NHTSA Complaint #10436489 — 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

I WAS DRIVING DOWN HWY 316 AND BEGAN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BEGIN STOPPING FOR THE RED LIGHT, MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANY OTHER VEHICLES OR OBJECTS. I THEN PULLED INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT ABOUT 50 FEET AWAY. WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND STARTING LOOKING AROUND I COULD SEE FLUID DRIPPING ON THE GROUND NEXT TO THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL. I THEN WAS ABLE TO FIND THAT THE FLUID WAS BRAKE FLUID AND IT WAS COMING FROM A PINHOLE SIZED LEAK IN THE STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINE COMING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER AND GOING TO THE ABS SYSTEM. AFTER CLOSER INSPECTION I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT ALL MY STEEL BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS, LIGHTS, BONGS, OR BEEPS UNTIL AFTER MY BRAKES FAILED.MY BRAKES WOULD BARELY WORK,THE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR AND I WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO SLOW MY VEHICLE DOWN ENOUGH TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN SHIFT INTO PARK TO COMPLETELY STOP. I CONSIDER MYSELF AND MY FAMILY EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH AND WERE NOT HARMED OR DIDN'T HARM ANYONE ELSE. AFTER THIS OCCURRED I STARTING DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS BECOME A MAJOR ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET VEHICLES IN THE SALT BED STATES. I LIVE IN GEORGIA, BUT MY CHEVY AVALANCHE IS FROM A SALT BED STATE AND WAS ONLY RECENTLY BROUGHT TO GA. *TR