13 problems related to brake fluid leak have been reported for the 2004 Chevrolet 1500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Complete loss of braking ability without warning and fluid leakage due to corroded brake lines. Fortunately the incident occurred while parked at home, but necessitated towing the vehicle to the dealership and a costly repair.
Brakes became very spongy while driving. When I stopped in my driveway I noticed brake fluid leaking under the truck. When I checked where the leak was I discovered my brake lines are completely rusted from front to back! they have leaked through under the cab. This looks like an expensive repair and is completely unnecessary had the company not used such cheap material to save themselves some money. The brake lines should not be in the rusty condition that exist on this truck.
As I was leaving a supermarket parking lot with my family in vehicle, I applied brakes and without warning brake pedal went to floor and I had a difficult time stopping vehicle. Once I was able to stop vehicle using emergency brake, got out of vehicle to try to determine why brakes failed and saw brake fluid leaking from underneath truck just under the cab. After further inspection, I found that all the brake lines (as well as the transmission fluid lines) were rusted very badly and one of them had ruptured. I purchased this vehicle new and it has been maintained very well and has only been driven an average of 4000 miles yearly with very limited exposure to the elements. It is my opinion that these brake lines should not have had this failure. It is also my opinion that the type of materials used for these brake lines are not adequate for this application and are a safety concern. I have owned other vehicles which were much older and have never had this problem before now. After further research, I have found that this is a common problem with other gm trucks of this year and feel general motors should be required to replace these brake lines at no cost to the consumer. Thank you for investigating this matter.
Catastrophic brake loss. While driving down the road, tried to put on brakes and the pedal went completely to the floor. Luckily managed to avoid collision. Limp truck off to the side of the road and called tow truck. While waiting for tow truck notice brake fluid dripping under the truck in the area of the firewall. Looks as if break line rusted causing loss of break fluid. Very lucky no to have caused a major accident. Truck is 10 years old and has excellent condition.
Travelling north on hwy 41 approaching construction zone north of new high school, semi truck decided to change lanes to avoid congestion ahead and did not check for traffic in the lane he moved to. I was approximately 4 car lengths behind him and required to jam on brakes. Pedal went nearly to the floor and virtually no braking power was felt. I pumped breaks but the pedal consistently pushed to about 1/2" from the floor. Fortunately I was able to avert collision by switching lanes (shoulder) and turned on flashers. I slowed to about 25 mph on the highway and pulled over to the nearest safe spot. First I checked the brake fluid - which was down from the weekend significantly. Then I looked at the wheels and they looked ok. Crawling under the vehicle, there was fluid dripping from the gas tank area, from the cables for the emergency break, spray over the spare tire and spray on the inside of the passenger rear tire. All liquid (which appeared to be brake fluid) was on the left hand side of the vehicle. When I arrived home, I crawled under the truck & inspected more closely. There were apparently 2 spots where the brake lines had corroded (one was not visible - above the gas tank - but obviously the major leak was there). The second leak was from the steel line that joined near the rubber brake line on the left rear wheel. Truck is not drivable at 41000 miles.
While driving home from local grocery store, I noticed my brakes getting spongey. I made it trough 5 green lights and 4 miles to my driveway when all of a sudden the bells and whistles sounded. I parked my truck , crawed underneath and discovered the rear brake line rusted and leaking fluid. Now it sits waiting until I can get it towed, further inspected, and repaired.
Another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction came completely into my lane. To avoid a head-on collision, I slammed on my brakes, laid on the horn and moved as far to the right as I possibly could. Fortunately, the car coming toward me swerved back into the proper lane at the very last instance. Crisis averted? no . . . As I approached the next turn in the road (a sharp 20 mph turn) on a 45 mph road, I applied the brakes and the brake pedal went to the floor. The truck barely slowed enough to make it though the turn. I then limped the next quarter mile using the parking (emergency) brake to slow the vehicle until I got to a safe place to get off the road. At that point, I realized that brake fluid was leaking from at least one of the steel hydraulic lines inside the wheel well above the driver's side front wheel. Some of the fluid was hitting the catalytic converter and creating smoke. I am now having all the rusted steel brake lines and fuel line replaced with stainless steel.
Coming home from work around 5:00 in the afternoon and went to slow down for traffic slowing down and brake pedal went to floor as I eased down on the brake pedal. To keep from hitting the truck in front of me I hit the emergency brake pedal and went to the right side of my lane and hit a guard rail slightly damaging my fender and bumper before coming to a full stop. I got out and looked under the truck and found brake fluid leaking from above the fuel (gas tank) along the inside of the frame rail. I called aaa road service and had my truck towed to my house so I could further inspect the truck for repairs needed. I am a diesel truck technician and have been working on cars and truck for years. I also have a 1989 chevy truck with 368,000 and never have had a brake line replaced or a brake failure like this, as I inspected the brake lines I found all steel brake lines are corroded and rusted and need replaced. I know this is going to be a costly repair! I pull a boat, travel trailer and a utility trailer. If I had been pulling one of these items and the brakes had failed like they did only god! would know the out come. Gm needs to make a recall and have this issue fixed. I am back driving my 1989 step side until I can afford to make repairs! I sure could use some help!!.
The front brake lines busted while coming to a stop while pulling my 20ft enclosed trailer, I had to run off the side of the road into the ditch to avoid hitting multiple vehicles, onced stopped I found brake fluid leaking from the drivers side front behind the wheel. I found the front brake lines had rusted out and busted.
Truck: 2004 Chevrolet silverado 1500, standard cab, long bed, 133 inch wheelbase, 109,568 miles on odometer. Brakes completely failed, pedal to the floor, no front to back split braking available, total failure. Brake line ruptured, brake fluid, under pressure, squirted on exhaust, lots of smoke, but no fire. Laid down puddle of slippery fluid on roadway. Pulled off road without incident. Truck is standard shift, used transmission, to down shift and slow down, emergency brake was working, but couldn't stop vehicle on its own. Didn't use tow, risked driving vehicle home, luckily only about 5 miles in rural area, in first gear at 5-10 mph.
5-29 12 front brake lines leaking fluid in driveway. Severe corrosion on brake lines . Local dealer replaced brake front lines. 5-22-13 driving the down road ,complete loss of brakes ,emergency stop!! rear brake line on frame rail had burst due to corrosion. Local dealer replaced "rotted" brake lines with new corrosion resistant lines. All repairs done at dealer on file.
On Saturday March 3, 2012, my son was backing the truck out of a driveway when the brake pedal went to the floor. Investigation showed that brake fluid was squirting from a broken brake line under the bed of the truck and about 6 - 8 inches rearward from the back of the cab. Subsequently, I found that all brake lines are defective and there will be a cost in the area of $1600 to repair these items.
My daughter and I left a restaurant and went about 200 feet to a busy intersection and I went to stop and my brake pedal went all the way to the floor no warning or anything just no brakes at all we could of both been killed a Jeep was turning and I tried my best to avoid hitting him but I had no were to go and after the wreck I noticed brake fluid pouring out under the driverside door the brakes had just been changed a few months earlier and the mec never noticed rusty brake lines because it had been painted over when my dad bought the truck but by looking at them they looked ok but there is 4 lines running 2gether and you can't see the back 2 but when I had them replaced with stainless steel lines I can't understand how gm would use such poor quality of lines on something as important as brake lines there are thousands otherfamilies lives at risk right now how many people have to get hurt or even get killed before they do anything im lucky my daughter and I wasn't killed I have got a 49 kaiser and the lines on it are still in perfect shape but I cant believe how rotten all the lines were on my truck and we don't even get much snow in TN why have they got away with this how many people and their families have to unknowingly risk there life every day before some one does anything about it is gm paying people off or what this should not be allowed to go on the kedshould atleast send the owners of these cars to atleast get them checked out so people don't put there lives of risk.