NHTSA Complaint #10715937 — 2004 GMC SIERRA

ON DECEMBER 28, 2014 I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 GMC PICK-UP TRUCK AND SUFFERED TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES. THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE BRAKE FAILURE - NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ON, AND NO GRADUAL DECREASE IN BRAKING ABILITY. AFTER THE FAILURE, I DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A SUDDEN AND MASSIVE LEAK OF BRAKE FLUID FROM A RUSTED BRAKE LINE. PREVIOUSLY, IN APRIL OF 2014 I HAD MY PICK-UP TRUCK SERVICED AT AN AUTHORIZED GMC SERVICE CENTER. AT THAT TIME, THE SERVICE TICKET REFERENCED CONDITION OF BRAKES TO BE IN YELLOW REQUIRING FUTURE ATTENTION. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ISSUE AT THAT TIME WAS BRAKE ROTORS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT THE NEXT SERVICE INTERVAL. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY POTENTIAL DANGER FROM BRAKE LINE RUSTING/FAILURE. UPON RESEARCHING VEHICLE ISSUES ON THE WEB I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF BRAKE LINE FAILURES FOR VEHICLES OF MY TYPE. IT APPEARS GMC HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE GMC DEALER AND HAD THEM REPLACE RUSTING BRAKE LINES ($801.64). THE REPLACEMENT GMC BRAKE LINES INSTALLED ARE OF A DIFFERENT (IMPROVED) DESIGN - THEY HAVE A PAINTED/PROTECTIVE COATING ON THEM, WHICH APPEARS TO BE AN ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS PAST PREMATURE BRAKE LINE FAILURE ISSUES.