2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

DRIVING CONDITION WARRANTED A QUICK STOP. APPLIED BRAKES BUT PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY STOPPING ABILITY. I APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP AS I DRIFTED INTO INTERSECTION, THEN PUT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO PARK ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AND I NOTICED THAT IF I DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL I COULD ENGAGE TRANSMISSION DRIVE, BUT AS I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE IT COASTED SINCE I WAS ON AN INCLINE .THEN I CONTACTED AAA AND THEY ARRANGED A TOW TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MY BRAKE LINE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. ALL TRUCK BRAKES WERE JUST REPLACED AND STATE INSPECTED 12/18/10 AT THE DEALER FROM WHERE I BOUGHT TRUCK. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 CHEVY SILVERADO PICKUP TO WORK WHEN UPON SLOWING DOWN TO ENTER A DRIVEWAY THE BRAKE SYSTEM RUPTURED AND I LOST ALL BRAKING. LUCKILY I WAS GOING 5MPH OR I WOULD HAVE HIT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. LATER THAT EVENING I WENT ON-LINE TO RESEARCH CHEVY TRUCK COMPLAINTS AND I FOUND THE BRAKE FAILURE I EXPERIENCED IS EPIDEMIC WITH 2000-2006 MODELS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, AND THAT GM IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT-BLAMING IT ON SALT ETC.. IF THAT WERE THE CASE ,ALL VEHICLES WOULD BE SUFFERING THESE ISSUES, NOT SO. THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THE BRAKE LINES ARE MADE OF INFERIOR MATERIALS AND PLACED ON THE FRAME IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ACCUMULATE DIRT,SALT AND MOISTURE AND HOLD IT CREATING THE PERFECT SPOT FOR CORROSION TO OCCUR. ALMOST ALL OF THE RUPTURES OCCUR IN THE SAME SPOT-UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT AREA, BEHIND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. AS MINE DID. MY CONCERN IS THAT SOMEDAY AN UNSUSPECTING OWNER WILL PUT HIS /HER BRAKES ON,SAY, TO AVOID A CHILD OR AT A BUSY INTERSECTION, AND HAVE THE SAME FAILURE , RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. MY CONCERN IS THAT GM AND ITS DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THIS AND HAVE NOT WARNED TRUCK OWNERS ABOUT THE DANGERS. MY DEALER JUST SERVICED MY TRUCK AND GAVE IT A SAFETY CHECK, BUT DID NOT SEEM TO NOTICE THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTING OUT TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. I WONDER HOW MANY TRUCKS WITH PREMATURELY ROTTING BRAKE LINES THEY HAVE REPAIRED OVER THE YEARS (AND NOT HAVE NOTICED A PATTERN), ONLY TO REMAIN SILENT? PLEAS HELP ME DO SOMETHING BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT OR KILLED. *KB

2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 4 WHEEL DRIVE. ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES WHEN COMING TO A NORMAL STOP AT ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. THIS CAUSES THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PUSH BACK YOUR FOOT BACK AND THE BRAKES TO RELEASE SLIGHTLY. IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT IT. NO ACCIDENTS YET, BUT I CAN SEE WHERE THIS COULD CAUSE MANY. THERE ARE ALSO NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET WHERE OTHER DRIVERS OF LIKE GM OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

I EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE IN MY 2004 SILVERADO WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT. FORTUNATELY, TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT, USE THE EBRAKE TO COME TO A HALT AND GATHER MY WITS. THERE WAS NO WARNING UNTIL THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR THEN THE WARNING LIGHT AND AUDIO INDICATOR CAME ON. I NURSED THE TRUCK HOME DRIVING SLOWLY AND USING THE EBRAKE. UPON ARRIVING AT HOME AND PERFORMING AN INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM I DISCOVERED A SEVERELY RUSTED/CORRODED THROUGH BRAKE PIPE DIRECTLY BELOW THE PROPORTIONAL MANIFOLD LEADING TO THE ABS UNIT. ABSOLUTELY NO REDUNDANCY HERE, TOTAL FAILURE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, I DISCOVERED AN UNACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF RUST/CORROSION ON BRAKE PIPES. THE CORROSION ALSO APPEARS ON OTHER LINES AS WELL AS THE WHOLE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK. I AM APPALLED THAT GM DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS VERY SERIOUS DEFECT THAT IS LIFE THREATENING BUT DOES HAVE RECALLS ON PARTS THAT ARE NOT LIFE THREATENING SUCH AS LIGHTS OR TAIL GATE CABLES. I HAVE NEVER HAD A FAILURE SUCH AS THIS IN THIS NEW OF A VEHICLE IN MY 50 PLUS YEARS OF DRIVING, EVEN IN MICHIGAN. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RECTIFY THIS SERIOUS DEFECT. I PLAN ON REPLACING THE ENTIRE BRAKE PIPE AND LINES WITH A STAINLESS STEEL SYSTEM. I AM SURE MOST OTHER GM OWNERS ARE UNAWARE OF THIS DEFECT AS I WAS AND HAVING THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT DEFINITELY IS NOT THE WAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES YET THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. HE THEN USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO IDLE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER ASSURED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALER ON HIS BEHALF. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,500.

TRUCK HAD A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN A LOW SPEED COLLOSION WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE TRUCK, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A STEEL BRAKE LINE HAD BURST AND WAS RELEASING BRAKE FLUID. ALL THE BRAKE LINES APPEAR TO HAVE EXCESSIVE CORROSION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND FELL TO THE FLOOR. THE CONTACT PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS BROKEN. BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THE UNDER CARRIAGE WAS SEVERELY COVERED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DEALERS POSSESSION FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 . THE DEALER REPLACED ALL THE STEEL BRAKE LINES AND BLED THE BRAKE SYSTEM. UPDATED 05/19/11

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. A LEAK IN THE FRONT LINE TO THE ABS PUMP CAUSED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. TRUCK COASTED TO A STOP AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. I FEEL THIS COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY CHEVY.