NHTSA Complaint #10550016 — 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD

WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO CREEP FORWARD TOWARD PEOPLE IN THE CROSSWALK. DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL FURTHER RESULTED IN IT FADING, ENDING IN A FULLY DEPRESSED POSITION WITH NO MORE PEDAL TRAVEL AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD INTO THE CROSSWALK. PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL STOPPED VEHICLE MOVEMENT. AFTER STOPPING AND INSPECTING UNDER THE HOOD AND UNDER THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE SHOWED LEAKING BRAKE FLUID FROM ONE OF THE METALLIC BRAKE LINES SERVING THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER AND PLACING IT ON THE SERVICE RACK, INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ALL THE METALLIC BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE LINE SURFACE. THE RIGHT FRONT LINE DISINTEGRATED TO THE POINT WHERE THE LINE SEPARATED WHILE CHECKING THE CONDITION OF THE LINE. THE OTHER BRAKES LINES ARE RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE FAILURE IS IMMINENT. ALL THE METALLIC BRAKE LINES FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER, DOWN TO THE ABS CONTROL MODULE AND THEN OUT TO EACH BRAKE CALIPER MUST BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM CREATED A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN BODILY INJURY TO THE PEDESTRIANS IN THE CROSSWALK. WITHOUT PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL IT WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN. IN ADDITION TO THE BRAKE LINES, THE FUEL LINES SHOW EXCESSIVE RUST AS WELL. THE DEALER DOES NOT RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL LINES AT THIS TIME, BUT REPLACEMENT WILL BE REQUIRED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR