NHTSA Complaint #11320901 — 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

ON 4/11/2020, WHILE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON N. MAIN STREET, FAYETTEVILLE, NC AND ACCELERATING FROM THE STOPLIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF CAMDEN ROAD, I WAS REQUIRED TO APPLY THE BRAKES FORCEFULLY AND SUDDENLY DUE TO THE ACTIONS OF ANOTHER MOTORIST. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES, I LOST ALL BRAKING POWER AND RESORTED TO UTILIZING THE MANUAL PARKING BRAKE TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND DRIVE IT CAREFULLY BACK TO MY RESIDENCE. AT THE MOMENT OF FAILURE, THE DASHBOARD BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT (AKA, IDIOT LIGHT) ILLUMINATED AND A "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY DURING THE TRIP BACK TO MY RESIDENCE WHEN TESTING THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR RESUMED FUNCTIONALITY. AFTER ARRIVING HOME, I PERFORMED A QUICK INSPECTION OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND FOUND THAT THE PORTION OF THE BRAKES LINES LOCATED ON THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRAME RAIL HAD RUSTED AND PERFORATED NEAR THE ABS MODULE, CAUSING THE FAILURE ALONG WITH MASSIVE FLUID LOSS (SEE ATTACHED PICS). I PERFORMED A CURSORY INTERNET SEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT THE NHTSA HAS ALREADY PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS EXACT ISSUE AND THE INVESTIGATION WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED WITH NO RECALL ISSUED BY GM. OF NOTE, GM VEHICLES USE A MANUAL PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL SWITCH LOCATED WITHIN THE BRAKE COMBINATION VALVE THAT ISOLATES THE DAMAGED CIRCUIT IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE AND ALSO ILLUMINATES THE DASHBOARD BRAKE LIGHT. THIS SYSTEM DID NOT OPERATE IN THIS INSTANCE AS EVIDENCED BY LOSING ALL BRAKING, AS OPPOSED TO REDUCED BRAKING, AS WELL AS THE BRAKE LIGHT NOT REMAINING ILLUMINATED. BASED ON THE APPEARANCE OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND INDICATION OF RUST IN SEVERAL SPOTS ON THE BODY (E.G, TAILGATE), I BELIEVE THIS TRUCK WAS OPERATED IN ONE OF THE RUST BELT STATES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BY A PRIOR OWNER.