NHTSA Complaint #10453273 — 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

ALL BRAKE HARD-LINES ON MY 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE 1500 4WD ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED AND HAVE BEGUN TO FAIL. THIS WAS DISCOVERED AFTER HAVING ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES BLOW-OUT DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AN EMPTY TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME HAD BRAKED SUDDENLY DUE TO A MISSED EXIT, REQUIRING THAT I APPLY FULL BRAKING INSTANTLY. I WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH THE TRUCK AFTER MY BRAKE LINES BLEW, EXCEPT THAT I WAS ABLE TO SWERVE INTO ANOTHER LANE TO AVOID THE VEHICLE. HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE NEXT TO ME, I WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO THE DECELERATING VEHICLE. ALL OF MY BRAKE TUBING IS CORRODED, AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE FRAME, BRAKE CALIPERS AND REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND DUST SHIELDS. THIS EXCESSIVE CORROSION APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF SUBSTANDARD COMPONENTS WITH INADEQUATE CORROSION PROTECTION. I AM CURRENTLY REPLACING ALL CORRODED BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS (QUOTED $3,100). *TR