Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 24 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR AND PULLED RIGHT. I WENT INTO THE INTERSECTION AROUND 5 FEET. REQUIRED A MASTER CYLINDER AND LEFT FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY TO FIX PROBLEM. COST: 808.57 THIS FOLLOWS REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS AT 27,097 MILES THAT REQUIRED PADS, ROTORS, AND CALIPERS AT A COST OF 668.27. *TR
I HAVE A1997 CHEVROLET 6.5T DIESEL, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK DOING ABOUT 45 MPH CROSSING A STOP LIGHT AND THE TRUCK JUST SHUT OFF FOR NO REASON AND A SEMI WAS BEHIND ME AND ALMOST PLOWED IN TO THE BACK OF MY TRUCK BUT HE WAS ABLE TO GO AROUND AT THE LAST SECOND. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY DOING 70 MPH AND THE TRUCK DID THE SAME THING JUST SHUT OFF FOR NO REASON AND A CAR ALMOST HIT ME BUT WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME. ON ALL OCCASIONS I LOST ALL POWER TO EVERYTHING BRAKES,STEERING AND ENGINE POWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND AFTER THE TWO ABOVE. FOUND OUT THAT GM HAD PUT OUT AN UNDER THE TABLE RECALL OF THE PMD AND INJECTOR PUMP ON THE 6.5T DIESEL MOTOR 12YR/100,000MILES BUT DID NOT PUBLICLY SAY ANYTHING. THE OTHER THING THAT I JUST CAN'T GET OUT OF MY HEAD IS WHAT IF I HAD MY FAMILY WITH ME GOING CAMPING AND TOWING MY TRAILER WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED GOING DOWN A STEP MOUNTAIN PASS AND THE TRUCK TO SHUT OFF WITH NO POWER TO STOP. I KNOW THAT CAR MAKERS HAVE A % OF ACCIDENTS BEFORE THEY WILL LOOK AT RECALLS AND DEATHS ARE INCLUDED IN THOSE %'S AND FOR GM TO HIDE THE RECALL IS VERY DISHONEST. *TR
MY BRAKES HAVE NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW. THE DEALER HAS SAID THEY WORK PROPERLY AND ABS SYSTEMS WORK DIFFERENT THAN THE OLD SYSTEMS. IF I HAVE TO HIT THE BRAKE QUICKLY, THE PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP. BRAKES NEED TO BE PUMPED TO STOP EFFECTIVELY BUT THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN CITY DRIVING. I HAVE HAD MANY MANY CLOSE CALLS AND HAVE BUMPED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ONCE AND SMASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE ONCE. MY INSURANCE RATES WERE RAISED FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS A RESULT. I HAVE TO DRIVE THIS PICK-UP TRUCK VERY CAUTIOUSLY BUT I'M WORRIED THAT SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS COULD HAPPEN TO ME OR MY WIFE WHILE DRIVING. GM HAS A RECALL ON 1999-2002 SILVERADOS FOR THIS TYPE OF BRAKE PROBLEM. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO CARE THAT I HAVE THE SAME SAFETY HAZARD WITH MY 1997 SILVERADO WITH 44,000 MILES ON IT. WHY ISN'T MY VEHICLE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? THESE BRAKES HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE SINCE DAY 1. *TR
UPON COMING TO A ROLLING STOP, UNDER DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES OVER COMPENSATE, MAKE AN 'ELECTRONIC GROAN', AND STIFFEN. THIS CAUSES THE BRAKES TO LOSE EFFECTIVENESS. DT
WHEN DRIVING 60 MPH AND COMING OFF THE RAMP, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND ALSO MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE PEDAL WENT TO FLOORBOARD, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE WAS APPLIED IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK *SCC
BRAKE PEDAL GOES HALF WAY DOWN. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, HAD BRAKES REPAIRED. DEALER INDICATED THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ADJUSTMENT TO KEEP BRAKE PEDAL FROM GOING DOWN. *AK THERE WAS NO BRAKING BY THE REAR WHEELS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ADJUSTMENT ON THE WHEEL. *YH
FRONT ROTORS WARPED AT 38000 MILES. HAD THEM TURNED AND REPLACED.*AK
ABOUT EVERY 10,000 IN THE LAST 3 YEARS BRAKES ROTORS/ CALIPERS AND PADS NEED TO BE REPLACED WHICH CAUSES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AFTER TWO MONTHS HAD TO HAVE ROTORS CHANGED. WHEN PRESSING BRAKES FRONT END SHUTTERS AND ROTORS ARE WARPING. IF IN AN EMERGENCY, TRUCK WILL NOT STOP AS SOON AS IT SHOULD, AND THE WHOLE FRONT END WOULD SHAKE. CHEVROLET HAS PROVIDED NO HELP. *AK *ML
WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY LOCK UP AND SKID, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, CAUSING A COLLISION. THER E WERE NO INJURIES, BUT ONE FATALITY. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. *AK
WE TOOK DELIVERY OF OUR NEW ORDERED PICKUP ON 3/21/97. FROM THE FIRST DAY WE EXPERIECED FRONT WHEEL LOCKUP AND SKIDDING OF OUR FRONT TIRES, IT ALSO PULLS VERY HARD TO THE SIDE THAT LOCKS UP. IT SEEMS TO LOCK UP ONE WHEEL AT A TIME, NOT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. THIS IS INTERMITTENT AND WE CAN NOT TELL WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME. WE HAVE HAD IT IN GOOTEE CHEVROLETS REPAIR SHOP SEVERAL TIMES AND IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR MANY DAYS, THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM SO THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. MY WIFE IS NOW SO SCARED SHE DOESN'T WANT TO DRIVE IT ANYMORE. SHE HAS HAD MANY, MANY CLOSE CALLS BY ALMOST HITTING OTHER CARS. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF I CAN USE THEIR SCAN TOOL AND PLUG IT INTO TO TRUCK SO THAT WHEN IT HAPPEN IT WILL PICK IT UP, BUT THEY WOULD DO IT. THEY ARE TELLING ME THEY CAN'T FIND IT SO I SHOULD CONTACT GM. GOOTEE SAID IT'S NOT THEIR PLOBLEM IF THEY CAN'T PICK IT UP ON THEIR SCAN TOOL WHILE THEY HAVE OUR PICKUP. I HAVE A CLAIM NUMBER WITH GM FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT WAS FILED SHORTLY AFTER WE BOUGHT THE PICKUP, THE NUMBER IS 9801159918.
BRAKE PEDAL SANK COMPLETELY TO FLOOR AND REMAINED AT FLOOR FOR APPROXIMATELY 0.5 TO 1 SECOND BEFORE BRAKE SYSTEM BEGAN OPERATION AND PEDAL BEGAN TO RETURN TO NORMAL FEEL. CONDITION HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES ON THIS VEHICLE. DURING MOST RECENT INCIDENT, I HAD TO REACT QUICKLY TO VEHICLES STOPPING IN FRONT OF ME, ENGINE LOAD WENT FROM MAINTAINING STEADY 55 MPH TO DECELERATION. BRAKE BOOSTER ON THIS VEHICLE IS HYDRAULIC, DRIVEN BY THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE DELAY IN BRAKE OPERATION IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE VEHICLE COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. HAVE NOT HAD SYSTEM SERVICED BECAUSE I CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
WHEN DRIVING UNDER WET CONDITIONS BRAKES LOCK UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE WHEN THEY ARE APPLIED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED WHEN DRIVING OVER ANYTHING THAT CAUSED THE AXLE TO MOVE. ALSO, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 50MPH, STOPPED, APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE . ABS DID NOT KICK IN. DEALER CONTACTED, AND REPAIRWORK DONE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. IN ORDER FOR G.M TO PAY FOR MY TRUCK THE WOULD REQUIRE ME TO SIGN A RELEASE FOR ALL LIABILITY. *AK.ET.
WHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STOP AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WOULD SHOW EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER TRIED TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP, PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL, THEN SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHENEVER THE ABS BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY FEEL VERY HARD; ALSO, MAKE NOISE WHEN APPLIED. VEHICLE WOULD STOP 1 CAR LENGTH FURTHER. HAPPENED 5 TIMES. IT'S INTERMITTENT. TOOK TO DEALER TO CHECK OUT. PROBLEM NOT FOUND. ABS ALSO FAILED WHEN APPLIED OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT/RAIL ROAD TRACKS/BUMPS, ETC. *AK
WHILE BRAKING VEHICLE HIT A BUMP. LOST BRAKING POWER. VEHICLE STOPPED 1/10 MILE FURTHER. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC CALLED MANUFACTURER. THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THE BRAKES. WAS TOLD THEY WERE DESIGNED TO WORK LIKE THAT. *AK
BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, DUE TO SENSOR FAILURE.
CONSUMER'S MOTHER AND FATHER WERE LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THEIR BRAKES FAILED. THEIR TRUCK DRIFTED OUT INTO TRAFFIC THAT WAS GOING APPROX. 55-60MPH, AND THEY WERE BROADSIDED BY A FULL SIZED VAN LOADED WITH LEAD PIPES. THE TRUCK IS NOW IN BAY CITY MICHIGAN TOWED BY TIMS TOWING. CONSUMER DOESN'T HAVE THE NUMBER TO HOLDER OF THE TRUCK AT THIS TIME. *AK
ABS BRAKES; INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL LOCKS UP. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD WHEN APPLIED.
UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, CONSUMER NOTICED PULSTATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER STATED THA THE FRONT BRAKE SHOES AND PADS/REAR ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK DEALER STATED TO CONSUMER THAT THE BRAKE SHOES ONLY LAST 13000 TO 20000 MILES. *SLC
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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