NHTSA Complaint #10641012 — 2000 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND FELT ONE SET BLOW OUT, PRESSED HARDER TO COMPENSATE AND FELT THE REMAINING SET BLOW OUT. THE PEDAL THEN WENT TO THE FLOOR RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING. THE BRAKE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON (NO REASON FOR IT TO?). LUCKILY I HAD A TRAILER CONNECTED WHICH HAD WORKING ELECTRIC BRAKES AND I WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY ACTIVATE THOSE BRAKES. LATER THAT DAY WHILE MOVING THE VEHICLE IN MY YARD, I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH IMMEDIATELY FAILED. INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE LINES REVEALED MASSIVE CORROSION ON ALL OF THE LINES AND WILL REQUIRE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. INSPECTION OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE REVEALED THE LINE WAS COATED IN PLASTIC EXCEPT IN SOME AREAS. THOSE AREAS WERE TOTALLY CORRODED RESULTING IN THE CABLE BRAKING IN ONE OF THOSE AREAS. SO IN ONE PEDAL ACTION, BOTH FRONT AND BACK BRAKES CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. AND IN THE SAME DAY, ALL 3 SYSTEMS FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND THEY REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TOWED IN AND HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST RUN (AT THE VEHICLE OWNERS EXPENSE), HOWEVER CHEVROLET HAD NO PROGRAM IN PLACE AND WOULD NOT COVER ANY OF THE REPAIRS NO MATTER WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST... I OPTED TO REPAIR ALL THE BREAK LINES MYSELF TO AVOID THE THE EXTRA COST OF A TOW AND DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT WOULD HAVE NO OUTCOME OTHER THAN A REPORT TO CHEVROLET AT A LARGE EXPENSE TO ME. APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000 MILES.