2003 GMC Sierra 1500

DEAR SIRS; WE OWN A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 EXTRA CAB TRUCK. IT WAS PURCHASED IN JUNE OF 2003. IT HAS JUST OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT AND GARAGED. ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2012, OUR SON WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. (THIS VEHICLE IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY MY HUSBAND TO WORK AND BACK DAILY. NO INDICATOR LIGHT EVER CAME ON.) THERE WERE CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE STREET. AFTER AVOIDING A BALL THAT HAD ROLLED DOWN A DRIVEWAY AND INTO THE STREET, HE PRESSED ON THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. HE THEN PRESSED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT STOP THE TRUCK. ON HIS THIRD ATTEMPT WAS ABLE TO STEER TO THE CURB AND THROW THE TRUCK INTO PARK TO STOP. THANKFULLY, THERE WERE NO KIDS IN HIS PATH. HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP AND HIS LIFE WOULD BE ALTERED FOREVER. NOT TO MENTION OUR LIVES AND THAT OF AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER/ CHILD. LOOKING ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS REPORTED, WE FOUND THE NHTSA HAS AN INVESTIGATION ON THIS GMC TRUCKS AND SUV?S. THE BRAKES ON THIS TRUCK WERE DONE BETWEEN 70,000 AND 80,000. ALL PADS WERE REPLACED, 2 NEW ROTORS AND 2 ROTORS WERE CUT. NO MENTION OF BRAKE LINE DETERIORATION, CORROSION, OR VISIBLE PROBLEMS WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION AT THAT TIME. THIS VEHICLE IS USED MAINLY BY MY HUSBAND WHO DRIVES IT 6 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK DAILY. NO PROBLEMS, SQUEAKING, OR PEDAL CHANGES HAD BEEN NOTED. WE WERE ALL REALLY QUITE SHAKEN BY THIS INCIDENT. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. IT WENT THERE DURING THE LABOR DAY HOLIDAY THUS DELAYING THE REPAIR. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD ROTTED OUT. ANY INFORMATION OR DIRECTION WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

I WAS LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THERE WAS NOTHING... NO BRAKES AT ALL, PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. I MANAGED TO STEER THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM ON COMING TRAFFIC, NARROWLY AVOIDING A SERIOUS OR POSSIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE I WAS ASTONISHED TO SEE THAT ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES WAS COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT.THIS VEHICLE HAS 78000 MI. AND IS GARAGE KEPT. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS IS NOT A FREAK OCCURRENCE MANY OTHER GM OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE ISSUE HERE IS COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I THOUGH MODERN BRAKE SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE A COMPLETE FAILURE? THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION. SHOULDN'T THE SYSTEM WORK IN A WAY THAT PARTIAL BRAKE FUNCTION REMAINS POSSIBLE WITH THE LOSS OF A BRAKE LINE. I THOUGHT THE SYSTEM IS PARTITIONED TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. IF THE CURRENT SAFETY STANDARD IS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING, CLEARLY THE STANDARD HAS NOT BEEN MEET! GM NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. AT THE VERY LEAST WHY ISN'T GM REQUIRED TO USE A HIGHER QUALITY BRAKE LINE TO AVOID THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION!!!!! *TR

I PUT MY TRUCK IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF THE SHOP AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I QUICKLY THREW IT IN PARK AN TURNED THE TRUCK OFF. I THEN PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN AND IT AGAIN WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I HEARD BRAKE FLUID SQUIRTING OUT. I PUT THE TRUCK ON THE LIFT AND RAISED IT UP TO INSPECT THE ISSUE. AFTER DOING SO I FOUND VERY RUSTED BRAKE LINES AND COMPONENTS. AFTER RESEARCH I FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE TRUCKS. SEEMS MAYBE GM SHOULD BE FIXING THE ISSUE. I WOULDN'T THINK A TRUCK LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD SHOULD HAVE SUCH RUSTED BRAKE PARTS. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE EXHAUST IS MADE FROM STAINLESS, WHY NOT BRAKE LINES? *TR

ON MAY 20, 2012 WHEN MOVING MY GMC 1500 PICK UP TRUCK FROM MY DRIVEWAY AT LOW SPEED I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE ONLY TO HAVE THE PEDAL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS. ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 21, 2011 I ALSO LOST MY BRAKES WHEN PARKING THE TRUCK AT A LOCAL STRIP MALL. THE REQUIRED REPAIR WAS FOR A CORRODED BRAKE LINE. THANK GOD THAT BOTH TIMES I WAS TRAVELING SLOWLY. AT HIGHWAY SPEED I COULD EASILY HAVE BE KILLED. PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT!! *TR