NHTSA Complaint #11020002 — 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

UPON EXITING HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH, I APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. THE BRAKES FELT SPONGY THEN WENT TO THE FLOOR. TRIED TO PUMP WITH NO RESULTS. THIS WAS A SINGLE LANE EXIT RAMP WITH A CAR TURNING LEFT AND ONE TURNING RIGHT AT THE END OF THE RAMP. STILL AT APPROX. 60 MPH I HAD NOWHERE TO GO. DOWN SHIFT TO 2ND AND APPLY PARKING BRAKE. FINALLY ONE CAR TURNS AND I BLAST THROUGH INTERSECTION ABOUT 40-45MPH AND JUST MISSED T-BONING ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS I WENT DOWN THE ENTRANCE RAMP BACK ONTO HWY. I WAS ABLE TO BRING TRUCK TO A STOP. LATER INSPECTION OF TRUCK SHOWED ALL 4 BRAKE LINES FROM ABS TO FRONT OF TRUCK SEVERELY RUSTED WITH ONE RUPTURED. REAR BRAKE LINE ALSO RUSTED. G.M. NEED TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. AT THE SPEED I WAS TRAVELING I HAD SECONDS TO MAKE A DECISION. I WAS LUCKY THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME TURNED AND I MISSED THE CAR ON THE CROSSROAD. THIS TRUCK HAS 85,XXX MILES AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN IN SNOW OR BAD WEATHER MAYBE A HALF DOZEN TIMES DURING ITS LIFE SO CORROSION SHOULD HOT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE. I'VE OWNED MANY CARS WITH 200,000 PLUS MILES AND NEVER HAD BRAKE LINE ISSUES. I BELIEVE WITH AS MANY COMPLAINTS AS I READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM YOU NEED TO FORCE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS DISABLED FOR THE REST OF THERE LIFE, OR SOMEONE LOSES A FAMILY MEMBER!!!