2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE ROTORS AND BACKING PLATES WERE ALSO CORRODED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT STATED THAT PIECES OF THE BACKING PLATES FRACTURED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000. UPDATED 06/06/12 *JS

OWNER WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM THE SHOULDER. DURING THE EMERGENCY STOP THE BRAKES BEGAN TO FAIL, AND COMPLETELY FAILED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE STOP, WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO RESULTING ACCIDENT, THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAS VERY PREVALENT. UPON INSPECTION, BRAKE FLUID WAS FOUND DRIPPING FROM THE FRAME RAIL JUST BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BLOCK AREA. THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE WHERE THE LINES WAS MOUNTED TO THE FRAME AND HELD IN PLACE BY PLASTIC RETAINING CLIPS..ON ADDITIONAL INSPECTION, THE OTHER BRAKE HARDLINES WERE FOUND TO BE RUSTED AS WELL. THE ONLY VIABLE FIX WOULD SEEM TO BE A TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE EXISTING LINES, TO PREVENT CONCATENATED FAILURES. *TR

BRAKE LINES RUSTED AND RUPTURED AT A BEND GOING TO LEFT FRONT WHEEL. THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT NEW BY ME IN SOUTH FLORIDA AND NEVER DRIVEN ON THE BEACH OR IN SALTY CONDITIONS. WHY ARE YOU ONLY LOOKING AT 1999 THROUGH 2003 WHEN THEY CLEARLY DID NOT IMPROVE THE BRAKE LINES FOR 2004? THE UNDERSIDE OF MY TRUCK HAS BAD CORROSION. *JS

ON SATURDAY MARCH 3, 2012, MY SON WAS BACKING THE TRUCK OUT OF A DRIVEWAY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS SQUIRTING FROM A BROKEN BRAKE LINE UNDER THE BED OF THE TRUCK AND ABOUT 6 - 8 INCHES REARWARD FROM THE BACK OF THE CAB. SUBSEQUENTLY, I FOUND THAT ALL BRAKE LINES ARE DEFECTIVE AND THERE WILL BE A COST IN THE AREA OF $1600 TO REPAIR THESE ITEMS. *TR

WHEN I HAD THE OIL CHANGED I HAD THE GARAGE CHECK THE BRAKE LINES SINCE I HAD HEARD OF MANY FAILURES. THEY DETERMINED AND SHOWED ME THAT THE LINES WERE CORRODED AND THE CONNECTIONS TO THE CALIPERS WERE ALSO SO CORRODED THAT THEY BROKE WHEN THEY TRIED TO REMOVE THEM. I HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED TO PREVENT A FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM. *TR

DRIVING ON I-95 IN FLORIDA EXIT 289 AS I WAS EXITING I APPLIED BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR USED E-BRAKE TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN WHICH TOOK SOME DISTANCE LUCKY FOR ME EXIT RAMP VERY LONG, I NOTICED NO TRAFFIC ON RT.1 SO I WENT THROUGH STOP SIGN. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ON DASH OR ANY OTHER WARNING. I FINALLY STOPPED GOT OUT AND FOUND A MAJOR LEAK BEHIND LEFT FRONT TIRE ALONG SIDE FRAME I NOTICED 4 BRAKE LINE STACKED 2X2 AGAINST FRAME RAIL.THEY WERE TOTALLY RUSTED AND RUBBING FRAME TRUCK NOW AT DEALER. I HAVE OWNED MANY CHEVY TRUCKS WITH MORE MILEAGE AND AGE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN OR BRAKE LINES RUSTOUT SO BAD. *TR

AFTER RETURNING TO THE TRUCK FROM AN ERRAND I STARTED THE ENGINE AND, UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. NO WARNING LAMPS OF ANY SORT WERE ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. PUMPING OF THE PEDAL DID NOT PRODUCE ANY RESISTANCE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL WARNING LAMP CAME ON. BRAKE FLUID WAS ADDED BUT DID NOT RESULT IN ANY RESISTANCE FROM THE PEDAL. HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED HOME WHERE IT THEN SAT OVER-NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING I OBSERVED A LARGE WET SPOT ON THE DRIVEWAY JUST BELOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND SAW THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES GOING INTO OR OUT OF THE ABS MODULE WERE SEVERELY CORRODED AND AT LEAST ONE HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A CHEVROLET DEALER. I ARRIVED AS THEY WERE RAISING THE TRUCK ON A LIFT. EVIDENTLY THEY ALSO ADDED SOME BRAKE FLUID BECAUSE QUITE A LARGE PUDDLE WAS FORMING ON THE SHOP FLOOR BELOW WHERE THE BRAKE LINES ENTER THE ABS MODULE. THE TECHNICIAN, THE SERVICE CONSULTANT, AND I ALL OBSERVED THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES, AND FLUID WAS LITERALLY DRIPPING FROM ONE THAT HAD OBVIOUSLY BURST. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT GM DOES NOT MAKE REPLACEMENT STEEL BRAKE LINES SO ALL THE LINES WOULD NEED TO BE HAND FABRICATED BY THE TECHNICIAN. DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE ABS MODULE MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF HOW CORRODED THE BRAKE LINE FITTINGS ARE (FITTINGS ARE STEEL, ABS MODULE IS ALUMINUM) WHERE THEY SCREW INTO THE MODULE. WE ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE FUEL LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES FAR OLDER AND WITH FAR MORE MILEAGE AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE STEEL BRAKE LINES. I BELIEVE THE DESIGN IS FLAWED (THE ROUTING AND PLACEMENT OF LINES AND MODULE) OR THE BRAKE LINE MATERIAL (STEEL, INSTEAD OF STAINLESS STEEL) IS INSUFFICIENT. I HAVE PHOTOS AND THE OLD PARTS. *TR