RoadVitals

2005 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Jun 26, 2017
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 94 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

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 2005 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Brakes
Filed Jun 26, 2017
Crash reported

I HAD A RUSTED BRAKE LINE (DRIVER SIDE FRONT) FAIL JUNE 25TH, 2017. THIS TRUCK IS 12 YEARS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 90,000 MILES. IMMEDIATELY ALL BRAKING WAS LOST AND THE PEDAL PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. REPEATED PRESSING THE BRAKE ONLY PUMPED OUT ALL THE BRAKE FLUID. THIS WAS A SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF BRAKING. THE WORST PART IS, BRAKING IS SUPPOSED TO BE SPLIT AND INDEPENDENT BETWEEN FRONT AND REAR BRAKES, SO IF YOU LOSE THE FRONT, THE REAR BRAKES STILL WORK, AND VICE VERSA. WELL I LOST ALL BRAKING, I HAD NO FRONT OR REAR BRAKING! THIS SHOULD BE A CLEAR SAFETY PROBLEM AND A MANDATORY RECALL! I CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, BECAUSE OF COURSE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE DIDN'T WORK EITHER. DESPITE GM'S INSISTENCE THAT SOMEHOW THIS PREMATURE BRAKE LINE FAILURE IS NORMAL AND THE OWNER'S MAINTENANCE PROBLEM, IT SHOULD BE A VERY SIMPLE ISSUE FOR THE NHTSA TO SIMPLY OPEN A SINGLE BRAKE LINE AND TEST TO REALIZE THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DO IN FACT LOSE ALL BRAKING, NOT JUST FRONT OR REAR. I'VE ALREADY COMPLETELY LOST FAITH IN GM TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT I'D LIKE TO BELIEVE THE NHTSA WILL STILL DO THE RIGHT THING, AND NOT LET GM OFF WITH A CLEAR SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THEIR BRAKE DESIGN. THIS CRASH WAS PULLING UP TO THE STOPLIGHT IN PRESCOTT, WI, HEADING INTO TOWN ACROSS THE PRESCOTT BRIDGE. I WAS DRIVING MAYBE 30 MPH WHEN I REALIZED I HAD LOST ALL BRAKES.

NHTSA ID
11001518
Incident
Jun 25, 2017
Mileage
88,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 21, 2015

FIRST INCIDENT EASTERN PA: 05/19/2014 APROX 119000 MILES: AFTER HITTING THE BRAKES HARD TO AVOID A VEHICLE THAT PULLED IN FRONT OF ME, THE BRAKES FAILED (BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR WITH LITTLE BRAKING ACTION). MANAGED TO SAFELY STOP. FOUND BURST BRAKE LINE IN THE REAR END OF VEHICLE. TWO REAR CORRODED REAR BRAKE LINES REPLACED BY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. SECOND INCIDENT MILFORD MA: 09/17/2015 127336 MILES: HIT BRAKES GOING DOWN DRIVEWAY. BRAKES WERE SOFT AND SANK TO FLOOR. BRAKE LINE GOING TO FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WAS BURST. ALL THE BRAKE FLUID DRAINED QUICKLY OUT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER ONTO THE DRIVEWAY. ORDERED ACDELCO 22932592 GM ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT HYDRAULIC BRAKE PIPE KIT AND AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING ALL BRAKE LINES AS ALL OF THEM OTHER THAN THE TWO REPLACED IN PA ARE VERY CORRODED. THE REPLACEMENT LINES ARE NOT REALLY OEM AS THEY HAVE A NYLON COATING FOR BETTER CORROSION PROTECTION

NHTSA ID
10766829
Incident
May 19, 2014
Mileage
119,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Oct 9, 2014
Fire reported

FRONT BRAKE LINE FAILURE/BRAKE LINE RUPTURE. 6 MONTHS AGO IT WAS THE REAR BRAKE LINE FAILURE/RUPTURE. BRAKE FLUID CAUSED SMOKE AND SMALL FIRE ON THE EXHAUST HEADERS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10643653
Incident
Oct 9, 2014
Mileage
168,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 8, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE ROTTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10631625
Incident
Dec 16, 2013
Brakes
Filed Dec 27, 2013

CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE, WITHOUT ANY WARNING , CAUSED BY COMPLETE CORROSION OF ENTIRE BRAKE LINE! RAN CAR OFF ROAD TO AVOID CARS AT STOP. EMERGENCY BRAKE ALSO FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10557468
Incident
Dec 24, 2013
Mileage
75,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 26, 2012

WENT TO MOVE VEHICLE TO ATTACH LANDSCAPE TRAILER. BRAKES WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. UPON INVESTIGATION, FOUND BRAKE FLUID ON GROUND FROM DRIVER SIDE RIGHT FRONT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR STATION AND ASKED MECHANIC TO REPLACE BRAKE LINE AND CHECK ALL OTHER BRAKE LINES. MECHANIC ENDED UP REPLACING 80% OF LINES DUE TO CORROSION. THIS COULD HAVE ENDED UP RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT IF THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING WITH THE TRAILER ATTACHED CARRYING ATV'S. IN ADDITION, THE CABLE HOLDING THE SPARE TIRE HAD TO BE CUT IN ORDER TO GET ACCESS TO REAR BRAKE LINES. THE CABLE WAS RUSTED MEANING THAT A TIRE COULD NOT BE CHANGED IN THE EVENT OF A FLAT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10477210
Incident
Sep 15, 2012
Mileage
81,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 18, 2012
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SOCKET AND WIRES FOR THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT WERE MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED A PARTS STORE AND THEY STATED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CONTINUE LOOKING FOR THE PART. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

NHTSA ID
10475823
Incident
Sep 11, 2012
Mileage
190,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Nov 1, 2010

ONE WEEK AGO I WAS DRIVING TO MY BACK ABOUT 6 TO 7 MILES AND MY BRAKES WENT OUT. I WAS SO SCARED I ALMOST DIED IT WAS A HEAVY TRAFFIC AREA. THIS TIME IT WAS MY FRONT ROTOR CRACKED RIGHT IN HALF. I SEE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. I HAVE ASKED AROUND AND NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN OR HEARD OF SUCH A THING. THIS IS CRAZY AND I TAKE MY KIDS IN THIS CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10363562
Incident
Oct 24, 2010
Mileage
140,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 14, 2008

THE TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATES ITSELF ON MY VEHICLE EVEN WHEN ON DRY PAVEMENT WITH VERY CONSERVATIVE DRIVING. WHEN TURNING OR ENTERING OUT INTO TRAFFIC SUDDENLY THE SYSTEM WILL ENGAGE AND POWER DOWN THE VEHICLE TO A CREEP. IT THEN RE-SETS ITSELF AFTER 2-5 SECONDS. HOWEVER, WHILE ENGAGED I AM RENDERED HELPLESS AND A SITTING DUCK TO THE UPCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WHEN IT BECOMES MORE FREQUENT (HOPEFULLY MY FAMILY AND I WON'T BE KILLED BEFORE THEN) THAT IT MIGHT SHOW A CODE SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO. IN THE MEAN TIME I AM TOLD THEY HAVE NO IDEA. (2005 SUBURBAN 1500 LT AUTORIDE). *TR

NHTSA ID
10238109
Incident
Jun 1, 2008
Mileage
36,000 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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .