Driving down l street in omaha, nebraska approaching 96th street. Brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and vehicle would not stop. I was able to pull to the side of the road just before light at 96th st on a slight hill which assisted vehicle stopping. The brake master cylinder was low. The car was towed to yeck's auto in bellevue, ne. Had I been following other vehicles closely or approached a quick changing yellow light the vehicle would not have stopped. Yeck's auto has since determined the brake lines failed. After internet investigation yields that gm has known about this defect. No warning lights, no indication of a problem. This vehicle needs to be recalled. The vehicle has been serviced at beardmore chevrolet in bellevue, ne at prescribed intervals since day 1. Gm saying this is normal is frankly unacceptable. How many people have not been as lucky as I was on this day.
2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 brakes complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 66, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The vehicle was being driven on a public road and when approaching a stop sign there were no brakes or pressure on the pedal. Vehicle was put in neutral and coasted to a stop after some evasive driving to avoid other vehicles. The brakes failed again due to corrosion of the fittings. This is the second time with this vehicle. Now replacing all break lines to avoid taking any chances.
The brakes went out due to a corroded fitting, while backing a boat trailer/boat into the water. So no brakes, used emergency brake to stop. Vehicle was towed to a garage and the brake line fitting was repaired. On november 10, 2014 the brakes went out again while driving it. Again a corroded fitting. No accidents but resulted in vehicle being towed and now an expensive fix to replace all brake lines.
My wife had driven the suburban like always and without any issues. At the end of the day she parked it and it sat until the next morning. I walked out to it and from the driver's side I saw a large puddle underneath my drivers side. When I turned on my truck the brake light was on and when I shifted into gear I noticed the brakes were out. I contacted gm and gave them the federal safety agency action number (ea11001) but since they could not find anything in their system they cannot cover anything. I see that this issue is the second one opened and this one has been opened since jan 5, 2011.
Vehicle braking is intermittently affecting during low speed braking. The ABS engages pulsing the brakes and significantly reducing the braking ability at low speeds. The brake lines, calipers, and pads have all been checked or replaced and the problem continues. The speed sensors on both from hubs have been replaced for possible malfunction and the problem continues. I have tried to consistently duplicate the problem on various grades, terrain, turning direction, and speed without success. The failure is intermittent and no warming exists prior to failure.
With out warning, upon approaching a stop sign my brake pedal went all the way to the floor.thank the lord I was able to stop by using my e brake. Other wise I was looking at a big tree. This was a horrifying experience.I then had to be towed to a shop where I was told my brake lines where completely rusted and needed to be replaced.mind you this 2002 suburban had at the time 42,000 miles. The total cost was just shy of $2,000.00. I also had this truck under coated when it was purchased new. To date 7-11-2014 I have had 3 brake jobs 3rd being today. I was also told by the mechanic I should get rid of the truck because the entire underneath is completely rusted out.
Vehicle does not want to stop when traveling at low speeds. Parking is so hard to do, that I park at least 4 spaces from other vehicles whenever possible. It feels like the ABS is kicking in when it shouldn't be. No ABS light comes on when this occurs. When I am traveling slowly downhill, pulling into parking spaces, stopping at red lights/stop signs, etc. The brakes will not engage properly, it feels like the pedal is pushing back at me, the brakes make a strange growling sound, and the vehicle refuses to stop. I have to pump the brakes repeatedly, and sometimes it still will not stop, sometimes it will brake very suddenly. When picking up/dropping off my kids at school, I have had several incidents that were mere inches from becoming tragedies. I have no other vehicle to carry my 4 children in, or I would stop using the vehicle. I do not feel safe in it. There is a recall for this exact issue, however my VIN is not part of it (per chevy customer service 1‑800‑222‑1020). I have had the brake fluid checked often, I have had brake pads replaced as well, it made no difference. It has now become a regular occurrence. I am going to see if any shop nearby has dealt with this before. Please help.
Pedal went to the floor without vehicle stopping. Had to use emergency brake.
Driving at 40 MPH, went to stop and the pedal went to the floor. Brake line under the truck blew out. All brake lines were very rusty.
While backing out of our driveway, applied brake pedal, which went down slightly and then went all the way to the floor with vehicle not stopping. Drove it into the cul-de-sac across the street, applied brakes at the stop sign, didn't stop, went into driveway and parked it. Husband went underneath and notice large amount of leaking fluid. At no time did any indicator light come on. Took it to goodyear (chevy dealer too far to safely drive) and they said massive corrosion on the brake line and catastrophic failure. I was incredibly lucky no neighbor kids were walking on the sidewalk as I was backing up. It is going to be a horrendous repair bill.
I was towing my boat and had to stop for a yellow, then red light. Pedal went to the floor and I could not stop, ran through the light. I made it through before traffic entered the intersection, so no accident. I drove slowly to a repair facility with safety flashers on. Mechanic says all the brake lines need to be replaced as they are badly rusted! Repair cost is expected to be 800 dollars! We could have been seriously injured, had just come off the interstate at 70mph!
A was exiting rt 50 onto route 8, west bound ramp...in queenannes county maryland, the light changed suddenly from green to yellow and I realized I could not make the light. I hit the brakes hard and vehicle started to stop, and then the brake pedal just let go and went to the floor. Found I had no power brakes, just the mechanical portion. I had parks tire and auto, in gransonville check it out today, thursday, may 16, 2013 the mechanic matt hrisko said the brake lines were all corroded and the right front line sprung a leak due the corrosion. Moreover, he said all the lines were corroded and in danger of springing holes too. He also found a couple of the bleeder valves were corroded and/or leaking too. The ase mechanics there, eddie and matt, said they have been doing so many of these replacements that they went out and bought their own flaring kits...it is a big job...the fenders have to be removed and all, about 7 to 8 hours labor. Just the line replacements would be upwards of $800.00. The calipers will have to be replaced then too, as the fittings to adjust/bleed the brakes are corroded, some are frozen shut and others leaking. That would add upwards of another $1200 to $1500. *tr information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr ## VIN passed ##
Have 2002 chevrolet suburban 1500 4wd 5.3 engine a/t. Was driving 45 MPH when vehicle suddenly stalled out & lost all steering/brakes. 131,589 miles on odometer at time. Managed to coast vehicle onto shoulder, waited 2 minutes, started vehicle again, pulled out into busy traffic just to make it 2 blocks before stall out again. Repeated this process several more times before I found a gas station. Suspecting water in gas, added 1 bottle of gas line anti-freeze. Drove rest of way home without incident. Replaced fuel filter, pcv valve, air filter, spark plugs, and cleaned throttle body just to have stall out the very next day. No codes are displayed in message center in dash board. Stalls out randomly without a pattern. Wait 1-2 minutes then will start again.
I was driving down road approaching a stop sign and as I attempted to stop I applied brakes which without any warning went to floor and vehicle kept moving. I was lucky there were no other vehicles at stop sign and I was able to put the suburban in neutral and coast to stop. Vehicle had to be towed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet suburban 1500. The contact stated that while reversing, the brakes failed to respond to deceleration attempts and the brake pedal was able to be fully depressed. Upon inspection, it was found there was a brake fluid leak. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the master cylinder brake lines had corroded, which caused the leak. The mechanic repaired the vehicle by replacing the master cylinder brake lines. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000 and the current mileage was 32,000. Updated 02/26/13*lj the consumer stated the dealer tech advised that the failure was prevalent in that area. Updated 03/1/2013
Complete brake failure. Brake lines rusted out. Please add my name to the federal safety agency # ea11001 investigation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet suburban 1500. The contact stated that while trying to decelerate to a stop, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard abnormally. The contact moved off the roadway to further inspect the failure where he then noticed that brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection where they stated that the brake line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred a few months later. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.
On 10-5-12 I was driving my 2002 chevy suburban in eaton rapids michigan. I went to apply the brakes and the pedal went all the way to the floor. I was able to coast and slow enough to get off the roadway and into a parking lot. I noted smoke coming from under the hood. I checked and noted the right front brake line had blown and sprayed brake fluid onto the engine. I noted fluid on the ground under the truck and the reservoir was low on fluid. There was no warning and no warning light on the in dash computer. The brakes went from working just fine to nothing! I had the vehicle serviced at andrews automotive in mason, mi. They advised that two of the lines had blown and the other two were so rusty that they could go at anytime and recommended they be replaced as well. I had them replace all the brake lines. After doing some research I found that this is a known problem. This is very scary because my wife and I traveled to south dakota from michigan over the july 4th holiday. 1100 miles each way. If this would have happened hauling the motorcycle trailer, or the camper over the summer, a crash would have been inevitable. I hope chevy steps up and recalls the vehicles before someone is killed in one of these vehicles. If you own one, have the lines replaced immediately. I was very lucky. Someone is bound not to be. The bill to replace the brake lines was $818.50.
Traveling downhill toward a t-intersection, applied brakes and pedal went to the floor. Missed an approaching vehicle from the left by inches as I swung to the right, thru a stop sign. Returned home, thinking a rubber brake line had failed. Upon inspection, the steel brake pipe approximately ten inches in front of the right front caliper had split open due to corrosion. When I inspected the tubing prior to purchasing replacement parts, I discovered virtually all the steel brake lines were corroded to the point of failure, and in fact, I created another break in the same line as I attempted to loosen it from the plastic hold-down clamps under the left frame rail. Accessing the brake lines as they are routed between body and frame proved almost impossible, and am currently awaiting a recovery vehicle to take the truck to my inspection mechanic for replacement of all brake fluid lines/hoses from the master cylinder to the ebcm to each wheel caliper. The factory service manual mandates a minimum of 3/4" between any parallel brake lines, presumably to prevent bridging with mud/debris which might abet corrosion. In many cases, my steel brake lines were within 1/4" of one another. Some steel lines lay against steel frame rails with no clearance. This, however, would not account for the level of corrosion I discovered throughout the entire underbody of the truck. The only non-corroded portion of my brake system is the two lines immediately from the master cylinder downward to where they travel rearward along the left frame rail. Everything else is at the point of failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet suburban 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH the ABS light illuminated. As a result, the braking distances increased. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnose that the ABS system needed to be replaced. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 125,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet suburban 1500. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH she attempted to brake at an intersection and heard a cranking noise before the brakes failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnose that there was rust damage on the brake lines. As a result, front break lines needed to be replaced. Three months later the rear brakes failed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that the rust damage was extensive. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 177,000 and the current mileage was 179,000. Updated 11/13/12
My wife was driving our suburban to her job which is less than 2 miles from home. When she stepped on the brake after leaving our drive way, she thought she heard something that sounded like a woosh of air and noticed that she had to depress the brake pedal more than usual. On her way home from work, when she depressed the brake, the pedal went all the way down to the floor and the brake light came on the dashboard. She was able to bring it home safely without incident. I had the vehicle taken to a repair shop and they told me that the rear brake lines and calipers were corroded which I had to have repaired for a significant price. They told me that the front brake line and calipers will also need to be replaced shortly before those fail as they are corroded as well.
When driving from work, my husband noticed the vehicle was slow to stop. When the vehicle finally arrived home, we noticed a sizable amount of brake fluid in the driveway. The trail LED all the way to the garage. Since I cannot safely drive it to a mechanic for a formal assessment, my husband went under the vehicle myself and noticed it had excessive corrosion throughout the entire undercarriage. It is especially, extremely, and exaggeratedly severe with the brake lines. There is a small metal junction where the rear brake lines branch out to the respective left and right hub/caliper. The lines branching from this small union -that is just above the spare tire- are very wiry. He also noted that all of the lines from the front of the vehicle to the back, have a lot of corrosion on them.
Brakes line corroded, pedal to the floor.
Brake failure due hole in corroded brake line during braking. First repair date oct 2010 est. Second failure 12/23/2011. In both failures brake pedal goes to floor and reduces ability to slow or stop vehicle. 2nd failure brake fluid spraying out on rear components of vehicle including exhaust. No brake warning light came on to warn of failure and reduction of braking power. I am the second owner of this suburban which I purchased used with 22k miles in march of 2003.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet suburban 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to park with the trailer attached to the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the emergency brake also failed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 135,000. ..updated 10/19/11 *bf the consumer stated the problem was with the emergency brake only. The brake shoes for the emergency brake, drag and wear out completely, even if the emergency brake pedal is never used. Updated 10/21/11
My brake lines are severely corroded. I have no choice but to replace them with stainless lines because I know they are not safe. It's a costly labor intensive repair .
While parking a travel trailer into a steeply-sloped driveway after a 300-mile tow with the whole family aboard, noticed the brake pedal travel was uncommonly long. Following day, departed without the trailer for a short drive and again noticed a low pedal. Drove about three miles with extreme caution, and on arrival found brake fluid flowing from behind the driver's-side rocker panel. Slowly nursed the truck to the local dealer; during this drive the brake alarm light illuminated. No collision or injury in this case. Brake pipes were found to be all deeply corroded and breached; elected to replace all at a cost of $1130. Submitted as a case in ea11001: vehicle was purchased in nov 2001 in northern virginia, which is properly included in the salt belt with west virginia and dc/maryland, and has been in new jersey for the past four years.
I own a 2002 chevrolet suburban which when braking at low speeds the pedal drops near the floor and the ABS causes it to kick back and pulsate this happens on an intermittent basis causing greatly increased stopping distances. These symptoms are consistent with a recall where they sprayed anti corrosion stuff on an ABS speed sensor as a fix. This recall was performed on my vehicle 3 years ago at 40k miles now I am experiencing the same problem again @ 78k miles and gm says they are not obligated to perform it again or come up with a more permanent fix.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet suburban 1500. The contact stated the brakes are failing due to the anti-lock braking system. Whenever the brakes were applied the ABS vibrated excessively causing the occupant to apply more pressure to the brakes in order to stop the vehicle. The federal safety agency recall campaign id number: 05v379000, service brakes, hydraulic: anti-lock was related to the failure which was repaired by the dealer. The dealer removed the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly cleaned the sensor mounting surface on the wheel bearings, applied rust inhibitor and greased the mounting surface. The manufacturer advised her that since the recall repair was performed they are not obligated to repair it a second time. The failure mileage was 160,000. Updated 07/21/11 *bf the consumer stated the recall was performed by the dealership in 2005 without her consent. There were no problems with the ABS until 2011. The ABS would engage when it was not necessary. The initial recall has not been fixed. Updated 07/29/11
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