2000 GMC SIERRA Complaints

I OWN A 2000 GMC SIERRA 2500 4WD. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW IN JUNE OF 2000. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE CORROSION ISSUES ARE BECOMING OVERWHELMING. YESTERDAY, A BRAKE LINE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN AT AN INTERSECTION WITH A STATE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY, I GOT STOPPED AS I WAS ONLY GOING 25 MPH. I BABIED IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE 1/4 MILE AWAY, AND FOUND BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING OUT BELOW THE FUEL TANK AREA. AFTER LOOKING UNDERNEATH, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT MOST OF THE BRAKE LINES WILL NEED REPLACED BECAUSE OF RUST. GOES ALONG WITH THE CORROSION ISSUE UNDER THE WHOLE TRUCK. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED THE REAR SPRING SHACKLES ON BOTH SIDES, AS ONE HAD RUSTED AND BROKE IN HALF WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAUSED THE LEAF SPRING TO SLAM UP AGAINST UNDERSIDE OF THE BED, WHICH DENTED AND CRACKED THE PAINT IN THE BED. I RESTORE VEHICLES FOR A LIVING, AND I'VE SEEN CARS FROM THE 1940'S THAT DON'T HAVE THIS MUCH RUST ON THE UNDERSIDE. COME ON GM!! IT'S GREAT THAT THE BODY LOOKS LIKE NEW AND THE ENGINE RUNS GREAT, BUT IT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD WHEN THE FRAME ROTS OUT FROM UNDERNEATH!! AND NOW THE BRAKE LINES---GLAD I WASN'T GOING 60 MPH WITH A LOADED TRAILER WHEN IT BLEW!! *JB

WHILE PULLING A SMALL ENCLOSED TRAILER AND GOING DOWN A HILL I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR BRAKES. I ENDED UP GOING THROUGH A REDLIGHT AND MISSED ANY VEHICLES IN THE INTERSECTION, STARTED TO DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW MY SPEED. CROSSED OVER AN INTERSECTION FOR A BIKE TRAIL WITH NOONE IN THE WAY. THEN HAD TO MAKE A HARD RIGHT TURN TO GO UNDER A TRAIN TRESSEL NARROWLY MISSING AN ON COMING CAR. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE VEHICLE STOPPED I HAD DROPPED VERTICALLY 80 + FEET IN THE MATTER OF LESS THAN A HALF MILE. ON THE GROUND WAS A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID FROMTHE CORRODED BRAKE LINES THAT HAD BURST RENDERING MY TRUCK IN TO AN UNSTOPPABLE DOWNHILL BOBSLED. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WE SUNNY AND 80 DEGREES. LUCKILY NOONE WAS IN MY WAY AND I WAS ABLE TO MISS ANY OBJECTS AND STEER THE TRUCK TO A SAFE SPOT. I AM ALSO THANKFUL THAT NEITHER OF MY KIDS WERE IN THE TRUCK WITH ME AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY IN TO WHAT A MANUFACTURE USES FOR VITAL SAFETY ITEMS IN A VEHICLE. BRAKES LINES SHOULD BE A PART THAT SHOULD OUTLAST THE USEFULNESS OF THE VEHICLE . NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A POSSIBLE FAILURE POINT ANY GIVEN TIME. THIS IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE OR GET INJURED DUE TO A COST SAVINGS OF USING REGULAR STEEL LINES ON THE ONE PART THAT MAKES YOU VEHICLE STOP? I HAVE HEARD OF PLENTY OF PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLE TYPES WHO HAVE HAD THEIR BRAKE LINES FAIL. THIS IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE THANK YOU FOR ANYTHING THAT YOU MAY TRY TO DO ON THIS ISSUE . *TR

WHILE POSITIONING MY GMC SIERRA PICKUP TO BACKUP MY UTILITY TRAILER THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO STOPPING CAPABILITY. BRAKE FLUID WAS FOUND SQUIRTING OUT OF A BURST OPEN METAL BRAKE LINE LOCATED ON A FRAME MEMBER UNDER THE AREA OF THE RADIATOR. I TRACED THE LINE FROM THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL TO THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. THE LOCATION OF THE LEAK WAS IN A STRAIGHT SECTION OF THE LINE WITH NO CLAMPS IN THE VICINITY. ALL THE BRAKE LINES APPEAR TO BE COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE TRUCK IS NOW OBVIOUSLY UNDRIVABLE. I HAD JUST FINISHED A 20 MILE ROAD TRIP AND ARRIVED HOME WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED, FRONT FROM THE REAR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ONE BURST FRONT BRAKE LINE CAN CAUSE COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. I AM LOOKING FOR DIRECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLES WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT COULD NOT ENTER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 200,000.

COMPLETE HYDRAULIC BRAKE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ONLY CAME ON AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE FRONT BRAKE HAD STOPPED WORKING SOMETIME AGO, ONLY THE REAR BRAKE HAD BEEN WORKING. THE DEALER "REPLACED REAR PADS AND ROTORS AND PARKING BRAKE SHOES, FOUND FOUR BUSTED BRAKE LINES, REPLACE ALL FRONT BRAKE LINES, MASTER CYLINDER TO ABS MODULE (2) AND FROM MODULE TO FRONT BRAKES(2)."

CORRODED HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED BRAKING. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED DURING A STOP WHICH REQUIRED HIGHER PEDAL PRESSURE THAN TYPICAL APPLICATION, CAUSING THE CORRODED LINE TO BURST.

THE FRAME ON THE TRUCK IS CRACKED SEVERAL INCHES IN A COUPLE OF PLACES AND ROTTED. IT IS VERY THIN AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING SOLID TO WELD TO AND REPAIR IT. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE FRAME REPLACED. THE TRUCK HAS JUST TURNED 100000 MILES. I HAVE HAD IT FOR SIX YEARS AND TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. IT RUNS GREAT. THE BODY IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, THERE IS ONE SMALL HOLE IN THE DRIVER SIDE ROCKER PANEL I WAS GOING TO REPAIR IN THE NEAR FUTURE ( I DO NOT KNOW IF I WILL NOW BOTHER). OTHER THAN THAT THE BODY IS NEAR PERFECT. THERE IS NO ROT IN THE FLOORS OR TRUCK BED. THE REPAIR SHOP COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW BAD THE FRAME IS WHEN THE TRUCK LOOKS SO GREAT. I HAVE FOUND A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET SIMILAR TO THIS, MAYBE IF ENOUGH PEOPLE SPEAK UP SOMETHING WILL GET DONE. ALSO, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES HAVE NOT WORKED FOR SOME TIME NOW. I WAS TOLD THEY GET RUST IN THE ASSEMBLY AND DO NOT WORK RIGHT. I HAVE ALSO HAD SEVERAL BRAKE LINES BREAK AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. I REALIZE THAT BRAKE LINES DO RUST OVER TIME AND DO NEED TO BE REPLACED (THEY SHOULD BE MADE FROM STAINLESS STEEL FROM THE FACTORY) BUT THE ANTI LOCKS SHOULD WORK AND A FRAME SHOULD NOT ROT AND CRACK AS IT HAS. *TR

THE LOWER HALF OF THE REAR GAS TANK STRAP HAS ROTTED OUT AND DISLODGED FROM THE UPPER HALF OF THE STRAP. THE FRONT STRAP ALSO HAS VISIBLE CORROSION. A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO FIND THE LOWER HALF OF THE STRAP, AS I WAS MOVING FIREWOOD ON MY PROPERTY. I FEEL BLESSED THAT I FOUND THE ISSUE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING. I BELIEVE IF UNDETECTED, THE RELEASE OF THE GAS FROM THE CHASSIS WOULD HAVE LIKELY BEEN CATASTROPHIC. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS! *TR

BRAKE LINE TO THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL BLEW APART CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT, AND DRAMATICALLY DECREASED THE STOPPING ABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. HAD THIS LINE REPLACED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS NOTIFIED BY PERSONNEL THAT ALL OF THE LINES WERE IN BAD CONDITION, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SOON. *TR

NHTSA SHOULD BE OPENING INVESTAGATIONS CONCERNING THE BRAKE LINE CORROSION INCIDENTS. WE JUST PURCHASED THIS TRUCK LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, AND BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED US TO HAVE THIS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER A MONTH AND STILL HAVE NO TRUCK YET. THERE ARE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FOR THE NHTSA TO HAVE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS TRUCK ONLY COST US 6000.00. REPAIRS WILL PROBALLY BE HALF THAT PRICE. *TR