Approaching stop sign and brake pedal went to floor. After looking at lines ,they are all corroded terribly and I noticed the federal safety agency has an open complaint on this very thing.
2003 Chevrolet Suburban brakes complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 91, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I took my vehicle in for our states' required annual vehicle inspection. The mechanic observed that the brake lines were extremely rusty and, in his own words, on the verge of complete failure. He showed me the lines which were flaking and already pitted and crevased. He noted this was a **very** dangerous condition and could result in a "no brake condition". After showing me the brake lines in question, he recommended full brake line replacement. I took his recommendation seriously and I went home and did some research on the internet, and much to my surprise, the internet abounded with owners of 1999-2003 suburban (and other chevy/gm models) problems associated with the rusting of brake lines. !!! I was appalled that so many problems have been documented and with no formal recourse/action taken by chevrolet. [as a related note, in the prior annual inspection for this vehicle, the ABS sensors were noted as rusted through, and which I had replaced]. We live in virginia where the weather is moderate and there is not that much winter conditions that require road salting, etc. So this is not a result of the vehicle living in harsh road-salted conditions. I ended up deciding to spend the $$ to remediate this dangerous driving condition and to get another 10 years out of the vehicle. I purchased a stainless steel set of pre-bent brake lines specific to this vehicle (shows that there is a demand for these in the market because of this condition) and having them installed (over $1k total). Ouch! Chevrolet needs to step up to the plate, admit culpability, and make it right for vehicle owners. Come on chevy...
My husband was backing out of the driveway, heard a pop and brake pedal went to floor. Luckily no one was hurt. Dealer said front to back brake line corrosion. Cost will be $2000 to fix. We see there is a pending investigation on this and want to know status because it seems likely from researching this that a recall is possible. Can you provide a status on brake line corrosion investigation among 1999-2003 gm vehicles. Not fair that we have to pay $2000 for brake corrosion that should not have happened. Please advise if possible.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that while decelerating and approaching a traffic stop, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the brake lines were corroded and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 67,000.
All brake lines and fuel line rusted ,was not driving fast ,dealer told me it would cost 3500. Have to take trans out ,I think gm should help pay for this they have 3 other tahoes and suburbans there with the same problem ,too bad they got bailed out.
Brake fail with no pressure when brake pedal was pushed and no warning lights, we were going about 65 MPH and had to stop for traffic. Had to pull off roadway on to grass area to avoid hitting other cars. Lucky no one was kill. Upon inspection, the driver side brake line was corroded, it was directly under the driver seat area. This is the first time in my life that brake line ever fail due to corrosion. We in north east of the country by the shore area are subject to salt during winter and manufacture should take this into consideration for safety of public.
I took my 2003 chevy suburban for a brake fluid flush recently. The shop told me that all the brake components are corroded very badly especially the brake lines. The shop recommended to replace all my brake calipers. Brake rotors were almost end of their life. So I ended up replacing all 4 brake calipers, rotors, pads and the brake hoses leading to the brake calipers. The shop said sooner or later I would need my brake lines replaced. I just searched online and came across the federal safety agency's investigation on the brake line corrosion hence decided to report it to you. From the carfax history report, this truck was registered around philadelphia, pa area for it's entire life and also it was serviced at dealerships around this area. So I guess this truck was on the northeast part of the u.s for its entire life but not closer to salt (sea) water or weather.. Should you need more information feel free to contact me via email or phone.
Stopped to get gas. Brake pedal went to the floor and wouldn't stop, warnings started going off and smoke was coming from under the vehicle, was able to put the vehicle in park to avoid hitting anything, husband was able to look under vehicle and saw all the fluid, told me to step on the brake pedal and fluid was spraying from a line in the engine compartment.
My brakes did not seem to be operating correctly. Stopping distance was greatly increased. When I checked, most of my brake lines were completely rusted and crumbling. I think it is important to note this is a low mileage, garage kept vehicle which is rarely driven in the winter. Furthermore, it has received undercarriage clean water washing twice a year since 2006 when I purchased it. I understand that brake lines will eventually rust but this case seems extreme, especially since it is a well cared for, garage kept vehicle that rarely sees road salt.
Wife just returned from work, backing into the garage. Brake pedal went to the floor (no lights or warnings)? When I crawled under and looked brake lines were ruptured nest to frame.
My son was driving in bakersfield ca, he was on buena vista, when he came to a traffic light at ming ave. The light changed and when he hit the brakes the warning light came on. The front brakes failed to work and he skidded thru the intersection, thru the red light. The speed limit is 55 MPH on that road, the time was 11am. No other car was hit. He had my truck towed to a aaa shop, they said the front brake tubing off the ABS boxed to the front caliper failed from rusting out (with no warning). They said they could not fix it at that shop and I should take it to 3 way chev. I called the chevy factory line and spoke to a rep. She said they might warranty some of the repair but their dealer ship had to verify the problem. I informed her of the mileage and gave her the VIN# I told her I also bought the car from heritage chevy in md. I called them and got a price to replace all the brake tubing for $1600.00 and if it needed a ABS box it would be total of $3400.00 for everything.3way chevy in bakersfield said it would cost $7597.07 for everything but it may be more because they said they had to remove the cab from the frame. They also said the truck should not be driven in the snow because of the salt that is used on the roads. This is a 4x4 and I live in northern md and I bought for the snow and I tow a 24 foot boat that weighs 6300 lbs. The factory rep said they could not help me in any way because of the age and mileage, which I originally told them about. The factory reps keep on transferring me to other reps till I gave up. I was ase tech( everything except transmissions ) , md state inspector and md certified emissions for over 20 years. This brake problem with the gm trucks will eventually get someone hurt or killed. I sold the truck for $ 1500.00 with no brakes as is.
Total brake failure caused a collision with car that had slowed in front. Inspection under the car showed brake fluid sprayed around the left side of the rear axle.
This was the date a mechanic advised us that the brake lines are severely corroded and that they should be replaced. Our vehicle is garaged in the winter and we bought the vehicle new. The brake lines should last longer than that.
One of the brake lines from the master cylinder to the ABS control unit ruptured due to severe corrosion, resulting in severe loss of brake fluid, and near complete loss of braking force. Replaced both lines on the advice of my mechanic who stated that the other line was just as badly corroded. Subsequently, the brake line from the ABS control unit to the rear brakes failed due to severe corrosion in december of 2012, resulting in complete loss of rear brake effectiveness. Replaced that portion of brake system, and very concerned about the remainder of the original equipment brake lines still extant.
Brake line failure, brake went to the floor. Brake line corrosion.
I purchased this suburban new in 2003. In may of 20011, I suddenly had no brakes when backing up and going forward in parking lot after driving from home to store. Took the suburban to olympia, washington chevrolet dealer who said cause of the brake failure was due to rusting of brake lines that were leaking and recommended replacing all brake lines. In the previous weeks, I had driven the suburban on mountain roads in national forests in the area that were unpaved and had steep inclines, was lucky not to have had a failure on those roads or on paved highway at high speeds on the trip home. All break lines were replaced. This required removal of the fuel tank. A few weeks later the service engine check light came on I took the suburban back to the dealer who determined that the problem was the front fuel tank vent that was also rusted and was not functioning properly. This required replacing the fuel tank since the vent was not sold separately!! The new tank with vent cost $829 dollars bringing the total cost over $3,000 dollars. Note, I also purchased a 2003 honda accord new, which I still have, and have driven it for over 70,000 miles and in the same environment as the 2003 suburban, and it has no signs of rust on the brake lines or fuel lines. This seems to be a common problem with suburbans of other model years and it is a life endangering failure. I feel I should be compensated by chevrolet for these repairs and a recall issued all suburbans to check for this rusting of the brake and fuel lines to avoid loss of brakes that could cause an accident and loss of life.
We bought the suburban in virginia in 2004 moved to washington state in 2007. Lived there for 4 years and now live in guam which has been for about a year and a half. The 2003 suburban has seen very little snow and when it has the states we have live in use sand and not salt and yes I know guam is a island. While coming home a car pulled infront of us and I had to apply the brakes and the brake pedal went completely to the floor, I barley stopped in time which would of been no problem if they brakes worked normally (note: guam's max speed limit on the island is 35 miles per hour) . Still in traffic I had to find a place to pull off which took about a minute, lucky it was up hill. The service warning came on to check brakes of course at this time they where completely to the floor taking 100 feet to bring the vehicle to a stop thank you k-mart parking lot. The brake reservoir was completely dry and a pool of brake fluid was below the drivers door. There was no warning of this failure they worked fine one minute then not the next. I am now being quoted 1,100.00 dollar repair by the dealership and to top it off it will be atleast 2 weeks to get the parts from detroit since they only use oem parts. Not to mention the rental car bill I will racking up in guam. My major concern is 6 years down the road when they fail again will I be so lucky since oem parts are not stainless steel.
I was driving about 25mph on a snow covered road. I applied the brake and the ABS system engaged then the brake pedal went down to the floor with no hydraulic pressure. The car no longer slow down so I down shifted to slow the car and finally got it to stop and shifted to neutral to stay stopped. Once I put the car in gear the brakes could not keep the car from moving. Once safely off the road I checked the brake fluid and their was none. The brake line failed and all the fluid leaked out. I am thankful this didn't happen while I was driving at any faster speeds, this is very dangerous and occurred with no prior warning.
Traveling from ma to fl, stopped to eat dinner and change drivers. When we resumed the trip we lost the brakes in the parking lot of the restaurant. A mechanic in nc came out on a sunday morning to help us. He found the brake line at the left rear axle had ruptured due to corrosion. He said he keeps a coil of brake lines in stock so he can make up a brake line for travelers from the north. When I called him to tell him we lost our brakes, he said you are from the north, right? I thought it was my accent but he said it was because gets enough calls for this that he keeps a coil of material in stock. We are fortunate it was not in city traffic or at a higher speed. When I did a google search I found many others with the same experience and an article that the federal safety agency was studying this.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that while reversing from a residential driveway, the brake pedal abnormally traveled to the floorboard and the vehicle did not respond. As a result, the contact reversed and crashed into a tree. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic where it was discovered that all of the brakes lines were rusted through. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 40,000. Updated 12/19/12
My low mileage 2003 suburban has been garage kept since I purchased it new. In march 2011 my brake lines failed causing me to hit the stopped vehicle in front of me. Upon taking it to jba chevrolet for repairs, service manager said they replaced rotted brake lines in 2003 and 2004 gm products all day long. He also said that during these years gm chose not to anodize their brake lines on some models. I asked the dealership if this had been reported to the federal safety agency, he told us that car dealers and repair shops are not allowed to file complaints, that complaints must come directly from the consumer. Who else would know better than a car dealer or repair shop about continuing defects found in a certain model vehicle. What does it take to get a recall? How many people must die?
I was coming up on an intersection when the light turned red, I stepped on the brakes and they failed to work. I had no warning, only after I tried to stop the car did the instrument panel light come on and read "service brakes". The car went into the intersection. I called aaa, who came and towed me to a dealership. The dealership said that the brake lines had corroded and I had lost all brake fluid.
In a situation that required sudden hard braking, I experienced an almost total loss of braking power. The brake pedal went all the way to the floor and the truck required a much greater distance to slow down and stop. There was no advance warning light /sound until after the brake system failure. The repair shop told me one of the metal brake lines had blown out due to severe corrosion, causing a complete loss of brake fluid. The other brake lines were also very corroded and seeping brake fluid. Additionally, many other components of the brake system (rotors, calipers, brake hoses, bleed valves, backing plates) were very rusted or deteriorated and falling apart.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the brake pedal was abnormally depressed into the floor board. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder and after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed brake fluid leaking from the brake lines. There was corrosion on the brake lines as well. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. There was an investigation under the federal safety agency action number: ea11001 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) that could possibly have been related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000. Updated 8/31/12 *cn updated 09/10/12.
Brakes worked fine driving to lumber yard, after loading lumber, and backing up, the brakes pedal went to floorboard. Was able to drive to olympia chevrolet dealer about 5 miles away. Brake fluid was about halfway down in the brake fluid reservoir. Left car for dealer service department to determine cause of brake pedal not having any pressure. Pressing on brake would provide slight braking to slow vehicle. Dealer service department called, and said that the brake lines had rusted through, preventing pressure to brakes. I had not noticed any fluid spots in my driveway nor any loss of braking in recent driving. The service department said that all the steel brake lines needed to be replaced and that gm did not have any stock replacement brake lines. This meant that they would have to order brake line tubing and form the brake tubing to fit the vehicle. The cost of this is estimated to be $1,800- $2,000. The vehicle is still at the dealer being repaired. I understand that the federal safety agency is investigating over 110 complaints of similar brake failures on other chevrolet and gm vehicles due to excessive corrosion. Please add this complaint to that list. I purchased this suburban new in 2003 and it has been maintained by the dealer and has minimal mileage. I feel this failure should be handled as an recall and the costs paid by gm. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
I was driving my suburban 2500 and pulling a trailer. I hit the brakes to stop at an intersection and the brake pedal went right to the floor. I went right through the stop sign and just missed another car before I could stop. I checked the brakes, a brake line under the truck had burst due to heavy rusting.
The rear brake line broke.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that while driving 3 MPH, the brakes malfunctioned and the contact had to utilize the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an automotive shop where it was diagnosed it that due to corrosion, the brakes had ruptured. The dealer was not contacted nor was the vehicle completely repaired. The failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 77,050.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that there was corrosion in one of the brake lines, causing complete brake failure while driving 30 MPH. The dealer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.
While driving at 45 MPH on a medium traffic city road, the brakes were applied while stopping for a traffic light that had turned red. The brake pedal did not respond quickly enough and had depressed all the way to the floor. The vehicle was able to slow down enough to be driven into an empty parking lot. As I got the vehicle to stop, I opened the engine compartment and saw the brake fluid level was very low. The vehicle had its preventative maintenance done on it just three weeks prior and all fluids were checked topped off (all of which is documented by an oil and lube garage). I was able to get the vehicle back to my home and had inspected the issue. An area along the frame rail were the brake lines go from the master cylinder to the ABS motor was leaking. The brake lines were severely corroded in just one area, inspection of the rest of the brake lines were ok. Its just odd that it was corroded in just the one area and nowhere else. There was no warning that the brakes were about to fail or any indication that the fluid level was low.
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