NHTSA Complaint #10897345 — 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ON 2 OCCASIONS, BOTH WITH TRAILER ATTACHED - BADLY RUSTED BRAKE LINES TO BOTH FRONT WHEELS BURST UNDER THE ADDED PRESSURE OF STOPPING WHILE TRAILERING. OTHER LINES TO THE REAR ARE ALSO BADLY RUSTED, BUT HAVE NOT YET FAILED. FRONT LINES (PROVIDING THE MAJORITY OF BRAKING) ARE HELD IN HORIZONTAL PLASTIC CLIPS THAT DO NOT READILY DRAIN, AND ACCELERATE CORROSION DAMAGE. BOTH INCIDENTS INVOLVED NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE INJURIES. ONE, WHILE BACKING THE TRAILER INTO PARKING SPOT WITH SOMEONE BEHIND PROVIDING DIRECTIONS, AND THE OTHER JUST AFTER HOOKING UP THE TRAILER AND PROCEEDING INTO TRAFFIC (IF THAT FAILURE HAD BEEN ONE STOP LATER, IT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE STOPPING TO TURN ONTO A HIGHWAY). DUE TO A FEAR OF ADMITTING GUILT, GM HAS NOT OFFERED REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR PURCHASE, AND ALL NEW LINES MUST BE CUSTOM BUILT, WITH A COST ESTIMATE OF OVER $1000 TO REPLACE THE BUNDLE OF ALL 5 LINES. FINALLY, THIS TRUCK (1 OWNER) IS OTHERWISE TOTALLY RUST FREE - THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FOR THE FIRST 2 THINGS TO RUST OUT ON AN OTHERWISE RUST-FREE TRUCK TO BE BRAKE LINES. WITHOUT TRAILERS OR HIGH LOADS, THE HALF SYSTEM FAILURE LEAVES THE VEHICLE WITH LIMITED RESERVE STOPPING CAPABILITY, BUT UNDER THE HIGHER LOAD CONDITIONS (EXACTLY WHEN THE COMPROMISED BRAKE LINES FAIL) THE RESERVE CAPABILITY IS GREATLY REDUCED. ONE OF THE REASONS THERE LIKELY HAVE NOT BEEN MORE INJURIES AND FATALITIES, IS THAT ONCE THE OWNER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, THERE IS LITTLE OR NO TRUST IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. WHY MUST THERE BE A DEATH COUNT BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT A PROBLEM REPORTED HUNDREDS OF TIMES OVER MANY YEARS ON BOTH GM AND CHRYSLER TRUCK (BOTH USING THE SAME LINES)? AT LEAST ORDER THE OEMS TO PROVIDE KITS OF ALL BRAKE LINES AT REASONABLE COST TO OWNERS.