Dt*: the contact stated while driving at any speed and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle has an extended stopping distance. During panic braking, the pedal goes to the floor and fails to stop the vehicle. It was driven to the dealer who determined this was the design of the vehicle. *ak updated 7/31/2006 - the vehicle ABS has been repaired twice, once under recall. The pedal becomes spongy at time and can be pressed with little effort. The brakes were turned at 2900 miles then had to be replaced at 300 miles. Now at 19000 miles the rear brake rotors need to be replaced.
2002 Chevrolet Silverado: soft or spongy brake pedal
6 of the 710 complaints about the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado describe soft or spongy brake pedal.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 15,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 19 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Soft or spongy brake pedal by model year
What owners say
Dt: the contact states since purchase the brakes have been weak when pulling his boat and making emergency stops. He states with both feet on the brake pedal, it feels spongy and it goes to the floor. The vehicle does not stop any faster when the brakes are pressed harder. The trailer for the boat does not have any brakes and both weigh approximately 2000 pounds. The pulling capacity for the vehicle is 7200 pounds. The vehicle has been to the dealership and they state the brakes are working properly; therefore, no repairs have been made. They have not driven the vehicle with the trailer and boat attached.
Dt: the consumer states that the brakes on his 2002 chevrolet silverado are sluggish and making noise and they feel like they are grabbing. The vehicle has been in the shop 3 times for the brakes. They brakes feel like they do not stop when applying brake pressure. The brake pedal feels spongy. The dealer changed three rotors and brakes pads. The dealer could not get the rotor off on the back and the consumer did not know what was wrong with it. The dealership broke the ABS sensor. The consumer took the truck back to the dealership and they replaced the sensor. The owner of the truck has never contacted gm. The vehicle is regularly maintained and serviced. The consumer has expericined brake problems for 3 years.
Dt: ABS brakes are terrible. Took vehicle to the dealer. Had a few close calls, hit someone in the rear end, slowed vehicle down, but didn't stop it. Abs brakes feel spongy, they are not adequate for this truck.*ak
While driving at low speeds, the driver applied the brake pedal and the brakes failed. The driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove it home. *jb when slowing down a speeds of 0-5 MPH the brake pedal became hard to depress then the ABS would activate. If there was enough time, the brake pedal could be pumped then the ABS would stop, then the vehicle would stop.
Soft brake pedal...goes to the floor. Questionable brake response. Also "clunk" heard in front-end and felt through steering around turns. Both since new in march 2002.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- Chevrolet/gmc/cadillac: anytime hydraulic brake pipes assembly need replacing, pre-formed and pre-flared...
- Antilock brake (ABS) activation at low speeds (clean wheel speed sensor mounting surface)
- ABS light on, dtc's C0265, C0201, U1041 set and/or loss of communication with brake module
- Anti-lock brake system (ABS) light on, diagnostic trouble codes (DTCS) C0265, C0201, U1041 set and/or loss...
- Supplement to 04094 front wheel speed sensor corrosion
- Product safety recall regarding front wheel speed sensor corrosion
- Rear parking brake shoe retaining spring clip service kit for drum-in-hat (DIH) equipped vehicles
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
- Risk
- This can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel speed sensor, and check the peak-to-peak output voltage to ensure the wheel speed signal is within specifications. The recall began september 22, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V379000 · Recall details
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions and built with either pbr parking brake systems or trw parking brake systems, the parking brake friction linings may wear to an extent where the parking brake can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.
- Risk
- If the parking brake does not hold, unintended vehicle movement could occur, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a low-force spring clip retainer for vehicles equipped with a pbr parking brake system. On vehicles equipped with the trw parking brake system, dealers will install a redesigned parking brake cable assembly. The recall began on july 29, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V161000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado spongy pedal
Is soft or spongy brake pedal a common problem on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado?
6 of 710 owner complaints about the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado (1%) mention soft or spongy brake pedal. The model year with the most reports is 2003.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado?
There are 2 recalls and 19 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado
ABS 117Brake failure 83Knocking 23No deployment 22Harsh shifting 21Grinding brakes 14Transmission failure 14Seat belt 12Headlights 11Stalling 11Steering noise 11Tire blowout 11Check engine light 8Jerking 8Wipers 8Loss of power 6Pulling 6
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