NHTSA Complaint #10557441 — 2003 GMC YUKON XL DENALI

I WAS TRAVELING ON A TWO LANE COUNTY ROAD LOCATED IN OLDHAM COUNTY KENTUCKY AND UPON APPROACHING A CURVE, I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND PROVIDED NO BRAKING ACTION (SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES BURST AND RESULTED IN TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ). THE CURVE WAS FOLLOWED BY AN INTERSECTION WITH A STOP SIGN IN MY LANE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME AND NO OPPOSING TRAFFIC AT THAT MOMENT, WHICH ENABLED ME, THROUGH THE USE OF GEARS AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED JUST BEYOND THE STOP SIGN. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MODERN VEHICLES WERE DESIGNED WITH REDUNDANCY IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM WHICH WOULD PREVENT TOTAL BRAKING FAILURE, BUT APPARENTLY THAT IS NOT TRUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL ACCOUNTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES WITH THIS FAMILY OF VEHICLES AND I THINK ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN QUICKLY AS THE NEXT VICTIM MAY NOT BE AS FORTUNATE AS ME AND MY 10 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER WERE THIS PAST WEEK. *TR