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 2003 GMC Yukon Denali Xl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THERE IS NO WARNING CODE FOR THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER WHEN IT STARTS TO GO BAD THAT SHOWS UP ON THE ABS/ODB SCANNER. YOU WILL BE DRIVING AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN YOUR STEERING GETS STIFF, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD TO PRESS AND YOU CAN'T STOP AS GOOD AS YOUR USED TO IN THE VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS IF SOMEONE STOPS SUDDENLY IN FRONT OF YOU.
THE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING HAS COME ON SEVERAL TIMES ON MY VEHICLE. THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK, AS YOU HAVE TO PUSH ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPS. I HAVE HAD BRAKE LINES REPAIRS AND THE PROBLEM STILL IS THERE. WE CANNOT USE VEHICLE UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED. OUR MECHANIC ADVISED US TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS AN ACTIVE ISSUE WITH GMC DENALI YUKON'S FOR YEARS. WE NEED ASSISTANCE TO HAVE THIS RESOLVED TO USE OUR VEHICLE.
I LET MY FREIND TAKE VEHICLE AND SHE SAID WHEN SHE BRAKED THE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR.SHE WAS HALF MILE AWAY AND MADE IT BACK .I LOOKED AT LEVEL IN MASTER CYLINDER AND HAD TO PUT FLUID IN.NOTICED BRAKE FLUID ON THE UNDERCARRIGE WHICH LED ME TO RUSTED BRAKE LINE UP FRONT.
I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 14MONTH OLD BABY IN THE CAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. MY PARKING BRAKE COULDN'T STOP ME EITHER SO I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THEN FORCED IT INTO PARK SO I DIDN'T CRASH. THE BRAKE LINES ARE COMPLETELY CORRODED AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY NOTICE OR IDEA UNTIL THE BRAKES WERE ALREADY GONE.
A DOG RAN OUT IN FRONT OF ME I APPLIED MY BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR HAD IT CHECKED AT BALE CHEVROLET IN LITTLE ROCK ARK. WANTED TO CHARGE ME 6800.00 TO REPAIR HAD IT TOWED BACK TO IL. WHERE I LIVE THAT COST WAS 500.00 BESIDES 200 MILES THAT WAS COVERED BY AAA I,M A 62 YR OLD WOMAN HAD MY GRANDCHILDREN WITH ME IN LITTLE ROCK ARK THIS EXPERIENCE WAS THE SCARIEST TIME IN MY LIFETIME NO WARNING JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN NO BRAKES IN THE WORST TRAFFIC EVER. THE MONEY SPENT ON THIS TRIP WAS VERY EXPENSIVE NOT TO MENTION THE STRESS. *TR
BRAKE PIPE BLEW OUT FROM CORROSION... LIGHT FRONT DAMAGE TO GMC AND REAR END DAMAGE TO CAR IN FRONT FROM LACK OF BRAKING POWER. *TR
THE PROBLEM: BRAKES FAILED WHILE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING. AFTER A HARD BRAKE AT A STOPLIGHT AND DRIVING BRIEFLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR BARELY STOPPING THE VEHICLE. BRAKES WERE EXTREMELY MUSHY TO NON-EXISTENT AT TIMES. REPAIR WORK: LOCAL GMC SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED OUT AND THEY REPLACED IT FOR CLOSE TO $1,600. PER THE INVOICE REPAIRS INCLUDED: BRAKE SYSTEM REPAIR/LABOR, BRAKE FLUSH KIT, PIPE KIT AND FLUID. (WHEN ASKED ABOUT BRAKE LINE ISSUES LATER, THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANY PROBLEMS REGARDING THEM WITH GMCS.) HOW IT HAPPENED: WHILE DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE, I HAD TO BREAK HARD WHEN I CAME AROUND A BEND TO A RED STOPLIGHT. THOUGH THE BRAKES WORKED, THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE GIVING JUST A LITTLE AFTER I FINALLY CAME TO A STOP. WE PRECEDED ANOTHER 15-MILES WITH NO INCIDENT AND PULLED INTO RESTAURANT DRIVE-THRU. WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVE-THRU LANE WITH THE VEHICLE IN GEAR AND MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, ALL OF A SUDDEN MY FOOT WENT TO STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE JUMPED FORWARD. THANKFULLY THERE WAS ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN MY VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME SO THAT I DIDN' HIT THEM. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED IT OUT OF GEAR TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING FORWARD. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED A WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON INDICATING TO CHECK BRAKES AND THAT THE ABS WAS OFF. I TESTED THE VEHICLE IN A NEARBY EMPTY PARKING LOT TO SEE IF IT WAS STILL DRIVABLE AND THE BRAKES APPEARED TO HAVE ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF 'STOPPAGE' THOUGH THE PEDAL WAS TO THE FLOOR. I REALIZED IT TOOK 50-100 YARDS TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITH BRAKE FULLY PRESSED AND NO GAS WHEN WE WERE GOING 20-25 M/H. *TR
TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC YUKON DENALI XL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ABS ENGAGED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPEED SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 176,000. PM
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD TO WORK AND I HIT THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT FIRM. I HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD A HARD TIME STOPPING THE BIG SUV AND WOULD HAVE HIT ANOTHER CAR HAD THIS HAPPENED AT A STOP LIGHT OR ANYWHERE WHERE I HAVE TO RELY ON MY BRAKES AS THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS EASILY QUADRUPLED IF NOT MORE. *TR
THE BRAKE LINES ON THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WERE FOUND TO BE SEVERELY RUSTED AFTER THE REAR LINES BURST WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP FROM 25 MPH. *TR
BRAKES FAILED WHILE STOPPING AT CROSS WALK. CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS ROTTED BRAKE LINES. *TR
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR) OR STARTING FROM A STOP, THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS APPLIED. WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGES, A TOTAL LOSS OF INPUT TO THE ENGINE RESULTS AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE (IT ESSENTIALLY STALLS). I WAS ALMOST STRUCK IN AN INTERSECTION WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ON A GREEN LIGHT IN EARLY DECEMBER OF 2011. I WAS STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WAITING TO TURN LEFT. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN LEFT, I GAVE THE GAS PEDAL SOME INPUT, THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED, AND MY VEHICLE STOPPED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ENGINE INPUT AND WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN ON-COMING CAR. LUCKILY, THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE AND I KNEW TO EITHER FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL OR TO LET OFF THE GAS ENTIRELY AND THEN FLOOR IT AGAIN TO GET THE TRACTION CONTROL TO DISENGAGE AND GET POWER TO THE ENGINE. ANOTHER RELATED ISSUE IS THE ABS ENGAGING FOR NO REASON. THIS ALSO HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 10 MPH). WHEN THE ABS ENGAGES, THE VEHICLE WILL TRAVEL ANOTHER TWO TO THREE FEET PRIOR TO STOPPING. THE ABS ISSUE RESULTED IN MY HITTING A POLE IN A PARKING LOT. IT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS TO FINALLY DETERMINE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS AND IT TURNS OUT IT WAS A RESULT OF FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CORROSION AND AN INCREASED AIR GAP BETWEEN THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THE RELUCTOR RING DUE TO RUST AND DEBRIS BUILT UP ON THE SENSOR MOUNTING SURFACE. GM ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WITH A SAFETY RECALL (#05068C: PRODUCT SAFETY) FOR SOME VEHICLE MODEL YEARS 1999-2002. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND GM FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THAT VEHICLES LIKE MINE (A 2003) AND EVEN LATER MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. WHAT IS EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING IS THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT "REPLICATE THE PROBLEM ." I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE NHSTA TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE. *KB
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE TO A NORMAL STOP AT AN INTERSECTION AFTER EXITING I-10 EAST AT PASCAGOULA, MS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR, THE BRAKE FAILURE AND ABS BRAKE FAILURE ALARMS CAME ON BOTH AUDIBLY AND VISUALLY. UPON RELEASING AND REAPPLYING THE BRAKES, I FOUND I HAD SUFFICIENT BRAKE FUNCTION TO STOP FROM THE RELATIVELY LOW SPEED IN A LONGER THAN NORMAL BUT REASONABLE DISTANCE. I THEN PULLED INTO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND STARTED SEARCHING THE YELLOW PAGES FOR THE NEAREST GMC OR CHEVROLET DEALER AS I WAS 160 MI FROM HOME AND NEEDED IMMEDIATE REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALL SEVERELY CORRODED AND THAT ONE OR BOTH OF THE LINES GOING TO THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD STARTED LEAKING. THEY REPLACED THE LINES AND ATTEMPTED TO BLEED THE BRAKES BUT THEY WERE NOT TOTALLY SUCCESSFUL DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE SOPHISTOCATION OF THE ABS SYSTEM AND THE INEXPERIENCE OF THE MECHANIC ON DUTY AT THE TIME. AFTER I RETURNED HOME, I WAS ABLE TO FIND A MORE COMPETENT REPAIR FACILITY AT 47,780 MILES. THEY CONFIRMED THE SEVERE CORROSION OF THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE BRAKE HOSES AND CALIPERS. THEY REPLACED AN ADDITIONAL LEFT FRONT BRAKE HOSE AND PROPERLY BLED THE BRAKES TO RESTORE TOTAL FUNCTION. THIS HELD UNTIL A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN I NOTICED FLUID LOSS FROM THE BRAKE RESERVOIR STARTING TO ACCELERATE. IT TOOK TWO MONTHS TO FIND A SHOP THAT WOULD DO THE WORK, BUT I NOW HAVE AN APPOINTMENT THIS WEEK TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT SHOP IN BATON ROUGE TO REPLACE ALL BRAKE LINES, HOSES, ETC AS NEEDED. WHEN I HAD SEARCHED THE WEB FOR RECALLS, ETC, I NOTICED THAT THE NHTSA WAS STUDYING THIS SAME ISSUE, SO THAT IS WHY I'M FILING THIS CLAIM. THIS VEHICLE WAS SOLD AND OPERATED IN NEW JERSEY FOR 36,000 MILES UNTIL APRIL 08 AND HAS BEEN IN LOUISIANA SINCE THEN WITH APPROXIMATELY 85000 TOTAL MILES. LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
2003 GMC YUKON DENALI XL HAD FRONT BREAK LINES BURTS WHILE DRIVING IN AUGUST 2010. IN FEB 2011 THE MAIN BRAKELINES TO THE REAR BURSTED. ALL LINES ARE METAL AND COMPLETELY CORRODED THRU. *TR
COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING IN CAR OVER A BRIDGE IN NEW YORK CITY. I HAD BEEN ROUTINELY DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES IN TRAFFIC, MY FOOT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO BRAKE CAUSED THE SAME TO OCCUR. NEARLY MISSED A MAJOR REAR END COLLISION WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND POSSIBLE INJURIES BY DROPPING THE TRANSMISSION INTO THE LOWEST GEAR AND SLAMMING ON THE PARKING BRAKE. DEALER SAYS MY ENTIRE BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR
PARKING BRAKE INEFFECTIVE. DOES NOT HOLD / STOP VEHICLE. FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 70-90K MILES. NOTICED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN DATABASE. REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE. *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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