While driving 55 MPH driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. This caused the vehicle to hit a ditch. Vehicle was towed to dealer for analysis, and mechanic noticed that both rotors were rusted and needed to be replaced.
Chevrolet C1500 brake failure problems
30 of the 751 owner complaints about the Chevrolet C1500 describe brake failure, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 30
- worst model year
- 1996
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
What owners say
The brakes completely failed without warning causing loss of braking ability.
The kelse-hayes ABS brakes failed causing the ABS light to illuminate and when brakes applied vehicle would pull to the left.
When applying the ABS brakes on wet or dry pavement, pedal goes to the floor, causing extended stopping distance, cause unknown. Please give any further details.
Reporting now because I have brake warning lite and no apparent reason for it. First and second failures of iso valve were not loss of brakes, only a squishy feeling. I note a current recall on 91-96 gm units that seems to be related to this problem. Need advice on how to attempt recovery of over $500 worth of repairs that I paid for which now appear to be a factory defect and I now have a brake warning lite which may be the same assembly going bad again!. Note recall is limited to 91 to 96 units and I am a 90. Nevertheless I want to try. Dealer has been service has been exceptional. No complaint against them.
When the brakes were applied in a panic stop the pedal went to the floor ,causing extended stopping distance, resulting in two minor collisions. Dealer and manufacturer have been notified.
Engine would abruptly stop running. Failure was not dependent on vehicle speed, engine RPM, throttle position, or operating temperature. Shutoffs were frequent and came completely without warning. At any time, the engine could completely and unrecoverably shut down. Shutoffs were violent due to high compression of the diesel engine, and resulted in partial loss of braking and steering. Driving vehicle in presence of traffic would certainly result in an accident! Failure was corrected through installation of a "pump-mounted solenoid driver." I know of others who are experiencing the identical symptoms and conditions.
When applying the brakes the power booster gets really hard and the engine accelerates, causing loss of brakes. This is an intermittent problem, it only happens some of the times when the brakes are applied.
On several occasions the brakes would lock up on passenger's side, causing vehicle to lose control. Also, the brake line underneath is too close to exhaust manifold. This condition is causing the brake fluid to heat up and overheat the rotors, causing brake failure. Dealer notified.
When the brakes are applied sometimes the pedal goes to the floor, and other times it gets hard, resulting in extended stopping distance. The dealer has cleaned and adjusted the brakes. The manufacturer has been notified.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Chevrolet C1500 brake failure
Which Chevrolet C1500 years have brake failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (13 complaints), 1995 (6 complaints) and 1990 (4 complaints).
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