2003 Chevrolet Suburban Brakes

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 NHTSA'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. *JS

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 NHTSA WAS STUDYING THIS. *TR

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. *TR

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 NHTSA, 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? *TR

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. *TR

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. *TT

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. *TR

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 NHTSA 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). *TR