2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

I WAS TOWING MY BOAT AND HAD TO STOP FOR A YELLOW, THEN RED LIGHT. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I COULD NOT STOP, RAN THROUGH THE LIGHT. I MADE IT THROUGH BEFORE TRAFFIC ENTERED THE INTERSECTION, SO NO ACCIDENT. I DROVE SLOWLY TO A REPAIR FACILITY WITH SAFETY FLASHERS ON. MECHANIC SAYS ALL THE BRAKE LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED AS THEY ARE BADLY RUSTED! REPAIR COST IS EXPECTED TO BE 800 DOLLARS! WE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED, HAD JUST COME OFF THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH! *TR

A WAS EXITING RT 50 ONTO ROUTE 8, WEST BOUND RAMP...IN QUEENANNES COUNTY MARYLAND, THE LIGHT CHANGED SUDDENLY FROM GREEN TO YELLOW AND I REALIZED I COULD NOT MAKE THE LIGHT. I HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND VEHICLE STARTED TO STOP, AND THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL JUST LET GO AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. FOUND I HAD NO POWER BRAKES, JUST THE MECHANICAL PORTION. I HAD PARKS TIRE AND AUTO, IN GRANSONVILLE CHECK IT OUT TODAY, THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 THE MECHANIC MATT HRISKO SAID THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALL CORRODED AND THE RIGHT FRONT LINE SPRUNG A LEAK DUE THE CORROSION. MOREOVER, HE SAID ALL THE LINES WERE CORRODED AND IN DANGER OF SPRINGING HOLES TOO. HE ALSO FOUND A COUPLE OF THE BLEEDER VALVES WERE CORRODED AND/OR LEAKING TOO. THE ASE MECHANICS THERE, EDDIE AND MATT, SAID THEY HAVE BEEN DOING SO MANY OF THESE REPLACEMENTS THAT THEY WENT OUT AND BOUGHT THEIR OWN FLARING KITS...IT IS A BIG JOB...THE FENDERS HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND ALL, ABOUT 7 TO 8 HOURS LABOR. JUST THE LINE REPLACEMENTS WOULD BE UPWARDS OF $800.00. THE CALIPERS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED THEN TOO, AS THE FITTINGS TO ADJUST/BLEED THE BRAKES ARE CORRODED, SOME ARE FROZEN SHUT AND OTHERS LEAKING. THAT WOULD ADD UPWARDS OF ANOTHER $1200 TO $1500. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR ## VIN PASSED ##

HAVE 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 4WD 5.3 ENGINE A/T. WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED OUT & LOST ALL STEERING/BRAKES. 131,589 MILES ON ODOMETER AT TIME. MANAGED TO COAST VEHICLE ONTO SHOULDER, WAITED 2 MINUTES, STARTED VEHICLE AGAIN, PULLED OUT INTO BUSY TRAFFIC JUST TO MAKE IT 2 BLOCKS BEFORE STALL OUT AGAIN. REPEATED THIS PROCESS SEVERAL MORE TIMES BEFORE I FOUND A GAS STATION. SUSPECTING WATER IN GAS, ADDED 1 BOTTLE OF GAS LINE ANTI-FREEZE. DROVE REST OF WAY HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. REPLACED FUEL FILTER, PCV VALVE, AIR FILTER, SPARK PLUGS, AND CLEANED THROTTLE BODY JUST TO HAVE STALL OUT THE VERY NEXT DAY. NO CODES ARE DISPLAYED IN MESSAGE CENTER IN DASH BOARD. STALLS OUT RANDOMLY WITHOUT A PATTERN. WAIT 1-2 MINUTES THEN WILL START AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ABLE TO BE FULLY DEPRESSED. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THERE WAS A BRAKE FLUID LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE LINES HAD CORRODED, WHICH CAUSED THE LEAK. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BY REPLACING THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE LINES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,000. UPDATED 02/26/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER TECH ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS PREVALENT IN THAT AREA. UPDATED 03/1/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRYING TO DECELERATE TO A STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT MOVED OFF THE ROADWAY TO FURTHER INSPECT THE FAILURE WHERE HE THEN NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED A FEW MONTHS LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

ON 10-5-12 I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 CHEVY SUBURBAN IN EATON RAPIDS MICHIGAN. I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO COAST AND SLOW ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE ROADWAY AND INTO A PARKING LOT. I NOTED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I CHECKED AND NOTED THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE HAD BLOWN AND SPRAYED BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE ENGINE. I NOTED FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER THE TRUCK AND THE RESERVOIR WAS LOW ON FLUID. THERE WAS NO WARNING AND NO WARNING LIGHT ON THE IN DASH COMPUTER. THE BRAKES WENT FROM WORKING JUST FINE TO NOTHING! I HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT ANDREWS AUTOMOTIVE IN MASON, MI. THEY ADVISED THAT TWO OF THE LINES HAD BLOWN AND THE OTHER TWO WERE SO RUSTY THAT THEY COULD GO AT ANYTIME AND RECOMMENDED THEY BE REPLACED AS WELL. I HAD THEM REPLACE ALL THE BRAKE LINES. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY SCARY BECAUSE MY WIFE AND I TRAVELED TO SOUTH DAKOTA FROM MICHIGAN OVER THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY. 1100 MILES EACH WAY. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAULING THE MOTORCYCLE TRAILER, OR THE CAMPER OVER THE SUMMER, A CRASH WOULD HAVE BEEN INEVITABLE. I HOPE CHEVY STEPS UP AND RECALLS THE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED IN ONE OF THESE VEHICLES. IF YOU OWN ONE, HAVE THE LINES REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. I WAS VERY LUCKY. SOMEONE IS BOUND NOT TO BE. THE BILL TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES WAS $818.50. *TR

TRAVELING DOWNHILL TOWARD A T-INTERSECTION, APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. MISSED AN APPROACHING VEHICLE FROM THE LEFT BY INCHES AS I SWUNG TO THE RIGHT, THRU A STOP SIGN. RETURNED HOME, THINKING A RUBBER BRAKE LINE HAD FAILED. UPON INSPECTION, THE STEEL BRAKE PIPE APPROXIMATELY TEN INCHES IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER HAD SPLIT OPEN DUE TO CORROSION. WHEN I INSPECTED THE TUBING PRIOR TO PURCHASING REPLACEMENT PARTS, I DISCOVERED VIRTUALLY ALL THE STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE, AND IN FACT, I CREATED ANOTHER BREAK IN THE SAME LINE AS I ATTEMPTED TO LOOSEN IT FROM THE PLASTIC HOLD-DOWN CLAMPS UNDER THE LEFT FRAME RAIL. ACCESSING THE BRAKE LINES AS THEY ARE ROUTED BETWEEN BODY AND FRAME PROVED ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, AND AM CURRENTLY AWAITING A RECOVERY VEHICLE TO TAKE THE TRUCK TO MY INSPECTION MECHANIC FOR REPLACEMENT OF ALL BRAKE FLUID LINES/HOSES FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE EBCM TO EACH WHEEL CALIPER. THE FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL MANDATES A MINIMUM OF 3/4" BETWEEN ANY PARALLEL BRAKE LINES, PRESUMABLY TO PREVENT BRIDGING WITH MUD/DEBRIS WHICH MIGHT ABET CORROSION. IN MANY CASES, MY STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE WITHIN 1/4" OF ONE ANOTHER. SOME STEEL LINES LAY AGAINST STEEL FRAME RAILS WITH NO CLEARANCE. THIS, HOWEVER, WOULD NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE LEVEL OF CORROSION I DISCOVERED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE UNDERBODY OF THE TRUCK. THE ONLY NON-CORRODED PORTION OF MY BRAKE SYSTEM IS THE TWO LINES IMMEDIATELY FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER DOWNWARD TO WHERE THEY TRAVEL REARWARD ALONG THE LEFT FRAME RAIL. EVERYTHING ELSE IS AT THE POINT OF FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKING DISTANCES INCREASED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE ABS SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000.