2003 GMC Sierra 1500

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 DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON I-75 AND STARTED DETECTING A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. I FOUND THAT THE FUEL LINE HAD RUSTED AND WAS SPRAYING GAS EVERYWHERE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT ALL THE LINES FOR THE FUEL AND BRAKE SYSTEM WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURIES TO MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FILED, BUT NO ACTION TAKEN. AS AN ADDED NOTE...I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW, IT IS KEPT IN THE GARAGE MOST OF THE TIME, AND I DO NOT LIVE IN A STATE THAT IS KNOWN FOR HEAVY SNOW FALL OR SALT USAGE. I ALSO HAVE A 1965 MODEL CAR THAT HAS NEVER HAD THE FUEL LINES OR BRAKE LINES REPLACED.

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

WHILE DRIVING TO THE STORE I APPLIED THE BRAKE AND IT WENT STRAIGHT TO FLOOR WITHOUT ANY PRE-WARNING OF A BRAKE ISSUE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT CRASHING AND FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE ROUTED OVER THE GAS TANK RUSTED THROUGH SPILLING OUT BRAKE FLUID WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE RESERVOIR TO EMPTY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH NHTSA IS WELL AWARE OF THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES ON GM MODELS, SO I AM NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING NEW. I EXPECT ALTERNATORS, STARTER MOTORS, AND OTHER MECHANICAL COMPONENTS TO FAIL AND NEED REPLACED BUT BRAKE LINES SHOULD BE MANUFACTURED USING STAINLESS STEEL. HOW CAN THIS BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN A CAR IGNITION TURNING OFF CAUSING POTENTIAL CRASHES AND LOSS OF LIFE. NHTSA SHOULD HAVE GM RECALL VEHICLES AND/OR REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THIS HIGHLY POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE FACE, KNEE, AND BACK THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. IN ADDITION, THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED HIP AND SHOULDER INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 177,000.

TRUCK WAS BEING DRIVEN IN TRAFFIC AND AS APPROACHING STOP LIGHT AND BRAKES WERE APPLIED PETAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR AND HAD TO SWERVE TO MISS STOPPED TRAFFIC. UPON INSPECTION BRAKE LINE ON DRIVERS FRONT SIDE OF TRUCK AND LAYING ON TOP OF THE FRAME WAS RUSTED ALMOST COMPLETELY IN HALF! QUICK THINKING AVOIDED ACCIDENT .THIS TRUCK HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON CITY STREETS AND NEVER OFF ROAD FOUR WHEELING AND FEEL THIS IS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS STAINLESS STEELS LINES SHOULD NOT RUST IN HALF IF IN FACT THEY ARE STAINLESS STEEL TO BEGIN WITH.TRUCK IS AT GMC NOW TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

WHILE HAVING MY VEHICLE CHECK OVER FOR THE WINTER, THE MECHANIC INFORM ME THAT THE FRONT BRAKE LINES ARE VERY RUSTY AS WELL AS THE FUEL LINES AND THE COOLING LINES GOING TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS SITUATION IS VERY DISTURBING SINCE I HAVE VERY LOW MILEAGE. THE TUBING USED FOR THE BRAKE AS WELL AS THE FUEL LINES SHOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND RUSTING FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IF THE MATERIAL USED BY GM WAS NOT UP TO SPECIFICATION AS FAR AS CORROSION PROTECTION EITHER COMPENSATION TO REPAIR IT IS IN ORDER A RECALL SHOULD BE MADE.