NHTSA Complaint #10423648 — 2002 GMC SIERRA 2500

A BREAK LINE RUPTURED RESULTING IN LOSS OF FLUID AND DIMINISHED BREAKING. FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT RESULT IN A CATASTROPHIC LOSS IN BREAKING AT A CRITICAL TIME. THE RUPTURED LINE IS NEAR THE GAS TANK AND AT FIRST APPEARED TO BE A GAS LEAK. UPON INSPECTION ALL BREAK LINES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY RUSTED AND MUST BE REPLACED TO MAINTAIN SAFETY. ONE RUSTY LINE COULD INDICATE DAMAGE OR A SINGLE DEFECTIVE PART. 100% OF THE LINES BEING CORRODED TO AN UNSAFE LEVEL INDICATES SUBSTANDARD PARTS. THE REAR DISC BREAKS HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH CORROSION OF SLIDING PARTS RESULTING IN CALIPERS NOT MOVING FREELY. THE SPONGY FEEL TO THE BREAKS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO STICKING OF THE REAR CALIPERS RATHER THAN A FLUID LEAK. ANNUAL LUBRICATION AND A TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF REAR BREAKS HAS BECOME NORMAL PRACTICE. THE POOR REAR BREAKS CAN LEAD ONE TO NOT NOTICE A SLOW LEAK OF BREAK FLUID UNTIL A TOTAL LOSS OF BREAKING ACTION. THE SLIGHT EXTRA COST FOR CORROSION RESISTANT BREAK PARTS COULD SAVE LIVES.