1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Brakes

THIS IS THE 2ND INCIDENT TO REPAIR A RUSTED BRAKE LINE. LUCKILY, I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC AND IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS COMING UP OUR DRIVEWAY AND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, I KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG. IT COST ME $130.00 TO TOW THE TRUCK TO OUR LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER IN ROMNEY, WV AND THE REPAIR WILL COST ME $1000.00. KNOWING THIS YEAR CHEVROLET TRUCK HAS THE BRAKE LINE RUST PROBLEM, I ALWAYS POWER WASH THE UNDERCARRIAGE.

WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN I HAD A ANOTHER PERSON PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME, I HIT THE BRAKES AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATING, REPLACED THE POWER AIR BOOSTER WHICH TOOK CARE OF THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. BUT AFTER STARTING THE TRUCK TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE BRAKES WERE WORKING PROPERLY, THE TRUCK BLEW A BRAKE LINE (SITTING IN PARK) THAT WAS RUSTED SEVERELY. EITHER WAY, I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

AS I TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKES PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE ABS SYSTEM KICKED IN (ON DRY PAVEMENT). VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING SO I RAN IT INTO THE FRAME OF THE GARAGE DOOR TO STOP, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE RAN THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR. THE SHOP COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY THE ABS LIGHT STAYED ON. BRAKE LINES WERE TOTALLY RUSTED. TRUCK HAS A GOOD ENGINE, BUT TERRIBLE RUST ON BRAKE LINES, FRAME, LOWER BODY PANEL BEHIND DOORS. PAINT PEALING OFF HOOD AND ROOF.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. I DROVE 20 MILES TO MY HOUSE AND HAD SOFT BRAKES UPON ARRIVAL. THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY AND BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDER THE DRIVERS POSITION BENEATH THE CAB. THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM A BUNDLE OF BRAKE LINES NEXT TO THE FRAME. *TR

RUSTED REAR TUBING ALONG DRIVER SIDE FRAME RUPTURED WHILE APPROACHING A RED TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. CONTROL OF ALL 4 WHEELS WAS LOST WITHOUT WARNING. ALL STEEL TUBING IS EXTREMELY RUSTED.

WHILE BRAKING HARD FOR AN ANIMAL IN THE ROADWAY, THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN APPLIED SUDDENLY AND HARD, WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKES WERE INEFFECTIVE AT STOPPING THE VEHICLE. THE ANIMAL WAS STRUCK. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FRONT TO REAR BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED AND BURST. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED VERY RUSTY BRAKE LINES WHICH APPEAR READY TO FAIL IN MANY LOCATIONS. *JS

MY 1999 SILVERADO HAD BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. UPON INSPECTION FOUND A FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED AND BLOWN OUT. THE WARNING LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. THERE ARE SEVERAL LINES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE SIX GM CARS AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. MY 1957 AND 1963 AND 1964 BRAKE LINES ARE IN GREAT SHAPE. I LIVE IN NC AND DO NOT HAVE THE BAD WINTER AND EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALTS THAT SOME MAY SAY WAS THE CAUSE. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *JS

MY VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE ABS KICKS IN AND EXTENDS THE STOPPING DISTANCE BY VARIOUS AMOUNTS. *JS

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. THEN AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES UNDER NORMAL USAGE I FELT THE PEDAL GO ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR. WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOME. TOOK TO DEALER WHO SAID ALL 4 BRAKE LINES HAD BURST DUE TO CORROSION. CHARGED ME OVER $1500.00 TO FIX FOR NEW LINES AND BLEEDING THE SYSTEM. *TR

MY WIFE DROVE THE TRUCK TO WINCHESTER, VA. AND THE BRAKES WORKED OK. WHEN SHE WAS RETURNING HOME SHE NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ?SOFT? AND THE BRAKES HAD TO BE PUMPED TO STOP. UPON RETURNING HOME I NOTICED THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. I FILLED THE RESERVOIR AND TOOK THE TRUCK TO A LOCAL GARAGE IN CAPON BRIDGE, WV. I INSPECTED THE RESERVOIR AFTER I GOT TO THE GARAGE AND IT WAS AGAIN EMPTY. THE MECHANIC REPLACED A LENGTH OF TUBING FROM BENEATH THE LEFT DRIVER'S DOOR TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT A COST OF $262.00. *TR

VEHICLE BRAKE LINES FOUND TO BE SEVERELY CORRODED. BRAKE LINE MATERIAL IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SERVICE IN NORMAL CONDITIONS AND IN MY CASE THE FRAME AND OTHER UNDERCARRIAGE DO NOT EXHIBIT SIMILAR CORROSION. INVESTIGATION OF THE LINES FOUND CORROSION THROUGHOUT THE BRAKE SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE ABS CONTROLLER, LOCATED AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE INSIDE FRAME RAIL. IN TALKING WITH FRIENDS/CO-WORKERS I LEARNED OF TWO INCIDENTS, ONE WITH A 2002 SILVERADO 2500 HAVING A SIMILAR FAILURE WHERE THE LINE FAILED AT STOP WHILE THE LINE WAS UNDER PRESSURE. ANOTHER FRIEND HAD A FAILURE IN HIS 2001 SILVERADO 1500 WHILE APPLYING BRAKES TO STOP A THE BOTTOM OF A HILL. THE BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A RUPTURED LINE AND THE OWNER WAS ABLE TO GEAR DOWN, ROLL THROUGH THE STOP SIGN AND TURN ONTO A SIDE ROAD. A HIGHER PROFILE INCIDENT INVOLVED A CO-WORKER WITH A 2001 SILVERADO 2500 PULLING A TRAVEL TRAILER. WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURED AND THE VEHICLE RAN THE RED LIGHT. THE OWNER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE USING THE TRAVEL TRAILER ELECTRIC BRAKES. I WORK AT A LARGE CHEMICAL COMPANY HEADQUARTERED IN KINGSPORT, TN. THIS INCIDENT WAS THE SUBJECT OF A SAFETY NEWSLETTER THAT IS CIRCULATED AT THE KINGSPORT SITE IN 2013. SEARCHES OF INTERNET FORUMS FIND MULTIPLE SIMILAR INCIDENTS DUE TO BRAKE LINE RUPTURE SOME INVOLVING INJURY. *TR

I WAS TURNING A CORNER A SHORT WAY FROM MY HOUSE. MY BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR. I TRIED PUMPING THE BRAKES AND GOT ALMOST NO STOPPING POWER. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO COAST UP INTO MY YARD. I LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK AND THEIR WAS BRAKE FLUID ALL OVER THE FRAME RAIL AND THE BUNDLE OF LINES. ONE OR MORE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. IF I WAS IN TRAFFIC, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION! *TR

WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND BRAKE PEDAL LOST PRESSURE FOLLOWED BY TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME AND I SOMEHOW WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE INTERSECTION WITHOUT GETTING HIT. AFTER COMING TO THIS SITE AND SEEING HUNDREDS OF RECORDED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT GM HAS NOT RECALLED THIS VEHICLE FOR FAULTY BRAKE LINES. *TR

MY 1999 CHEVY SILVERADO PICKUP TRUCK EXPERIENCED A BRAKE LINE FAILURE IN MY DRIVEWAY, I WAS GOING 5 MPH OR LESS WHEN BOTH OF MY BRAKE LINE FAILED CAUSING ME TO REAR END MY DAUGHTERS CAR PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, LUCKY HER CAR WAS THERE OR I WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THE GARAGE DOOR. I HAD THE BRAKE LINES REPAIRED, THEY MUST HAVE ONLY REPLACED THE SECTIONS THAT BROKE SINCE APROX. 1 YEAR LATER ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES BROKE AGAIN WHEN I WAS OUT OF STATE, I HAD THE SECTION THAT BROKE REPLACED JUST BEFORE THE REPAIR SHOP CLOSED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK HOME. TODAY ANOTHER SECTION OF BRAKE LINE BROKE I AM GETTING THIS REPAIRED AND ANY REMAINING OLD BRAKE LINES REPLACED, ALSO MY EMERGENCY BRAKE IS BROKEN I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS YET. *TR

WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT TO GET ON INTERSTATE 81 SOUTH IN WV, I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES AND FELT A "POP" AND THEN I HAD NO BRAKES. I COASTED DOWN THE HILL AND ENTERED A "PARK & RIDE" LOT TO EVALUATE WHAT HAPPENED. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE BEHIND THE DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT WHERE THE CAB MEETS THE BED. BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND I HAVE NO BRAKES. I HAD TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE IN WV AND GET A RIDE HOME. WILL NEED TO HAVE IT TOWED IN A DAY OR TWO. UNABLE TO ENTER VIN BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS STILL 30+ MILES AWAY FROM MY HOUSE. *TR

BRAKES FAILED ON MY 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO IN JUNE OF 2007 AS MY WIFE APPROACHED OUR DRIVEWAY. MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND HAD TO COAST TO A STOP AND PULL TO THE SHOULDER. IF THIS BRAKE FAILURE HAD HAPPENED AT ANOTHER PLACE OR TIME, THERE LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. CHEVROLET DEALER SAID THAT THE FRONT BRAKE LINE HAD FAILED AND FABRICATED A STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINE TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL. THE INCIDENT COST ME $1100 TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINE. THE SILVERADO HAD APPROXIMATELY 46,200 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. IN A SECOND REPORT TO THE NHTSA, I REPORTED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE HAD FAILED ABOUT FIVE YEARS LATER AND AT 90,000 MILES. THIS SECOND FAILURE RESULTED IN ANOTHER HORRIFYING INCIDENT OF BEING UNABLE TO STOP THE SILVERADO WHEN THE BRAKES WERE PRESSED. *TR

I HAD A BRAKE LINE FAILURE UNDER A HARD BRAKING CONDITION (FIRM, BUT NOT PANIC STOP). THE HARD LINE FROM THE ABS PUMP TO THE REAR AXLE FAILED JUST ABOVE THE FLEX HOSE COUPLING. I HAD BELIEVE IT TO BE THE FLEX HOSE AT FIRST. UPON INSPECTION, THE HARDLINE AND FITTING TO THE FLEX LINE AT THE REAR AXLE HAS BECOME SO CORRODED AS TO NEARLY BE INDISTINGUISHABLE. BRAKING CONTROL WAS MINIMAL. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR EVEN WITH THE FRONT CIRCUIT STILL INTACT. EVEN THEN, IT COULD NOT COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE AND I WAS FORCED TO USE THE PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE. HAD I BEEN TOWING AT THE TIME, I AM CONVINCED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

THE BRAKE LINE WENT OUT AND JUST ABOUT CAUSED US TO WRECK. IT WAS FINE ONE MINUTE THEN THE BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. PIONEER CHEVY IN ABINGDON VA SAID THE LINES HAD RUSTED. THAT COST US OVER $1300. THAT WAS IN APRIL AND NOW IT'S AUGUST AND IT'S HAPPENED AGAIN WITH A DIFFERENT BREAK LINE. PIONEER NOW SAID IT'S GOING TO COST OVER $800 THIS TIME. I'M SO FURIOUS WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THIS KIND OF MONEY TO SPEND ON FIXING THE TRUCK WHICH WE REALLY NEED. FROM WHAT I'VE READ AND RESEARCHED APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

MONDAY JULY 7TH, 2014, I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH, TRAVELING WEST ON HWY 290 W., AUSTIN, TX JUST PASSED CIRCLE DR. (INTERSECTION HAS BEEN CALLED DEATH TRAP). DEADLY CRASHES ON THIS STRETCH OF HIGHWAY OCCUR FREQUENTLY. STARTED TO SLOW FOR NEXT INTERSECTION WHEN BRAKES FAILED - PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. THE HILL HELPED ME SLOW A BIT, BUT SWITCHED TO MIDDLE TURNING LANE TO AVOID REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THANK GOD THE LIGHT WAS GREEN. ONE SMALL CAR PASSED IN FRONT OF ME WHILE I WAS TURNING IN FRONT OF TWO LANES OF EASTBOUND TRAFFIC. PROCEEDED INTO LONE STAR BANK'S PARKING LOT MISSING A MOVING CAR. TURNED RIGHT TO AVOID ROW OF PARKED CARS, DRIVE UP BAYS AND CURB THAT LED TO A POSSIBLE RAVENE. TURNED INTO PARKING SPACE, WENT UP OVER CURB & STOPPED IN FRONT OF LANDSCAPING ROCKS AND A TREE. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST - HAD NO BRAKES WHATSOEVER. AS WENT UP OVER CURB, I DEPRESSED EMERGENCY BRAKE. WITH ONLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, SLOWLY ALLOWED TRUCK TO ROLL BACK DOWN OVER CURB. CALLED FOR AAA SERVICE. LOOKED UNDERNEATH TRUCK & IDENTIFIED TWO BRAKE FLUID LEAKS ON CONCRETE. HAD TRUCK TOWED TO DAVIS AUTO AND WAS TOLD TODAY THAT ALL BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED, WITH NO WAY TO SPLICE, AND ALL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY WEREN'T SURE OF WHAT ELSE WOULD NEED REPLACING, SUCH AS ABS PUMP, BUT MASTER CYLINDER WAS OKAY. I CALLED BEN WHITE AUTOMOTIVE & WAS TOLD ABOUT ANOTHER MAN WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION, AND THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AT GM. I SAW ON INTERNET, AN ARTICLE DATED JULY 7, 2014 (HOW IRONIC) WHERE GM IS RESISTING RECALL OF BRAKE LINES ON 1999-2003 CHEVY SILVERADO PICKUPS. SERIOUSLY, ALMOST REAR ENDING A SMALL CAR WITH CARS ALL AROUND, SWERVING IN BETWEEN TWO LANES OF ONCOMING EASTBOUND TRAFFIC TRAVELING 65 MPH, HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD'VE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. THE BRAKE LINES ON THESE TRUCKS HAVE GOT TO BE RECALLED BY GM! *TR UPDATED 03/19/2015 *JS

I WAS TRYING TO COME TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT WHEN PRESSING ON MY BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT COMPLETELY TO FLOOR. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME & WAS ABLE TO TURN THE TRUCK INTO THE NEARBY STORE PARKING LOT. WHEN I GOT THE TRUCK HOME & TOOK A LOOK TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, I SEEN THAT THERE WAS A BRAKE LINE, ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, UNDER THE HOOD, THAT HAD A HOLE IN IT & WAS SPRAYING FLUID EVERYWHERE. THE LINE ALSO LOOKED TO BE RUSTED. TO MAKE NOTE THE TRUCK WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP WHEN DRIVING VERY SLOWLY, HOWEVER, I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN TRYING TO STOP & TRAVELED (JUST GUESSING) ABOUT 30 TO 40 YARDS TO THE RED LIGHT & WAS STILL UNABLE TO STOP. *TR

REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LINE BURST DURING BRAKING AT 40 MPH. SWERVED TO AVOID A COLLISION. EXTREMELY CORRODED BRAKE LINES UPON INVESTIGATION. *TR

I WENT TO APPLY BRAKES AT STOP SIGN, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND BY LUCK NO ONE WAS COMING FROM OTHER DIRECTION. I WASN'T ABLE TO STOP. I SPENT OVER 700 DOLLARS TO HAVE NEW BRAKELINES INSTALLED. *TR

LEAVING DRIVEWAY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP. USED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. NO ABS LIGHT OR ANY OTHER LIGHT VIEWABLE ON DASHBOARD. EVEN AFTER PARKING THE TRUCK, STARTING IT UP, AND DEPRESSING PEDAL, AGAIN WENT TO FLOOR, NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THIS IS A 4WD TRUCK WITH ABS. *TR

THE BRAKE LINES RUSTED THRU AND LEAKED OUT ALL THE BREAK FLUID CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL. BRAKE LINES SHOULD NOT RUST THRU SO EASILY AND SO SOON. I PREVIOUSLY HAD A 1991 SILVERADO WITH CLOSE TO 300,000 MILES AND THE BRAKE LINES ON IT NEVER RUSTED THRU. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS. THIS IS A VITAL SAFETY COMPONENT. FOR SOME REASON THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN CHEVROLET SILVERADOS FROM 1999 TO 2003. I HAD TO PAY $610.50 TO GET WHAT I CONSIDER A GM DEFECT FIXED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH MINIMAL STOPPING POWER, I PULLED OVER AND SAW A POOL OF BRAKE FLUID. AFTER CHECKING FURTHER NOTICE THE CORRODED BRAKE LINE HAS RUPTURED. *JS