While slowing from 55mph to make a turn off of state highway, brake system failed at approximately 35mph due to ruptured steel line. Pedal went fully to floor, brakes released and turn off was missed. Thankful nobody was in the way! Shocked that this is apparently a common issue with this vehicle at just 13yrs and 150k miles!!
2003 Chevrolet Suburban brakes complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 91, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While driving with my two daughters and husband, we attempted to come to a stop and brake pedal went all the way to the floor, truck would not stop. Luckily we were not going that fast just 20 MPH. Husband diagnosed the problem, no brake fluid. Drove very slowly to local auto store, filled up brake fluid. No change in brakes. Was able to drive slowly home with hazards on. Took to local mechanic, upon inspection, brakes lines completely rusted out! Entire brake line to be replaced, over 2000.00 job!
While applying my brakes on highway rout 87, near albany ny, the pedal went to the floor and we crashed into the car in front of us. After being towed to a aaa repair facility they told us that the brakes were fine but the steel brake line had blown out and the fluid had leaked causing loss of stoping power without any warning... We spent $890.00 plus a hotel room for one night as we waited for them to make a repair to one brake line. I recently found out all the brake lines are rotted out and need to be replaced. This makes no sense.....there is a clear safety issue here. Please reopen the case and advise a recall before a big SUV like ours hurts someone in a small car because there brake lines failed. They won't know until its to late!!!
While attempting to stop the brake pedal went to the floor I had drive to the shoulder of the road to keep from hitting the car ahead of me. The right front steel hydraulic brake line failed due to rust.
While towing a bass boat and slowing to turn into a driveway, the brake pedal suddenly went to the floor causing me to drive into an open field while attempting to pump brakes to stop. Once stopped I checked to find a large leak in a brake line running along drivers side rear frame. Fortunately I had just driven down a steep curved hill. Additionally, a second failure occurred on 8/3/2015 when driving toward an intersection stop sign. Again the pedal went to the floor. Causing a near miss as the stop sign was driven through when I couldn't stop. This time the drivers front line ruptured. On exam half the lines are clear of rust and half are all rusted obviously from different suppliers. This time all will be replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. While driving 40 MPH, the brakes were engaged and the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard. The contact was barely able to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that there was a brake line failure due to corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 159,000.
My brakes failed on an interstate highway in sw ohio in traffic. I avoided an accident by changing lanes abruptly and coasting to a stop on the side of the road. The repair facility indicated that it was the result of a rusted brake line that failed. The repairs cost me $1300 plus the cost of a rental car while the car was repaired. I understood from the feedback of the repair facility that gm is aware or this defect but has not elevated it to a "recall". It is considered to be a "campaign". I was not informed by anyone, including a dealership/ the car is low mileage, but I do live in the ne where the car has been exposed to chemicals on the road. I had the car at a dealership not more than 2 weeks ago for an air conditioning repair. This issue was not reported to me at that time.
I had just come off the highway and was on the exit ramp. Went to press my brakes at the stop light and my foot went to the floor. Thankfully the off ramp was an slight uphill so that helped me slow and there was no traffic coming across. I went through the stop light and was able to stop after the turn by pressing the brake all the way to the floor. I had the car towed to our mechanic who determined that 2 of the brake lines had rusted through. The other lines were showing signs of rust so they were all replaced. I was thankful that my 4 kids and husband were not in the car and that there was no cross traffic or this could have had a much worse ending. After seeing how many complaints there are about the brake lines on the 2003 suburban, I would hope that a recall would be issued for safety sake!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed, the contact was informed by an independent mechanic that the brake lines were corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a second opinion. The technician stated that the brake lines were working up to standards. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vehicle failure mileage was 142,000.
Catastrophic brake failure; brake pedal went to the floor with very little stopping power left to the vehicle. Mechanic has advised that all of the brake lines require replacement.
Driving in my subdivision I applied the brake with very limited/slow stopping power stopping. With great luck it wasn't an emergency, it could have been so terrible if a kid came in front last minute because I would not have been able to stop and there would have been a very serious incident. Driving very slowly home and in the driveway I had another person apply the brakes and when they did brake fluid came dumping out of the brake lines under the drivers seat. Closer inspection revealed terribly rusted out brake lines. One of the lines had split, all the others could go any day now. Reading online this is not a new issue. This should be a recall, one day these lines are going to break at the wrong time and someone or some people may lose their life. Do the right thing gm.
Brake lines rusted and failed especially where they attach to the ABS mechanism under the driver's side door.
Pulling out of driveway pedal went to floor. Got out of truck and noticed brakeline broken under driverside door.. All lines look horrible.
Vehicle was coming to a stop from a speed of approximately 30mph and brakes failed suddenly to bring vehicle to a stop a normal rate. Driver needed to swerve off road to avoid collision. Vehicle crashed into side curve. Not warning sign or light was lit before incident. Clear yellowish fluid drained from underneath vehicle near driver's door.
Loss of braking power and stopping ability. A certified mechanic told me that this year vehicle had the incorrect braking system installed at manufacture. It is a 5780 pound vehicle (3/4 ton) with 1/2 ton braking system factory installed. On way home from ny state to florida I had less and less stopping power. Brake fluid up to full level. Excessive heat from front wheels. I drove at slower speeds in order to keep a safe distance in front of me in case I needed to stop quickly, which I felt the vehicle could not stop in time to avoid an accident. I have contacted gm to report and ask what can be done. In the interim I have had new rotors and brake pads installed as a stop gap measure. I have been told it is not a permanent fix as the weight of the vehicle requires the 3/4 ton braking system rather than the 1/2 ton system that is on the vehicle. There will be excessive pad and rotor wear as a consequence.
The brakes on my 2003 suburban failed suddenly with no warning as I was taking the exit ramp off the interstate near my house. I brake sharply when a vehicle cut in front of me from the right travel lane into the exit lane, and the brake pedal suddenly went all the way to the floor. At the moment that happened, the instrument panel chimed continuously and displayed "service brake system". The truck seemed to have no braking power whatsoever, and I had to slow the truck using the emergency brake. I had just driven around 55 miles in heavy traffic on I-95 and the beltway, with traffic often slowing, speeding up, then slowing again, then speeding up again. If this brake failure had occurred then, instead of on the slightly uphill exit ramp off I-66 1/2 mile from my house, it likely would have resulted in a serious crash. After I got the truck home, I saw fluid leaking from the brake line running under the driver's side door. A few days later, I spoke with a service rep at the dealer, who gave me a verbal estimate that replacing just that one brake line would cost around $500, and to replace all of them (which he recommended) would cost around $2000. I had the truck towed in a week or so later and had all of the lines replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. While driving 10 MPH, the brakes failed to respond. Another vehicle, traveling approximately 50 MPH, crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bag failed to deploy. The contact sustained minor injuries. The contact stated that two passengers in the other vehicle sustained major injuries. A police report was filed and medical attention was received. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
While driving down hill the light at the bottom of the hill turned red. I stepped on the brakes, heard a pop and hissing noise and the brake pedal went to the floor. The truck was slowing but not by much. I pulled it into low gear and blew the horn. The car sitting at the light took notice and pulled out of the way and I was able to go around the corner onto level ground and stop the truck. When I opened the door brake fluid was pouring out on the ground. There was no warning of the failure and the truck has been gm dealer serviced including brakes.
I was driving my 2003 suburban and heading southbound along washington blvd. In arlington county. As I approached merging traffic from rt. 50/arlington blvd. And ft. Myer, I adjusted my speed to allow vehicle #1 to merge in front of me. Simultaneously, vehicle #2 sped up to abruptly merge in front of vehicle #1, causing that vehicle to brake hard directly in front of me. I also had to brake hard to avoid hitting vehicle #1 and upon doing so managed to get stopped without contact, but at the same time lost all further braking ability. The brake light and a warning message to "service brakes immediately" both illuminated on the instrument panel. I was able to safely pull to the right side of the highway and into the breakdown lane and called aaa for tow service. The tow truck driver's initial assessment was that the brake linings had leaked out. After having the truck towed and further assessed, it was determined that the front brake lines had failed and needed to be replaced to the ABS module. Although now a 11 year old vehicle, it has been maintained routinely by either the chevrolet dealership where we purchased our suburban, or with our local sunoco mechanic. It also recently passed inspection in march of this year. There was no previous indication or warning of any possible brake issues. Fortunately, this incident was not serious; however, I believe it could have been avoided entirely had gm notified owners of possible brake line failure.
I was stopped at an intersection at a stop sign. There was a car approaching on my left that had the right of way and did not have a stop sign. They were traveling at approximately 30 MPH. My foot was on the brake pedal, and it suddenly dropped to the floor. My vehicle went into the path of the oncoming car and I could not stop. I cut my wheel to the right and accelerated quickly to get out of the way. After I was clear of them, I pulled over to the side of the road. My vehicle was towed to a local shop and the rear metal brake line had failed and had to be replaced.
Brake lines rusted thru going to anti lock block. These lines run along the outside of the frame.
When departing for the day, the brake pedal went completely to the floor. The stopping time of the vehicle was compromised. Since the vehicle was being used to tow a 19 foot boat, the trip was aborted in the first mile and the vehicle was parked. Upon inspection of the brakes, a severe leaking of brake fluid was discovered. The brake lines were checked and extensive rusting of the lines was discovered. There was no indication of brake fluid leaks or reduced pressure from any indicator signal. The failure was sudden and unexpected as the brakes worked without issue the previous evening.
Thankfully in our driveway, the brake pedal went all the way to the floor. And we noticed fluid was leaking from the left rear. Our vehicle was towed to our repair shop and the mechanic reported the following: there was heavy rust on the rear differential. The metal brake line at the left rear wheel has a hole rusted through. All of the metal brake lines are in very poor condition due to rust contamination. All of the brake lines need to be replaced. I understand that you are investigating a rust issue with the brake lines on 2003 chevy suburbans. We have maintained our vehicle with regular service, and oil changes every 3,000 miles. Our suburban looks new inside and out. This is the second issue we have had with excessive rust. In 2008, with less than 50,000 miles on the vehicle, the backing plates rusted and needed to be replaced. Thankfully, gm paid for the repair. We take very good care of our vehicles and with 94,038 miles (mostly highway miles), we feel that the brake lines rusting through is not an expected repair. The brakes failing could have had catastrophic consequences. I have read about other people having the same issue with their suburban.
Slowing down to turn on to i95, brake pedal went to the floor. Had no brakes what so ever, no warning. Thank the lord that we were able to move out of traffic and slow down with out having a accident. Took it to gm dealer they replaced all to lines. Had to take it to other gm dealer to tighten and replace a part the other dealer had stripped the threads on and tried to fix it with teflon tape. Also tighten body mounts the dealer left loose.
Right in my own driveway, I applied the brake pedal and without any prior issues the pedal went to the floor and the dash alert came on to service brake system. Thankfully, this did not occur while on the road because it was a sudden failure. Even at slow speed, the heavy vehicle took several feet to stop. The brake line from the ABS module heading to the rear axle burst in 3 or 4 places causing a large amount of brake fluid to leak out. All lines to and from the ABS module are heavily rusted and look much worse than other components. As I looked into this online, I've discovered numerous vehicles having this and much worse problems involving accidents. I can't see how this vehicle could have ever stopped safely. I just drove it the night before and had no warning signs. This is more than normal wear and tear. These brake lines are sub standard and could have been made better. Another sign of large corporations trying to use inferior materials to boost their stockholders profits. Someone help us.
As I was backing out of a parking space, I experienced a total brake failure. Fortunately, I was going slow enough to stop and avoid injuring myself or another person. Thank god I wasn't going 50 MPH with my wife and 4 children in the car or I might not be writing this today (or someone else could have been injured by me due to this brake failure). I discovered the reason for this failure was because my brake line prematurely corroded and this problem is well known to the federal safety agency and you have done absolutely nothing. How dare you and gm put my family and other innocent bystanders at risk because of your incompetence!!! Why hasn't there been a recall??? A simple google search shows this problem has been experienced by thousands of chevy owners as well as premature rusting of the body and undercarriage which I am also experiencing. This car only has 60k miles and has been well cared for, but I am experiencing problems that cars with 3 times as many miles shouldn't experience. Perhaps congress would be interested in this dereliction of duty by the federal safety agency. How many americans have to die or get injured in accidents before you take action??? If total failure of a vehicle's breaking system doesn't spur a call to action by the federal safety agency then what will? What could be more vital to safety than brakes on a 1/2 ton truck? Repairs for the brake line will cost me over $1,200 and that just adds insult to this whole disgraceful situation. I demand to be reimbursed for this well known safety issue that I have to correct. The federal safety agency has failed and it's costing way more than $1,200; it's costing americans their lives.
Brake pedal went to floor while wife was driving. Took it to chevy dealership and they said steel brake line had rusted through. Upon inspection they said all steel brake lines needed replacing due to outside rust which I had them do. I live in northern michigan. Cant remember cost of chevy dealership replacing all of the steel brake lines.
On 3-8-14 at about 10:00 am I was less than a mile from home when I was approaching a two way stop sign traveling at about 30 MPH. I began braking normally for the stop when shortly after applying the brakes, the resistance from the brake pedal was lost and the pedal went instantly to the floor. At the time the pedal went to the floor there was no longer any breaking of the vehicle. I could not slow the vehicle by braking and continued through the intersection. Fortunately, there were no cars in the intersection. Pumping the brakes lightly provided a slight breaking. I continued to drift and down shift the transmission until the car could be stopped. When inspecting under the vehicle, break fluid was seen dripping at a fast rate from a break line under the driver side door. A puddle of brake fluid was quickly building up. Later that day I went to the chevrolet dealer and explained what happened. I was told it's a common problem and there was a repair kit that could be installed. I was not aware of the common instantaneous brake failure problem.
Vehicle made a full stop, driver then continued on and pressed the brake and the brakes went all the way down, brake light went on and dic advised of a brake problem. This has occurred a total of 3 different times on this vehicle, each time another area of the line bursting. Each time I have paid more than $185 to have the issue fixed.
Brakes failed when coming to a stop after leaving a gas station. Brake fluid leaking down frame rail next to ABS booster by the fuel tank.
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