2003 GMC Sierra 2500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE SERVICE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE WITHIN THE BRAKE AND FUEL LINES. THE BRAKE AND FUEL LINES WERE CORRODED WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE FLUID AND FUEL TO LEAK. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROX ~30 MILES AN HOUR APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION WITH A RED LIGHT. I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL DEPRESSED WITH NO RESISTANCE AND NO BRAKING RESPONSE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES HARDER, WITH PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND RECEIVED LIGHT BRAKE RESPONSE, ENOUGH TO STOP THE VEHICLE JUST SHORT OF THE INTERSECTION. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO AN ASE-CERTIFIED NAPA AUTO CENTER, WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY CORRODED, AS WELL AS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES. THE CORROSION OF THE BRAKE LINES/CABLE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID, AND RENDERED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE USELESS. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR IS UPWARDS OF $1800.00 THERE WAS NO ADVANCED WARNING OF THIS FAILURE--NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED BEFORE OR AFTER THE FAILURE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND FEEL THAT THIS IS A DESIGN, ASSEMBLY OR MATERIALS FLAW THAT PUTS PUBLIC SAFETY AT RISK. *TR

ON 09-30-2011 AS I LEFT MY RESIDENCE I GOT APPROXIMATELY ONE BLOCK AWAY AND STARTED DOWN A SMALL BUT STEEP HILL THAT INTERSECTS WITH AN OTHER SUBDIVISION STREET. AT THAT INTERSECTION THERE IS A STOP SIGN, WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW FOR THE STOP SIGN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I TRIED PUMPING THE BRAKES AND STILL HAD VERY LITTLE TO NO BRAKES. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLE IN THE AREA, AND WAS ABLE TO GEAR DOWN AND ENDED UP SLOWING GOING INTO THE INTERSECTION WHERE I FINALLY GOT THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK BACK TO THE HOUSE BY GOING VERY SLOW IN LOW GEAR AND USING THE PARKING BRAKE. UPON PARKING THE TRUCK AND INSPECTING THE SYSTEM, FOUND THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL WAS LOW. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER THE DRIVES SEAT AREA. ON CHECKING I FOUND THE BRAKE LINES IN THE AREA OF THE BRAKE CONTROLLER AREA WERE EXTREMELY RUSTED AND THE LINE GOING TO THE REAR BRAKES HAD RUSTED THROUGH. I WILL HAVE ALL THE BRAKE LINES TO AND FROM THE BRAKE CONTROLLER REPLACED THIS WEEK DUE TO THE EXTREMELY POOR CONDITION OF THE LINES FROM THE RUST. *TR

FORTUNATELY I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD IT TOWED AND THE MECHANIC REPLACED A LINE. HE WENT FOR A ROAD TEST AND ANOTHER LINE BLEW OUT. THIS WAS FIXED AND I WAS TOLD THAT ALL OF THE LINES LOOK BAD AND IT WOULD BE $700 TO REPLACE ALL AND THIS SEEMED TO BE COMMON ON THE CHEVY AND GMC TRUCKS. THIS TRUCK IS GARAGE KEPT - WHY WOULD ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES BE BAD? THIS IS A GMC SIERRA 2500HD EXTENDED CAB 4WD TRUCK. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL COASTING INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED AND HE DID NOT CONSIDER THE INCIDENT TO BE A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE FAILURE DIAGNOSTIC TEST INDICATED THAT THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED TO OPERATE SUFFICIENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,692 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,750. UPDATED 09/21/11*LJ THE DEALER REPALCED THE LEFT AND FRONT SPEED SENSOR. UPDATED 11/04/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT INFORMED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

HYDRAULIC BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON A BACK ROAD PULLING THE TRAILER WITH A 500 LB MOWER IN THE TRAILER. BRAKE FLUID POURED FROM THE BEHIND THE DRIVER DOOR UNDER FROM THE FRAME NEAR THE FUEL FILTER AND BRAKE LINE DISTRIBUTION BLOCK. FRONT BRAKE LINES REPLACED ONE YEAR AGO AFTER AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE BRAKES ALSO FAILED AND FRONT BRAKE LINES REPLACED. 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 4WD WITH ABOUT 40K MILEAGE. BRAKE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE WITH THIS VEHICLE...I HAVE ANOTHER CAR, DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 97K AND NO BRAKE LINE PROBLEMS. STAYS IN THE SAME DRIVEWAY AND DRIVES THE SAME ROADS. *TR