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 2002 GMC Yukon Xl 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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
THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A LONG HISTORY OF NEEDED BRAKE WORK. BRAKES WERE RECENTLY CHANGED AGAIN AND IT STILL HAS SOFT BRAKING AS WELL AS PULSATING BRAKING. BOTH OF THESE FACTORS LEAD TO DANGEROUSLY SLOW STOPPING EVEN WITH PRACTICALLY NEW PARTS.
THIS VEHICLE CAME WITH FACTORY TOW PACKAGE. BRAKE LINES, REAR, WERE REPAIRED A YEAR AGO. TOWING A HORSE TRAILER WITH HORSE ( APPROX 6500 LBS TOTAL ), THE FRONT BREAK LINE FROM THE ABS MODULE BROKE AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHILE EXITING 90W ONTO 84W. TRAILER BRAKES FINALLY STOPPED THE VEHICLE A FEW INCHES FROM THE AUTO IN FRONT OF US . THIS WAS ON NEW YEARS EVE THIS YEAR, AND 2:00PM IN THE AFTERNOON. FOUND A GARAGE/MECHANIC TO REPAIR THE FRONT LINE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT INVOLVING A NUMBER OF CARS AND TRUCKS. I HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AT EVERY OIL CHANGE, AND HAVE IT REPAIRED WHEN NEEDED. I HAVE READ OF MANY ISSUES WITH THE (CHEAP ) BRAKE LINES GM HAS USED IN THESE VEHICLES( 1999 TO 2003 ), AND AS THEY GET OLDER, THEY ARE JUST AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. GM SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES, AND FIX THE PROBLEM WITH CORRODING BREAK LINES. ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR " PROFESSIONAL GRADE" ADVERTISEMENTS. VERY MISLEADING. *TR
WHEN BRAKING, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES KICK IN NO MATTER IF NEEDED OR NOT. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS ON BOTH CITY STREETS & HIGHWAYS. THE CAR WAS ALREADY RECALLED AND FIXED FOR FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CORROSION, 05V379000, AND THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING AGAIN. THE SENSOR WAS NOT REPLACED, JUST CLEANED AND PUT BACK IN. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM WHEN THE CORROSION CAN COME BACK AND DID. IT WAS JUST 30,000 MILES LATER. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO A DEALER AND HAVE CALLED GM. WE WERE TOLD THE RECALL IS FIXED AND IT WILL COST US $423.00 PER SIDE TO FIX PLUS TAX. PLEASE HELP AND LET US KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT.
I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY 2 MECHANICS THAT THE MY BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED/CORRODED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS TO GMC REGARDING THIS ISSUE. NHTSA HAS RECOMMENDED A RECALL. DESPITE GMC CORPORATE STATEMENTS THAT THE FIX/REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE LINES WILL COST $500 (PARTS AND LABOR) THE GMC DEALER IN MY AREA (DANVERS, MA) HAS QUOTED ME OVER $1,200 AND CLAIMS IGNORANCE TO THE $500 CLAIM. I BELIEVE THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RECALL AND CORRECTION BY GMC AT NO COST TO ME THE OWNER. *TR
I HAVE HAD 2 INCIDENTS WITH MY 02 GMC YUKON WHERE THE BRAKE LINES HAVE FAILED DUE TO EARLY AND UNEXPECTED/UNREASONABLE CORROSION WHERE THEY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING ALMOST CAUSED SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WITH ABOUT 76,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED THE EXIT RAMP AND THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT THE VEHICLE STOPPING. WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR I DRIFTED PAST THE EXIT AND APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 1 MILE BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THEY SEE ON GM VEHICLES. THEY WERE SURPRISED I WAS NOT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND I PAID $500 TO HAVE THE REPLACEMENT LINES FABRICATED. ABOUT A YEAR LATER WITH ABOUT 85,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY CHILDREN ACROSS A BRIDGE AND ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE AND AGAIN THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE FLOOR NOT STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND SHE HELD DOWN THE HORN TO WARN PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER CARS. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED AFTER RUNNING 2 RED LIGHTS. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ALL THE LINES COMING OUT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER WERE RUSTED THROUGH AND BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OUT. AGAIN HAVING TO FABRICATE AND REPLACE ALL THE LINES OUT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS EXPENSIVE, THIS TIME COSTING $1,500. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO DO A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM AS I HAVE HEARD MANY TIMES THAT THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS REQUIRING A RECALL. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY CARS, HAVE THE UNDERCARRIAGE CLEANED FREQUENTLY AND ASK MY MECHANIC TO INSPECT EVERYTHING ON THE CAR ON A BI-ANNUAL BASIS AND THESE INCIDENTS HAPPEN WITHOUT WARNING. I HOPE GM WILL REIMBURSE ALL THOSE LIKE ME WHO SPENT THOUSANDS FIXING THE VEHICLE AFTER A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR
IN DECEMBER 2012 WE WERE TRAVELING WHEN MY HUSBAND WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES, THEY COMPLETELY GAVE WAY AND STUCK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOOR. IN PANIC HE TRIED EVERY MANEUVER POSSIBLE AS WE WERE COMING UP ON AN L CURVE THAT QUICKLY LED TO A STOP SIGN ENTERING A MAJOR INTERSECTION. AS WE MADE THE L CURVE, TWO MOTORCYCLISTS WERE AT THE LIGHT AND WE WERE COMING STRAIGHT AT THEM AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. MAKING A MASSIVE TURN AND RISKING FLIPPING THE CAR OVER, HE HOOKED THE TRUCK TO THE RIGHT UNTO THE EMBANKMENT OF THE MAJOR ROAD BARELY AVOIDING KILLING THESE TWO MOTORCYCLIST. WE DROVE ON THE EMBANKMENT UNTIL THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. WE CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HE TOWED US TO A MD REPAIR SHOP. WE THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE REPAIR MAN THAT THE BRAKES LINES WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THAT WE BLEW THE BRAKES LINE AND INSTANTANEOUS LOST ALL OIL. NO BRAKES LEFT WHATSOEVER. HE TOLD ME TO CALL THE DEALER AND PUSH FOR A RECALL SINCE THAT MUCH RUST WAS A SIGN OF AN ISSUE WHEN THE CAR WAS MADE. THERE WAS NO SEAL ON THE UNDER CARRIAGE. I DID AND THE GENTLEMAN AT BOYLE BUICK SAID NOT TO TOW IT IN TO THEIR SHOP AS IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS THEY SEE IT ALL THE TIME BUT THAT GM HAS NEVER PAID FOR THESE TO BE FIXED ON A CAR OUT OF WARRANTY AND DESPITE THIS BEING A CONSTANT ISSUE THEY SEE- IT DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON IT. HE EVEN GAVE US THE NAME OF A COMPANY THAT MAKES STAINLESS STEEL AFTERMARKET BRAKE LINES ALREADY BENDED AS THAT IS WHERE THEY BUY THEM- THEY SEE IT SO OFTEN. THIS COMPANY SPRUNG UP BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAD THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE THEY COULD MAKE SUBSTANTIAL MONEY PRE-FABBING THESE LINES. I KEPT MY RECEIPT FOR THESE BRAKES LINE ($1,235.00) AS I HAD TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE WOULD EVENTUALLY HOLD GM LIABLE FOR NOT COATING THE UNDERSIDE AND PUTTING THOUSANDS OF LIVES AT RISK. *TR
ABS BRAKE MODULE IS NOT HERMETICALLY SEALED WITH AN O-RING GASKET. BECAUSE OF THIS MOISTURE CAN GET INSIDE MODULE AND DAMAGE INTERNAL COMPONENTS. DAMAGED UNITS CAUSE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS IN DASHBOARD TO LIGHT UP. *TR FAILURE OF ABS BRAKE MODULE CAN CAUSE ABS BRAKES TO LOCK UP WHEN BRAKING QUICKLY AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 20 MPH.
I TRIED TO STOP AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE ABS ACTIVATED WITHOUT ANY REASON. THE ROADS WERE CLEAN AND DRY. THERE WAS NOT ANY WARNING INDICATOR FOR THE ABS BRAKES, I AM TOLD THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE BUT THE DEALER SAYS MINE WAS ALREADY DONE. OBVIOUSLY THE FIX WAS NOT EFFECTIVE IF I AM EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM NOW. *TR
THIS INVOLVES THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THAT WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE WHEN APPLIED. I HAD NOTICED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT DO A VERY GOOD JOB HOLDING THE VEHICLE WHEN APPLIED FROM THE TIME IT WAS NEW BUT HAD NOT GIVEN IT MUCH THOUGHT SINCE I NEVER USED IT. SEVERAL YEARS LATER I TRIED TO GET IT INSPECTED AND IT FAILED. I FOUND THAT THE REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE THAT II NEVER USE WERE HAD WORN OUT SHOES AND HAD DAMAGED THE DRUM. I REPLACED THE SHOES AND ONE DRUM AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE BRAKES TO HOLD WHEN THE BRAKE WERE APPLIED. THE BRAKE HAS BEEN APPLIED PROPERLY SENSE THEN BUT STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN BY NOT HOLDING THE VEHICLE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE SHOES AGAIN AT 172,000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT ADDRESS. *TR
WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, I PUSHED BRAKE BEFORE ENTERING STREET - PUSHED ALL THE WAY DOWN, BUT HAD NO BRAKE ACTION. WAS BRAKING FINE DAY BEFORE. *TR
THE BRAKES RECENTLY FAILED ON OUR 2002 GMC YUKON XL 1500 4WD SUV. WHILE DESCENDING A MODERATELY STEEP HILL ON OUR STREET, MY WIFE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL OF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THANKFULLY, SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE UP THE NEXT HILL AND BRING IT TO A STOP. INSPECTION REVEALED BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED FROM A HIGHLY CORRODED BRAKE LINE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, BELOW THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THREE OTHER ADJACENT BRAKE LINES WERE ALSO SIMILARLY CORRODED. UPON CONTACTING THE NEAREST GM DEALER (TOM GILL CHEVROLET, FLORENCE, KY), THE SERVICE AGENT INFORMED ME "THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON IN A 9-YEAR OLD VEHICLE." FOUR ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES, IN JUST 8 YEARS? THAT RIDICULOUS! I HAVE A 16-YEAR-OLD TOYOTA IN THE DRIVEWAY THAT DOESN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND I SHOULDN'T EXPECT TO HAVE IT WITH MY MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE AND FAR NEWER AMERICAN MADE SUV. TOM GILL SERVICE REFUSED TO GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF REPAIR, STATING I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED THE 17 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP, WITH A "WE'RE COMPETITIVE--WE'LL GIVE YOU A COMPETITIVE PRICE." COMFORTING. A FEW MORE CALLS TO LOCAL SHOPS REVEALED AN ESTIMATE OF BETWEEN $850-1,100 FOR REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ALL FOUR LINES. I ENDED-UP SPENDING 22 HOURS PULLING-OUT THE OLD LINES AND BENDING/FLARING/INSTALLING ENTIRELY NEW FRONT LINES MYSELF. LAST WEEK I LEARNED I'M NOT ALONE--A WCPO NEWS REPORT REVEALED THIS IS PROBLEMATIC WITH GM TRUCKS/SUVS, WITH GM DEFLECTING BLAME TO "SALT BRINE." AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS, AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS ARE STILL TAKING SHORTCUTS AND CANNING ETHICS...TOYOTA WILL CONTINUE TO WIN MARKET SHARE AS LONG AS THIS CRAP CONTINUES. I'M ANGRY BECAUSE IT'S PUTTING OUR FAMILIES AT RISK. NO ONE GOT HURT THIS TIME, AT LEAST NOT IN MY FAMILY, BUT THE POTENTIAL IS CERTAINLY THERE. I THINK GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, AND I AM HOLDING ONTO THE CORRODED BRAKE LINES AS EVIDENCE IN THE EVENT OF A FUTURE RECALL. I'D ALSO LIKE THOSE 22 HOURS BACK. *TR
THE BRAKES ON MY 2002 GMC YUKON XL SEEM TO FAIL AT LOW SPEED. YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT GOES TO THE FLOOR AND DOES NOT STOP. WE HAVE HAD THE SPEED SENOR REPLACED, RECALLED PART REPLACED IN 2005. THE DESCRIPTION SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MY TRUCK. GMC SAYS IT WILL NOT REPLACE THIS PART FOR FREE,SINCE IT HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE. THIS PART IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PART, I FEEL GMC SHOULD REPLACE IT. SAFETY FIRST. *TR
AFTER THREE PREVIOUS "REPAIRS" INCLUDING ONE RECALL, OUR 2002 GMC YUKON XL ABS BRAKES ARE MALFUNCTIONING FOR THE FOURTH TIME, EXHIBITING THE EXACT SAME CONDITION THAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF A 2005 RECALL. THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES ON DRY PAVEMENT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT LOW SPEEDS, RESULTING IN A LONGER THAN NORMAL STOPPING DISTANCE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS COLLISIONS HAVE NARROWLY BEEN AVOIDED AS THE ABS BRAKE PEDAL "CHATTERING" INTERFERES WITH NORMAL BRAKING AT CRUCIAL TIMES. *TR
THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL NEARLY FELL OFF OUR 2002 YUKON 1500 SLT. WE HAD JUST STOPPED TO PAY A TOLL ON THE MAINE TURNPIKE. AS WE DROVE OUT OF THE TOLL BOOTH, MY HUSBAND HAD DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE CAME FROM THE LEFT FRONT END OF OUR CAR. THE ABS LIGHT FLASHED ON. GRIPPING THE WOBBLY STEERING WHEEL, MY HUSBAND GUIDED THE VEHICLE ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC INTO THE NARROW BREAKDOWN LANE. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY OFF THE VEHICLE. CARS AND TRUCKS WHIZZED BY DANGEROUSLY CLOSE AS MY HUSBAND TRIED TO REPOSITION THE WHEEL AND TIGHTEN THE BOLTS THAT HAD LOOSENED. TWO HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME, AND A FEW MILES FROM OUR DESTINATION, WE HOBBLED ON. MY HUSBAND STOPPED REPEATEDLY TO RETIGHTEN THE BOLTS. WE GOT OFF THE TURNPIKE AND INCHED ALONG SLOWLY ON BACK ROADS. STILL, THIS FINAL LEG OF OUR JOURNEY WAS TREACHEROUS. STEERING WAS ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE. WE NEARLY WENT OFF THE ROAD. WHEN FINALLY SAFELY STOPPED, THE TIRE AND METAL WHEEL PARTS WERE SO HOT, THEY HAD TO BE HOSED DOWN. SMOKE CAME FROM THE WHEEL. THE METAL WAS SCORCHED. THE CALIPER HOLDING THE WHEEL WAS SEVERELY BENT, THE BRAKES DESTROYED, AND THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL SCORED AND CHARRED. PARTS HAD DISINTEGRATED. THE BEARINGS WERE GONE. IT IS INCREDIBLE WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE EVEN 10 MILES. IF I HAD BEEN BEHIND THE WHEEL, INSTEAD OF MY HUSBAND, I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. IF THE PROBLEM HAD MANIFESTED ITSELF AS WE HURTLED DOWN THE HIGHWAY INSTEAD OF EXITING A TOLL BOOTH, THE WHEEL SURELY WOULD HAVE FLOWN OFF THE CAR INTO TRAFFIC. I SHUDDER TO THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES. OUR TWO YOUNG SONS WERE IN THE BACK SEAT. WE WERE VERY LUCKY, BUT ARE NOW MINUS A VEHICLE WE NEED. IT SITS WHERE WE LEFT IT, 200 MILES AWAY. WE NEED TO BRING IT HOME, BUT THE TOW CHARGE WILL BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE, NOT TO MENTION THE REPAIRS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE OF KNOWN PROBLEMS RELATED TO AN ISSUE WITH THIS YUKON'S WHEELS. WHY NOT? *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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