2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 4X4 AROUND TOWN I ENCOUNTERED MY FIRST EVER BRAKE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I WAS IN TRAFFIC, NEEDING TO APPLY BRAKING. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT NORMAL AT FIRST AND THEN SUDDENLY IT, THE PEDAL, BEGAN SOFTLY AND MUSHINGLY HEADED TOWARD THE FLOORBOARD. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE TRUCK DOWN EVENTUALLY BUT THE DISTANCE REQUIRED FOR BREAKING HAD NOW TRIPLED OR QUADRUPLED. DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. THEN, LOW AND BEHOLD, AND JUST A BIT TOO LATE THERE CAME THE IDIOT LIGHT TELLING ME TO CHECK THE BRAKES. IMPERFECT TIMING TO SAY THE LEAST. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND INTO AN AUTO SHOP. THANKFULLY, THE SHOP HAD LOTS OF CHEVY EXPERIENCE AND WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THE RUSTED BRAKE LINE PROBLEM AS IT IS BEEN IN THE INVESTIGATION PIPELINE FOR A WHILE. *TR

COMING HOME FROM WORK AROUND 5:00 IN THE AFTERNOON AND WENT TO SLOW DOWN FOR TRAFFIC SLOWING DOWN AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AS I EASED DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME I HIT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL AND WENT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY LANE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL SLIGHTLY DAMAGING MY FENDER AND BUMPER BEFORE COMING TO A FULL STOP. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK AND FOUND BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM ABOVE THE FUEL (GAS TANK) ALONG THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME RAIL. I CALLED AAA ROAD SERVICE AND HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO MY HOUSE SO I COULD FURTHER INSPECT THE TRUCK FOR REPAIRS NEEDED. I AM A DIESEL TRUCK TECHNICIAN AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON CARS AND TRUCK FOR YEARS. I ALSO HAVE A 1989 CHEVY TRUCK WITH 368,000 AND NEVER HAVE HAD A BRAKE LINE REPLACED OR A BRAKE FAILURE LIKE THIS, AS I INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES I FOUND ALL STEEL BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED AND RUSTED AND NEED REPLACED. I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE A COSTLY REPAIR! I PULL A BOAT, TRAVEL TRAILER AND A UTILITY TRAILER. IF I HAD BEEN PULLING ONE OF THESE ITEMS AND THE BRAKES HAD FAILED LIKE THEY DID ONLY GOD! WOULD KNOW THE OUT COME. GM NEEDS TO MAKE A RECALL AND HAVE THIS ISSUE FIXED. I AM BACK DRIVING MY 1989 STEP SIDE UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO MAKE REPAIRS! I SURE COULD USE SOME HELP!!

I WAS MOVING MY TRUCK INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND WENT TO PUSH THE BRAKE DOWN AND IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE BREAK LINES ARE RUSTED AND ONE SPRANG A LEAK. LUCKILY I WASN'T GOING REAL FAST. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND JUST TO REPLACE THE BACK BRAKE LINES COST $800. THE SERVICE GUY TOLD ME IF I WANTED TO REPLACE THE FRONT BREAK LINES THEY WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE THE FRONT CLIP AND TAKE THE CAB OFF THE FRAME FOR A TOTAL COST OFF $2,300.00. *TR

WHEN I WAS BACKING MY TRUCK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY MY BRAKE PEDAL HIT THE FLOOR AND THE SERVICE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. UPON FURTHER CHECKING I REALIZED THAT MY BRAKE LINES RUSTED OUT AND BROKE. WHILE LOOKING UNDER TRUCK I REALIZED A LOT OF LINES AND TRUCK IS RUSTED. DON'T FEEL A NINE YEAR OLD TRUCK SHOULD BE THAT RUSTED. IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME MY EMAIL IS [XXX]OR [XXX] MY NAME IS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR BOARD AS THE SERVICE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE BRAKE LINES WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,100. *TR

WAS DRIVING 15 MPH IN A PARKING LOT WHEN A PERSON STEPPED IN FRONT OF MY TRUCK. WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR REQUIRING ME TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL RAPIDLY (MANY TIMES) WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO AVOID HITTING THE PERSON. VERY SCARY! I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED! THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES I OR SOMEONE ELSE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THE BRAKES HAD FAILED AT ANOTHER TIME. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE (BRAKE LINE RUST) FOR A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WITH ONLY 89,100 MILES. CHEVROLET SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE!. *TR