Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. While the gear was in reverse with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard, the vehicle continued to move backwards. The contact had to apply the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The contact heard an abnormal noise, but was able to drive home. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake line needed to be repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was currently being repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 115,000.
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brakes complaints
Page 2 of 12: complaints 11 to 40 of 330, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Brake line failure due to rust and use of inferior parts from chevrolet. Vehicle was in motion an accident was avoided due to awareness of other drivers. In a neigborhood street, with children present very near.
Brakes failed on highway due to rusted lines. Brakes completely failed. Brake line was so rusted it had a huge hole in it due to the rust.
I know my truck is 14 years old. But my brake lines rust out near the ABS block and near the fuel tank on the frame of the truck. Which is odd to happen at the same time. I have heard of people having problems with this truck line sooner then me. Now I have a 85 trans am made by gm and haven't had this problem . I think the federal safety agency and gm need to look at this closer. This happen to me this morning on my way out to work and it scared the hell out me lucky I was just in my drive way. I take very good care of my truck and don't abuse it. I try to keep up on the under body and frame after snow storms by rinsing off the under body and frame. Now I was informed I will cost me any were from $1500.00 to$ 2000.00 to repair this problem. Not a happy camper. Just glade I wasn't on the road doing 50. As I take local and state high ways to work.
While driving at highway speed, traffic mounted up and cars vigorously applied braked. Braked truck, which slowed at first, then pedal sank to floor and ceased to stop. Emergency brake deployment performed remaining necessary stopping (just barely). Inspection found badly rusted brake line ruptured near the passenger rear tire, as the metal line meets rubber. All lines badly rusted while little other underchassis shows any rust at all.
Yesterday my brake pedal went to the floor and I could not stop the truck. I put my blinkers on and drove about two miles an hour to my regular mechanic and he said all the brake lines need to be replaced because the are rusted out and leaking fluid to a cost of $750.00. It is in the shop right now so I won't have the invoice for a few days. He also said the the fuel lines look rusted also and hopes they won't break while fixing the brake lines.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving about 15 MPH, another vehicle cut in front, caused the contact to apply the brake pedal forcefully and punctured the brake line. The contact slowly drove the vehicle to his residence. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 21,000.
Upon exiting highway at 75 MPH, I applied brakes to slow down. The brakes felt spongy then went to the floor. Tried to pump with no results. This was a single lane exit ramp with a car turning left and one turning right at the end of the ramp. Still at approx. 60 MPH I had nowhere to go. Down shift to 2nd and apply parking brake. Finally one car turns and I blast through intersection about 40-45mph and just missed t-boning another vehicle. As I went down the entrance ramp back onto hwy. I was able to bring truck to a stop. Later inspection of truck showed all 4 brake lines from ABS to front of truck severely rusted with one ruptured. Rear brake line also rusted. G.m. Need to recall these vehicles before someone gets killed. At the speed I was traveling I had seconds to make a decision. I was lucky the car in front of me turned and I missed the car on the crossroad. This truck has 85,xxx miles and has only been driven in snow or bad weather maybe a half dozen times during its life so corrosion should hot have been an issue. I've owned many cars with 200,000 plus miles and never had brake line issues. I believe with as many complaints as I read about this problem you need to force a recall before someone gets disabled for the rest of there life, or someone loses a family member!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving 70 MPH, the battery indicator illuminated. The contact attempted to pull the vehicle over when he observed that the steering wheel had seized and took great effort to turn. Also, the brakes failed when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact was able to stop using the fifth wheel camping trailer that was hitched with electronic brakes to slow and eventually stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed that the serpentine belt and idler pulley failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,041.
When braking at slow speeds between 5-10 MPH the ABS activates preventing safe stopping.
The brake lines on my 2004 chevrolet silverado are badly corroded and one of them has failed. When this happened, the pedal went to the floor and the truck had no brakes whatsoever. Fortunately I was not involved in an accident. I live in kentucky and I have had this truck since new. We receive a minimal amount of bad winter weather here so I find it hard to believe that this was caused by salt. This truck is only 13 years old.
The ABS kicks in at speeds under 5 MPH on drive pavement
Rear brake line busted on 2004 chevy silverado while driving in a parking lot. Really dangerous! Had to hit the curb to stop! There should be a recall on these steel brake lines! In the shop now to replace all the brake lines that are faulty! A cost that should be paid by gm not the consumer of a faulty product!
When parking in my driveway, my brake pedal went to floor and I was barely able to stop. My brake lines were leaking fluid due to severe corrosion and must be replaced for over $3000.00. Fortunately this did not occur while I was driving on the street.
While towing a boat rear brake line burst losing brakes thank god I had room to hit e brake and pull to the side of the road on a back road
2004 chevrolet silverado experienced complete brake failure. Driving down a short hill, brake pedal pushed completely to floor with no brake response or stopping availability. Driving @ approximately 20 MPH, applying the emergency brake had little effect and had to turn into a dirt hill to stop the truck. Upon further inspection, 4 brake lines directly underneath the cab on the drivers side were completely corroded with 2 lines failing simultaneously releasing brake fluid onto the ground. The 2 lines from the proportioning valve in the engine compartment to the ABS and the 2 lines from the ABS to the 2 front wheels run parallel under the cab and are severely corroded in 2 places only. The 4 lines were severely rusted at the point of the plastic clips that secure the lines to the frame of the truck. The plastic clips that hold the brake lines hold moisture and salt and cause all the brake lines to corrode at those points. It's important to note that there is no rust in the lines to the rear of the truck or at both rear brake calipers. This is not normal wear or lack of maintenance. I clean the underside of my vehicle every winter. The lines are rusting as a result of the clips retaining salt and corrosives and causing year round contact to the brake lines. Is anyone reading or investigating here? There are literally hundreds of complaints here regarding this exact issue. I have seen multiple post that list the corrosion in the exact same spot as my truck. These lines rust not from normal wear but because of a defective clip design. Repair estimate from chevrolet dealer is $1250 to replace all lines. When will gm consider this a defect or write a service bulletin?
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but hesitated to respond before the vehicle completely stopped. The service brake system warning indicator illuminated and the service brake system error message displayed across the message board. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake lines were corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,340.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard prior to the brake pedal being depressed. The vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake line failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred numerous times. While driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but another vehicle collided into the front driver side of the contact's vehicle. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the left shoulder that required medical attention. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 11/08/16*lj
Steel brake lines are prone to corrosion. Replaced 2 original brake lines in the last 24 months. 1st failure the brake line suddenly burst while applying the brake. Second incident the brake line slowly leaked. Upon inspection the lines are severely rusted.
Total brake failure on 2 occasions, both with trailer attached - badly rusted brake lines to both front wheels burst under the added pressure of stopping while trailering. Other lines to the rear are also badly rusted, but have not yet failed. Front lines (providing the majority of braking) are held in horizontal plastic clips that do not readily drain, and accelerate corrosion damage. Both incidents involved near miss accidents and possible injuries. One, while backing the trailer into parking spot with someone behind providing directions, and the other just after hooking up the trailer and proceeding into traffic (if that failure had been one stop later, it would have occurred while stopping to turn onto a highway). Due to a fear of admitting guilt, gm has not offered replacement parts for purchase, and all new lines must be custom built, with a cost estimate of over $1000 to replace the bundle of all 5 lines. Finally, this truck (1 owner) is otherwise totally rust free - there is no explanation for the first 2 things to rust out on an otherwise rust-free truck to be brake lines. Without trailers or high loads, the half system failure leaves the vehicle with limited reserve stopping capability, but under the higher load conditions (exactly when the compromised brake lines fail) the reserve capability is greatly reduced. One of the reasons there likely have not been more injuries and fatalities, is that once the owner is aware of the problem, there is little or no trust in the brake system. Why must there be a death count before something is done about a problem reported hundreds of times over many years on both gm and chrysler truck (both using the same lines)? At least order the oems to provide kits of all brake lines at reasonable cost to owners.
Pickup is always garaged . At 30000 miles had to change the front brake sensors as the anti-lock was activating as the truck came to a stop on dry pavement. Occurred at approx 5 MPH. Hubs and sensors changed ($600 cost). Now at 58000 miles problem has reappeared. It appears a recall (#05v379000) has been issued for silverado pickups from 1999-2002. I will be contacting dealer. Truck located in northern minnesota.
Total brake failure. Rusted brake lines. Why are these not recalled? How many people must be killed or injured?
Brakes failed completely while driving on street near home. Line from proportioning valve to ABS unit has pin holes, I had to replace all under chassis brake lines last year, but lines in the engine compartment really? The plastic securing clips act as a container for moisture and rot the line.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving approximately 8 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the anti-lock brakes engaged and made an abnormal noise without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000. Updated 10/07/16*lj
While driving to the gym with my 2 sons with me, I luckily stopped at the dumpster in my condo community to drop off some trash. While attempting to stop when approaching the dumpster I lost about 90% of my brake pedal travel and noticed a huge mist of fluid by my drivers side door. Luckily I was able to stop and then return to my parking spot in front of my condo without incident. Upon parking my truck in the parking spot the remaining brake fluid emptied out. When I looked for the cause I quickly discovered that my brake lines were so badly corroded they looked like they came from the sunken titanic. I have lived in 2 states that get snow in the winter but after every snowfall I've taken the truck to the local car wash and used the underbody wash feature. I've driven 1987, 1988, and 1994 vehicles in snow states and had no brake line issues so my 2004 vehicle I'd expect no issues either. This is a huge safety risk, nowhere in the owners manual does it warn you to check your metal brake lines for corrosion. Filters, pads, fluids etc are routine maintenance that the owners manual includes but metal brake lines are not and shouldn't be, not when aftermarket corrosion proof brake line kits cost $100. Luckily my family or no one else's family were hurt in my incident but the longer gm refuses to recall these brake lines others might not be as lucky.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond. The brake warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake lines had experienced severe corrosion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. Updated 09/08/16*lj updated 06/18/18
I was driving today with my lawn tractor loaded on the truck of the bed. I came upon traffic stopped at a red light. As I pressed my brakes to stop , the brake pedal went to the floor and I almost struck the vehicle in front of me. Luckily I was not travelling at high speeds and the vehicle managed to move and avoid being rear ended by me after I began honking my horn as a warning. Upon inspecting the vehicle, I discovered that a brake line had ruptured, which caused this problem.
Bad rusted brake lines about to fail. I see on line that gm use bad steel lines.
Pouring rain I was taking my mother to see my dad at the hospital. I started down the street and went to stop. Pedal sunk to the floor. I came to a stop part way into the intersection. Thank god, for god and my guardian angel that I wasn't on the highway when this happened. We had it towed to the dealership and it was corroded brake lines. It's a 2004 with 80,000 miles on it. Never been off-road. Why hasn't gm and the traffic safety committee issued a recall. Had this been the night before coming home from the hospital we would be at a funeral. It was fortunate we were doing maybe 10mph.
Brake system completely failed while in motion. Further inspection revealed the brake tube leading to rear axle had ruptured. The tube was severely corroded.
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