NHTSA Complaint #10897442 — 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

WHILE THANKFULLY DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, MY BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED WITH NO WARNING..PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR, I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY SHIFTING THE TRANS DOWN TO 2ND THEN 1ST. MECHANIC SAID KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WHEN I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AFTER I STOPPED, PUMPED THE BRAKES AND BRAKE FLUID FLOWED FROM UNDER THE TRUCK GENERALLY UNDER WHERE THE DRIVER SITS. MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE BRAKE LINE BROKE AND IS VERY COMMON, AND THAT IT JUST STARTED SHOWING UP A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THESE "C" BODY TRUCKS AGED. I SPOKE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP NEAR MY HOME AND HE SAID THE SAME THING THAT IT'S VERY COMMON AND THAT GM NOW SELLS A KIT FOR A COMPETE BRAKE-LINE SYSTEM REPLACEMENT BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME SO COMMON. A FEW DAYS BEFORE I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS ON I-81 WITH A CARLOAD FULL OF PEOPLE, HAD THIS HAPPENED AT THAT TIME IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. REVIEWING CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ON YOUR SITE I SEE THIS IS A REOCCURRING COMPLIANT AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS, AS THERE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT SAFETY SYSTEM ON A AUTOMOBILE THAN BRAKES....CHEVY HAD A RECALL ON MY 98' BUICK FOR A VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKING THAT DIDN'T COME CLOSE TO THIS POTENTIAL DANGER.