2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH, BUT UPON BREAKING AT SLOW SPEED THE PEDAL EITHER PUSHES BACK OR THE BRAKES SLOW THE VEHICLE AT A FRIGHTENINGLY SLOW PACE, ALL WHILE THE ABS SYSTEM IS ON AS IF SLIDING ON ICE, BUT IT WAS AND IS DRY PAVEMENT. THIS HAPPENS 95 -100% OF EVERY BRAKING ATTEMPT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC HE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT TO FIX SINCE THE COMPUTER CODES WERE BOUNCING ALL OVER THE PLACE. I SEE THIS IS A PROBLEM AFTER I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE WEB. I PULLED THE MAIN ABS 60 FUSE UNDER THE HOOD TO TURN OFF THE SYSTEM. THIS CAUSES THE BREAK WARNING FAILURE LIGHT TO COME ON BUT I CAN AT LEAST STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A FAILURE ON A SAFETY SYSTEM (ABS) THAT ACTUALLY CAUSES A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE...AS EACH STOP IS A POTENTIAL CRASH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MAKING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED UNWANTED ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATION WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR MOUNTING SURFACE ON THE BEARING NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

WHILE DRIVING HOME, ON A HIGHWAY, I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT CHANGED AND I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. AFTER GETTING IT HOME I CHECKED THE BRAKES AND THEY LOOKED AS THOUGHT THEY SHOULD WORK (NOTE IT WAS INSPECTED IN DEC 2015 AND PASSED). AFTER MORE CHECKING I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRAME RAIL WERE RUSTED AND HAD FAILED AS THAT AREA WAS COVERED IN BRAKE FLUID. I PURCHASED MY 2002 Z71 SUBURBAN NEW THAT YEAR AND IT HAS LESS THAN 66,000 MILES ON IT NOW.

ALL BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS LIGHT UP INTERMITTENTLY, I CAN MAKE THEM GO OFF SOMETIMES BY SHUTTING DOWN AND RESTARTING ENGINE, BUT NOT ALWAYS. RECALL # 05V379000 COVERS SAME MODEL YEAR VEHICLES IN THE "SALT BELT" STATES, CORROSION ISSUE! MY LOCAL DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR BRAKE SENSOR PROBLEMS. BRAKES STILL FUNCTION NORMALLY EVEN WITH ALL WARNING LIGHTS "ON". I WANT THIS PROBLEM REPAIRED UNDER A SAFETY RECALL! I CAN'T ALLOW ANYONE ELSE IN THE FAMILY TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. I AM A MECHANIC, NO ONE ELSE IN THE FAMILY WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THE BRAKES ACTUALLY DO FAIL WHILE DRIVING.

WIFE WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK WITH HER MOTHER, WENT TO STOP AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR - LIMPED THE TRUCK HOME - CHECKED MASTER CYLINDER, ADDED FLUID AND WHEN WE PUSHED THE PEDAL, FLUID CAME POURING OUT THE CORRODED REAR BRAKE LINE - WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT THIS TIME, IT IS EASY TO IMAGINE HOW IT COULD OTHERWISE BEEN A DISASTER.

DRIVING IN CLOSE TRAFFIC (BUMPER TO BUMPER) UPHILL ON TWO LANE BRIDGE, BRAKE PEDAL JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND NO BRAKES! FRANTICALLY, I WORKED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE. GOING DOWN THE BRIDGE I COASTED (NO AREA TO PULL OFF), ONCE OFF THE BRIDGE AND SAFE TO PULL OVER I DID SO. NOTHING APPEARED WRONG, SO I TRIED THE BRAKES A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND DECIDED I COULD MAKE THE .5 MILE REST OF WAY HOME. ONCE THERE, I FOUND FLUID LEVEL DOWN OVER HALF WAY. AFTER SEARCHING FOUND HARD BAKE LINE HAD HOLDS IN IT. AFTER SEARCHING MY BRAKE LINES, THEY APPEAR TO ALL BE RUSTED BADLY. IN ALL THE VEHICLES I'VE OWNED, I'VE NEVER HAD BRAKE LINES FAIL LIKE THIS. IN SEARCHING THE WEB SITES I FIND THAT CHEVY MAY HAVE USED INFERIOR METALS FOR THEIR BRAKE LINES DURING THIS TIME FRAME. IF THIS IS TRUE, WHY HAVE THEY NOT TAKEN CARE OF CORRECTING THIS ISSUE? THANKS, CONCERNED.