2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 Service Brakes Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PUT ON A LIFT AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED, CAUSING A LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE ED BOZARTH CHEVROLET DEALER (877-721-4901, 3731 SW TOPEKA BLVD, TOPEKA, KS 66609) AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. *TT CONSUMER STATED BRAKE LINES CORRODED AND WAS LEAKING. UPDATED 12/18/18*JB

Mileage: 140,000

I WAS SLOWING FOR A STOP SIGN WHILE LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THE STEEL REAR BRAKE LINE SPONTANEOUSLY SPLIT AND DUMPED ALL LINE PRESSURE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR, AND I ROLLED RIGHT INTO TRAFFIC BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PUMP THE PEDAL ENOUGH TIMES TO STOP THE VEHICLE AGAINST A CURB. HAD I NEARED THE STOP SIGN 2 SECONDS EARLIER OR LATER, I WOULD HAVE EITHER BEEN T-BONED BY A BOX TRUCK, OR T-BONED A SMALL SEDAN. I EMPHASIZE THAT THE BRAKE LINES SHOWED NO WARNING SIGNS BEYOND THE TYPICAL SURFACE RUST THAT CAN BE FOUND ON ANY VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR MORE THAN A FEW WINTERS IN THE "RUST BELT". HOWEVER, THOSE VEHICLES DO NOT HAVE BRAKE LINES SPONTANEOUSLY FAIL AT THE RATE THAT THESE GM TRUCKS DO. THIS TRUCK'S PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TOWING A CAMPING TRAILER FOR VACATIONS WITH MY YOUNG FAMILY, SO THIS COULD HAVE ENDED VERY DIFFERENTLY. I URGE YOU TO TAKE GM TO TASK AND FORCE THEM TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE OF CHEAPING OUT ON BRAKE LINE MATERIALS!

Mileage: 153,000

I HAD A MAJOR BRAKE FAILURE THE OTHER DAY WHILE DRIVING. I HAD NO BRAKES, BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY REPORTED THAT THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS DUE TO RUSTED BRAKE LINES.

Mileage: 235,000

THIS ISSUE OCCURRED IN JULY OF 2016 WHILE WE WERE ON VACATION IN FLORIDA. WE BEGAN TO LOSE BRAKING ABILITY UNTIL FINALLY THE VEHICLE BECAME ALMOST INOPERABLE, ONLY ABLE TO TRAVEL AT ABOUT 20 MPH AND STILL BE ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING. ONE OF THE STEEL BRAKES LINES HAD BLOWN A HOLE IN IT. WE HAD A SHOP REPAIR IT AND WHEN THEY TESTED IT, IT BLEW ANOTHER LINE. WE ENDED UP HAVING ALL THE LINES REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF CORROSION.

Mileage: 190,000

COMPLETE BREAK FAILURE. BREAK PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND ALMOST KILLED MY FAMILY. NOTICED LEAKING BREAK FLUID COMING OUT OF RUSTED BREAK LINE UNDER VEHICLE.

Mileage: 130,000

I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND PROCEEDED TO PARK MY SUBURBAN. I HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THEY PULSATE AND GAVE OUT COMPLETELY. NO SERVICE LIGHTS OR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT. WHEN THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK I TRIED TO PUMP THEM TO GET THEM TO WORK BUT NOTHING WORKED AND MY SUBURBAN SMASHED INTO A BUSH AND OVER THE CURB. I JUST HAD MY BRAKE LINES REPLACES WHICH WAS QUOTED $1700 AT MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. I AM NO LOOKING INTO THE ISSUES WITH THE ABS SYSTEM. *TR

Mileage: 139,000

CHEVROLET HAS CONTINUED TO IGNORE THE ABS BRAKE ISSUE WITHIN THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THEIR WHEEL SENSOR ISSUE.THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE.HAS A CIRCUIT BOARD ISSUE WHICH DEACTIVATES THE ABS SYSTEM AND SHOWS A BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT ON DASH.IN SNOW TODAY MY ABS FAILED AND I SLID THROUGH AN INTERSECTION NARROWLY MISSING A SCHOOL BUS A F$%^ING SCHOOL BUS.THERE IS SO MUCH INFO ON THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET BUT CHEVROLET SEEM TO BE IGNORING IT.THE PROBLEM IS CENTERED AROUND A CIRCUIT BOARD IN THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE.

Mileage: 108,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED AND UNKNOWN PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE BUT THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND 05V155000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

BRAKE LINES SEVERELY CORRODED AND BLEW OUT. SEVERE CORROSION UNDER TRUCK TOO. *TR

Mileage: 130,000

THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE PEDAL LAST ALL PRESSURE AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. WAS SUCCESSFUL IN STOPPING THE VEHICLE FROM 35 MPH WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LINE WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND FAILED. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THAT OTHER BRAKE LINE ARE IN THE SIMILAR CONDITION. *LN

Mileage: 120,000

MOVING MY BOAT IN THE DRIVEWAY AND WHEN I WENT TO STOP MY BRAKE LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS CONTROLLER FAILED CAUSING NO BRAKING!!! PUMPED THEM LIKE CRAZY AND IT JUST PISSED OUT ALL OF THE FLUID. I HAD MY CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE AREA AND I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THEY WERE NOT KILLED! UPON INSPECTION THE BRAKE LINE ROTTED AT THE POINTS WHERE THEY ARE HELD ONTO THE FRAME BY THE HANGERS! THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND I BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD HAVE SOME LIABILITY IN THIS MATTER. THE VEHICLE IS BARELY JUST OVER 10 YEARS OLD AND THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW IN DESIGN. THE SCARY PART IS THE LINES LOOK GREAT OVERALL BUT WHERE THEY ARE PLACED IN ALL OF THE HANGERS THEY HAD ROT SPOTS IN THEM THAT WAS ONLY APPARENT AFTER DIS-ASSEMBLY. A NORMAL SAFETY INSPECTION WOULD NOT PICK UP ON THE CORROSION HIDDEN WITHIN THE HANGERS. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

WHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STOP, A HYDRAULIC LINE SERVING THE FRONT BRAKES RUPTURED CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF FRONT BRAKES. THIS IS THE THIRD HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO LINES TO FAIL WERE ON THE REAR AXLE. ALL OF THE REMAINING HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINES ARE HEAVILY RUSTED AND PITTED, THEY ALL ARE AT RISK OF FAILURE AT ANY TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL VEHICLE. IT POSES A SERIOUS RISK TO THE DRIVERS AND TO THE PERSONS AND PROPERTY OF OTHERS. EVERY ONE OF THE OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT THEIR VEHICLE MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT BRAKE LINES. WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT SHALL BE IS UP TO NHTSA, BUT THE NEED FOR INFORMATION IS GREAT. THIS IS A HEAVY WEIGHT VEHICLE FOR ORDINARY CONSUMER USE. MOST SUCH USERS ARE UNPREPARED FOR A BRAKE FAILURE OF THIS KIND. INTERESTINGLY, GM DOES NOT OFFER REPLACEMENT PARTS. PRECISION FORMED LINES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AFTERMARKET. THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER USES NON-CORRODING COPPER-NICKEL REPLACEMENT LINE, AND FABRICATES THE LINES LOCALLY. THE SAME BRAKE LINE METALLURGY WAS USED IN HIGH END EUROPEAN CARS (VOLVO AND PORSCHE) BEGINNING IN THE 1980S. *TR

Mileage: 109,636

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH I WAS NEAR MY EXIT AND ACTIVATED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE ROOM TO CHANGE LANES AND PASS MY EXIT AND DOWNSHIFTED TO SLOW AND EVENTUALLY STOP. I HAD TRIED TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND THE CABLE SNAPPED ON THE SPOT. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THAT EVERY BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED AND MOST WERE FAILING. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID IT ISN'T RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE JUST THE LEAKING LINES BECAUSE ONCE THE PRESSURE IS RESTORED, THE REMAINING LINES WOULD THEN LIKELY FAIL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AND I AM WAITING FOR WHAT I AM SURE WILL BE A SIZABLE REPAIR BILL. *TR

Mileage: 132,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,736.

Mileage: 115,700