2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

THE BRAKE FLUID LINES RUSTED AT THE AREA UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL, CAUSING THE FLUID TO LEAK UNEXPECTEDLY, THUS RENDERING NO BRAKES. THE LEAK HAPPENED ON MY VEHICLE AND ANOTHER IN THIS SAME AREA. THE MECHANIC SAID THERE COULD BE IS A PROBLEM IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE LINES DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION AND BECAUSE ITS TOO CLOSE TO THE WHEEL SALT AND ROAD CONDITIONS CAUSES THIS AREA TO RUST MORE EASILY. HE'S HAD A NUMBER OF CHEVY SUB. WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM IN FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT.

STEEL BRAKE LINES: DIRECTLY UNDER DRIVERS FEET BENEATH VEHICLE IS CLUSTER OF FOUR BRAKE LINES HELD IN PLACE BY A PLASTIC BRACKET.THESE BRAKE LINES ARE HIDDEN BY A LARGE CORRUGATED BLACK WIRING HARNESS. ALL FOUR LINES ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED AT BRACKET AND AT LEAST ONE OF THEM FAILED COMPLETELY AND INSTANTANEOUSLY. UNLIKE GM REPORTS THAT IT'S A DUAL BRAKE SYSTEM AND VEHICLE WILL RETAIN BRAKING CAPABILITIES IN OUR CASE THIS IS FALSE . WORD NEEDS TO GO OUT ABOUT THESE VEHICLES BUT PREFERABLY A RECALL. MY 15 YEAR OLD NEWLY ISSUED PERMIT HOLDER WAS AT THE WHEEL AND WE WERE ONE LEFT TURN FROM DESCENDING A 200 FOOT TALL 6% GRADE HILL WITH A BUSY INTERSECTION AND STOP LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM. ALSO LIVING IN MINNESOTA KNOWING CLASSIC CAR OWNERS WITH ORIGINAL STEEL BRAKE LINES WITH NO ISSUES I'M LED TO BELIEVE DESIGN IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THESE BRAKE FAILURE ISSUES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

BRAKES FAILED UNDER HARD STOP (HIGHWAY, IN MOTION). INTERMEDIATE STEEL BRAKE LINE FAILED TO REAR BRAKES IN A MODE OF RUPTURE DUE TO CORROSION. ALL OTHER STEEL LINES WERE CORRODED AND CONTACTED GM. 2 OTHER SILVERADO LINE VEHICLES OWNED ALSO FAILED THIS YEAR DUE TO CORROSION. GM RESPONSE WAS THAT NO RECALL EXISTED. REPLACED ALL STEEL BRAKE LINES IN VEHICLE WITH STAINLESS AFTERMARKET LINES. AFTER MULTIPLE CONTACTS WITH GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WAS TOLD TO SAVE MY RECEIPTS FOR REPAIRS. THIS IS AN INCORRECT MATERIAL SPECIFICATION, LATENT DEFECT AND GM NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. SAVED BRAKE LINES FROM THIS VEHICLE FOR ANY POTENTIAL USE. 3 VEHICLES THAT I OWN WITH THE SAME REPAIR IN 8 MONTHS. INEXCUSABLE!

THE BRAKE LINES ON MY 2004 SUBURBAN HAVE NOW FAILED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME ONE OF THE LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $1000, THE SECOND TIME A SEPARATE LINE WAS PATCHED, AND NOW THE THIRD TIME THE SAME SECOND LINE THAT WAS PATCHED HAS FAILED AGAIN. ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES ARE INCREDIBLY CORRODED, SO MUCH SO THAT A FRIEND OF MINE WONDERED IF IT HAD BEEN SUBMERGED DURING HURRICANE KATRINA. BUT NOW UPON READING UP ON THE SUBJECT IT APPEARS THAT IS IS ALL GMS OF THAT TIME FRAME THAT LIVE IN SALTIER AIR. WHILE GM APPEARS TO THINK THAT THESE ARE COMPONENTS THAT SHOULD WEAR DOWN OVER TIME, THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN THE 30 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED CARS TO FIND THIS PROBLEM.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AT 50 MILES PER HOUR A DOG RAN OUT IN FRONT OF MY SUV, I HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND NOTICED THE PEDAL WENT TO THE GROUND. DROVE THE CAR HOME CAREFULLY. WHEN I GOT IT IN THE GARAGE FOUND RUSTED THROUGH BRAKE LINES GOING TO THE REAR OF THE CAR LEAKING. THERE IS EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE LINES AND AN ELECTRICAL HARNESS THAT GOES TO THE GAS TANK HAS RUBBED A HOLE IN THE LINE.

THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE FRONT TO REAR RUSTED AND RUPTURED RESULTING IN VIRTUALLY NO BRAKING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE BRAKE LINES ARE ALL BADLY RUSTED AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. VERY UNFORTUNATE GM CHOSE TO USE SUCH AN INFERIOR MATERIAL FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION GM SHOULD BE MAKING OWNERS AWARE OF.

I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER FOR OIL CHANGE AND YEARLY STATE INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE PASSED THE STATE INSPECTION/EMISSIONS CONTROL TEST. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT THERE WERE ANY ISSUES CONCERNING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN 5 MILES TO HOME. TWO DAYS, STARTED THE CAR, BUT HAD NO BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. A WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. THERE WERE PUDDLES OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE DRIVEWAY. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT TE BRAKELINE HAD COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE COST FOR REPAIR WAS QUOTED AT $800. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THIS SUDDEN AND COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE COULD HAVE OCCURRED AT ANY TIME, EVEN WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *TR