2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: soft or spongy brake pedal

Filed May 21, 2014 · Brakes · 119,331 miles · GA

Slowly losing brakes soft brake pedal no warning light. Drove to dealer, told me rusty leaking brake lines ' would cost me $991.00 to replace all brake lines. I told them I could not pay that, I ask about a recall with no avail, they let me drive it home, by the time I got there I had no brakes at all, the light finally came. I am the orginal owner. I can not drive this truck, it will have to be towed to dealer service dept. Now.

Filed Apr 10, 2014 · Brakes · 101,000 miles · KY

Abs light came on at start up did not go out, got back home noticed spongy pedal parked noticed brake fluid leak on ground appears to be leaking from line around ABS unit under truck, almost all brake lines are suffering from severe corrosion and need replaced, safety sensitive items such as brake lines need to be better protected from corrosion.

Filed Sep 4, 2013 · Brakes · 183,000 miles · PA

Noticed that brakes were "spongy" the night before. In the morning I started the car, and started to drive out the driveway when I applied the brakes , the pedal went to the floor. The dash board information center indicated "service brakes". I got out and lifted the hood to detect the issue. I saw fluid leaking from a rusted brake line. Upon closer inspection I noted that it ruptured. The real issue is that this could have happened while in traffic or when exiting my driveway which is 100 feet elevation from the road. Either way it could have been a very dangerous situation. After this happened I researched similar incidences with the silverado. This seems to be a design default that should have a safety recall. I have owned many vehicles, some years older than this 2003 and this is the first time a brake line ruptured.

Filed Jun 9, 2013 · Brakes · 85,000 miles · MD

Backed into my driveway and pressed brake to stop and pedal was suddenly extremely soft and went very far down. I had no brakes at all at this point. I had to use my emergency brake to stop while only going a few miles an hour. I was running errands earlier and had absolutely no warning brakes were about to completely fail, no audible or visual warning from instrumentation at all, and no prior soft pedal or poor stopping capability. I want gm to pay for all new brake lines for this truck now! Upon inspection, all the brake lines are in an advanced state of corrosion.

Filed Jun 22, 2010 · Brakes · 65,000 miles · NY

Brakes have been spongy from the time I purchased and was told this is normal. I have replaced brake pads and rotors front and rear about 3 times since buying truck. Truck has always has slow response time to stop again told this is normal. Truck has about 65,000 miles and underside looks like a rust bucket. The problem I am having now is ABS light comes on and off,pulsating brake petal and ABS does not work plus there is a longer stopping distance .told ABS sensors are bad and need to be replaced at a cost of about $800 - $1000 dollars again normal?. I believe this is a safety issue for the consumer and general motors say they don't have enough complaints to warrant a recall. How many people have to die or be injured before something is done. It is time for these car manufactures to be accountable and make these vehicles safe.

Filed May 16, 2010 · Brakes · 41,000 miles · MA

2003 chevrolet silverado brakes. The ABS kick in at low speeds on dry roads. A very soft pedal and sometimes the pedal will go to the floor before stopping. The brought to my dealership many times and they keep saying they can't find the problem. My truck has 42,000 miles and I'm afraid to drive it so it sits in my driveway.

Filed May 25, 2009 · Brakes · PA

Poor braking on chevy silverado k1500. Soft pedal since new. Garage kept with only 23,000 miles and rear rotors rusted out. When new, chevy mechanics said soft pedal was normal. Rarely driven and must be extra careful if pulling a light trailer. Just had rear rotors replaced (over $300) and still poor brakes. These should have been recalled...

Filed Feb 5, 2008 · Brakes · MI

2003 silverado 1500 z71 pickup rear brake problem at 43,000 miles. Rusting brake rotors cause excessive uneven wear of rear brake pads. Condition limited to inside side of rear rotors. Only one-half inch surface of rotor was shiny and rest of rotor had severe rust that under load resulted in pad damage. Complained to dealer twice after purchase july '03, spongy, braking and sometimes hard to stop. They looked at it said it was normal. Almost all my driving is highway, with minimal braking. And the few times driven in town have had several near collisions.

Filed Aug 23, 2006 · Electrical, Suspension · 48,000 miles · FL

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 MPH on dirt road and asphalt, the front end of the vehicle shook and pulled to the left. This was accompanied by a clunking sound from under the front end. During this incident, the instrument panel displayed incorrect information on every gauge. The transmission would not shift properly,either. The vehicle became locked in second gear, and was unable to be shifted out. Finally, the brakes on the vehicle were spongy, causing an extended stopping distance from any speed. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer where it awaits a diagnosis.

Filed Apr 5, 2005 · Brakes, Engine · 40,000 miles · NY

My complaint is the braking system on my 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500 extended cab, 4x4 truck. The brakes have always felt spongy. After complaining about the "low" brake pedal, my dealer advised that I needed to have my rear rotors repaired & the rear brake shoes replaced., so I had the work done. One week later, I again complained that now when I'm stopped at a traffic light, the brake pedal would go even lower. The braking system was checked out, the master cylinder was checked, & I was told everything was ok, there were no leaks. I was also told that this was the biggest complaint about this truck. I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. In the first few months of owning the vehicle, the wiper blade was defective, thus scratching the windshield. I had to complain to get the windshield replaced & the wiper repaired. Also withing the first few months after purchasing, the 4x4 switch had to be replaced. The truck would not shift out of 4 wheel drive low. Another complaint that the dealer was notified within the first year of ownership was the wind noise due to a faulty door gasket on the driver's side. This was not replaced, only temporarily fixed, which only corrected the problem for a short while. Recently, the engine light came on, the o2 oxygen sensor had to be replaced. Within a month, the engine light came on again, this time it is a stuck open valve solonoid dealing with the emmission system of which I was given an estimate of 364.00 to reapair, this would not be covered under the extended warranty of the vehicle. This vehicle is only 2 years old, & I'm tired of having to take the time to get it to the dealer's for repairs.