJOR CORROSION, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE FRAME. I HAVE LESS THAN 43,000 MILES ON THIS TRUCK AND IT WAS GARAGE-KEPT THE FIRST NINE YEARS I OWNED IT. I LIVE IN KY WHERE THE ROADS ARE ONLY SALTED A FEW TIMES A YEAR. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS RELATIVELY RUST FREE. THE TRUCK IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE NOW. EVEN IF I PATCH THE LEAK, THE REST OF THE LINES COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME. I COULD SUFFER CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE WHILE TOWING MY BOAT OR HORSE TRAILER OR SIMPLY GOING DOWN A HILL. FURTHERMORE, THE FUEL LINES ARE UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE AND IF THEY RUPTURE, THERE COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD. IF THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES RUPTURE, I COULD HAVE A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET AND GMC TRUCKS FOR YEARS 1999 TO 2003 AND THAT THE NTHSA HAS LOOKED INTO THIS IN THE PAST. IF OTHER TRUCKS ARE IN THE SAME CONDITION AS MINE (AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE), THERE IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM ON THE ROADS RIGHT NOW. YET, TO DATE NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I THINK THIS IS COURTING DISASTER. IT IS MY OPINION THAT LINES MADE WITH INFERIOR STEEL WERE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS VEHICLE, YET GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT. I URGE YOU TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS MATTER. THIS IS NTHSA CASE NUMBER: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FOLKS; WHAT IS THE STORY WITH TIN WHISKERS FORMING IN SOLDERED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS? DOES MY GMC HAVE LEAD FREE SOLDER ANYWHERE IN IT'S ELECTRICALLY SOLDERED COMPONENTS? I'VE HAVE MULTIPLE FAILED ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WHICH IMPLIES MULTIPLE SHORTS. WHAT MAKES, MODELS AND YEARS ARE THIS PROBLEM KNOWN TO HAVE OCCURRED IN BESIDES THE TOYOTA CAMRY 2003? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL SANK ABORMALLY INTO THE FLOORBOARD AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

I WAS DRIVING APPROX 35 MPH WHEN A DOG RAN IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING THE DOG. A MOMENT LATER I WENT TO APPLY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN FOR AN UNFAMILIAR TURN AND MY PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I MANAGED TO DOWNSHIFT TO COME TO A STOP AND UPON INSPECTION, NOTICED A HOLE IN MY DRIVERS SIDE REAR BRAKE LINE. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES HAVE A SEVERE AMOUNT OF RUST. THE BUNDLE OF LINES RUNNING ALONG THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ARE THE WORST. *TR

WHEN IS THERE GOING TO BE A RECALL ON THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES, I ALREADY CRASHED IN 2006 WITH THE ABS SYSTEM WHICH FAILED AND WAS A FAILURE TO START WITH AND WHEN THEY FIXED, THE FIX ONLY LASTED FOR 14 MONTHS AND SINCE THEN I HAVE BE DRIVING WITH CONVENTIONAL BRAKES,SO ARE THEY WAITING FOR ME AND OTHERS TO CRASH AGAIN WITH THESE RUSTY BRAKE LINES. P.S. GOING ON 3RD. SET OF ROTORS IN THE REAR, ONLY 65,000 MI. *TR

XMAS TREE SHOPPING W/FAMILY VERY LONG STOPPING DISTANCE, THEN NO BRAKES. I MADE REPAIR AT HOLDING BRACKET NEAR LEFT FRONT WHEEL ON FRAME. THEN ON 2/25/2014 ANOTHER BRAKE LINE RUST FAILURE NEAR BUT IN BACK OF ABS MODULE TO BACK WHEELS. I REPLACED THAT SECTION . TODAY 3/15/2014 ANOTHER FAILURE AT THE FIRST SPOT,HOLDING BRACKET NEAR LEFT FRONT WHEEL ON FRAME. ALL THIS ON 2002 GMC SIERRA,FUNNY I HAVE A 2002 FORD TAURUS ALMOST THE SAME MILEAGE NO BRAKE PROBLEMS. *TR

I WAS SLOWING TO A STOP LIGHT FROM RESIDENTIAL STREET,INTO A MAIN ROAD, AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I PUMPED BRAKES AND RECOVERED PRESSURE AND STOPPED. I THEN PROCEEDED ON THE MAIN ROAD TO NEXT LIGHT. AFTER BEING AT THE LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL FOR APPROX. 15 SEC. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND TRUCK BEGAN ROLLING FORWARD. I LET PEDAL GO AND PUMPED AND PRESSURE CAME BACK AND HELD FOR ABOUT 15 MORE SEC. THEN FAILED AGAIN WITH TRUCK ROLLING FORWARD. I THEN DROVE THE TRUCK DIRECTLY TO THE SHOP ABOUT 4 MILES AWAY. I WAS INFORMED THAT A VERY ALARMING AND COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH 99-06 GM TRUCKS OCCURRED. MY BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY. 650.00 BUCKS LATER I'M BACK ON THE ROAD. I WAS TOLD TO LOOK AT THIS SITE AND I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MANY OTHER VEHICLES HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. I WAS WONDERING IF GM WOULD BE SO KIND AS TO AT LEAST PICK UP THE COST OF THE PARTS WHICH I WAS TOLD AROUND 100.00. WISHFUL THINKING I GUESS. *TR

BRAKE LINE BURST WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE REPAIR FACILITIES ALL BRAKE LINES ARE EXTREMELY RUSTED AND MUST BE REPLACED. REAR BRAKE COMPONENTS ALSO RUSTED AND MUST BE REPLACED. COST OF REPAIRS EXCEEDS $3000.00. I'VE HAD SEVERAL VEHICLES THE SAME AGE ( WITH MORE MILES ) THAT DON'T HAVE NEARLY THE SAME AMOUNT RUST EVEN THOUGH THEY TOO HAVE SPENT THEIR WINTERS IN MICHIGAN. STOPPING A VEHICLE HAS TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF A VEHICLE TO GET CORRECT. HOW IS IT THAT MANUFACTURES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO USE THE BEST PRODUCT AVAILABLE FOR BRAKE LINES? *TR

DRIVING 30 MPH IN TRAFFIC. LIGHT TURNS RED . CARS IN FRONT OF ME APPLY BRAKES .I APPLIED MY BRAKES. BRAKES INSTANTLY FELT SPONGY AND ABNORMAL. APPLIED MORE PRESSURE WITH 2 FEET AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. NO BRAKE LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON JUST WENT TO FLOOR. WAS DETERMINED BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD ROTTED AND I HAD A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE LOOSING MAJOR BRAKE FLUID AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. *TR

THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT. AS I WAS TURNING AT THE END OF ROW OF PARKED VEHICLES ,A PICK-UP TRUCK WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING PLACE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE ONLY A RATCHETING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF MY PICK-UP. I PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL BUT IT CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD UNTIL MY TRUCK RAN INTO THE OTHER ONE. THIS HAPPENED AT A VERY LOW SPEED BUT THERE WAS STILL QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE TO THE TRUCKS. IT ALMOST FELT LIKE THE TRUCK WAS BEING PULLED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. I GOT MY TRUCK IN TO A MECHANIC AND HE REPLACED THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. THIS ACCIDENT WAS SMALL BUT I COULD JUST AS EASILY RUN INTO SOMEONE IN A WHEELCHAIR OR SOMEONE THAT COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE TRUCK WAS RECALLED BEFORE I OWNED IT (AT 43000 MILES) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TRUCK NOW HAS 103000 MILES ON IT AND IT APPEARS THAT THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. *TR