NHTSA Complaint #10479181 — 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

I WAS DRIVING FROM THE BOAT LAUNCH TO PARK MY 2004 CHEVY SILVERADO 2500HD WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I PUMPED THE BRAKES AS I SLOWLY APPROACHED MY PARKING SPOT, HOWEVER, I COULD NOT GET ANY PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN THE SYSTEM. WITH NO ACTION ON THE BRAKE CALIPERS, I USED MY PARKING BRAKE TO STOP AS I ENTERED MY PARKING SPOT. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR INDICATOR LIGHT ALERTING ME TO ANY BRAKE PROBLEMS. AFTER PARKING I NOTICED A LEAKING BRAKE LINE UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE NEAR THE ABS BRAKE MODULE. I MADE A TEMPORARY REPAIR, ATTEMPTED TO BLEED AND PUMP UP THE BRAKES WHICH RESULTED IN THE REAR BRAKE LINE BLOWING OUT RIGHT AT THE HOSE CONNECTION. STILL NO WARNING OR INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON TO ALERT ME TO ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND AS WE WERE TAKING MY VEHICLE OFF THE TRUCK, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON AND THE ELECTRONIC DASH DISPLAYED THE MESSAGE "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM". THE LACK OF FLUID IN THE BRAKE RESERVOIR MUST HAVE TRIGGERED THE SENSOR THERE. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINE FAILED INSIDE A PLASTIC BRAKE LINE RETAINING CLIP LOCATED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME JUST BEFORE IT WAS ROUTED OVER TO THE ABS MODULATOR VALVE UNDER THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME. I REPLACED ALL THE BRAKE LINES WITH PRE-BENT STAINLESS STEEL LINES FROM CLASSICTUBE.COM. I AM ONLY GLAD THAT THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT AND NOT WHILE I WAS TOWING MY BOAT, I DO NOT BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH WITS ABOUT ME TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP MY TRUCK. I MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER WHO BLAMED IT ON THE TREATMENT OF ROADS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. GRANTED LIVING IN THE "SNOW BELT" ONE SHOULD EXPECT CORROSION BUT NEVER COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE, JUST SEARCH FOR SILVERADO BRAKE FAILURE.