NHTSA Complaint #10476934 — 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD

TODAY IS 9/24/12. FIRST LET ME START BY SAYING I HAVE OWNED MY TRUCK SINCE 2004, AND TAKE PRIDE IN TAKING CARE OF MY VEHICLES. MY VEHICLES ARE ALWAYS DEALER MAINTAINED AT A GM DEALER. I HAVE HAD NO TROUBLES WITH MY TRUCK UNTIL NOW, AND THIS BRAKE FAILURE COULD HAVE KILLED ME AND MY FAMILY. MY TRUCK WAS INSPECTED APRIL 13TH 2012 LAST AND HAD NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF UNSAFE BRAKE LINES. I HAD ONLY PUT 326 MILES ON MY TRUCK SINCE SAID LAST INSPECTION. I WAS ON MY WAY HOME WHEN I HAD TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES. MY BRAKE PETAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AS I HELD THE HORN AND DROVE THROUGH A RED LIGHT. I WAS ALSO LUCKY THAT OTHERS DRIVERS IN THE INTERSECTION HAD NOT STARTED DRIVING. MY EMERGENCY BRAKE THEN FAILED FROM THE HIGH SPEED I WAS TRAVELING, BUT DID HELP MINIMALLY IN THE SLOWING OF MY TRUCK. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY DOWNSHIFTING AND DRIVING UP AN EMBANKMENT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS MY TRUCK TRAVELED UPHILL AND CAME TO A SLOWER SPEED, I WAS ABLE TO THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK WHICH THEN GOT ME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AFTER LEARNING THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME TRUCK AS ME HAVE HAD THIS EXACT ISSUE. I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY 10 YEARS OLD HAS BREAK LINE FAILURE. IT IS UNHEARD OF AND MUST BE DIRECTLY CAUSED FROM GM USING INFERIOR METAL FOR THESE VEHICLES BRAKE LINES, THEREFORE MAKING THEM RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND STAND BY THE VEHICLES THEY HAVE MADE! NOT ONLY COULD I HAVE DIED FROM GMS FAULTY MANUFACTURING, BUT I COULD HAVE INJURED OTHERS. GM NEEDS TO STAND UP AND DEAL WITH THESE PROBLEMS AND HELP OWNERS WITH THESE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. I WAS QUOTED OVER 2000 DOLLARS FROM MY DEALERSHIP TO FIX MY BRAKE LINE FAILURE. WE NEED HELP GM! *TR