2001 Chevrolet Silverado Brakes Problems

A STEEL BRAKE LINE CRACKED AND FAILED. I WAS AT MY HOUSE WHEN IT HAPPENED SO NO SERIOUS INJURIES OR DAMAGE. HOWEVER, THE BRAKE FAILED COMPLETELY AND INSTANTLY WITH NO WARNING. IT COULD HAVE OCCURRED AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. I HAD MY WIFE PRESS ON THE PEDAL WHILE I LOOKED FOR THE LEAK. IT WAS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE STEEL LINE ROUTING FROM THE ABS MODULE TO THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE. IT CREATES A MIST OF FLUID NEAR THE RADIATOR. MY NEXT CONCERN IS THAT THE FLUID WILL CAUSE FURTHER CORROSION OF THE PARTS IT SPRAYED.

NHTSA ID

10766702

Incident

Aug 22, 2015

Mileage

110,000 mi

GOING OUT OF THE GARAGE,STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR.NOTICED A PUDDLE UNDER THE TRUCK AND FOUND A RUSTED THRU BRAKE LINE AT THE ABS CONTROL VALVE. UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ UPDATED 11/01/2017*CN

NHTSA ID

10730654

Incident

Jun 23, 2015

Mileage

66,869 mi

BRAKES QUIT.. ABS GROWLED AND WOULDN'T STOP, HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE. IT DOES IT MAINLY AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN THE WHEELS ARE TURNED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10680424

Incident

Jan 16, 2008

Mileage

88,000 mi

BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT, LOSING MY BRAKES. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF MY BRAKE LINES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10668611

Incident

Dec 18, 2013

Mileage

96,000 mi

ON SATURDAY 12/13 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO. WHILE HITTING THE BRAKES FOR A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND SHE RAN THROUGH THE STOP SIGN AS THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STOPPED IN TIME. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT A MILE FROM OUR HOME AND WHEN SHE ARRIVED HOME, SHE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET. I CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LOW AND I FOUND THE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE UNDER THE VEHICLE. I CHECKED AND LEARNED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. WITH THE AMOUNT OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING AND THE STOPPING POWER IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. THIS IS A VERY LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE THAT IS KEPT IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. PLEASE HAVE THESE VEHICLES LOOKED AT BY THE MANUFACTURER OR THERE IS SERIOUS RISK OF LIFE THREATENING CRASHES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10664360

Incident

Dec 13, 2014

Mileage

58,000 mi

TRANSFERRING SOME MATERIALS FROM NEIGHBORS HOUSE TO OURS, DIRT ROAD / DRIVEWAY. GOT TO OUR HOUSE, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. REFILLED MASTER CYLINDER, PARKED THE TRUCK. CHECKED FLUID LATER, ENTIRE MASTER CYLINDER WAS EMPTY AS TRUCK WAS PARKED. BRAKE LINES SEEM TO BE ROTTED OUT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10660448

Incident

Oct 17, 2014

Mileage

105,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND EXTREME FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

NHTSA ID

10654337

Incident

Nov 3, 2014

Mileage

135,000 mi

PURCHASED THE USED VEHICLE ORIGINALLY AT 42000 MILES. HAVE TAKEN IMPECCABLE CARE OF IT. ACTUAL DATES OF INCIDENTS ARE UNKNOWN DUE TO THE FACT MOST HAVE BEEN ONGOING. BRAKES FAILED DUE TO ABS. FIXED TWICE BY GM UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL. BOTH FIXES WERE BANDAIDS (DEALER CLEANED AND APPLIED A "SPECIAL" GREASE TWICE, THEY NEVER REPLACED THE ABS SENSORS. THIRD FIX I PAID OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE THE SENSORS, AND SINCE THEN THE ABS HAS BEEN OK. BRAKES FAILED DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION (ALL LINES AND 2 CALIPERS HAD TO BE REPLACED. FUEL PUMP FAILED, FUEL LINES FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION, FUEL TANK STRAPS FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND CORROSION. SLOW LEAKS IN 3 OF 4 WHEELS DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND CORROSION IN THE RIMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10650714

Incident

Sep 3, 2012

Mileage

97,000 mi

BRAKE LINES BRAKES WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AT THE SAME TIME BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON .A LITTLE LATE FOR A WARNING. I REPAIRED LINE AND STARTED DRIVING AGAIN. ALMOST A YEAR LATER TO THE DAY SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. I'VE OWNED 21 CHEVROLETS OVER A SPAN OF 45 YEARS AND ONLY HAD ONE BRAKE LINE FAILURE(1969 CORVETTE). I THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE SO I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND NOTICED THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES HAD MORE RUST THAN ANY THING ELSE UNDER THE TRUCK. I LOOKED ONLINE AND WAS APPALLED TO LEARN THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR OVER FOUR YEARS, YET NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO WARN THE OWNERS OF THESE TRUCKS. GM 'S RESPONSE WAS LAUGHABLE UNLESS THEY CAN REMOTELY TELL HOW MUCH FLUID HAS BEEN LOST FROM EACH VEHICLE. ALSO JUST LIKE AN APPLE BRAKE LINES DON'T ROT EVENLY UNLESS SOMETHING ELSE IS GOING ON. I LIVE IN A STATE WHERE IT SNOWS ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR AND MELTS OFF WITHIN A WEEK AND RIGHT AFTER I GO TO THE CAR WASH TO GET THE UNDER BODY WASH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10637070

Incident

Sep 20, 2013

Mileage

110,000 mi

GOING ON A TRIP TO THE STORE , SO BEFORE THE INTERSECTION I NEED IT TO STOP, SO PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN AND THE PEDAL JUST WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND NO WARNING LIGHT OR SOUND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY NO BRAKES!!!!! SO I ACTED QUICKLY AND DOWN SHIFT IT TO 1ST GEAR THAT SLOW IT DOWN SOME SO I PUT IT IN PARK AND SHUCK THE TRUCK BUT I GOT IT TO STOP. 10 MORE FEET AND WOULD GO IN TO CROSSING TRAFFIC THAT WAS VERY CLOSE. SO I WANT TO KNOW IF GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM (RUSTY BRAKE LINES UNDER THE TRUCK) AND IF THEY ARE GOING TO DO ANY THING TO FIX IT.THEY SHOULD INFORM THE DANGER TO PUBLIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10633319

Incident

Sep 13, 2014

Mileage

130,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NHTSA ID

10632730

Incident

Sep 12, 2014

Mileage

40,000 mi

LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE ROTTED. THE GAS LINES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE NOW TOO. SOON THE REST OF THE BRAKE LINES WILL BE DONE AND MAYBE TRANSMISSION LINES. TERRIBLE THAT GM MADE SUCH POOR BRAKE LINES. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER AND SEE THERE IS A COMPLAIN OPEN ON THIS SO WANTED YOU TO KNOW I HAD A PROBLEM TOO. VIN [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10627591

Incident

Aug 6, 2008

Mileage

52,115 mi

OPERATING THE VEHICLE DOWN HIGHWAY OFF RAMP, PEDAL SUDDENLY PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. APPROACHING INTERSECTION OUT OF CONTROL, ONE PAIR OF BRAKES LOCKED UP AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO SLOW. THE PEDAL WAS UNMANAGEABLE IN THIS EMERGENCY SITUATION. I WAS ABLE TO AVERT AN ACCIDENT BY DRIVING INTO THE SHOULDER. I WAS REPORTED FOR RECKLESS OPERATION, AND WAS CITED, AND WAS CONVICTED OF A LESSER CHARGE. I PLEADED WITH THE POLICE OFFICER THAT THE TRUCKS BEHAVIOR WAS A RESULT OF A BRAKE FAILURE, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE DEFENSE WAS IGNORED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE A RUPTURED BRAKE LINE WAS DIAGNOSED. I ULTIMATELY HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AS WELL AS A CRIMINAL FINE BECAUSE OF BRAKE LINE CORROSION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10625714

Incident

Aug 1, 2013

Mileage

315,000 mi

I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I HAD TO STOP FOR A VAN AHEAD OF ME. I TOUCHED MY BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. NO BRAKES AT ALL. BECAUSE OF OTHER TRAFFIC, AND NO TIME, I HIT THE VAN IN THE REAR. NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE GENTLEMAN IN THE VAN HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. I HAD A BUMP ON MY LEG, AND MY BROTHER WAS NOT HURT. I JUST NOW HAVE HEARD OTHER STORIES OF THE SAME PROBLEM GOING ON FOR YEARS. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. *JS

NHTSA ID

10616624

Incident

Jul 24, 2014

Mileage

99,000 mi

MY WIFE WAS BACKING UP THE TRUCK TO GIVE ME AND MY STUCK FOUR WHEELER A TOW AND JUST BARELY GOT THE TRUCK TO STOP. I JUMPED IN TO MOVE IT AND THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR,NO WARNING LIGHTS. I THEN NOTICED IT WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID ON THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10604318

Incident

Mar 12, 2014

Mileage

137,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVER ADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. UPDATED 8/14/14*CN UPDATED 8/26/2014 *JS

NHTSA ID

10594773

Incident

May 28, 2014

Mileage

23,000 mi

MY TRUCK WAS PARKED ON A HILL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DIDNT HOLD I HAD A TRAILER ON THE BACK AND IT CAUSED THE TRAILER TO JACKNIFE AND DAMAGED MY BED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10592951

Incident

May 30, 2012

Mileage

187,000 mi

I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT AT HOME DEPOT AND PUSHED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR TWICE BEFORE APPLYING PARKING BRAKE TO STOP. NO ONE WAS PARKED IN THE SLOT IN FRONT OF ME SO I WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENT. ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES, NEAR THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT, HAD SEVER CORROSION AND HAD RUPTURED CAUSING FAILURE OF THE COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY LEAKAGE FROM THESE BRAKE LINES BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE OIL WAS CHANGED AND VEHICLE INSPECTED AT THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT ONE MONTH BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION, AFTER THIS INCIDENT. ALL BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FUEL LINES WERE REPLACED AT THE DEALER ABOUT A YEAR AGO AS THEY STARTED LEAKING AND WERE ALSO CORRODED. *JS

NHTSA ID

10592384

Incident

May 16, 2014

Mileage

63,000 mi

THE BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTING OUT. I HAVE SPOKE TO TWO OTHER PEOPLE ONE WITH A 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE AND ANOTHER 1993 SILVERADO THEIR BRAKE LINES HAVE ALREADY RUSTED AND FAILED. HOW MANY INJURIES OR DEATHS ARE YOU GOING TO LET HAPPEN BEFORE YOU MAKE GM RECALL THE 1999 TO 2006 GM TRUCKS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10583483

Incident

Apr 15, 2014

Mileage

90,800 mi

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TRUCK TO POST OFFICE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR SLOWLY. AFTER GETTING IT HOME SAFELY I LOOKED AT LEFT FRONT WHEEL AREA AND SAW BRAKE FLUID EVERYWHERE. THE LEAK WAS IN THE BUNDLE OF BRAKE LINES JUST ABOVE THE FRAME, GOING FROM THE RESERVOIR TO THE ABS UNIT UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE FRAME. INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ALL OF THESE LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. THE LINES GOING FROM THE ABS UNIT TO THE BACK BRAKES APPEARED TO SHOW SOME CORROSION AS WELL BUT NOT NEARLY AS BAD. I HAVE REPLACED ALL LINES FROM ABS TO THE FRONT WITH AN AFTERMARKET SET AND WILL REPLACE THE BACKS SOON. THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT NEW IN SOUTH FLORIDA BY ME AND HAS NEVER BEEN UP NORTH UNTIL JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. THERE IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE FRAME AND SUSPENSION PARTS AS WELL FOR TRUCK OF THIS VINTAGE. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE QUALITY OF THIS CRUCIAL SAFETY COMPONENT OF THIS VEHICLE. I HOPE OUR 2011 MALIBU WHICH WE BOUGHT NEW, DOESN'T END UP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM A FEW YEARS FROM NOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10569207

Incident

Sep 18, 2013

Mileage

140,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE PEDAL ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 04/14/14*LJ UPDATED 04/18/2014 *JS

NHTSA ID

10565227

Incident

Feb 1, 2014

Mileage

85,000 mi

I HAD JUST PICKED UP 2 CU. YDS OF MULCH AND WAS GOING HOME WHEN I WAS COMING UP TO A ROUNDABOUT. I SLOWED DOWN MORE THAN USUAL, STARTED BRAKING EARLY, SINCE I WAS DRIVING WITH A LOAD. AS I GOT TO THE INTERSECTION I NOTICED A CAR THAT WAS COMING THROUGH QUICKLY AND GOT TO THE INTERSECTION BEFORE I DID SO I HAD TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE A LITTLE MORE THAN I HAD PLANNED. AS I DID THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY THE HOLE WAS SMALL ENOUGH THAT I STILL HAD SOME PRESSURE AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND JUST MISS THE CAR. I SLOWLY CRAWLED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND PULLED OVER AT THE NEXT STREET. I WAS THINKING IT WAS THE CALIPERS BUT WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK I SAW THAT THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM HIGHER UP. I CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK TO GET A BETTER LOOK AND SAW THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINE WHERE SEVERELY CORRODED. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED BACK HOME AND NEED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER TOMORROW TO SEE WHAT THE DAMAGE IS. *JS

NHTSA ID

10545264

Incident

Sep 24, 2013

Mileage

211,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE AND ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE SUB FRAME AND BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE VEHICLE ON THE LIFT BUT AND AS THE LIFT BEGAN TO RISE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO CRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 211,409.

NHTSA ID

10541884

Incident

Mar 16, 2012

Mileage

211,409 mi

BRAKE LINES RUPTURED, PARKING BRAKE NON-EXISTENT, CORROSION OF BRAKE LINE, FUEL LINES, FRAME AND BRAKE DUST COVERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10536523

Incident

Aug 19, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES FAILED WHILE EXITING A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY WITH A STEEP INCLINE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE USING THE BRAKES AND HAD TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY HAND BRAKE, WHICH ALLOWED THE BRAKES TO CATCH VERY SLOWLY. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT HAD REACHED LEVEL GROUND. THE CONTACT'S PERSONAL MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 194,000. UPDATED 09/17/13*LJ THE CONSUMER AND HIS WIFE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE, TWICE. HIS WIFE NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. WHEN SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE, SHE SAW BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND. THE FIRST TIME, THE BRAKES FAILED, WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY.

NHTSA ID

10532300

Incident

Aug 1, 2012

Mileage

194,000 mi