NHTSA Complaint #11063827 — 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500

BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING MY HOUSE WHILE DRIVING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. THE BRAKES WERE WORKING FINE WHEN I STARTED THE TRUCK AND COMPLETED A 3 POINT TURN TO TURN THE VEHICLE AROUND IN MY DRIVEWAY. AS I STARTED GOING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AND WENT TO APPLY MY BRAKES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN THAT'S WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING SLOW, UNDER 15 MPH, WHEN I EXPERIENCED THE ISSUE: THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE BARELY SLOWED DOWN. I STARTED TO PUMP THE BRAKES WHICH DID SLOW THE VEHICLE SOME AND I ALSO EMPLOYED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH ENABLED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. HAD I BEEN IN TRAFFIC, AND NOT JUST IN MY DRIVEWAY, I MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AS I HAD VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER STOPPING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ISSUE HAPPENED. THE ISSUE WAS DUE TO A RUSTED REAR BRAKE LINE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE SINGLE BRAKE LINE FEEDING BOTH OF THE REAR BRAKES HAD BURST IN THE VICINITY UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. THE BRAKE LINE BURST WHILE I WAS GOING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AS EVIDENCED BY THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID SPAYED ONTO MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I FIRST ATTEMPTED TO APPLY MY BRAKES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND AT EACH POINT WHERE I PUMPED THE BRAKES. I WAS SHOCKED THAT A SINGLE BRAKE LINE BURSTING WOULD LEAVE MY ENTIRE VEHICLE WITHOUT BRAKES. WHY IS THERE A FRONT AND REAR RESERVOIR IF THEY DON'T MATTER? THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST A SAFETY ALERT ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL DANGER SO I WOULD HAVE KNOWN TO WATCH FOR THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY FLAW ON MY CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. AFTER INSPECTING THE REST OF MY BRAKE LINES I HAVE FOUND THAT 100% OF ALL MY BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP NEAR MY HOUSE HAS ALREADY QUOTED ME A REPAIR ESTIMATE OF $2,100 OVER THE PHONE, BUT WILL NEED TO SEE THE VEHICLE FIRST TO BE MORE PRECISE IN THEIR ESTIMATE.