NHTSA Complaint #11110963 — 2002 GMC YUKON XL DENALI

I WAS DRIVING ON 58 WEST IN STUART VA WHEN WE CAME AROUND A CURVE AND AN 18 WHEELER WAS BROKEN DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR LANE. TWO VEHICLES WERE STOPPED BEHIND THE TRUCK. I QUICKLY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER BETWEEN THE STOPPED TRAFFIC AND THE ONCOMING VEHICLE IN THE OPPOSING LANE TO AVOID A CRASH. A BRAKE LINE HAD BLOWN CAUSING THE BRAKE FAILURE. I HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE IN ANOTHER GM MODEL, AND WAS QUESTIONING HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT ONE PERSON COULD HAVE TWO SEPARATE BRAKE LINE FAILURES ON TWO SEPARATE BUT SIMILAR VEHICLES. AS I RESEARCHED IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THIS TYPE OF BRAKE FAILURE WAS COMMON ON THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES. I'VE LIVED IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND I HAVE OWNED 30-40 VEHICLES OF ALL MAKES AND MODELS, BUT I HAVE ONLY EXPERIENCED NEAR CATASTROPHIC VEHICLE FAILURE ON TWO OF THOSE VEHICLES, A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN AND A 2002 GMC YUKON. TO SAY THAT THESE BRAKE LINE FAILURES COULD BE AVOIDED THROUGH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IS A BRAZEN ATTEMPT TO DEFLECT CULPABILITY TOWARDS A CONSUMER MARKET NEITHER DESIGNED NOR EQUIPPED TO DIAGNOSE PENDING FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. THESE VEHICLES HAVE INNUMERABLE SENSORS TO INDICATE ALL TYPES OF OF POTENTIAL ISSUES, EVEN SO FAR AS TO REMIND THE DRIVER WHEN THE OIL NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. IF THE MANUFACTURER FEELS THE OWNER IS SO INEPT AS TO TRACK OIL CHANGES EVERY THREE THOUSAND MILES, HOW ON EARTH DO THEY EXPECT THOSE SAME PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE DEGRADATION OF BRAKE LINES, MOST OF WHICH ARE HIDDEN? I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A SHOP AND BEEN ASKED AS PART OF THE MANY SERVICES THEY OFFER, INCLUDING STATE SAFETY INSPECTIONS, "WOULD YOU LIKE US TO TEST YOUR BRAKE LINES FOR POTENTIAL FAILURE?" CV AXLES, BALL JOINTS, BRAKE PADS, ALL ARE INCLUDED IN INSPECTIONS. NOT BRAKE LINES, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT MAINTENANCE PARTS. GM IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE.