2003 GMC Sierra 1500

THE ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEED BRAKING UNDER DRY ROAD CONDITIONS WITHOUT THE TIRES LOCKING UP. THE BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATES AS IF I WERE ON ICE WITH THE TIRES LOCKED UP. BRAKING EFFECT IS REDUCED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND WHEN IT DOES I CANNOT BE SURE IF I CAN STOP IN TIME BEFORE HITTING THE VEHICLE OR OBJECT IN FRONT OF ME.

PULLING TO A STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY MY BRAKES SLOWED THE TRUCK AND THEN COMPLETELY GAVE WAY WITH THE PEDAL HITTING THE FLOOR. I STOMPED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE PORCH. I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN AT LOW SPEED OFF THE ROAD. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A TRAGEDY ON THE HIGHWAY. TURNS OUT THAT MY BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND ONE OF THE 2 LINES COMING OFF THE MASTER CYLINDER NOW HAS A PINHOLE LEAK IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE FRAME WHERE IT BENDS 90 DEGREES TO GO BACK TO THE ABS MANIFOLD. APPLYING THE BRAKES JUST SQUIRTS FLUID OUT OF THE LINE. I THOUGHT A SINGLE FAILURE WAS SUPPOSED TO RESULT IN REDUCED BRAKING POWER, NOT COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. NOTE THAT MY TRUCK IS IN OTHERWISE GREAT SHAPE AND I SIMPLY HAD NO IDEA. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE NHTSA HAS BEEN BAMBOOZLED BY GM. BRAKE LINES ARE A CRITICAL LIFE SAFETY SYSTEM, INSTALLED ON AND IN SOME PLACES IN THE CHASSIS BEFORE THE VEHICLE BODY AND BED ARE ATTACHED. IT IS NOT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE TO RINSE THE BRAKE LINES LET ALONE REPLACE THEM. GM PUSHING THIS BACK ON THE CUSTOMER IS COMPLETE BS. YOU CAN BUY NYLON COATED OR STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINES FOR LESS THAN 100 $. THE INCREMENTAL COST TO GO FROM STEEL TO SOMETHING THAT WOULD LAST THE OPERATIONAL LIFE OF THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 50 $. I'M WAITING ON AN ESTIMATE FROM MY NON-DEALER SHOP, BUT A DEALER CHARGING 3600 $ IS NOT SURPRISING CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF LABOR THAT MUST BE INVOLVED. THE NHTSA DECISION ON THE ISSUE IS UNCONSCIONABLE. GUESS IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF THEY HAD RUN OVER A CHILD AT A CROSSWALK OR IF THEIR CHILD WAS MOWED DOWN BY CORPORATE GREED. HOPEFULLY THAT NEVER HAPPENS, BUT WITH SO MANY ROTTING GM TRUCKS ON THE ROAD, WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED.

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME RUNNING 45 MPH IN LIGHT TRAFFIC. WHEN I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. I WAS ABLE TO PUMP THEM ENOUGH TO MAKE THE TURN AND LUCKILY I WAS ONLY THREE BLOCKS FROM MY HOME. I WAS ABLE TO COAST IT HOME. I RAISED THE HOOD AND ALL THE BRAKE LINES ARE SO RUSTY. I HAD MY WIFE STEP ON THE BRAKE AND YOU CAN SEE ONE LINE BUSTED. I CHECKED WITH DEALER AND THEY DON'T OFFER REPLACEMENT PARTS. YOU HAVE PAY SOMEONE TO MAKE THE LINES FOR YOU.

TURNING INTO AN AUTO PARTS STORE, FROM THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR. MY TRUCK SLOWED BUT NOT ENOUGH IF ANYONE WALKING OR A CAR HAD BEEN THERE I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. I WAS VERY LUCKY. OF THE FOUR BRAKE LINES ONE BURST, TWO WERE SEEPING, BUT NOT DRIPPING AND THE REAR LINE WAS ALMOST AS BAD AS THE OTHER LINES AND ITS A WONDER IT DIDN'T BREAK AT THE SAME TIME. GOING HOME I WOULD HAVE GONE DOWN A VERY STEEP HILL WITH A STOPLIGHT AND A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. THIS IS A LOW MILEAGE TRUCK, SELDOM DRIVEN IN SNOW.

I WAS TOWING MY 33' TRAVEL TRAILER WITH MY VERY WELL MAINTAINED 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 PICK UP TRUCK. AFTER A FOUR AND A HALF HOUR TRIP ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH, I ARRIVED AT MY CAMPGROUND. AS I WAS BACKING MY TRAILER INTO MY CAMP SITE, MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND MY DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH WARNING LIGHTS. I HAD COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. I PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AND GOT OUT TO LOOK UNDER THE TRUCK. RIGHT BELOW THE DRIVER SEAT, BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OUT OF THE BRAKE LINE WHICH HAD BURST OPEN. I HAD NO BRAKES. THANK GOD THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS BACKING THE TRAILER IN AT 2 MPH. MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS I WAS GOING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, TOWING A 33' TRAILER. I SHUTTER TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS LINE BURST WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY WIFE AND I WERE FREAKED OUT FOR DAYS THINKING ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. WE HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND ENDURE A VERY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT OF ALL THE BRAKE LINES, WHICH WERE COMPLETELY CORRODED. WHILE THE TRUCK WAS BEING FIXED I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE MANY, MANY, COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM CONCERNING 1999 - 2003 GMC AND CHEVY PICK UP TRUCKS AND OTHER MODELS. GM CLAIMS THAT YOU WOULD STILL HAVE SOME BRAKES BECAUSE THERE ARE SEPARATE BRAKE LINES TO THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. THIS IS TRUE, BUT I LOST SO MUCH FLUID, SO FAST, I HAD NO BRAKES. DOES SOMEONE ALWAYS HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THEY FORCE A RECALL? THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS MATTER AND I KNOW THERE IS AN ON GOING INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA. ENOUGH INVESTIGATING, FORCE THE RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE DIES IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY.

ON 8/9/15 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:25PM AN INDIVIDUAL PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO KEEP FROM HITTING HIM, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BOARD. I NOTICED AT THE TIME THE "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" INDICATION WAS SHOWING ON THE DRIVER CID. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK TO A SAFE LOCATION AND PARK IT. I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER ALSO CHECKED AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID SHOOTING UP WHEN THE HOOD WAS UP. AT THAT TIME, HE NOTICED THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. THE TRUCK WAS THEN TOWED TO CUNNINGHAM GMC IN SPRINGFIELD, TN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT BRAKE FAILURE WAS DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD AND A CHIME WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000. ..UPDATED 05-26-15 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED BOTH BRAKE LINES FAILED. UPDATED 11/20/2015*JS