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 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 50 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 50, in the owner's own words
The brakes , air bag, wheel hubs, lights, alignment, power steering. brakes coming to a stop instantly stops the vehicle. Air bag light comes on. Wheels hubs towed in from top. Light switch will not turn light off when driving. Alignment, steering wheel goes everywhere. Front tire getting wore out . Power steering leaking oil.
MY GMC SIERRA I BOUGHT NEW IN 2006 IT HAS 68,800 MILES ON IT WHEN I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST PRESSURE AND WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED AND BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OUT WHEN I TAPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IF I WAS MOVING AT THE TIME THIS HAPPEN SOMETHING REAL BAD COULD HAVE HAPPEN. I OWN A 1948 CHEVROLET PICKUP AND THE BRAKE LINES ARE STILL GOOD ON THAT 70 YEAR OLD TRUCK. GM IS USING POOR QUALITY PARTS FROM LOW BIDDERS ON CONTRACT PUTTING THE PUBLIC AT RISK.
COMPLAINT ON GM EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLT DEFECT, INFERIOR BRAKE/ FUEL LINES. MINE IS A 2005 GMC. DEFECTIVE EXHAUST BOLTS AFFECT 12 MILLION GM TRUCKS FROM 1999 TO 2007. GM EXHAUST BOLTS ARE TO SMALL BRITTLE FOR SECURING EXHAUST MANIFOLDS. BOLTS SNAP OFF CAUSING EXHAUST LEAKS. TRUCKS NOT PASSING EMISSIONS AND DANGEROUS EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE DRIVERS COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLES WHILE DRIVING. I AND MY FAMILY GET A CARBON MONOXIDE HEADACHE WHEN I DRIVE IT AND HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FEELING LIKE I WAS GOING TO PASS OUT, OPEN WINDOWS AND SIT UNTIL I FELT BETTER. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS GETTING MY TRUCK TO PASS EMISSIONS DUE TO THE LEAKS AND THE LEAKS ARE CAUSING THE VEHICLES TO BE NONE EPA COMPLIANT BECAUSE OF O2 SENSOR ERRORS RESULTING IN FAILED EMISSION TEST. ALSO BRAKE AND FUEL LINES ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR NORTHERN STATES CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE WITH OUT WARNING, FUEL LINES ARE ALL RUSTED AND SWELLED IN DANGER OF BURSTING CAUSING FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. FORD AND OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE WORKED ON USE STAINLESS FUEL LINES AND LOOK LIKE NEW FOR LIFE OF VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN OTHER MANUFACTURERS USE POWDER COATED BRAKE LINES ON THE ENTIRE VEHICLE AND 20 YEAR OLD VEHILCES SHOW NO RUST PROBLEMS. MY 2005 GMC FROM THE REAR END BRAKE HOSE TO THE WHEEL CYLINDERS THEY USED POWDER COATED BRAKE LINES. THOSE LINES LOOK LIKE NEW YET. GM KNEW THE POWDER COATED LINES WERE BETTER WHY DID THEY USE FAULTY GALVANIZED STEEL ON THE REST OF THE TRUCK? AS IT IS NOW MY TRUCK CAN'T BE OPERATED ON THE ROAD WITHOUT $3000 IN REPAIRS DUE TO GM USING POOR QUALITY PARTS. THE TRUCK HAS HAD THESE PROBLEMS FOR OVER 5 YEARS NOW AND ONLY HAS 138,000 MILES. TRUCKS LIKE THIS IN SOUTHERN STATES HAVE OVER 250,000 MILES, LINES STILL GOOD. RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE. GM IS MAKING MONEY NOW YOU TUBE VIDEO ABOUT DEFECTIVE BOLTS HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=0YG6WLBNZGI *JS
I DROVE UP TO A STOP LIGHT AND PUSHED THE BRAKES AS USUAL. A BRAKE LINE BURST AND I COASTED THRU THE STOP LIGHT. I USED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. I THINK ALL BRAKE LINES SHOULD BE MADE FROM STAINLESS STEEL UP HERE IN WISCONSIN. THIS DEFINITELY IS A SAFETY ISSUE.
I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES GO OUT 3 DIFFERENT TIMES ON ME IN THE LAST YEAR. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF PROBLEMS AND YOU STEP ON THE BRAKES AND A LINE BLOWS. YOU HAVE NO BRAKES PEDDLE GOES TO THE FLOOR AND LITTLE TO NO STOPPING. ONE TIME I WAS COMING DOWN A DIRT ROAD TO A STOP SIGN AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND A LINE BLEW AND THE ABS KICKED IN BECAUSE OF THE DIRT ROAD AND I COULD NOT STOP AND WENT RIGHT THROUGH A INTERSECTION. THEY USED CHEAP LINES, AND NOW PEOPLE IN THE NE WHERE SALT IS USED ARE HAVING PROBLEMS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED.THE LINE RUSTY OUT WHERE THEY BEND AND SALT AND DIRT BUILD UP. THERE IS NO REASON THEY CAN NOT MAKE THESE LINES OUT OF SS OR AS WITH THE NEWER LINES THEY ARE COATED. WHY COME OUT WITH A COAT LINE IF THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM. *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON URBAN ROAD I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES BECAUSE OF A DRIVER BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY IN FRONT OF ME. BRAKES INITIALLY SLOWED VEHICLE THEN BRAKE PEDAL WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR. I QUICKLY ENGAGED PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE AND WAS ABLE TO STOP JUST IN TIME WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY RUNNING OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER INSPECTION LEAKING BRAKE FLUID WAS OBSERVED ON LEFT UPPER FRAME RAIL JUST TO THE REAR OF THE RADIATOR. AFTER BEING TOWED HOME FUTURE INSPECTION REVEALED A LONGITUDINAL FRACTURE ON THE BRAKE LINE FOR THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. NO INJURIES, MINOR DAMAGE TO RIGHT SIDE (BRUSH SCRAPES). *TR
BRAKE LINES RUSTED OUT. VERY FEW MILES. GMC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS EXTENDED. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO RUSTED BRAKE LINES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.
WHEN BACKING OUT OF A LONG DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKES DID NOT SLOW, STOP OR ENGAGE AT ALL. I PUMPED THE BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP BY PULLING ONTO THE GRASS WHILE APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I FOUND ONE BRAKE LINE ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HAD RUSTED THROUGH, BUT NONE OF THE OTHERS HAD A LEAK AND THE BRAKE FLUID WAS STILL FULL. WITH ONLY ONE BRAKE LINE DAMAGED I LOST ALL BRAKING POWER.
BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR. RUSTED THROUGH BRAKE LINE NEAR REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE
WHEN PULLING IN MY DRIVEWAY THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR. UPON INVESTIGATING I FOUND THE BRAKE LINES TO BE SEVERELY CORRODED. I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO BE DRIVING AT A FASTER RATE OF SPEED ON THE OPEN ROAD. THAT SAME WEEK THE STEERING HAD BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN LIKE IT WAS LOW ON FLUID, WHICH IT WAS NOT. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE COMPUTER AT 400 MILES. *TR
THESE PARTS WERE RECALLED ON PREVIOUS GM VEHICLES IN THE SAME YEAR. THE FUEL SENSOR DOESN'T WANT TO READ CORRECTLY AND NOT KNOWING AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK. THE ABS SYSTEM OVER REACTS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE WHILE DRY CONDITIONS ARE PRESENT AND ALARM TO SOUND. *TR
CAR IN FRONT OF ME LOCKED UP HIS BRAKES FOR A AMBULANCE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION .GOOD THING HAD ENOUGH DISTANCE TO STOP AS WHEN I TRIED TOO THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR.KEPT PUMPING AND MANAGED TO STOP.GLAD I WASN'T GOING ANY FASTER AND HAD TIME TO REACT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ACTIVATING THE A/C, THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE YEARS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED A SECOND TIME UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V043000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V417000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,510.
ALL BRAKES LINES RUSTED OUT. *TR
SLOWING FOR TRAFFIC LIGHT GOING DOWNHILL AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. PUMPING DID LITTLE SO USED PARKING BRAKE TO STOP. CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE OUT OF TAIL PIPE AS ENGINE SHUTTERED AND VALVES CHATTERED. FRONT DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE LINE FAILED FROM EXTERNAL CORROSION SHOOTING FLUID ON HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WHEN PEDDLE WENT TO FLOOR MASTER CYLINDER PASSED FLUID INTO BOOSTER AND THROUGH VACUUM LINE INTO INTAKE OF ENGINE CAUSING WHITE CLOUD OF BRAKE FLUID BURNING WITH GAS INTERNALLY ALMOST SHUTTING MOTOR DOWN AND LOSS OF ALL POWER. REPLACED CORRODED BRAKE LINES AND MASTER CYLINDER. NEGLIGENT DESIGN AND MATERIALS QUALITY IN MY OPINION. NOW BOTH FRONT CALIPERS DRAG AND SHAKE STEERING WHEEL. WHERE IS SAFETY RECALL? BRAKE LINES ARE NOT A MAINTENANCE ITEM! TRY REPLACING ONE AS THEY WERE INSTALLED TO NEVER COME OFF. WOULD TOYOTA HAVE BEEN GIVEN A PASS ON THIS ISSUE FOR THIS MANY YEARS OF COMPLAINTS, THOUSANDS OF FAILURES, INJURIES AND DEATHS? *TR
BRAKES FAILED IN MY DRIVEWAY. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH ALMOST NO RESISTANCE. FORTUNATELY I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. I INSPECTED BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER & FOUND ALL FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT, AREA UNDER IT WAS WET WITH FLUID, ALSO, THE BRAKE LINES UNDER THE CYLINDER LOOKED VERY RUSTED. *TR
WENT TO LEAVE DRIVEWAY AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I COULD NOT STOP...HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES A LOT. GOT OUT AND FOUND BRAKE FLUID ALL OVER THE PAVEMENT. *TR
APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION TO TURN LEFT ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITH VIRTUALLY NO RESISTANCE AND NO BRAKING AT ALL. THERE WAS NO WARNING AND NO MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. RETURNED TO OUR CAMPSITE USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE NEAREST GM DEALER. THEY DECIDED IT WOULD BE MORE 'ECONOMICAL' TO SEND THE CORRODED AND LEAKING BRAKE LINES OUT TO A SHOP AS MODELS FOR MAKING UP NEW ONES RATHER THAN USE THE KIT IN TSB 13-05-22-001. UNFORTUNATELY IT TOOK THAT SHOP A WEEK TO DO THE WORK AND WE HAD TO RENT A CAR TO GET AROUND WHILE THE DEALER WAITED FOR PARTS, ADDING SOME $250 TO THE $1113.32 REPAIR COST. SINCE WE WERE OVER A THOUSAND MILES FROM HOME AT THE TIME WE HAD LITTLE CHOICE. *TR
I WAS ON MY WAY TO PICK MY KIDS UP AFTER SCHOOL AND AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. NO DASH ABS INDICATOR LIGHT OR WARNING LIGHT SHOWING ANY FAULT CODE CAME ON BEFORE OR SINCE. FORTUNATELY, I NEVER FOLLOW CLOSE IN TRAFFIC AND WAS ABLE TO STOP MY VEHICLE USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT AND NOBODY GETTING HURT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT I SAFELY RETURNED HOME BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. SINCE IT WAS DARK OUTSIDE WHEN I GOT HOME I LEFT ALL UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING TO TAKE A LOOK. THE FOLLOWING MORNING BEHIND MY LEFT FRONT TIRE ON THE GROUND WAS A PUDDLE THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL AND IT WAS BRAKE FLUID, I LOOKED UP AND TRACED IT TO A CORRODED/RUSTED/INFERIOR BRAKE LINE. I CALLED THE LOCAL GM DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE BY VIN FOR THIS ISSUE, SO I THEN CALLED GM CUSTOMER CARE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD TOOK PLACE AND GM HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. CURRENTLY MY VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP IN SERVICE AND AS I AWAIT WORD ON GM'S POSITION ON WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO TO CORRECT THE ISSUE I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE AND A COUNTLESS LIST OF OTHER GM CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. I SECURED A GM CASE NUMBER, TOOK PHOTOS OF THE CORRODED/RUSTED/INFERIOR LINES AND WILL AWAIT WHAT I HOPE WILL BE THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FROM GM, WHICH IS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. I'LL UPDATE THIS VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT WITH THE RESPONSE I RECEIVE! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED NEAR THE WHEEL WELL. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED FOR THE SAME DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 03/07/14*LJ UPDATED 03/13/2014 *JS
THE BRAKE LINE RUNNING FROM THE ABS MODULATOR TO THE REAR BRAKES FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. I WAS ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *TR
RECENTLY, I SPENT THREE DAYS PERFORMING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ON MY 2005 GMC SIERRA AND FOUND TWO PRIMARY ISSUES THAT SHOULDN'T BE OCCURRING ON THIS YOUNG OF A VEHICLE. THE FIRST WAS ROTTED SECTIONS OF BRAKE LINE (SUPPOSED TO BE STAINLESS STEEL) IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE (THE MAIN LINE THAT COMES BACK FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER) AND THE SECOND ISSUE WAS A LEAKING SEAL IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHO HAVE QUALIFIED FOR A RECALL OR WORK TO BE DONE UNDER A TECHNICAL BULLETIN, BUT APPARENTLY MY VIN LIES OUTSIDE OF THE ACCEPTABLE RANGE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH AND AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES, BRAKE FLUID DISCHARGED FROM THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.
WHILE DRIVING FORWARD IN TRAFFIC WHEN CAR CUT IN FRONT FROM THE NEXT LANE TO THE RIGHT. THIS REQUIRED EMERGENCY BRAKING, BUT MY SPEED WAS SLOW AND TRUCK SHOULD HAVE STOPPED WITHIN THE SPACE AVAILABLE AND THE TRUCK BRAKES SEEMED TO FEEL AS IF THEY RELEASED ON THEIR OWN. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE CAR I REAR ENDED AND THEY REAR-ENDED A CAR IN FRONT OF THEM. DAMAGE TO ALL 3 VEHICLES WAS LIGHT ENOUGH THAT ALL WERE DRIVEN AWAY AFTER CRASH. ON THE WAY HOME I NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND LOST STOPPING POWER SHORTLY AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL EACH TIME. AFTER A 2 MILE TRIP HOME LIKE THIS I CHECK THE BRAKE FLUID AND FOUND IT LOW. THEN I SAW FLUID ON THE GROUND AND FOUND THE BRAKE LINE WAS DRIPPING BRAKE FLUID. IT APPEARS TO HAVE RUPTURED FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE FLUID INSIDE. THE LINES WERE ALSO SERIOUSLY CORRODED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM IN MATERIALS AND MY 1985 SUBURBAN SHOWS ALMOST NO SIGNS OF CORROSION ON THE BRAKE LINES AND IS 20 YEARS OLDER. I WAS TICKETED FOR RECKLESS DRIVING FOR NOT STOPPING BECAUSE THE CAR THAT CUT IN FRONT MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE CENTER OF THE LANE BEFORE I STRUCK IT. THAT CAR WAS BEHIND ME AND WENT AROUND ME AND CUT IN FRONT BECAUSE I WAS ?DRIVING TOO SLOW? ACCORDING TO HER. I HAD LEFT TWO TO THREE FULL CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF ME AND THIS BOTHERED HER. I HAD A GOOD AMOUNT OF DISTANCE TO STOP THE TRUCK EVEN AFTER SHE CUT IN FRONT, BUT THE TRUCK WAS UNABLE DUE TO THE LINE BREAKING WHEN I PUSHED THE PEDAL HARD. THE LINE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THAT PRESSURE. *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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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