NHTSA Complaint #10462177 — 2000 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500

WHILE TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON MD ROUTE 4, UPPER MARLBORO, MD, THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED TO YELLOW AS I WAS APPROACHING DOWERHOUSE ROAD INTERSECTION. I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO STOP AND THE PEDAL SUDDENLY DROPPED A FEW INCHES. I APPLIED MORE PRESSURE AND THE BRAKE SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE FLOOR AND I LOST ALL BRAKE PEDAL USE. I BLEW MY HORN AS I WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AS THE LIGHT TURNED RED. I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. I APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THAT SLOWED MY VEHICLE AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED IT. UPON RETURNING MY VEHICLE TO MY RESIDENCE, EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE REAR METALLIC BRAKE LINE ALONG THE LEFT FRAME RAIL HAD RUSTED OR CORRODED THROUGH WHERE THE PLASTIC ANTI CHAFFING CLIP ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE LINE. FURTHER EXAM REVEALED THE FRONT BRAKE LINE HAD ALSO FAILED. THE FRONT BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED OR CORRODED AT THE FRONT CENTER PLASTIC CLIP ATTACHED TO THE LOWER CROSSMEMBER. THIS WAS A SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF BOTH BRAKE LINES FROM THE SAME BRAKING EVENT. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE IS A MODEL YEAR 2000, IT HAS ONLY 34,250 ORIGINAL MILES AND IS SELDOM USED IN THE WINTER TIME. IT IS PRIMARILY USED TO TOW MY BOAT AN AVERAGE OF 15 MILES ROUND TRIP TO THE BOAT RAMP. IT HAS NEVER BEEN IMMERSED. *TR