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 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 32 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.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
BRAKES WENT OUT COMPLETELY AFTER DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. HAD TO LEAVE THE ROADWAY INTO THE BUSHES TO AVOID HITTING STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AFTER BRINGING IT HOME, NOTICED THAT THE BRAKELINE TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. SIMILAR LINES DID NOT SHOW SIGN OF CORROSION BUT THIS ONE WAS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF NO REPAIR. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET K2500. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DEFECTIVE HUBS. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 36,000.
BOUGHT A 1998 CHEVY SILVERADO 2500 IN DECEMBER 2005 WITH APPROXIMATELY 132,300 MILES PRIVATE SALE. ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO I HAD A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB DONE $1,000 (NEW EVERYTHING) NOT BY A CHEVY DEALER. I WAS SHOWN THE OLD BRAKE COMPONENTS, THE REARS WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND THERE WAS NO WEAR ON THE PADS. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS BECAUSE THEY HADN'T BEEN ENGAGING. THERE WAS CORROSION IN THE FRONT AND EXTREME WEAR. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK BACK TO THE SHOP THREE TIMES BECAUSE IT WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT UPON BRAKING, AND STOPPING WAS EITHER REALLY TOUCHY (LOCKING UP) OR A BIT DELAYED. EACH TIME THEY REPLACED PARTS AND LOOKED AT IT FOR FREE. THE THIRD TIME THE REPAIR SHOP SAID "IT WAS SOMETHING RELATED TO THE ABS SYSTEM, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A CHEVY DEALER TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED". I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE 1999-2002 GENERAL MOTORS SAFETY RECALL FOR A DEFECT THAT WILL CAUSE CORROSION ON THE SPEED SENSORS AND "MAY CAUSE UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AT LOW SPEEDS". THIS IS THE PROBLEM AND WAS CONFIRMED BY REMOVING THE 60 AMP ABS FUSE AND THE PROBLEM DIDN'T OCCUR. I CALLED THE 800# LISTED ON CHEVROLET.COM AND WAS TOLD THAT IF THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE A DEFECT THAT I SHOULD CALL CHEVY AGAIN. I HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CHEVY DEALER THIS MORNING AND EXPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHAT I HAD FOUND. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE LEFT FRONT SENSOR CORRODED AND BROKEN SO IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE RIGHT FRONT SENSORS WERE CORRODED BUT NOT BROKEN. ALL SENSORS WERE CLEANED AND AN ANTI-CORROSION COMPOUND WAS APPLIED. I CALLED CHEVROLET AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH THEIR SERVICE MANAGER AGREED WITH THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR THAT THE RECALL DIDN'T INCLUDE MY VEHICLE, BUT THAT I SHOULD KEEP MY REPAIR BILL AND PROOF OF PAYMENT SO THAT IF AND WHEN THE RECALL IS EXTENDED I MAY BE REIMBURSED. WHY SHOULDN'T I BE REIMBURSED NOW IF IT'S A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE? THANK HEAVEN I WASN'T INVOLVED IN A CRASH. *JB
DT: WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE SKIDS. IT DOES STOP BUT THE BRAKES SQUEAL. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL IN SANDY OR SNOWY CONDITIONS. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL SERVICE SHOP, WHO NOTED THERE WAS RUST ON THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE ADJUSTING PAD, WHICH LITERALLY FELL APART UPON INSPECTION. THERE IS A RECALL, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO MODEL YEAR. THE DEALER SAID THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY ROAD SALT. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT HAD ANY REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS DONE. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED GM/CHEVROLET AT THIS TIME REGARDING THE BRAKE PROBLEM. *AK *NM
DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT, APPLYING BRAKES AND THE ANTI-LOCK KICKED IN. THE TRUCK (K-2500 EXT CAB 4X4) WOULDN'T STOP. I QUICKLY USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, NO ONE COULD FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES! I HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. TAKING TO THE DEALER AND STILL THEY FOUND NOTHING.. IT AMAZES ME THAT AFTER MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, THEY TOLD ME THE ANTI-LOCK SENSORS IN THE FRONT HUBS WERE BAD AND IT WOULD COST OVER $1,200 PER SIDE TO FIX!! I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. THIS ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED WHEN I BOUGHT THE TRUCK... THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS SO THE CONSUMER DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR FAULTY PARTS INSTALLED AND THE LACK OF THE ASE CERTIFIED MECHANICS TO FIND THIS PROBLEM UNTIL MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED!! HOW CONVENIENT FOR THEM!! I WANT MY VEHICLE FIXED AT NO COST TO ME. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE! *JB
REPEATED ABS BRAKE FAILURE...HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. TAILGATE HANDLE FAILURE. DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE, LOCK MECHANISM & WINDOW TRACK DEFECTIVE
ANTI LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATING AT LOW SPEEDS, SOMETIMES MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE CONDITION IS INTERMITTENT & WILL SURPRISE THE DRIVER.
THE ABS BRAKES ON MY TRUCK HAVE NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY AND, IF YOU BRAKE HARD AND HIT A LITTLE BUMP IN THE ROAD AT THE SAME TIME, THE BRAKES CUT LOOSE AND DON'T STOP. AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN 2000 DUE TO THE BRAKES NOT WORKING. WHEN YOU HIT THEM HARD, THEY CUT OUT. COMPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES TO 3 DIFFERENT CHEVROLET DEALERS, AND WAS TOLD THAT THAT WAS A NORMAL BRAKE FUNCTIONING. HAVE CHANGED BRAKE PADS SEVERAL TIMES AND BRAKE ROTORS AND HASN'T HELPED A BIT. TRUCK IS SCARY TO DRIVE. ONLY HAVE 56000 MILES ON IT DUE TO TREPIDATION IN USING IT. HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW.*AK
IN JANUARY OF 2003 THE SERVICE BRAKE BEGAN RESISTING FOOT PRESSURE AND MAKING A LOUD VIBRATING NOISE WHEN APPROACHING A FULL STOP ON DRY PAVEMENT ON MY 1998 CHEVY PICKUP WITH APROX. 24,000 MILES. BY JULY THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AT ALMOST EVERY STOP. THE DEALER FROM WHOM THE TRUCK WAS PURCHASED REPAIRED THE REAR BRAKES ($303) AND ADVISED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WITH BRAKE PEDAL WAS RELATED TO THE ABS SYSTEM AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT ROTORS AT A COST OF $1000+. A DEALER MECHANIC TOLD ME THE PROBLEM COULD ELIMINATED BY REMOVE THE BRAKE FUSE (DISABLING THE ABS SYSTEM). I CONFIRMED THIS WITH A LOCAL GARAGE WHO ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE $1000 REPAIR WOULD ONLY TEMPORARILY CURE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE THEREFORE BEEN DRIVING WITH ABS SYSTEM DISABLED, REPLACING THE FUSE ONLY FOR INSPECTIONS AND REMOVING IT IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE A RECALL PROGRAM WHICH WOULD RESTORE THE USE OF THE ABS SYSTEM. MY TRUCK SERIAL NUMBER IS [XXX]. [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEEDS AND VEHICLE ENGINE IS STILL SLIGHTLY COLD, CONSUMER STATES IF THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY LOCK UP, CATCH AND GRAB. FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING ON ICE. *TS *JB
WHEN APPROACHING A STOP, VEHICLE EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT IF IT HITS SLIGHTEST PUMP, WILL LOSE ABS BRAKE POWER. CONTACTED DEALER, THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM.*AK
ERRATIC BRAKES, ONE ACCIDENT SO FAR, SOMETIMES BRAKES GO ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED AND WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKES VEHICLE GOES INTO EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED ABOUT 10-12 TIMES OVER THE LAST 10 MONTHS, THE PROBLEM OCCURS MOSTLY DURING CITY DRIVING WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL IT SEEMS THERE IS NO POWER ASSIST, THE PEDAL HAS TO BE PUSHED DOWN EXTREMELY HARD TO GET THE TRUCK TO STOP, THE TRUCK WILL STOP IT JUST TAKES A LONGER DISTANCE. NLM
EXCESSIVE WEAR OF ALL TIRES, WEARING INSIDE ON ONE SIDE, AND OUTSIDE ON OTHER SIDE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER ON 7 OCCASIONS, AND UNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKES KEEP LOCKING UP BETWEEN 40-45 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SHAKE. *YH
GOING THROUGH FRONT DISC PADS WITHIN 1 1/2 MONTHS ON AVERAGE DEALER WILL NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG WITH BRAKES THAT IS NORMAL. *AK
THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM WHEN BRAKING AND YOU HIT A BUMP, POTHOLE OR DEPRESSION THE BRAKES GO INTO ANTI LOCK AND DO NOT COME OUT. IT TAKES ABOUT 1/3 MORE DISTANCE TO STOP. THIS IS ESPECIALLY BAD ON SNOW AND ICE. WHEN TRAVELING WITH OTHER PICKUPS IN UPPER CANADA THE OTHER TRUCKS COULD STOP ON SNOW BUT I WOULD GO BY THEM BY ABOUT 25-30 FT. I HAD ONE ACCIDENT WHERE I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT A T IN THE ROAD AND THE HIGHWAY WAS SLIPPERY AND I HIT A BUMP AS I WAS STOPPING. INSTEAD OF STOPPING I JUST SLOWED AND COULD NOT MAKE THE TURN I HIT A TREE. $20,000 DAMAGE TO TRUCK. ON THE INTERSTATE I78 I WAS FOLLOWING TRAFFIC WHICH CAME TO A HALT FOR CONTRUCTION WORK I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND HAD TO PASS A CAR ON THE RIGHT BIRM OF THE ROAD. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES WITH MYSEL AND MY SON DRIVING. IT IS VERY DANGOROUS SINCE YOUR NORMAL STOPPING DISTANCE IS SUDDENLY INCREASED AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO.
THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A VACUUM LEAK IN THE POWER BRAKE ASSIST UNIT . THERE IS A CLEARLY AUDIBLE HISSING SOUND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, STOPPING POWER HAS DIMINISHED BY APPROXIMATELY75% WITH THE ABILITY TO STOP QUICKLY { IN LESS THAN 100 FEET} VIRTUALLY NIL. THIS PROBLEM DEVELOPED WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR SIGNS OF GRADUAL FAILURE. AT THE ONSET OF THE FAILURE I WAS PULLING A TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC BRAKES,FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY TRIP I RELYED HEAVILY ON THE TRAILER BRAKES TO SAFELY COME TO A STOP. WITH OUT THE TRAILER TO ASSIST ME STOPPING THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND UN RELYABLE. THANK YOU.
WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. ALSO, VEHICLE VEHICLE VEERS TO THE RIGHT. *AK
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN CONSUMER APPLIES BRAKES, VEHICLE TURNS TO THE LEFT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY APPLIED BRAKES, AND THEY PULLED EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES. BUT, IS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER HIT A SMALL BUMP WHILE BRAKING FOR A RED LIGHT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND HE HAD NO BRAKING ABILITY. NLM
WHEN APPLYING ABS BRAKES PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, WHEN HITTING BUMPS IN THE ROAD SURFACE WHILE BRAKING THE ANTI-LOCK SENSORS RELEASE BRAKE PRESSURE BUT FAIL TO START ABS PUMP. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THE TRUCK IS GOING OVER ROUGH ROAD OR RR TRACKS THE BRAKES SEEM TO LOSE STOPPING POWER AND FADE OR SINK TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK DOES NOT STOP AS EXPECTED. I MUST GIVE MYSELF LOTS OF STOPPING ROOM, AND I HAVE TOLD THE WIFE TO GIVE HERSELF A LOT OF STOPPING ROOM. THE WIFE HAS SCARED HERSELF, AND I HAVE ALSO WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY HAVE WORKED WITH ME. THEN I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING FURTHER COULD BE DONE AND OTHERS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. DISCONNECTED THE ABS OR THEY PUT HEAVY LOADS IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK. I DID NOT KNOW ANYONE ELSE TO TALK TO UNTIL I WAS WATCHING THE NEWS TONIGHT THE 17TH OF JAN. 2000, AND SAW AN ARTICLE ABOUT YOUR SITE ON NEWS CHANNEL 5 OUT OF NASHVILLE, TN. I HOPE THIS HELPS NOT ONLY ME, BUT ALL THE OTHER PERSONS THAT HAVE LOADED THIER TRUCKS DOWN OR HAVE DISCONNECTED THE ABS SYSTEM. IN THE FAILURE BLOCK AND THE SPEED BLOCK I JUST PUT NUMBERS SO I COULD FINISH THE QUESTIONNAIRE. THANKS. *AK
WHEN CONSUMER COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP CAR LURCHES FOWARD. CONSUMER HAS TO LEAVE A BIG GAP BETWEEN CONSUMER AND OTHER CARS BECAUSE CONSUMER DOESN'T KNOW WHEN VEHICLE IS GOING TO LAURCH FORWARD. TOOK TO DEALER , AND REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER.THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND CURRENTLY PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABS BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATES WHEN IT SHOULD NOT, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH AND MAY CAUSE A CRASH. THE ABS LIGHT IS NOT LIT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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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