My 17 year old son was on the freeway and the brake pedal travelled all the way to the floor while attempting to stop. The service brake system light came on at the same time. Stopping distance was increased dramatically, by at least double. If there would have been a curve or car in front of him there would have been an accident. Parked the truck until it could be inspected and found a leak under driver side front door. All of the main brake pipes were rusted and fragile. Taking truck to dealership to have all brake pipes replaced with kit mentioned in (tsb) 13-05-22-001. I am very disappointed that gm is fighting a recall by sighting the fact that there are two different brake systems and it is not a safety issue. What if the rusted brake lines for both systems failed. At the very least it seems that having your stopping distance increase by almost double with out warning is a safety issue.
2003 Chevrolet Avalanche brakes problems
81 complaints (40% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 106,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 81
- of this car's complaints
- 40%
- typical mileage
- 106,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Foundation components: disc: rotor4
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip4
- Pedals and linkages1
- Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings1
- Brake fluid low warning: lamp1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet Avalanche brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
- Risk
- Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
- Remedy
- Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463; or hummer at 1‑866‑486‑6376.
Recall number 04V045000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Brake line corrosion failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Defect Petition DP10-003 on March 2, 2010, requesting the investigation of model year (MY) 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD pickup trucks for corrosion failures of the vehicle brake lines.DP10-003 was granted and on March 30, 2010, Preliminary Evaluation PE10-010 was opened on more than six million model year 1999 through 2003 light trucks and sport utility vehicles manufactured and sold by General Motors Corporation (GM).On July 2, 2010, ODI received GM's response to an information request, which included GM's assessment of the frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect. GM stated that:(1) the brake system of the subject vehicles is split front/rear and should a brake pipe suddenly fail for any reason, the affected vehicle would be capable of stopping with the pressure supplied by the remaining circuit; (2) the subject vehicles were designed to meet the hydraulic circuit partial failure requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 105 and 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems; and (3) should a brake fluid leak occur for any reason, the brake system malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) would illuminate and warn the driver before the brake fluid level was low enough to cause a loss of line pressure.ODI's and GM's analysis indicates that 85 percent of the complaints occurred on vehicles used primarily in States that use salt on the roads during Winter months (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin).Overall the complaint rates per 100,000 vehicles for Salt Belt States is 43.0 and Non-Salt Belt is 3.0.In approximately 25 percent of the complaints the brake pipe failure occurred suddenly, with no warning (i.e., no MIL, Brake Fluid Loss Warning), and resulted in extended stopping distances.In 30 of these the increase in stopping distance that resulted was a factor in the crash and in 10 others the vehicle was intentionally steered off the road or into another lane of travel in order to avoid a crash.This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA11-001) for subject vehicles sold or currently registered in Salt Belt States to further assess the scope, frequency and safety risks associated with sudden failures of corroded brake pipes that can result in decreased brake effectiveness. ODI will continue to gather information on subject vehicles outside the Salt Belt as well.
PE10010
Parking brake failure
Odi's review of complaint data received since the close of ea04-011 revealed no indication that the investigation should be re-opened.more details can be found in the federal register notice enclosed in the dp05-009 public file.odi reserves the right to reopen the investigation in the future should conditions warrant.
DP05009
Hydraulic pump failres
Gm is conducting a recall on all subject vehicles build between may 1999 and october 14, 1999.significant changes were incorporated into production in early october 1999, and vehicles built after that date have lower warranty failure rates.the complaint and warranty data appear to support the effectiveness of these changes. Gm made additional changes in november 1999, february 2000, may 2001, and february 2004.odi will continue to monitor this problem and will take further action, if warranted, in the future.for further technical details see the attached engineering analysis report.
EA04012
What 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Brake line failure: I had a ruptured steel break line failure while applying normal breaking pressure on the pedal. After further inspection of break lines, I found all break lines were rusted and in danger of also rupture.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving at an unknown speed, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. The contact discovered that the brake lines near the driver side door were rusted and corroded, and brake fluid had leaked from the vehicle. The contact indicated that the brake lines had been previously replaced on the vehicle due to rusting and corrosion. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche.while at a traffic light, the contact could not depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
Vehicle experienced complete brake failure upon slowing for a traffic light. This was compounded by the downhill orientation of the road surface. Left roadway to avoid collision with tractor-trailer. There was no warning or indication of an impending brake failure. No indication that any part of the braking system was still functioning. It was discovered upon inspection that the brake lines were excessively corroded compared with other body and engine components. Metal composition of brake tubing seems very prone to corrosion. Complete brake line replacement of the entire system is now necessary.
The rear brake line burst catastrophically and my brake pedal went to the floor. I was coming up to stopped cars at an intersection and had to swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid rear ending another truck. Luckily there were no cars in the lane at the time. I then had to make a sharp turn into a shopping center parking lot to avoid running through the intersection (which did have traffic). I had zero braking power whatsoever. I tried pushing down the emergency brake and it had no effect ( I later found that the emergency brake lines were frozen in a large chunk of ice near the drivers side rear wheel and would not move). The pickup bed drains down onto the lower frame in this area and that accounted for the ice buildup. I continued through the shopping center parking lot and all I could to was downshift to slow myself down. Lucky again...the parking lot was nearly empty and very long. After about 4-500 ft I was going slow enough that I was able to jam the transmission into park. There was no warning of this failure. The lines were not leaking. I have now read online that gm has had many complaints of rusted lines on their pickups suddenly failing. This could have been a life threatening situation. Brake lines should not suddenly fail. They should last the life of the vehicle. Non-corrosive nickle copper brake lines exist that do not rust. These should be mandatory on all vehicles.
It started with the airbag light, but nobody will own up to fixing it, as we moved from pa to fl. Then the brake lines went, all of them, now with the airbag issue the PCM is sending all kinds of stupid codes like the airbag issue is affecting the whole electrical system in the truck.
My son was driving home from ice fishing , on a hilly and curvy road when the brakes failed. He had no brakes at all , he avoid a few tree before smashing into a smaller tree just missing were his friend was seated.the truck has been very well taken care of and was in great condition. I had the truck towed to a chevy dealer were it has about $5000 dollars in damage. I just glad my son and his didn't get hurt.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving 10 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, the ABS warning light illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 99,000.
Brakes would not hold vehicle stationary at a stop sign/light (no light on dash). Upon investigation a brake line has rusted through and brake fluid covering underside of vehicle.
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche brakes
Does the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 81 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche, 40% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 106,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche brakes?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V045000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Avalanche have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Avalanche model years with the most brakes complaints are 2002 (200 complaints), 2003 (81 complaints) and 2004 (42 complaints).
Other 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche problems
Electrical 42Airbags 14Transmission 14Acceleration 11Visibility 10Body 9Engine 8Steering 8Lights 7Suspension 7Tires 7Fuel system 5Seats 2Driver assistance 1Locks 1Seat belts 1
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