NHTSA Complaint #10614431 — 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

DRIVING A 2004 CHEVROLET 2500HD 4X4 6 LITER CREW CAB WITH 143005 MILES. TRAVELING AT 55 MPH AS I APPROACHED MY TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS OUT I APPLIED BRAKES TO REDUCE SPEED TO 15/20 MPH TO MAKE 90 DEGREE DOWNHILL RIGHT TURN. I EXPERIENCED A VERY SPONGY BRAKE FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS FOLLOWED BY THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING COMPLETELY TO FLOOR. I PUMPED BRAKES SEVERAL MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME BRAKE PEDAL RESPONSE AND ZERO BRAKING. MY SPEED HAD ONLY DROPPED TO ABOUT 40 MPH, TOO FAST TO NEGOTIATE MY TURN. I CONTINUED ON THE HWY TO THE NEXT STREET USING MY PARKING BRAKE AND DOWN SHIFTING. SAFELY PARKED, I GOT OUT OF TRUCK AND NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF FLUID WAS RUNNING ON THE GROUND, DRIVERS SIDE FORWARD PART OF CAB, RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. MY LEFT FRONT STEEL BRAKE LINE LOCATED ON TOP OF FRAME UNDER DRIVER SIDE AT FIREWALL HAD BURST. ALL 4 BRAKE LINES IN THAT 4" LONG AREA WERE BADLY RUSTED. REMOVED ALL THE BRAKE LINES AND THAT APPEARS TO BE THE HEAVIEST AREA OF HEAVY RUST.