2002 GMC Sierra 1500

THANKFULLY I WAS IN A PARKING LOT, I WAS BACKING UP AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. THE BRAKE LINE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT BURST. I HAVE MY TRUCK AT A LOCAL SHOP AND ITS GOING TO COST AROUND $1500 TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES. THE COST IS MOSTLY LABOR. IF LOOSE THE FRONT BRAKES, I WOULD EXPECT THE REAR BRAKES TO WORK BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. I AM THANKFUL I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY OR PULLING A TRAILER. I COULD OF GOT HURT OR HURT SOMEONE ELSE. GM NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THE QUALITY OF PARTS USED IN THEIR VEHICLE ESPECIALLY SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS BRAKES.

WHILE ON STATE HIGHWAY AND DRIVING THE LEGAL LIMIT, I WAS APPROACHING A GREEN TRAFFIC SIGNAL. AN AMBULANCE WITH EMERGENCY LIGHTS WAS APPROACHING FROM THE CROSS DIRECTION. I APPLIED BRAKES AND WITHOUT WARNING BRAKES PRESSURE COMPLETELY FAILED. I HAD ABSOLUTE MINIMAL BRAKES AND I WENT COMPLETELY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. IT APPEARS TO BE RUSTED BRAKE LINES. WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES, BRAKE FLUID SQUIRTS OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LINE WHERE IT CROSSES OVER FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I HAVE HAD ALL MY WORK DONE AT GM DEALERS AND THEY NEVER HAVE MENTIONED THIS ISSUE. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND SEE MULTIPLE REPORTS ON THIS ISSUE AND THAT GM STATES THIS IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. I AM OVER 60 AND HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WHERE THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT MY LANE WAS CLEAR OR THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS BEYOND RATIONAL THOUGHT AS TO HOW GM CAN SAY THIS MATERIALS DEFECT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. NHTSA SHOULD REEVALUATE THIS ISSUE AND FORCE GM TO RECALL THEIR PRODUCT BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,988. UPDATED 02/12/16*LJ *CN

I RECENTLY TOOK MY TRUCK OFF THE ROAD TO REPLACE THE SHOCK ABSORBERS. WHILE REPLACING THE REAR SHOCKS, I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE WORN TO LESS THAN ONE EIGHTH INCH THICK. I THEN LOOKED AT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND NOTED THAT THEY HAD HARDLY ANY WEAR. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FRONT BRAKES DO 70% OF THE BRAKING AND THE REAR BRAKES DO 30%. THAT MADE MY FINDING ABNORMAL. ALL THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED, AT THE SAME TIME, ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO. WHEN I PREPARED TO CHANGE THE FRONT SHOCKS, I NOTED THAT THE ABS DASHBOARD LIGHT WAS ON. I WAS TURNING THE VEHICLE AROUND AT THE TIME AND WHEN I APPROACHED THE GARAGE I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I FELT THE BRAKES MODULATING AND THE PEDAL WAS FORCEFULLY PUSHED BACK UP TO THE AT REST POSITION. THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO ROLL AND THE BRAKES WERE INEFFECTIVE. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT A DUAL (FRONT/REAR) BRAKING SYSTEM WAS A SAFETY FEATURE. I WAS INCREDULOUS THAT THIS WAS EVEN POSSIBLE. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ONLY NAVIGATING IN MY YARD. I PULL A 27 FOOT FIFTH WHEEL WITH THIS TRUCK SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE OUTCOME IF THIS EVENT HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE RV ATTACHED. I FOUND MANY ANECDOTAL STORIES THAT WERE SIMILAR TO MINE ON SEVERAL WEBSITES. AS OF NOW, THIS TRUCK IS GROUNDED UNTIL I FIND A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION FOR THIS. THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY FULL OF BRAKE FLUID AND AN INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE LINES REVEALED NO SIGN OF LEAKAGE. I HAVE NOT YET DELVED INTO THE TRUCKS ABS SYSTEM, BUT I HAVE STRONG REASON TO BELIEVE IT IS DEFECTIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

SLOWED DOWN AND TURNED INTO A PARKING SPOT AND THE ABS SYSTEM KICKED IN. DID GET THE PICKUP STOPPED AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING BY THE DRIVER REAL WHEEL. HAD ALMOST NO BRAKES GETTING THE PICKUP HOME. UPON INSPECTION FOUND THE REAR BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED DUE TO CORROSION. THE ABS SYSTEM HAS BEEN KICKING FOR NO REASON BEFORE THIS. TALKED TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CORROSION PROBLEMS WITH THE 1999 TO 2003 GM PICKUPS.

ON THE MORNING OF FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2015, MY WIFE WENT TO MOVE MY 2002 GMC SIERRA. SHE PULLED OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY AND PROCEEDED UP-HILL ABOUT 300-400 FEET, AND THEN TURNED AROUND IN A NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY, WHEN COMING BACK DOWN THE HILL SHE TRIED TO BRAKE TO STOP IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE, BUT THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. SHE THEN WENT UP A SLIGHT HILL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR HOUSE, BUT STILL COULDN'T STOP, AND DIDN'T THINK TO PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AS SHE SLOWED. SHE ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL AND WAS ABLE TO STEER INTO A NEIGHBOR'S YARD WHERE THE TRUCK CAME TO REST ON A BERM. AT THE TIME SHE SAID THERE WERE CARS PARKED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET AND HAD A CAR BEEN COMING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SHE WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO IT. HAD THERE BEEN PEDESTRIANS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HIT AS WELL. WHEN I CAME HOME THAT AFTERNOON, I ADDED BRAKE FLUID TO THE RESERVOIR, AND THEN PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I SAW A HUGE STREAM OF FLUID POUR FROM BELOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. I LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK AND FOUND THE BRAKE LINES SURPRISINGLY CORRODED. IF SUDDEN, IMMEDIATE LOSS OF BRAKES WITHOUT ANY WARNING IS NOT CAUSE FOR A RECALL I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS.

PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY TRUCK STARTED TO SLOW THEN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. TRIED PUMPING THE BRAKES BUT DID NOT STOP UNTILL I HIT TWO GARBAGE CANS AND PUSHED THEM INTO MY GARAGE DOOR. I NOW HAVE A TRUCK I CANT DRIVE AND A GARAGE DOOR THAT WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO WARNING I AM JUST FORTINATE THAT NO ONE WAS INFRONT OF THIS TRUCK. ONE OF THE LINES TO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK BLEW OUT AND LOST ITS FLUID ALL OVER MY DRIVEWAY. I THOUGHT IF YOU LOST 1 LINE THE TRUCK COULD STILL STOP WITH THE FRONT BRAKES BUT I HAD NOTHING. PLEASE WARN PEOPLE BEFORE THIS PROBLEM KILLS PEOPLE.

I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO PARK TO UNLOAD SOME RECYCLING AND I PRESSED ON MY BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO AVOID HITTING THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME (OUTSIDE OF THEIR VEHICLE) AND THEIR VEHICLE. I PUMPED THE BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL DID NOT RESIST AT ALL. MY BRAKES WERE TOTALLY INOPERABLE WITHOUT USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I GOT OUT AND HAD BRAKE FLUID STREAMING OUT OF THE LINES RIGHT BELOW THE DRIVERS SEAT.