NHTSA Complaint #10457964 — 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

WAS DRIVING HOME IN MY OCCASIONAL-USE 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO. BRAKES BECAME VERY SOFT, SO I DROVE EXTREMELY SLOW. FINALLY LOST BRAKES COMPLETELY UPON PULLING BACK INTO HOME DRIVEWAY. HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAK WAS EVIDENT AT A RUSTED-THROUGH BRAKE LINE, BETWEEN BRAKE DISTRIBUTION MODULE AND REAR AXLE. ENTIRE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM NEEDS IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT. THE AMOUNT OF CORROSION THAT HAS APPEARED ON THE BRAKE LINES IS ACTUALLY PRETTY FRIGHTENING. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE ENTIRE FAMILIES ARE DRIVING AROUND NY AND NEW ENGLAND WITH THESE RUSTED OUT BRAKE SYSTEMS. BOUGHT THE TRUCK AS A USED VEHICLE IN 2009, AND THE UNDER-FRAME LOOKED ACCEPTABLE AT THE TIME. A WARM ADIRONDACK WINTER SEEMS TO HAVE LEFT US WITH A LOT OF SALTWATER ON THE ROADS, WHICH SEEMED TO CAUSE WORSE THAN NORMAL CORROSION. I CAN UNDERSTAND AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD NEW ENGLAND TRUCK BEING RUSTY - BUT THE BRAKE LINES SHOULD NEVER CORRODE - AND YET, THE BRAKE LINES SEEM TO BE THE RUSTIEST PART ON THIS GM TRUCK. THERE NEEDS TO BE HIGHER STANDARDS FOR BRAKE LINES. CHEAP, UNCOATED STEEL IS UNACCEPTABLE WITH MODERN, SAFE ENGINEERING STANDARDS. *TR