NHTSA Complaint #10125331 — 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

A BRAKE LINE RUPTURED ON MY VEHICLE WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AT 55 MPG. I NEEDED TO EXIT AN INTERSTATE, AND THE CAR CAME TO A HALT VERY SLOWLY, THE REMAINING BRAKE LINE WORKING MUCH LESS EFFECTIVELY, OF COURSE. NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER I STOPPED, CLOUDS OF PURE WHITE SMOKE BILLOWED FROM THE HOOD, AND INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I ASSUME THIS WAS BRAKE FLUID CONTACTING A HOT SURFACE. I USED ONSTAR TO CALL FOR A TOW TO MY DEALER, CRISWELL CHEVROLET IN GAITHERSBURG, MD. CRISWELL DIAGNOSED THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURE. THERE IS SOME DOUBT WHETHER A DEALER CAN RE-INSTALL A BRAKE LINE SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY: SEE THE DISCUSSION AT HTTP://FORUMS.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=1113860&FORUM_ID=74 AS THE FORUM DISCUSSION INDICATES, THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER NEW CORVETTE OWNERS. NO ONE KNOWS, AT THIS POINT, HOW TO FIX MY CORVETTE AND WHEN IT WILL BE FIXED. HAD I HAD TO STOP SHORT, I WOULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AS ONE OF MY BRAKE LINES HAD FAILED WITH NO WARNING, ON A BRAND NEW CAR.