THE BRAKES HAVE STOPPED WORKING ON THIS VEHICLE, WHICH IS NOT PARTICULARLY UNEXPECTED GIVEN THE VEHICLE HAS 155,000 MILES. HOWEVER WHEN WE TRIED TO PURCHASE NEW PARTS WE WERE ADVISED THAT GENERAL MOTORS NO LONGER SUPPORTS OR MANUFACTURES THE NECESSARY PARTS ( ROTORS,PUMPS, ETC) FOR THE YEAR OF VEHICLE. HOW CAN THEY SIMPLY STOP MAKING PARTS FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS JUST 10 YEARS OLD? WE WERE TOLD TO GO TO A SCRAP YARD AND SEE IF WE COULD SCROUNGE THE NECESSARY PARTS THERE ! SHOULD THEY NOT BE REQUIRED TO SUPPORT ANY VEHICLE THEY MANUFACTURE? AND NOT SIMPLY DECIDE NOT TO MAKE PARTS ANY LONGER BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE PROFITABLE? WHAT IS GOING ON AT GM? WHAT ELSE DON'T WE KNOW ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS PRACTICES ON TOP OF THE OTHER GM SCANDALS THAT WE SEE LATELY, LEADING TO DEATH AND MAYHEM FOR INNOCENT CAR OWNERS? *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10605571
- Incident
- Jun 12, 2014
- Mileage
- 155,000 mi
TOWING A HEAVY BOAT AT INTERSTATE SPEED LIMIT IN KANSAS. APPLIED BRAKES TO DISENGAGE CRUISE UPON APPROACH TO EXIT RAMP. NOTICED MORE THAN USUAL PEDAL TRAVEL AND BEGAN TO PUMP TO FIND SOME BRAKES. PUMPING DID NOTHING, FULLY DEPRESSING IS ALL THAT WOULD SLOW VEHICLE. GOING DOWNHILL AND APPROACHING STOP AT END OF RAMP. ENDED UP GOING THROUGH STOP SIGN WITHOUT STOPPING. COULDN'T STOP WOULDN'T STOP. ROLLED THROUGH STOP SIGN INTERSECTING HIGHWAY SPEED 60 MPH. MADE THE TURN AND GOT STOPPED SOON AFTER SIGN BUT COULD HAVE ENDED UP IN HARMS WAY FROM INTERSECTING TRAFFIC HAD I PANICKED FROM NOT HAVING CONTROL AND WARNING LIGHTS AND ALARMS. AT LEAST I WOULD HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING WAS WRONG 5 SECONDS BEFORE GETTING T-BONED. ONCE UPON A TIME THE BODY WOULD RUST LIKE A REAR BUMPER IN ABOUT 10 YEARS. CHEVROLET SPENT MONEY TO MAKE THE PAINT LAST LONGER ON THE BODY. THAT RUST WOULD MAKE YOU GET PAINT OR A NEW TRUCK. IT WOULDN'T OR HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO INJURE OR KILL YOU OR OTHERS. BRAKE LINES ON 1950 MODEL CARS ARE STILL STRONGER THAN THESE RUSTED OUT 9 YEAR OLD LINES. THE UNIT IS DESIGNED TO RUN A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES. ITS ONLY DESIGNED TO STOP BY MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR ABOUT 50 THOUSAND MILES. ITS AS IF THE LEADERSHIP AT GM FORGOT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING THE UNIT STOP. SOMEONE WAS PROBABLY REWARDED FOR SAVING THE COST IN THE CHANGE OF MATERIAL OF THE BRAKE LINES. THE SAVINGS DRIVEN BY COST REDUCTION IN THE MATERIALS ORGANIZATION IS IN THIS CASE VERY BAD FOR BUSINESS. AFTER ALL IF A PRODUCT ENDS UP REDUCING THE NUMBERS OF CUSTOMERS THROUGH ACCIDENTS IT HAS TO IMPACT YOUR SALES. THESE PEOPLE MARKET THEIR PRODUCT AS ONE LONGEST RUNNING VEHICLES IN THE MARKET PLACE. CURRENT CONDITIONS ALSO HAS THEM THE LONGEST STOPPING VEHICLES IN CLASS. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10586559
- Incident
- May 3, 2014
- Mileage
- 80,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN IT ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD BEFORE STOPPING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE CONTACT WHO DISCOVERED THE RUST ON THE BRAKE LINES FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE BRAKES. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,785.
- NHTSA ID
- 10484837
- Incident
- Nov 15, 2012
- Mileage
- 89,785 mi
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 26, 2012
WE ARE THE SECOND OWNERS OF A 2004 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 4WD TRUCK. WE HAVE HAD BRAKE LINES GO TWICE. THE LAST TIME WAS AT OUR TOWN DUMP. MY HUSBAND WAS STOPPED WITH THE TRUCK IN PARK AND WHEN HE PUT HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN GEAR THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO REAL STOPPING POWER. HE CHECKED THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE AND THAT, TOO, WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT THAT CHEVY HAS BEEN ABLE TO USE SUCH DANGEROUS ENGINEERING ON SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS BRAKES. WE ALSO HAVE RUSTED TRANSMISSION LINES AND BACKER PLATES. IT IS GOING TO COST $2,000 (TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS) TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS. WE ARE REQUESTING THAT A RECALL BE MADE FOR THIS DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING ON SUCH A NECESSARY FUNCTION. WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE WERE IN PARK AND PUTTING THE TRUCK INTO GEAR FROM PARK WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10482401
- Incident
- Oct 20, 2012
- Mileage
- 97,000 mi
BRAKE LINES CORRODED THROUGH DURING NORMAL OPERATION - RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. MECHANIC ESTIMATES $1200.00 FOR R&R. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10464770
- Incident
- Jul 7, 2012
- Mileage
- 134,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN TO A COMPLETE STOP AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESUME DRIVING AT AN EXTREMELY SLOW SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A NEARBY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FOUR BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE TECHNICIAN PATCHED THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINES AS A TEMPORARY REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO EVENTUALLY HAVE THE FOUR BRAKE LINES REPLACED DUE TO A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN OF A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,400. UPDATED 04/26/12*LJ ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE INVOICE, ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE HEAVILY CORRODED AS WAS THE UNDERCARRIAGE. UPDATED 05/31/12
- NHTSA ID
- 10451616
- Incident
- Feb 27, 2012
- Mileage
- 65,400 mi
2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD BRAKES FAILED DUE TO RUSTED STEEL BRAKE LINE. RUST OF COMPONENT WAS LOCATED UNDER DRIVER DOOR. CURRENTLY HAVING TROUBLE FINDING MANUFACTURER REPLACEMENT PART. LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO BEND MY OWN LINE. THE TRUCK HAS 40,000 MILES AND LOCATED IN TENNESSEE. THE TRUCK IS MAINLY USED ON A FARM AND HAS NOT BEEN ON SALTY ROADS TO A GREAT EXTENT. FORTUNATELY THE INCIDENT WAS WHILE USING THE TRUCK ON THE FARM SO THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR BODILY HARM. I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. IN 2010 I HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS BECAUSE OF RUST. THE REAREND IS ALSO RUSTED ON THE TRUCK - SPRINGS, CARRIAGE, REAREND. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10410639
- Incident
- Jul 5, 2011
- Mileage
- 40,864 mi
2 METAL BRAKE LINES BLEW OUT ON MY 2004 CHEVY 1/2 TON PU. THEY HAD BEEN RUSTED NEARLY THROUGH AND FIRST ONE BLEW THEN THE SECOND DIAGONAL IN A HARD STOP LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKES EXCEPT THE EMERGENCY. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY BUT IT SURE COULD HAVE BEEN. THE LINES SEEMED TO HAVE LITTLE OR NO COATING TO PROTECT THEM FROM RUST AND CERTAINLY SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN THIS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10328112
- Incident
- Feb 7, 2010
- Mileage
- 55,000 mi
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.