2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

I HAD PARKED MY TRUCK AT A CHRISTMAS TREE FARM. UPON RETURNING TO MY TRUCK, I RESTARTED IT, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO BACK UP IN THE FIELD WHEN IT APPEARED TO HAVE SLID IN THE MUD WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. I CONTINUED UP THE HILL AND HAD ROUNDED THE TOP OF THE FARM CONTINUING BACK DOWN A MODERATE SLOPE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT PROVIDED VERY LITTLE STOPPING POWER. THE BRAKE LIGHT IN THE DASH ILLUMINATED AND A NOTE IN THE DASH INDICATED TO HAVE THE BRAKE SYSTEM SERVICED. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO A GMC DEALER FOR REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT ALL OF MY BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED OUT AND REPAIRS WOULD COST BETWEEN $1200.00 AND $1300.00. I WILL CONTACT THE DEALER TOMORROW TO SAVE ALL OF THE OLD BRAKE LINES FOR INSPECTION. *TR

ON 12/14/2012, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN MY 2004 CHEVY SILVERADO Z71 WHEN I BEGAN TO HIT THE BRAKE TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL PUSH ENTIRELY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN TO 35 MPH AND TURN INTO A HOTEL PARKING LOT AND USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE BRAKES FAILED WITH NO NOTICE JUST A FEW MINUTES EARLIER, I WAS TRAVELING HIGH SPEEDS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE KILLED ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED THROUGH. TIME FOR CHEVY TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE DIES... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AND HE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH DRIVER STEPPED ON BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE FOR STOP SIGN AND BRAKE LINE BLEW A HOLE OUT RESULTING IN BRAKE FLUID DRAINING FROM LINES AND LEAVING TRUCK UNABLE TO DRIVE DUE TO NO BRAKES. GM DEALERSHIP SAID BRAKES LINES WERE RUSTED AND ROTTED IN VARIOUS PLACES. DEALERSHIP COMMENTED THAT THEY ARE SEEING THIS HAPPEN IN MULTIPLE GM PICK MODELS FROM 1999-2006. DEALERSHIP REPLACED LINES WITH NEW LINES MADE OF ALLOY COMPONENT. GM SHOULD HAVE USED THIS COMPONENT IN THE BRAKE LINE IN THE FIRST PLACE AS THERE ARE MANY DRIVERS OUT THERE NOT KNOWING WHEN THEIR BRAKE LINE COULD BURST. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THE SERVICE BRAKE PEDAL LIGHT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNS OF AN ISSUE AT THIS POINT. DUE TO THE LIGHT TURNING GREEN I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OFF MINE AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. I PROCEED TO A SAFE LOCATION CAREFULLY TESTING THE BRAKES AND NOTICED THE PEDAL TO BE SOFT. I PULLED INTO A AREA QUICKLY AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK BEFORE THE VEHICLE MOVED MORE THAN A FOOT OR TWO. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE FLUID WAS ABOVE THE MIN MARK ON THE RESERVOIR THEN NOTICED FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER THE CAB. THE BRAKE LINES APPEARED TO BE LEAKING AND SEVERELY CORRRODED WITH HOLES IN THE LINES FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

AFTER TOWING MY TRAILER TO MY SONS AND BACKING IT INTO THE BARN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AS I PULLED OUT. I HAD JUST WENT ABOUT 5 MILES AT ABOUT 50MPH WITH A 20 FOOT TRAILER. LUCKILY THE BRAKE LINE DIDN'T LET GO ON THE MAJOR ROAD I WAS ON. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS RUNNING OUT OF A RUSTED BRAKE LINE UNDER THE CAB. THIS TRUCK HAS 58,000 MILES ON IT AND IS KEPT IN A GARAGE IN THE WINTER. AFTER INSPECTING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK I AM QUITE SURPRISED AT THE AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE FRAME AND SUSPENSION PARTS. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FLOOR LOOKS LIKE NEW BUT THE BRAKE LINES LOOK ABOUT 50 YEARS OLD. I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING THE GOVERNMENT WOULD LEAVE A SAFETY ISSUE JUST CONTINUE ON OUR HIGHWAYS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET THIS PROBLEM ADDRESSED AND SAVE LIVES. *TR

WHILE EXITING INTERSTATE 89 IN SWANTON VERMONT, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITH NEARLY NO BRAKING OCCURRING. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THE BRAKE LINE BURST VERY CLOSE TO THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE INSPECTION ALSO REVEALED THE ENTIRE BRAKE-LINES WERE RUSTED AND CORRODED BEYOND ANY NORMAL WEAR. THE REPAIRMAN STATED THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS ON A NUMBER OF SILVERADO'S AND THAT THEIR IS OBVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE QUALITY OF THE LINES. THIS VEHICLE IS GARAGE KEPT AND SHOWS NO BODY WEAR OR ENGINE WEAR. *TR

PUT FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL TO START VEHICLE AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PUMPED PEDAL AND THERE WAS LITTLE INCREASE IN PRESSURE. TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND STARTING VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE COMPONENTS. FLUID CHAMBER WAS FULL AND CLEAN. ABS MODULE WAS CLEAN AND ALL WIRES IN PLACE. THE BRAKE LINE ABOVE THE LEFT REAR FRAME RAIL HAD A SEVERE HOLE AND FLUID RUNNING OUT. LINES AND FITTINGS IN OTHER AREAS ARE ALSO CORRODED BUT NO LEAKS READILY IDENTIFIED. *TR