1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

ON JANUARY 11 2012 I WAS DRIVING MY CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 1999 HOME FROM WORK. IT WAS A CLEAR NIGHT WITH CLEAR ROAD CONDITIONS. I WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES, AND AS WAS THE CASE WHEN THE BRAKE LINES BLEW IN MY CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 2000 I FELT LITTLE TO NO PRESSURE BEFORE THE PEDAL SLAMMED TO THE FLOOR. I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO PAY $300 FOR NEW LINES. THE REAR AXLE BRAKE LINES ON BOTH SIDES BLEW, AS WELL AS THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT BRAKE LINE GOING TO THE BRAKE CALIPER FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE BRAKE LINES REPAIRED BY A DEALER AT NO COST TO ME, AS I HAD THEM DONE AT AN INDEPENDENT SHOP WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS. I HAVE FAITH IN GM, AND CONTINUE TO BUY NOTHING BUT GM PRODUCTS, AND WOULD LIKE MY PROBLEM REPAIRED WITH THE GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, RELIABILITY AND DURABILITY THAT I HAVE SEEN WITH GM PRODUCTS IN MY HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP. *TR

I HAD JUST FINISHED REPLACING THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS, ROTORS AND PADS. (I CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY BRAKE JOBS I HAVE DONE IN MY CAREER). I WENT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE. EVERYTHING FELT FINE UNTIL I MADE A HARD STOP. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD VIRTUALLY NO BRAKES AT ALL. I AM A BRAKE SYSTEMS ENGINEER WITH OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE, SO I KNEW I HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I PUT THE TRUCK BACK UP ON MY LIFT AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SOLID BRAKE LINE FROM THE ABS UNIT TO THE REAR AXLE HAD RUPTURED AND WAS LEAKING FLUID. I INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT IT WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. ALL THE OTHER BRAKE LINES ARE ALSO SEVERELY RUSTED AND APPEAR AS IF THEY COULD RUPTURE AT ANY MOMENT. I DROPPED THE FUEL TANK AND REPLACED THE RUPTURED LINE WITH A NEW ONE I FABRICATED. I DO THIS TYPE OF WORK ON NEARLY A DAILY BASIS SO I AM QUALIFIED TO DO SO. IT WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS HAPPENED IN A LIGHTLY TRAVELED OFFICE PARK AND NOT WHEN I REALLY NEEDED THE BRAKES OR IN TRAFFIC. IT IS MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, AS AN AUTOMOTIVE CHASSIS SYSTEMS ENGINEER WITH NEARLY 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE BRAKE INDUSTRY, THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE UNSAFE TO DRIVE IF THEY HAVE SPENT ANY SIGNIFICANT TIME IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF EXCESSIVE MOISTURE OR WHERE SALT IS USED ON THE ROADS. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SEVERELY INJURED OR WORSE. I WILL NO LONGER TRANSPORT MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT A BUSY INTERSECTION THE RESULT WOULD ALMOST DEFINITELY HAD BEEN A CRASH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE WHO INFORMED HIM ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE COVERED WITH RUST, CORRODED AND WAS LEAKING. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES AT THE CUSTOMER EXPENSE FOR $670. THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 308,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOORBOARD AND BRAKE FLUID SPEWED OUT FROM THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

ON 11-10-11 I PURCHASED A PREOWNED SILVERADO 1500 LS TRUCK FROM CHAMPION CHEVROLET,3606 BRISTOL HIGHWAY, JOHNSON CITY, TN 37602. I WAS UNABLE TO TRY OUT THE TRUCK UNTIL THEY REPAIRED A LEAKING BRAKE LINE WHICH I WAS ADVISED HAD RUSTED.. AFTER PURCHASE I GOT IT HOME AND WAS EXAMINING THE UNDER FRAME ASSEMBLIES AND FOUND ALL THE STEEL BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTING PREMATURELY. THE DEALER HAD INSTALLED A PATCH LINE WHERE THE RUST RUPTURE HAD BEEN. THE TRUCK IS OTHERWISE RUST FREE AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I REALIZE THERE IS NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS OF PURPOSE UNDER THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE FROM THE DEALER OR GM ON THIS VEHICLE, BUT THERE IS LIABILITY FOR DEFECTIVE DESIGN WHICH SURVIVES TO SUBSEQUENT OWNERS. I PLAN TO TOW A CARGO TRAILER WITH THE TRUCK AND AM AFRAID THERE WILL BE FURTHER BRAKE LINE FAILURE WHICH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. I'VE NOW LEARNED THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD WITH THESE VEHICLES AND STRONGLY URGE A RECALL IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE DRIVING PUBLIC AND THE OWNERS OF THESE DEFECTIVE TRUCKS. *TR

I WAS SLOWING UP TO STOP AT THE STOPLIGHT AND WAS CLOSE TO STOPPING WHEN SUDDENLY MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD NO BRAKES. FORTUNATELY I WAS GOING SLOW AND MANAGED TO COME TO A ROLLING STOP. I HAD TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE MY VAN TO A REPAIR SHOP. THEY FOUND A CORRODED AND LEAKING BRAKE LINE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REST OF THE BRAKELINES WERE ALSO VERY CORRODED BADLY AND WOULD LIKE ALSO NEED REPLACED DUE TO THE CORROSION. *TR

1999 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500. MOVING VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY, PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL, WENT ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR. UPON INSPECTION FOUND MULTIPLE CORROSION POINTS IN STEEL BRAKE LINE, THAT RESULTED IN HOLES IN THE LINE. TWO CORROSION POINTS/HOLES LOCATED IN THE "CLIPS" THAT HOLD BRAKE LINE IN PLACE. ONE "CLIP" INSIDE THE MAIN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ANOTHER ON TOP OF THE FRAME WHERE LINE LEAVES ENGINE COMPARTMENT GOING TO REAR OF VEHICLE. *TR

WHEN PULLING UP TO A STOP LIGHT AT A CONGESTED INTERSECTION, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR. AFTER INSPECTION I NOTICED I HAD A BROKEN BREAK LINE. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION IT APPEARED THAT SEVERAL WERE VERY CORRODED AND APPEAR READY TO BREAK AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THE TRUCK IS NOT A DAILY DRIVER AND I AVERAGE LESS THAN 8,000 MILES A YEAR ON IT. *TR

ALL THIS DUE TO RUSTED OUT BRAKE LINES. ON 3/9/10 I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN IN A 35MPH ZONE. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO GIVE IT A FEW PUMPS AND I STOPPED IN TIME. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE 4 BLOCKS TO AUTO SHOP. THE MECHANIC FOUND A RUPTURED BRAKE LINE GOING TO THE BACK BRAKES DUE TO RUST. FOUR DAYS LATER I HAD TO RETURN MY TRUCK TO THE SHOP BECAUSE MY BACK BRAKES WERE STICKING. I WAS INFORMED THAT RUST AND CORROSION HAD GOTTEN INTO THE BACK HOSES AND/OR CALIPERS AND WOULD NOT RELEASE PROPERLY. AT THAT TIME HE REPLACED THE REAR HOSES AND CALIPERS. ON 10/2/11 I HAD BRAKE FAILURE AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS THE FRONT BRAKES. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS A BRAKE LINE COMING OFF THE ABS UNIT IN THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK. THERE ARE FIVE BRAKE LINES IN THAT AREA AND THEY WERE ALL RUSTED. HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THEM BECAUSE THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY FAIL. AT THAT TIME, THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS WERE SO RUSTED THAT HE COULD NOT BLEED THE BRAKES, AND HE SUGGESTED TO REPLACE THE HOSES AND CALIPERS AND ALL FIVE BRAKE LINES, WHICH I DID. HE ALSO TOLD ME THERE IS A CROSS BRACE ON THE FRAME THAT WAS ALMOST RUSTED THRU AND NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO A WELDER TO BE FIXED. *KB