NHTSA Complaint #10476831 — 2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

DRIVING HOME DOWN TWO LANE ROAD AT 35 MPH. CAME TO CURVE AND SLOW TRAFFIC AHEAD. WENT TO APPLY BRAKES LIKE NORMALLY, THEY FAILED. PEDAL TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR WITH LITTLE TO NO STOPPING EFFECTS ON VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS A 5 SPD STANDARD. I WAS ABLE TO DOWN SHIFT AND APPLY PARK BRAKE TO SLOW VEHICLE. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP COMPLETELY AND HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD INTO THE ROAD SIDE DITCH TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE STOPPED TRAFFIC. ONCE STOPPED I GOT OUT TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE. NO COSMETIC DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE VEHICLE. I DID SEE BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE. CLOSER LOOK REVEALED THAT THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUST COMPLETELY IN HALF AND BLEED THE BRAKE SYSTEM DRY. NOTICED THAT THE OTHER LINES WERE IN SIMILAR CONDITION. THEY ALL SEEM TO BE SEVERELY RUSTED AT THE POINT WHERE THE BRAKE LINES IS RETAINED BY A GREEN PLASTIC CLIP ON THE UPPER PORTION OF THE FRAME RAIL. HAD VEHICLE TOWED HOME, REPLACED VISIBLE BAD LINES. TWO MONTHS LATER BRAKE SECTION IN REAR OF TRUCK HID BY UNDERCOATING FAILED AS WELL. THANKFULLY WAS PARKED WHEN IT HAPPENED THIS TIME. TRUCK IS WELL MAINTAINED AND CLEANED AND WAXED SEASONALLY. THE UNDER SIDE OF THIS TRUCK IS HORRIBLE. THERE IN NOT A PLACE ON IT THAT ISN'T RUST. SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS FROM A US MADE PRODUCT. I HAVE OLDER VEHICLES FROM THE 60'S THAT HAVE SAT FOR YEAR AND LOOK ALMOST NEW UNDERNEATH. MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES. I JUST HOPE THAT NOBODY GETS HURT OR KILLED BECAUSE THERE VEHICLES RUSTS OUT AND CAUSES CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEMS TO FAIL. I ALSO HOPE THAT THE NHTSA WILL TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE AND HELP TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. SHAMEFUL GM OWNER. *TR