2004 GMC SIERRA 3500 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The fan for the heater doesnt work on all speeds properly, stopped working entirely

WHILE PULLING A CAMPER-TRAILER, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO STOP UTILIZING THE BRAKES ON THE TRAILER. I WAS ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HOME AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TRAILER BACK, KEEPING THE TRANSMISSION IN 1ST GEAR AND THE TRAILER BRAKES. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A CHEVY DEALER THAT WAS JUST A VERY SHORT DISTANCE UTILIZING THE GEARS AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALER FOUND AT LEAST TWO LOCATIONS WHERE THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. HE RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE ALL BRAKE LINES WITH A LINE THAT WAS CORROSION RESISTANT. THE REPAIR WAS JUST UNDER $2000. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED GMC SINCE THE TRUCK HAS 74,000 MILES AND IS OUT OF ALL WARRANTIES. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE TOWING A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER AND TRAFFIC CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I APPLIED MY BRAKES AND HAD BRAKES THAN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I LOST BRAKING POWER. I LET OFF THE BRAKES AND REAPPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH LOW BREAKING AFFECT. I PULLED THE TRUCK OVER AND FOUND BRAKE FLUID COMING OUT FROM ABOVE THE GAS TANK. I CAREFULLY TOOK THE TRUCK OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT USING MY TRAILER BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE FIRST SERVICE STATION THAT I SAW AND HAD THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY FOUND THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE HAD CORRODED AT A CLIP ABOVE THE FRAME RAIL ABOVE THE GAS TANK AND ADVISED ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE LINE. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS STUCK AWAY FROM MY TOOLS AND SERVICE SHOPS THAT I USE AND WAS STUCK BEING GOUGED BY THE SERVICE CENTER THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET TO FOR A REPAIR. AFTER I RETURNED HOME FROM VACATION I QUESTIONED THE MGT OF THE SERVICE CENTER ABOUT THE BILL. THEY CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL DEALER ABOUT THE HOURS FOR THE REPAIR AND THE LOCAL DEALER ADVISED THEM THAT THEY SEE THIS ALL THE TIME ON THIS VEHICLE. I LOOKED FOR A RECALL ON THIS AND FOUND NONE. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THIS AS JUST ABOUT EVERYONE THAT I TALK TO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM HAS ALL SEEN IT. GM ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM AND THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP WITH THE REPAIR SINCE THE TRUCK WAS 9 YEARS OLD. I ADVISED THEM THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY DENY IT BUT THEY DID OFFER ME $2000 TOWARDS A NEW GM VEHICLE. I ADVISED THEM THAT WAS NOT WHAT I WAS AFTER AS I DO NOT NEED A NEW VEHICLE NOR WANT AN NEW VEHICLE. WHAT I DID ASK FOR WAS 50% OF WHAT THE REPAIR WAS AS IT WAS A 9 YEAR OLD TRUCK AND THEY REFUSED. THEY WILL NOT EVEN PUT THE REFUSAL IN WRITING. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE THIS PROBLEM KILLS SOMEONE AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I SEEN AN INVESTIGATION TO 03 BUT MINE IS 04 WITH SAME. *TR

BRAKE LINE RUSTED OUT AND FAILED IN TWO SPOTS IN THE LAST MONTH. *TR

THIS PAST WEEK, AS I WAS DRIVING TO GET GAS FOR OUR CAMPING TRIP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE DUALLY SLOWED DOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT WAS IT EVER CLOSE. AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK BACK TO MY HOUSE, I BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE AS I SAW NO LEAK AND THE RESERVOIR WAS NEAR FULL. I SAW ONLINE THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A GM ISSUE WITH A FEW YEARS OF TRUCKS IN MY AGE BRACKET. I CLIMBED UP UNDER THE TRUCK AND FOUND THE LINES TO BE SHOT. NOT ONE WITH A RUST HOLE, BUT ALL OF THEM CORRODED FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER. I KNOW THE TRUCK IS 8 YEARS OLD, BUT IT SITS MOST THE TIME AND ALMOST ALWAYS THROUGH THE WINTER. I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE OTHER CAR IN 30 YEARS THAT HAD A BRAKE LINE RUST. IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN THIS HIGH END OF A VEHICLE. MY DAD BOUGHT THE MATCHING TRUCK. HIS SITS WINTERS IN THE BARN AND ONLY HAS 50K ON IT. I WILL CHECK IT THIS WEEKEND. *JS