NHTSA Complaint #10448615 — 2002 GMC C/K PICKUP

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY, I LOST BRAKING POWER... PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AFTER A FEW PUMPS. BRAKE FLUID OUT ON THE GROUND. INSPECTION REVEALED REAR BRAKE LINE FAILURE BECAUSE OF CORROSION. THE TRUCK HAD 56,337 MILES AT THE TIME. IN SEPTEMBER 2011, THE FRONT LINES FAILED BECAUSE OF CORROSION WHILE OUT DRIVING ON THE ROADS. THE CORROSION WAS SEVERE OVERALL AND I HAD THE ENTIRE FRONT BRAKE LINE SYSTEM REPLACED FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER DOWN RATHER THAN THE PARTIAL BRANCH THAT HAD BURST. AT THE TIME OF THE FRONT LINE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 58,555 MILES ON IT. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE CORROSION WAS ESPECIALLY SEVERE AT THE CONTACT POINTS: WHERE FASTENERS HELD THE LINES TO THE CHASSIS AND WHERE THEY MET JUNCTION BOXES/BLOCKS. THIS BRAKE LINE ISSUE APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ONE AND IS WORTHY OF THIS REPORT. WITH SO FEW MILES, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING. FURTHER, WITH THE COST OF THESE VEHICLES, WHY WOULDN'T GENERAL MOTORS USE CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIALS FOR BRAKE LINES? *TR