2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

I OWN A 2000 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Z71 4X4 EXTENDED CAB SHORT BED WITH 5.3L AND AUTO TRANSMISSION SLT PACKAGE WITH 165000 HIGHWAY MILES. I TRAVEL AROUND 62 MILES A DAY. ON JUNE 4TH, 2014, I WAS TRAVELING THE FREEWAY AT 70MPH AND I BEGAN SLOWING TO EXIT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR. NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PUMPED OR HELD DOWN THE PEDAL IT WOULD NOT EVEN SLOW. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION MANUALLY TO LOWER MY SPEED WHICH DID HELP AND THEN APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH SEEM TO WORK FOR A SECOND THEN SEIZED AS I WAS PRESSING THE PEDAL. IT WAS JUST STUCK AND WOULDN'T GO DOWN ANY FURTHER. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS RUSH HOUR AND THE EXIT WAS BACKED UP FROM THE LIGHT AND I WAS RUNNING OUT ROOM QUICKLY. HAVING NO SHOULDER ON THE EXIT, I HAD TO LEAVE THE ROADWAY AND VEER OFF INTO A GAS STATION LAWN WHICH I MANAGED TO GET THE TRUCK TO SLIDE AROUND AND STOP BEFORE HEADING INTO TRAFFIC. AFTER CHECKING THE MASTER CYLINDER AND SEEING IT ALMOST EMPTY I TOWED THE TRUCK HOME. TO MY SURPRISE WHEN LOOKING UNDER THE TRUCK, I FIND A LEAKING BRAKE LINE. THEN I START TO NOTICE ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH FROM THE FRONT CALIPERS TO THE REAR. THIS TRUCK IS ONLY 14 YEARS OLD WHICH TELLS ME THE MATERIALS USED TO MANUFACTURE THESE BRAKE LINES WERE NOT ADEQUATE. THE SPEED AT WHICH THEY HAVE RUSTED IS RIDICULOUS FOR A 14 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I WATCHED MULTIPLE NEWS CHANNELS HAVE REPORTED ON THIS ISSUE BUT GM REFUSES TO ADMIT THEIR FAULT. THE ENTIRE UNDER CARRIAGE AND FRAME OF THESE VEHICLES ARE RUSTING OUT WAY TO QUICK WHEN COMPARED TO ALL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED THE SAME YEAR AND THEY ALL ARE RUSTING IN EXACTLY THE SAME AREAS. THIS CONDITION IS A DANGER TO NOT JUST THE VEHICLE OWNERS BUT TO EVERYONE SHARING THE ROAD. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO THE STORE AND I WENT TO STOP SUDDENLY TO AVOID SOMEONE PULLING OUT OF FRONT OF ME AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. SO NOT HAVING ANY BRAKE PEDAL I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT TO AVOID OTHER CAR THAT PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND BY DOING THIS I RIPPED THE VALANCE OFF THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK. I THINK THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. EVERYONE I KNOW THAT HAS HAD ONE OF THESE TRUCKS FOR A FEW YEARS HAS HAD A BRAKE LINE OR TWO BLOW ON THEM, AND I GUESS ITS NOW MY TURN. I'M JUST LUCKY NOT TOO MUCH DAMAGED WAS CAUSE AND NO ONE GOT INJURED. *TR

AT DIFFERENT TIMES THE BRAKES WOULD MAKE A CHATTER NOISE AND THEN NO BRAKES. IT SEEMED TO HAVE BRAKES AFTER I WOULD HIT THE PEDAL AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY CHATTERED AS I WAS STOPPING TO PULL ON THE HIGHWAY AND I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. I WAS PROCEEDING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND THERE WAS A LOADED 18 WHEELER WITH LOGS BEARING DOWN ON ME. I SAW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPENED SO I ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND SHOT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY OUT OF THE TRUCKS PATH. THANK GOODNESS NO VEHICLES WAS IN THE OTHER LANE. I CHECKED WITH A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL IN THE NORTHERN STATES FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT NOT IN OUR AREA. HE SAID IT WOULD COST AROUND 1200 TO 1400 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THE ABS SYSTEM FAILURE. LAST FALL I WAS TOWING MY CAMPER HOME AND THE BRAKE BUSTED ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKES. ONCE AGAIN I WAS LUCKY AND HAD NO ACCIDENT. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP AND HAD IT REPAIRED. HE SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM OF THE LINES RUSTING ON THE GM VEHICLES. I KNOW THE TRUCK IS A 2000 MODEL BUT I HAD A 1958 CHEVROLET TRUCK WITH OVER 300,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER. SEEMS LIKE THE NEW IMPROVED SAFETY PRODUCTS ARE NOT SO SAFE AFTER ALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST. *TR

UPON LEAVING THE ZILPO CAMPGROUND IN KENTUCKY, TOWING A 15 FOOT BASS BOAT WITH MY WIFE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND MY TWO GRANDCHILDREN AGES 5 AND 6 YEARS IN THE BACK SEAT, I APPROACHED THE PARK RANGER CHECK STATION AY 30-35 MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR LEAVING NO BRAKING ABILITY. I WAS FORCED TO SWITCH TO THE ON-COMING LANE TO AVOID REAR-ENDING MY FRIEND [XXX] WHO WAS STOPPED AT THE CHECK STATION. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS IN THE ON-COMING LANE. WITH THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR ON A SEVERE DOWNHILL GRADE I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY COME TO A STOP AT A PULL-OFF ABOUT A MILE LATER. MY TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED 50 MILES TO CRAIG'S AUTO REPAIR IN WINCHESTER, KY. THEY FOUND MANY RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF AROUND $1,000. HAD THE LANE CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN DIFFERENT, THIS COULD HAVE PROVED TO BE FATAL. 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO C1500 (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING 65-70 MPH WHEN AN ABNORMAL BUMP SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THEN DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST OFF THE ROADWAY AND ONTO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE CONTACT VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE BEARING WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BRAKE AND THE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

'THE PADS RUSTED TO THE ROTORS, DESTROYING THE ROTORS. I HAD TO HAVE ALL THE ROTORS AND PADS REPLACED. SINCE THEN HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE PADS AND ROTORS TWO MORE TIMES. I'VE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR CALIPERS AND THE BACKING PLATES AT LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE ABS SENSORS AND GREASE BOOT S ON THE FRONT AXELS. REPLACED THE UNIVERSAL JOINT, THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SWITCHES TWICE, THE POWER WINDOW MECHANISMS, THE TAIL GATE STRAPS AND THE LEVER--WHICH ISN'T WORKING RIGHT AGAIN, THE GAS TANK STRAP, RUSTY FUEL LINES AND BRAKE LINES, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL COVER THAT RUSTED OUT. ALSO THE AIR CONDITIONING PULLEY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND HEARD THE SQUEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE RIGHT BRAKE PAD WAS WORN QUICKER THAN USUAL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE TIMES AFTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 45MPH, HEADING SOUTH, FOUND ROAD I NEEDED TO TURN ON, TO HEAD EAST, HIT THE BRAKES AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND CAUSED ME TO MISS TURN DUE TO LACK OF BRAKING. TOWED VEHICLE HOME AND FOUND BRAKE LINE RUSTED OUT AND BLOWN BY ABS MODULE. REMAINING BRAKE LINES IN VERY RUSTY/ DETERIORATED SHAPE, ALL NEEDING REPLACEMENT. *TR

THIS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES, THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED BRAKE LINES. I COMPLAINED TO MECHANIC A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT BRAKES SHUDDERING AND GOING DOWN VERY LOW BEFORE CATCHING, THEY DROVE IT AND OF COURSE IT DID NOT DO IT. MORE RECENTLY THEY ARE SHUDDERING AND FEELING LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE IS GOING ON WHEN JUST SLOWING ON DRY PAVEMENT. ON THURSDAY FEB 20, THE BRAKES WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THEY FINALLY STOPPED. I HAVE CALLED GM AND THEY SAID WHILE MANY OF THE TRUCKS IN THIS CATEGORY WERE RECALLED FOR BRAKE ISSUES, THIS VIN NUMBER WAS NOT. HOW IS THAT?? I HAVE YET ANOTHER APPT TO GO BACK TO THE MECHANIC AND SEE ABOUT REPLACING SENSORS, WHICH THEY SAID ARE ONGOING ISSUES ON THESE TRUCKS DRIVEN IN THE NORTHEAST. I DID READ THE RECALL AND IT DESCRIBED EXACTLY WHAT THIS TRUCK IS DOING, BUT THE GM REP I SPOKE WITH SAID THIS TRUCK WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE RECALL I READ SAID ALL THESE TRUCKS IN THE SNOW BELT WHICH INCLUDED VERMONT WERE RECALLED. I AM FRUSTRATED AND CONFUSED HOW THEY CAN KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND SKIP AROUND WHICH MODELS THEY WILL SERVICE. *TR