2004 Chevrolet Silverado

PULLED OFF INTERSTATE 95 TO SWITCH DRIVERS. WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND WAS PUT INTO PARK THE BRAKE LINES RUPTURED. ON INSPECTION LINES WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED (ALL 3). CHEVROLET CORPORATE REFUSES ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFERIOR MATERIAL, DEALER IS CHARGING $3400 TO REPLACE LINES. EXACTLY 2 MINUTES EARLIER AND THE TRUCK WOULD HAVE BEEN ON 95 AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS AND PERHAPS FATAL. *TR

I WAS PULLING UP TO A STOP SIGN IN MY 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 AND EASING ON THE BRAKES WHEN I NOTICED THEY WERE SOFT, SO I PUSHED ON THEM HARDER AND STILL NOTHING. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH BARELY ANY STOPPING POWER. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE AT THE STOP SIGN AND I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE EMERGENCY BREAK TO GET ENOUGH STOPPING POWER TO COME TO A HALT SHORTLY INTO THE INTERSECTION. THE "SERVICE BRAKES" LIGHT CAME ON ONCE THE COMPUTER NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS AGAINST THE CARPET AND THE TRUCK WASN'T SLOWING DOWN, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY TOO LATE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE FAILURE SEEMS TO BE IN THE BRAKE LINES JUST BEHIND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE PLASTIC SUPPORT BRACKET THAT SUPPORTS THE BRAKE LINES AS THEY RUN ALONG THE FRAME HAD FLUID DRIPPING OFF IT AND RUSTY BROKEN BRAKE LINES IN IT. *TR

WIFE WAS MOVING TRUCK TO GARAGE WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR; ON FURTHER OBSERVATION BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY OF FLUID. WE HAD JUST BEEN HAULING TRAILER LOADS OF HAY GLAD THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN ON OPEN ROAD WITH OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED. BOUGHT TRUCK NEW NO ABUSE IN ITS HISTORY. BOUGHT 91 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK NEW AND STILL HAVE THAT ONE. WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE LINES ON THE OLDER TRUCK. I WILL DEFINITELY THINK TWICE BEFORE PURCHASING ANY MORE GM VEHICLES IF THEY ARE GOING TO PUT MY FAMILY IN DANGER WITH POOR PARTS LIKE THIS. *TR

TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 95 NB WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO EXIT, BRAKE PETAL WENT TO FLOOR, HAD TO PUMP SEVERAL TIMES TO GET STOPPED. INSPECTION UNDER THE HOOD REVEALED BRAKE HYDRAULIC FLUID COVERING THE WHOLE DRIVER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT INCLUDING THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. FLUID WAS COMING FROM A RUSTED METAL BRAKELINE. FURTHER INSPECTION OF OTHER LINES IDENTIFIED SIMILAR RUSTING. VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE TO A REPAIR FACILITY. THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO STOP IN A SAFE DISTANCE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. *TR

I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL BRAKE LINES ON THE 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HAVE INHERENT DESIGN/MATERIAL FLAWS AND ARE UNSAFE TO THE DRIVING AND PEDESTRIAN PUBLIC. I HAD 2 SEPARATE INSTANCES OF CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF ALL BRAKING EFFORT ON THE SAME TRUCK WITHIN ONE YEAR OF EACH OTHER. ON 10/6/2013 WAS DRIVING SAID VEHICLE, MILEAGE 80229, ON A RURAL ROAD WHEN APPROACHING A POINT OF INTEREST. DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL ONCE TO REDUCE SPEED TO 40MPH AND THEN A 2ND TIME TO REDUCE SPEED FURTHER. HOWEVER BRAKE PEDAL LOST ALL RESISTANCE AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. PUMPED BRAKES 4 TIMES AND NO BRAKING EFFORT WAS AVAILABLE. PULLED PARKING BRAKE WHICH WAS RUSTED OUT AND ONLY PROVIDED MINIMAL BRAKING EFFORT. WAS ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT AND REDUCE SPEED TO EVENTUALLY PULL OFF ROAD AFTER APPROX 1/2 MILE. SERVICED BY GM DEALER, REPAIR WAS "REPLACE RUSTED OUT REAR BRAKE LINE AND BLEED" AT A COST OF $850. TECH INSPECTED ALL OTHER BRAKE LINES AND TECH FOUND NO OTHER BRAKE LINES THAT HAD EXCESSIVE RUST. NEW BRAKE LINE IS AN UNCOATED METAL. ON 8/19/2014 DRIVING SAID VEHICLE, MILEAGE 86242, ABOUT TO TURN ONTO EXPRESSWAY ENTRANCE RAMP WHEN TRAFFIC SLOWED. DEPRESSED BRAKE PETAL AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR; WAS TRAVELING APPROX 15MPH WHEN BRAKES WERE LOST. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PILOT VEHICLE AWAY FROM RAMP AND ONTO SHOULDER. PUMPED BRAKES OVER 10 TIMES; NO BRAKING EFFORT WAS APPLIED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. PARKING BRAKE AGAIN PROVIDED NO BRAKING EFFORT. WAS ABLE TO COAST SLIGHTLY UPHILL ON SHOULDER TO BRING VEHICLE TO A HALT AFTER APPROX 250 FEET. SERVICED BY SAME GM DEALER, REPAIR WAS "REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE LINES, TO BOTH FRONT WHEELS AND THE FOUR LINES FROM THE MASTER TO THE BPMV. FILL AND BLEED THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. REMOVE RUSTED BRAKE BLEEDERS AND REPLACED" AT COST OF $1180. NEW BRAKE LINES INSTALLED ARE COATED WITH A BLACK PLASTIC OR FIBER. *TR

TRUCK WAS IN DON MEALEY CHEVROLET CLEMONT FL. 34711 FOR A FUEL LEAK. UPON COMPLETION OF WORK TECHNICIAN TOOK TRUCK OUT FOR TEST DRIVE. DURING THE RIDE HE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE AND ALMOST STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. THIS WAS REPORTED TO ME BY THE SERVICE WRITER [XXX] . THE RESULTS WERE REBUILD BRAKE LINES. 4000 FOUND REAR BRAKE LINE FROM ABS UNIT TO REAR WHEELS LEAKING REPLACE BRAKE LINE AND BLEED BRAKES PARTS $89.71 LABOR $698.21 TOTAL $787.92 PLUS $75.00 HAZ. FLUID DISPOSAL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS LAUNCHING MY BOAT THIS MORNING AND NEARLY LAUNCHED MY TRUCK WITH IT. PUTTING THE BOAT IN THE WATER MY BRAKES ALL OF A SUDDEN STOPPED WORKING. LUCKILY I THOUGHT TO PUT IT IN DRIVE ESPECIALLY SINCE I CAN'T SWIM. AFTER DRIVING TO THE TOP OF THE HILL I HAD TO CRASH IN TO A BANK TO STOP! THEN I NOTICED SOMETHING LEAKING ABOVE THE LEFT REAR TIRE. IT APPEARED TO BE A BRAKE LINE THAT HAD RUSTED THROUGH.?.?.I HAD MY WIFE PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO FIND WHERE IT WAS LEAKING AND IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT. RUSTED BRAKE LINE! OF ALL THINGS DESIGNED TO SURVIVE RUST, THE BRAKE LINES WERE OBVIOUSLY LEFT OUT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME THAT I FELT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I LEARNED THIS IS VERY COMMON. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE GM I KNOW TO PUT LIVES IN DANGER. *TR