Dt: the contact stated all four brake rotors rusted, resulting in damage to the brake pads. The vehicle had a free remedy performed on the brakes, the federal safety agency recall campaign 05v379000 concerning anti lock brakes. However the rotors and pads were not covered by this recall. He contacted the manufacturer, and they suggested replacing the old rotors with after market rotors. The rotors and brakes have not been replaced at this time. *ak updated 12/27/2005 - the rust on the surface of the disc was so deep that it tore the lining off the pads.
GMC Sierra premature wear problems
11 of the 3,904 owner complaints about the GMC Sierra describe rotors or pads wearing out early, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 11
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 30,000
Is there a fix? There are 8 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20021
- 20011
- 20004
- 19992
- 19972
- 19951
Often reported together
What owners say
Parking brake does not hold anymore. This previously happened while the vehicle was under warranty and the dealership replaced the parking brake pads. It has happened again and upon inspection I found that the pads wear unevenly. Parking brake pads should not wear. This vehicle is equipped with a audible warning to prevent driving with parking brakes applied.
Vehicle is parked for extended period of time (2+ weeks) and the machined surface on the rear rotors rusts and peals off leaving a rough surface wearing out pads prematurely and necessitating the replacement of the rotors
Steady braking performance degradation since new, in conjuction with premature rear brake failure @ 28000 mi (2.5 yrs old), while front brakes still had over 50% remaining pad life. Dealer stated that rear rotor rust caused rear pad failure. Inspection of rear pads indicate other problems-uneven front to rear wear on lr inner pad .018" -.044", while lr outer pad had no brake material left. Rr outer pad had slight grooving across top with thickness between .110-.118", rr inner pad had grooving top and bottom, with between .122-.151" thickness pad material left.
The front and rear rotors rusted prematurely. The dealership repaired the rotors three times, but the consumer is still having the same problems. Please provide more information. *jb all these replacement rotors had very low mileage on them and would not pass pennsylvania state inspections. They were a.c. Delco gm replacement rotors. Consumer feel that gm rotors are poor quality and unsafe. *bf
Valve tap on cold start lasts approximately one minute. Gmc claims it is carbon build up in the combustion chamber and will not damage the engine. This is unsatisfactory. Any tapping sound is indicative of lack of lubrication and will prematurely wear the engine or its components particularly after warranty runs out. See service bulletin #01-06-01-028a. Or document #1271016 "engine knock on cold start".
While driving, the brakes failed without warning. *ak the brakes pulsated and felt like paper. The rear brake rotors were rusted and had come apart in sheets and ruined the rear brake pads. The front rotors rusted. *scc
Rear disc brakes are of such design that they get wet and rust, which causes them to drag. Rotors wear out prematurely due to this, causing extended braking distance. *ak
The front brake pads wear out within 12,000 miles on this type of vehicle. Have been told by dealer that these trucks have the same front rotor and calipers that are on the buick lesabra. This could explain the excessive wear of the pad due to the weight difference. The steering on this vehicle will lock up at slow speeds and allow the vehicle to wonder at higher speeds. Dealer has inspected front end and stated was within specs. Vehicle also will pull at times to left or right by self on straight highway.
Front disc brake pads wear out too quickly. I only have 17,000 miles on the current pads and they are worn out. I contacted gmc. They say they are sorry but that's the way the brakes are on that year of truck. They say there is no after market fix for this. Gmc literature on their new 2000 sierra trucks say the pads are "4 times" larger than on previous trucks. This tells me gm was aware of a problem and corrected it on their new trucks but haven't done anything to assist owners of older trucks. I feel gm should be required to manufacture an after market caliper with larger pads for installation on older trucks in order to correct the problem with their undersized brakes. I tow a trailer and this has especially been a concern of mine due to the added weight going down the highway. I have a friend at work that has the same truck but his is a 1994 model. He says he has the same problem with his truck and he is not very happy with this situation either. As a side note, I purchased the truck from alfred matthews in modesto, ca., however I have been having all of my maintenance work performed by geweke gmc in manteca, ca. Because they are much closer to where I live. I have not contacted alfred matthews about any of these problems. I have only discussed these problems with geweke personnel. Thank you.
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
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Certain trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans equipped with bosch hydro-boost brake assemblies, the hydraulic brake booster pressure accumulator may crack and separate from the hydro-boost assembly during normal operating conditions.
- Risk
- If a separation occurred and the hood of the vehicle were open, fragments from the accumulator could cause injury to people in the immediate area. The presence of this crack or fractured surface could allow the hydraulic fluid to leak from the accumulator circuit of the booster assembly. The loss of fluid would cause increased steering and braking effort and a crash may occur without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will test the hydro-boost assembly for functional operation of the two-function valve. If the hydro-boost assembly fails the test, dealers will replace the assembly free of charge. The recall began on march 23, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc trucks at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493.
Recall number 05V043000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
- Risk
- Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
- Remedy
- Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463; or hummer at 1‑866‑486‑6376.
Recall number 04V045000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a clearance condition between the front right-hand brake pipe and the body cross sill that could decrease to the point of allowing contact during the life of the vehicle. If contact occurs and the brake pipe becomes damaged, in half of the brake system there can be a loss of brake fluid and pressure. The brake warning lamp will be activated when the brake fluid level reaches the indicator limit.
- Risk
- During braking, the pedal will be lower than normal and stopping distances will be longer. If this occurs when stopping distance is limited, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the front right-hand brake pipe for wear. If there are signs of wear, this section of the brake pipe will be replaced with a new designed brake pipe section. If there are not signs of wear on the brake pipe, the dealer will install a spacer clip to ensure sufficient clearance between the brake pipe and the body cross sill.
Recall number 00V345000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes. Some of these vehicles have an antilock brake system (ABS) motor containing an out-of-specification spring clip. This clip could allow the motor bearing to become misaligned. If misalignment occurs, eventually the ABS would be non-functional.
- Risk
- The base brakes would remain fully functional, but the dynamic rear proportioning (drp) system, which optimizes front to rear brake balance, would become inoperative.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake pressure module valve assembly.
Recall number 00V055000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
- What is wrong
- Severe corrosion due to road salt at the joint of the stamped steel center section and the cast outer section can cause the sections to separate.
- Risk
- Separation of the rotor sections can cause loss ofbraking ability in the affected wheel. This could result in increased stoppingdistance and/or loss of vehicle control and an accident.
- Remedy
- Replace the front brake rotors with new rotors with a corrosion protection coating. However, if replacement of brake linings are necessary, it will be done at owner's expense since brake linings are normal maintenance items.
Recall number 93V119000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- The pivot bolt holding the brake pedal to its support bracket may be improperly tightened and may not have engaged the locking material on the bolt. The bolt can disengage from the nut.
- Risk
- If the pivot bolt disengages from the nut while thevehicle is in motion, there will be a loss of brake control and could result ina vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers should inspect the hand started brake pedal bolts and torque them to specification.
Recall number 92V056000 · Recall details
Questions about the GMC Sierra premature wear
Which GMC Sierra years have rotors or pads wearing out early problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (4 complaints), 1997 (2 complaints) and 1999 (2 complaints).
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