Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
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 2003 Chevrolet Silverado submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 257 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 257, in the owner's own words
WHILE ROUTINELY DRIVING MY 03 CHEV SILVERADO TRUCK, THE BRAKES FAILED. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP AND MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE, I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES WHICH HAD FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. AS A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER, I HAVE EXCELLENT DRIVING SKILLS WHICH HELPED ME TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED!
BRAKE LINES, GAS LINE, TRANSMISSION FLUID LINES ALL RUSTED/CORRODED BEGINNING AT UNDER 50,000 MILES. * HAD NEAR ACCIDENTS AS THE BRAKE LINES BLEW WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND WAS DECELERATING IN AN ATTEMPT TO COME TO A STOP..PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, I CONTINUED ON (FOOT OFF THE GAS) UNTIL THE TRUCK SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH ON IT'S OWN, SHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR & WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP AND GET TOWED. * SHORTLY AFTER BRAKE LINE INCIDENT, THE SAME THING WITH THE GAS LINE, RUSTED/CORRODED AND LEAKED GASOLINE WHEN IGNITION WAS ON AND PUMP WAS RUNNING... TOWED * A FEW ,MONTHS LATER, I WAS PARKING THE TRUCK AND FLUID STARTED SPEWING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK - AFTER CLOSE EXAMINATION I DETERMINED IT WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID, THE LINES HAD RUSTED/CORRODED - AGAIN,TOWED. * REAR BUMPER ROTTED OUT COMPLETELY BEFORE HITTING 35,000 MILES- I HAD IT REPLACED, NOW THE WHEELS AND SIDE QUARTER PANELS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN ARE ALSO ROTTING OUT. * CURRENTLY THE DASH LIGHTS/PANEL WILL INTERMITTENTLY BEGIN TO FLASH - THE WHOLE DASH GOES BLANK, LIGHTS OFF, THEN THEY COME BACK ON, WHILE DRIVING! **MY MECHANIC RECENTLY TOLD ME AFTER STATE INSPECTION, THAT THE FRAME IS THE NEXT THING TO GO, IT IS RUSTING OUT MORE THAN EXPECTED FOR A VEHICLE OF IT'S AGE/LOW MILEAGE. PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT INFERIOR PRODUCTS WERE USED WHEN THE TRUCK WAS MANUFACTURED ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER CHEVROLET PRODUCT WITH TWICE THE MILEAGE AND 6 YEARS OLDER WITH BARELY ANY RUST/ROT/CORROSION.
FRONT BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND SPILLED BRAKE FLUID WHILE MOVING AT SLOW SPEED. HAD FRONT BRAKE LINES REPLACED. SIX MONTHS OR SO LATER, REAR BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND SPILLED BRAKE FLUID WHILE MOVING AT SLOW SPEED. HAD REAR BRAKE LINES REPLACED. ABS IS NOW CONTAMINATED AND IS CAUSING STOP TIME DELAY, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEED. ALMOST CRASHED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE MY HEART DROPPED TO MY STOMACH. DECIDED NOT TO DRIVE TRUCK ANYMORE UNTIL I CAN REPLACE THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM WITH RUST FREE COMPONENTS.
BRAKE LINE RUPTURE.
THE FRONT TO REAR BRAKES CORRODED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY BLEW OUT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.
ON OCTOBER 22,2015 WHILE DRIVEING ON INTERSTATE 75 THE FUEL PUMP STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND RESULTING IN A NEAR DISASTEROUS SITUATION.RESULTS $751.81 REPAIR COST PLUS TOW. THEN ONE WEEK LATER,OCTOBER 29 2015 AT WILMINGTON PIKE AND INERTSTATE 675 RED LIGHT MY BRAKE LINES BURST AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED A WRECK. REPAIR COST $870.17 .I WAS NOT NOTEAFIDE OF ANY RECALL. SO BE FAIR WARNING IF I HAD KNOWN OR BEEN I WOULD HAVE FIXED IT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE ABS, CHECK ENGINE, AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE FAILURES RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT A FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS USED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING ABOVE THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE OVER THE FUEL TANK RUPTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. CONTACTED STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED IN A PANIC SITUATION AND THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR BOARD. *BF
MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY WHEN HE NEEDED TO BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN FOR A VEHICLE WHO TURNED ON UP AHEAD WHEN THE BRAKE LINE BLEW. PEDAL IMMEDIATELY WENT SOFT. HE BARELY AVOIDED COLLISION AND HAD TO PULL OFF INTO A NEARBY CHURCH PARKING LOT. NOW WE ARE OUT THE EXPENSE OF HAVING THE BRAKE LINES REPLACED. THE RUST ISSUE, WHICH HAS BEEN COMPLAINED ABOUT IN ALL OF THE OTHERS, IS THE SAME HERE THAT LED TO THIS. THOUGH IT HAS HIGH MILEAGE, THE TRUCK HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF AS IT IS A REGENCY EDITION SILVERADO.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP BY ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES CORRODED, CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE LINE AND THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
BRAKE LINE BURST AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. AT ONLY 15 MPH I HAD SOME STOPPING POWER BY PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL AND GOT THE TRUCK STOPPED. THANKFULLY, I HAVE A VERY LONG DRIVEWAY AND WAS STILL ON MY PROPERTY. I WAS PULLING A HEAVY TRAILER AND DO NOT WANT TO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH TRAFFIC AND AT A GREATER SPEED. I INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES AND NOTICED THEY WERE ALL BADLY CORRODED. I AM HAVING ALL BRAKE LINES REPLACED TOMORROW. I SEE NO RECALL NOTICE AND HAVE SINCE READ ABOUT OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM 66 YEARS OLD AND HAVE HAD ONE BRAKE LINE FAILURE MANY YEARS AGO ON A 1963 PLYMOUTH WITH VERY HIGH MILEAGE. THIS TRUCK HAS JUST OVER 50 THOUSAND MILES. I WAS SHOCKED AT THE CONDITION OF THESE BRAKE LINES. WITHOUT COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE LINES I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR
WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY DROPPED TO FLOOR AND BRAKES FAILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT AND ALL FOUR BRAKES FAILED. FORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. TESTING THE BRAKES, I FOUND THERE WAS A LITTLE BRAKING CAPABILITY, BUT VERY LITTLE. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED THROUGH AND THE BRAKE FLUID SPRAYS OUT THE LINE BELOW THE DRIVER'S DOOR HINGE. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH SHOWED THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE RISK. THANK GOODNESS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY! THIS VEHICLE HAS SPENT MOST OF ITS LIFE IN OHIO. *TR
MY WIFE AND I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE TO GO SOMEWHERE AND AS WE STARTED TO MOVE I TRIED TO STOP AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. I APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP. I RETURNED TO MY DRIVEWAY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I CHECKED AND FOUND THAT I HAD NO BRAKE FLUID. I GOT UNDER MY TRUCK AND FOUND THAT MY BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED AND ONE HAD A SEVERE LEAK. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE SIMILAR INCIDENTS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN CRASHES. I HAVE TALKED WITH A CHEVROLET REP AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM THEY DO NOT PLAN A RECALL. SOMEONE EVIDENTLY HAS TO DIE BEFORE IT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
ON JANUARY 20, 2015, THE BRAKES ON MY CHEVROLET SILVERADO FAILED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO MAKE A NORMAL TURN, ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY HOUSE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT NO CARS WERE COMING THE OTHER WAY & I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE TRUCK OUT OF HARMS WAY UNTIL I CAME TO A SAFE STOP. I NOTICED A TRAIL OF LIQUID ON THE GROUND & ALSO DRIPPING FROM UNDER MY TRUCK. THE LIQUID COMING FROM THE TRUCK WAS BRAKE FLUID. A LATER CHECK PROVED THE BAKE FLUID WELL WAS EMPTY. OBVIOUSLY THE BRAKE FLUID THAT WAS IN THE RESERVOIR WAS NOW ON THE GROUND CAUSING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. WELL IT WAS OPERABLE, IT WAS ALL GOOD TO GO. STOPPING THE VEHICLE WAS ANOTHER MATTER. THANK GOODNESS I WAS DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. IMAGINE IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY INTERSTATE (LIKE INTERSTATE 95) WHERE SOME REAL DAMAGE COULD HAVE OCCURRED OR PERHAPS WORSE DEATH. *TR
BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING. DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND WERE REPLACED USING A KIT FROM CHEVROLET AT A COST OF $2330.00. *TR
WAS DRIVING AROUND 35MPH AND STARTED TO PUT THE BRAKES ON TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT THE UPCOMING LIGHT AND THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND I WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN AND LUCKILY THE LIGHT WAS GREEN. LIMPED DOWN THE STREET TO A PEP BOYS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR MAIN LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. LIMPED IT A FEW MILES USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND WAS CHARGED ~$1500 TO REPLACE THE RUSTED OUT LINES FROM THE FRONT TO THE REAR AXLE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 95 MY BRAKE LINE BROKE. IT IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. I FOUND THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE ONLINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. GM NEEDS TO RECALL THIS. I HAD TO SWERVE ACROSS TRAFFIC AND DRIVE ON THE GRASS SHOULDER TO COME TO A STOP. VERY VERY SCARY. *TR
WHILE MOVING FORWARD IN LINE AT A DRIVE THROUGH MY BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WHEN STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD BARELY STOP MY TRUCK. BY THE TIME I RETURNED HOME I HAD TO BRAKE WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO 4 DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO WOULD NOT FIX MY BRAKES FOR UNDER $4000 DOLLARS DUE TO LIABILITY REASONS. APPARENTLY THE "STAINLESS STEEL" HARD LINES FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD ALL RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD FAR AWAY FROM HOME THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR
THERE WAS A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE COMING TO A STOP SIGN. FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. THERE WAS ALSO NO OTHER VEHICLES AT STOP SIGN OR AT CROSS STREET. WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO BRAKE PRESSURE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. AT THE SHOP IT WAS NOTED THERE WAS A COMPLETE BRAKE LINE FAILURE AT THE ABS MODULE NEAR THE DRIVER DOOR OF ALL 6 REAR BRAKE LINES. THE BRAKE LINES ALL RUSTED THROUGH. THE SHOP NOTED THIS WAS A COMMON DEFECT OF THE CHEVY SILVERADOS. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE ESPECIALLY IN COLD CLIMATES WHERE SALT AND SNOW ACCUMULATES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A SAFETY RECALL TO FIX THIS DEFECT. ALL 6 BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. *JS
2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO RUSTED BRAKE LINES *CN WHEN THE DEALER TESTED THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND FIVE BRAKE LINES BURST UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT AREA. *JB
LOST BRAKES WHILE UNDERWAY - WAS ABLE TO NURSE VEHICLE BACK HOME USING EMERGENCY BRAKE AND GEARING DOWN. EXAMINATION OF BRAKE LINES REVEALED A SMALL HOLE HAD RUSTED THRU ONE OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES !! HAVING TRUCK TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR . I HOPE GM WILL FOOT MOST OF THE BILL. THANKS , [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I WAS APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT IN TOWN AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE BRAKE LINE BROKE AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. I SWERVED TO MISS THE CAR INFRONT OF ME BUT HIT HER PASSENGER SIDE REAR. SHE IN TURN HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER. *TR
I DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL TO SHIFT THE TRUCK FROM PARK, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR! PUMPING THE BRAKES DID NO GOOD. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH, AND BRAKE FLUID WAS RUNNING DOWN FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT AREA. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES COMING OUT OF THE ABS MODULES HAD SPRUNG A LEAK AT THE POINT WHERE IT BENDS OVER THE TOP OF THE FRAME RAIL. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, AN ACCIDENT IS LIKELY, AS THERE WAS NO BRAKE, DESPITE THE DUAL MASTER CYLINDER! ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY CORRODED, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE OEM FACTORY FORMED BENDS ARE. THE BRAKE LINES ARE ACTUALLY AT THE POINT OF CRUMBLING IN PLACES. TO COUNTER ANY CLAIMS ABOUT SEVERE CORROSION ENVIRONMENT CAUSING THE PROBLEM, CONTRAST THE BRAKE LINES TO THE FUEL LINES ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH HAVE NO TO VERY MINIMAL CORROSION. I ALSO OWN ANOTHER 2003 GM VEHICLE WITH FAR MORE MILES, AND IT ALSO HAS VERY LITTLE BRAKE LINE CORROSION. I HAVE OWNED BOTH THESE VEHICLES FROM NEW, AND THE SILVERADO HAS LESS MILES, AND LESS WINTER SALT EXPOSURE THAN THE OTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO OWNED OTHER VEHICLES FOR MANY MORE YEARS AND MILES THAN THIS SILVERADO, AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THE HORRIBLE CRUMBLING OF THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE BRAKE LINE MATERIAL USED ON THE SILVERADO. PLEASE NHTSA, TAKE SOME ACTION ON THIS OBVIOUSLY SERIOUS SAFETY SITUATION CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURER MATERIALS! *TR
BRAKE LINE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION CAUSING BRAKES TO FAIL. *TR
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.
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