2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 Complaints

LOUD NOISES FROM LEFT REAR WHEEL, LIKE A LOOSE PART, THEN A GRINDING SOUND. SUSPECT IT WAS NOT FIXED IN RECALL. *TR

ENTERED 1ST LANE OF TRAFFIC , ACCELERATED AND ENTERED SECOND LANE. AT THAT TIME TRAFFIC SLOWED ABRUPTLY. APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKE, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR--PUMPED BRAKE, TOTAL FAILURE CAUSING ME TO HIT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE, HOWEVER TRACTOR TRAILER WAS BEHIND HONKING HORN , CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING ME. WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE APPLIED, FORCED TRUCK TO BREAKDOWN LANE. LUCKILY NO INJURIES--JUST CAR DAMAGE INCLUDING A NEW FRONT BUMPER THAT HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED DUE TO CHRONIC GM RUSTING. TOW TRUCK ARRIVED--DRIVER NOTICES SEVERE BRAKE FLUID DRAINAGE ON GROUND AND ON TRUCK BED WHEN RAISED UP. TRUCK BROUGHT TO REPAIR SHOP, WHERE MECHANIC REPORTED ALL BRAKE LINES BURST DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. MECHANIC STATED--NO WONDER YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKES BECAUSE ALL LINES FAILED--NOT SURPRISED DUE TO GMC HAVING BRAKE LINE ISSUES. NEEDLESS TO SAY--TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE UNDER DIFFERENT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THINK ABOUT CHILD RUNNING ACROSS ROAD--TRACTOR TRAILER NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP IN TIME....HIGHER SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY-- THINK ABOUT IT--I CERTAINLY AM!!! *TR

ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT RED LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. SWERVED TO NOT REAR-END CAR IN FRONT. RAN RED LIGHT BECAUSE UNABLE TO STOP. PULLED INTO RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREET AND SLAMMED INTO PARK. BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK. NOT TOWING ANY LOAD. NO LOAD IN TRUCK BED. UPON INVESTIGATION AFTER STOPPING, BRAKE FLUID SPRAYING OUT LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE NEAR AXLE WHEN PEDAL DEPRESSED. *TR

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO USE BRAKES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (70-75 MPH), PEDAL WENT IMMEDIATELY TO FLOOR WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. PEDAL HAD HELD FIRM MOMENTS BEFORE. NO REDUCTION IN SPEED FROM PUMPING PEDAL. NO WARNING OF MALFUNCTION UNTIL DANGER WAS IMMINENT. A CERTAIN CRASH WAS AVOIDED IF EVASIVE DRIVING WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED WITH A COMBINATION OF SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL, KICKING ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND SHIFTING TO THE BERM. STOPPING DISTANCE ESTIMATED TO BE AT LEAST A HALF MILE TO 3/4. VEHICLE SUFFERED MINOR FRONT END DAMAGE FROM USING THE BERM TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, A HARD STEEL REAR BRAKE LINE ABOVE FRAME HAD FULLY RUSTED THROUGH. IT HAD COME APART WITH A LARGE WINDOW, RATHER THAN A SMALL PERFORATION WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED SOME BRAKE MODULATION. *TR

BRAKE LINE CORROSION CAUSED REAR DRIVERS SIDE STEEL LINE TO BURST AND LOSE MOST OF THE TRUCK'S BRAKING ABILITY. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY AT THE TIME. IN ADDITION TO THE LINE THAT RUSTED THROUGH, ALL LINES WILL NEED REPLACING AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION. *TR

DRIVING DOWN MIDDLEBELT ROAD COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT I HIT THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, TRUCK FINALLY CAME TO STOP, LOOKED UNDER HOOD AND COULD SEE BRAKE FLUID LEAKING OUT OF RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS AND THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE BRAKES AND NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. UPDATED 8/19/14*CN

I WAS BACKING UP A TRAILER WITH MY 2003 GMC SIERRA AND TRIED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOT STOP. CHECKED OUT THE BRAKES AND FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED BAD AND ONE HAD FAILED. I FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TRUCK FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. READING ABOUT OTHER COMPLAINTS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM . THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND VERY DANGEROUS AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WARRANTS A RECALL TO REPLACE THESE BRAKE LINES. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE! THERE ARE NO WARNINGS, AND MOST OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES, LIKE MYSELF ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT MAKES ME SICK TO KNOW THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE POOR CHOICE OF MATERIALS THEY USED TO MAKE THESE BRAKE LINES AND BY DOING SO PUTTING OUR LOVE ONES IN DANGER AND PUT MONEY FIRST. *TR

APPLIED BRAKES WHEN A DEER RAN IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK. STEEL BRAKE LINE FEEDING THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE RUPTURED AS A RESULT OF CORROSION JUST ABOVE THE FITTING WHERE THE STEEL LINE CONNECTS TO THE BRAKE HOSE. PEDAL IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE FLOOR, BOTH BRAKING CIRCUITS FAILED. HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE TO BRING THE TRUCK TO A STOP. VEHICLE IS NOT A SOUTHERN VEHICLE - WAS IN VERMONT FROM PURCHASE IN EARLY 2003 UNTIL MOVING TO VIRGINIA IN AUGUST OF 2013. *TR

YOU MUST TAKE ACTION ON THE GM BRAKE LINES IN THE EARLY 2000 TRUCKS. THE CORROSION IS NOT NORMAL COMPARED TO OTHER VEHICLES. EITHER THE METAL IS THINNER OR THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE METALLURGY ALLOWING INCREASE CORROSION. WITH THE WORST WINTER IN RECENT MEMORY, THESE BRAKE LINES WERE SUBJECTED TO MORE SALT THAN EVER. I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE TWO SETS OF BRAKE LINES AND IF ONE OF THEM FAILS THE VEHICLE STILL MAY STOP ALBEIT AT AN INCREASE DISTANCE. WHILE THIS MAY BE FINE FOR A SMALL CAR. THE VEHICLES WE ARE DEALING WITH ARE LARGE VEHICLES. THE BRAKE LINES ARE SUBJECTED TO THE MOST PRESSURE WHEN THE BEDS ARE LOADED AND/OR PULLING A TRAILER. THAT ALSO IS THE WORST TIME FOR THE BRAKE LINES TO FAIL. THESE VEHICLES ARE ALSO THE LEAST MANEUVERABLE IN CASE EVASIVE ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN. ARE WE JUST WAITING FOR A FEW DEATHS FIRST?? *TR