Brake Fluid Leak Problems of Chevrolet Suburban - part 2

While driving through downtown bethesda, brake pedal lost pressure all the way to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance through an intersection. Pulled over and noted fluid leakage under front right side of car. Drove car to dealer at 5mph; identified extensive rust through brake lines. Car was not driveable. I was charged $430 for parts and $2351 for labor to 'completely rebuild brake lines manually' because gm stopped making the kit. Total $2808 and nine days out of service.

See all problems of the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban 🔎.

When departing for the day, the brake pedal went completely to the floor. The stopping time of the vehicle was compromised. Since the vehicle was being used to tow a 19 foot boat, the trip was aborted in the first mile and the vehicle was parked. Upon inspection of the brakes, a severe leaking of brake fluid was discovered. The brake lines were checked and extensive rusting of the lines was discovered. There was no indication of brake fluid leaks or reduced pressure from any indicator signal. The failure was sudden and unexpected as the brakes worked without issue the previous evening.

See all problems of the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 🔎.

Right in my own driveway, I applied the brake pedal and without any prior issues the pedal went to the floor and the dash alert came on to service brake system. Thankfully, this did not occur while on the road because it was a sudden failure. Even at slow speed, the heavy vehicle took several feet to stop. The brake line from the abs module heading to the rear axle burst in 3 or 4 places causing a large amount of brake fluid to leak out. All lines to and from the abs module are heavily rusted and look much worse than other components. As I looked into this online, I've discovered numerous vehicles having this and much worse problems involving accidents. I can't see how this vehicle could have ever stopped safely. I just drove it the night before and had no warning signs. This is more than normal wear and tear. These brake lines are sub standard and could have been made better. Another sign of large corporations trying to use inferior materials to boost their stockholders profits. Someone help us.

On 3-8-14 at about 10:00 am I was less than a mile from home when I was approaching a two way stop sign traveling at about 30 mph. I began breaking normally for the stop when shortly after applying the breaks, the resistance from the brake pedal was lost and the pedal went instantly to the floor. At the time the pedal went to the floor there was no longer any breaking of the vehicle. I could not slow the vehicle by breaking and continued through the intersection. Fortunately, there were no cars in the intersection. Pumping the breaks lightly provided a slight breaking. I continued to drift and down shift the transmission until the car could be stopped. When inspecting under the vehicle, break fluid was seen dripping at a fast rate from a break line under the driver side door. A puddle of break fluid was quickly building up. Later that day I went to the Chevrolet dealer and explained what happened. I was told it's a common problem and there was a repair kit that could be installed. I was not aware of the common instantaneous break failure problem.

Driving down the road and the brake pedal became mushy, took precaution to get home with slow speed. About 100 yards from my driveway the brake service light came on. Complete loss of hydraulic braking power. Coasted into drive and applied parking brake. Checked brake lines and found all brake lines rusted but the front right brake line rusted through allowing all brake fluid to leak out. The brake reservoir was completely empty.

While driving 25 mph and coming to a light changing to yellow during a heavy snowfall I had attempted to stop . The abs pulsated a few times because of the snow and the brake pedal went to the floor and the Suburban did not stop and I could only hold on hope and pray myself and my 2 and 3 year olds get through the snowy and slippery intersection without hitting anyone or getting hit by someone else, luckily the snow on the ground actually helped slow the vehicle, the master cylinder showed minimal fluid loss, I was told by the dealer cold weather and age caused the failure and an estimate of about 1500 to repair . This happened within 7 months of a dealer multi-point inspection which showed no leaks and full brake inspection by the dealer which included the brake lines and a requested system bleed to try to get the brakes to work properly. The truck also has a long soft pedal travel which goes below the gas pedal height of which the dealer has informed me is normal and like all older 2002 Suburbans. And the final bill for the brakelines was 1730. 26 after adding an oil change while it was there for service. . . Got it home and fluid was leaking profusely on the driveway (where I had no leaks up until this point) the dealer denied overfilling the oil would cause the leak and suggested that the cold weather caused the front seal leak so I had agreed to replace the front seal which was another 374. 44 and the notes now show multiple oil leaks. And a repeat brake inspection shows no failures , but the brakes continue to not work properly and the dealer said if it continues they can manual bleed the brake system to see if that helps the issue.

See all problems of the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 🔎.

Was backing out of driveway and brake pedal went to the floor and would not stop. Threw shifter into park before it rolled out of driveway and down embankment and into woods. Inspection of vehicle found brake fluid leaking from corroded brake lines at rear of vehicle on driver's side. Further inspection showed that all brake lines are corroded and must be replaced.

Brakes failed when coming to a stop after leaving a gas station. Brake fluid leaking down frame rail next to abs booster by the fuel tank.

I was approaching a 4-way stop sign in philadelphia when I noticed the brake pedal sinking to the floor. I had been using this vehicle daily and had recently used it for a trip to the store. There was no warning light or problem with braking or pedal feel before this occurred. I pumped the brake pedal to try to come to a stop. I did not come to a complete stop until I was into the intersection by using the parking brake and putting the transmission in neutral. I was able to get the car to safety where I noticed brake fluid pouring out from an extremely rusted brake line behind the left rear tire when the brake pedal was pushed. Fortunately, there was no cross traffic or pedestrians or children crossing the street at the time. This happened in a school zone where children are always present.

The contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the rear brake failed to engage while driving 40 mph. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by using the front brake. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where the contact was advised that the rear brake lines were corroded and leaking brake fluid. The rear brake lines were replaced. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 165,000.

Driving my 2002 1500 Suburban the brake line let loose, got the truck to the shop on the lift found all brake lines corroded and two leaking fluid. Upon inspection found all fuel lines rotted out as well. Replaced all lines in the truck brake and fuel including front rubber lines and calipers. Truck has never had a great brake pedal still does not. Also found rocker panels rotting out along with quarters truck is beautiful in and out except the cheap metal gm used.

While driving my 2003 Suburban I was approaching a stop sign and attempted to brake. The brake pedal suddenly went to the floor with no braking action. As the truck continued through the stop sign (thank goodness no other car was crossing) I attempted to engage the emergency break which failed to slow down or stop as well. I then intentionally turned to truck over a curb into a grassy area as to stop the vehicle prior to rolling down the hill into highway traffic. Upon examining under the truck I discovered an area under a clamp leaking brake fluid. It appears that it had corroded though.

While backing out of our driveway, applied brake pedal, which went down slightly and then went all the way to the floor with vehicle not stopping. Drove it into the cul-DE-sac across the street, applied brakes at the stop sign, didn't stop, went into driveway and parked it. Husband went underneath and notice large amount of leaking fluid. At no time did any indicator light come on. Took it to goodyear (chevy dealer too far to safely drive) and they said massive corrosion on the brake line and catastrophic failure. I was incredibly lucky no neighbor kids were walking on the sidewalk as I was backing up. It is going to be a horrendous repair bill.

Brake pedal went to the floor when applied in a parking lot. Parked vehicle. Upon return large puddle of brake fluid under drivers side front and brake line had failed. All brake lines are very corroded on this 12 year old vehicle. In addition, fuel lines are also very corroded but have not yet failed.

Brake pedal went almost to floor when approaching a stop sign. Stopping ability was very poor. We were close to home, so we returned home. Upon inspection brake fluid was dripping down frame rail under drivers seat, where about five brake lines enter the abs valve unit. The brake lines were all severely rusted to the point one failed. Very bad location for the abs valve, as the brake lines follow the frame rail from the front left wheel to the abs unit and are prone to collecting road salt spray. Service access is limited and awkward. This same failure occurred on my 2001 silverado pickup in August 2010.

Thankfully in our driveway, the brake pedal went all the way to the floor. And we noticed fluid was leaking from the left rear. Our vehicle was towed to our repair shop and the mechanic reported the following: there was heavy rust on the rear differential. The metal brake line at the left rear wheel has a hole rusted through. All of the metal brake lines are in very poor condition due to rust contamination. All of the brake lines need to be replaced. I understand that you are investigating a rust issue with the brake lines on 2003 chevy Suburbans. We have maintained our vehicle with regular service, and oil changes every 3,000 miles. Our Suburban looks new inside and out. This is the second issue we have had with excessive rust. In 2008, with less than 50,000 miles on the vehicle, the backing plates rusted and needed to be replaced. Thankfully, gm paid for the repair. We take very good care of our vehicles and with 94,038 miles (mostly highway miles), we feel that the brake lines rusting through is not an expected repair. The brakes failing could have had catastrophic consequences. I have read about other people having the same issue with their Suburban.

The contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while entering a parking spot at an unknown speed, smoke emitted from the front passenger tire. The contact also mentioned that there was a brake fluid leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was found that the brake lines were corroded. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 238,000. The VIN was not available.

See all problems of the 2000 Chevrolet Suburban 🔎.

As I was backing my vehicle from my driveway I noticed a puddle of brake fluid where the vehicle was parked. Upon closer inspection I noted that the front brake line leading from the master cylinder to the rear abs controller was leaking fluid onto the roadway. The vehicle is no longer safe to drive until the brake lines are replaced. All of the brake lines on this 2003 Suburban are heavily corroded and look ready to fail at any moment.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. While driving approximately 45 mph the contact depressed the brake pedal but the brakes would not respond. The contact applied excessive pressure to the brake pedal in order for the brakes to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated the hydro boost would have to be replaced because brake fluid and power steering fluid was leaking. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign number: 05v043000 (service brakes, hydraulic) that could be related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000. Da.

See all problems of the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 🔎.

The brakes on my 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 failed during an attempted stop. The pedal traveled all the way to the floor. Subsequent testing of the brakes revealed that there was at least one brake fluid leak from lines leaving the master cylinder which was spraying brake fluid onto the engine causing smoking. The vehicle was towed to a Chevrolet dealership for repair and I was told that the brake lines had corroded through causing loss of brake fluid and loss of braking capability. It was stated by the dealership that this corrosion was due to road conditions where salt is used on the roads for winter driving. The vehicle had approximately 42,000 miles on it when the brake failure occurred. The cost of the repair was approximately $2,500. The vehicle has never been used for snow plowing or spreading road salt.

I was driving about 25mph on a snow covered road. I applied the brake and the abs system engaged then the brake pedal went down to the floor with no hydraulic pressure. The car no longer slow down so I down shifted to slow the car and finally got it to stop and shifted to neutral to stay stopped. Once I put the car in gear the brakes could not keep the car from moving. Once safely off the road I checked the brake fluid and their was none. The brake line failed and all the fluid leaked out. I am thankful this didn't happen while I was driving at any faster speeds, this is very dangerous and occurred with no prior warning.

The contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. The contact stated that while reversing, the brakes failed to respond to deceleration attempts and the brake pedal was able to be fully depressed. Upon inspection, it was found there was a brake fluid leak. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the master cylinder brake lines had corroded, which caused the leak. The mechanic repaired the vehicle by replacing the master cylinder brake lines. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000 and the current mileage was 32,000.

Started to pull out of driveway and brake pedal went to the floor. Inspection revealed that a rear brake line had rusted through, leaving a puddle of brake fluid on the ground.

Severe metal brake line corrosion: on surface streets, while approaching an intersection at about 35 mph, the brakes were applied and the pedal immediately went to the floor while towing a dual-axle travel trailer. The driver was able to use the trailer brake override to stop the truck-trailer combination before hitting anything. Brake fluid was dripping under the driver's side door. Closer examination revealed severe corrosion of the four 1/4" brake lines that follow the frame rail from the abs module on the inside of the left frame rail up into the engine compartment to the master cylinder and the two front wheels. One of the two lines from the master cylinder to the abs module had burst. The rust on these 1/4" lines was flaking off in large chunks. Also observed very significant rust on the 3/16" hard lines on the rear axle and the hard lines mounted to the frame and body leading to the rear axle. These lines are very close to failure. What is further distressing about this situation is that when one brake circuit failed there was none to very little braking effectiveness from the other brake circuit. The brake pedal went right to the floor with little resistance. This suggests that the master cylinder does not provide independent braking circuits like it should. Later, using a pair of locking-type pliers, the failed line was clamped off and it would build pressure and restore a modicum of braking effectiveness from the other circuit. The general condition of the truck is good with only a small amount of surface rust on some of the underbody components. This truck is not a rust-bucket. Salt exposure is minimal as a maryland truck (one owner) that is used primarily for towing a camper trailer in fairer weather and is not used as a daily commuter. Failure: 7oct2012. Truck: 2002 1/2-t chev Suburban LS, 4wd with approximately 190,000 miles.

While vehicle was stationary at idle I noted excessive brake pedal travel after placing my right foot on the brake. The brake pedal traveled all the way to the floor board and was very slow in return. I shut the vehicle off and visually checked the master cylinder and connections. I noted the master cylinder brake fluid reservoir was not completely at the full mark. I continued to observe the hydraulic connections and found no active leak and no fluid on the ground beneath the vehicle. I drove the vehicle to a repair shop in town (out of state visit) advising the shop owner of the problem involving brake travel. A mechanic determined the brake lines on my vehicle were routed along the vehicle frame, made of steel, and unprotected resulting in corrosion, holes, and active leaks. Two of the lines were repaired and now the remaining two lines require repair. I observed and noted corrosion of the brake line distribution system along the vehicle frame running to the rear of the vehicle and crossing over the right side. I believe the brake line corroded and failed immediately behind the driver's side located immediately next to the vehicle identification tag. This location was obscured from view because a plastic wiring harness is routed between the brake lines and exterior of the frame. I believe the placement of the plastic conduit conceals vision / inspection of corroding brake lines. I believe unprotected steel brake lines are subject to physical abrasion and moisture between the unprotected brake line and the vehicle frame resulting in brake line fatigue and water based corrosion resulting in holes and failure of the hydraulic brake system. I never observed the operation of the "brake" icon located on the vehicle message panel.

The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban. While driving approximately 30 mph, the brake pedal was abnormally depressed into the floor board. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder and after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed brake fluid leaking from the brake lines. There was corrosion on the brake lines as well. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. There was an investigation under NHTSA action number: ea11001 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) that could possibly have been related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000. Updated 8/31/12.

The contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. The contact stated that while trying to decelerate to a stop, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard abnormally. The contact moved off the roadway to further inspect the failure where he then noticed that brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection where they stated that the brake line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred a few months later. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.

I was traveling at 40 mph when traffic stopped ahead. Applied brakes but brake pedal depressed to the floor with only very minor braking. Avoided accident by using emergency brake and swerving on to the right shoulder. There was no warning on the instrument panel of low brake fluid, lack of braking capacity or any other pending brake malfunction. After getting vehicle safely home a visual inspection revealed a major loss of brake fluid from the master cylinder and brake fluid leaking from above the vehicle frame, below the drivers side floor board. Major corrosion has occurred in the vicinity of the leak. Although this is a 2000 vehicle, it only has 74,480 mile of use. An internet search reveals that an NHTSA action number : ea11001 has been established for similar complaints.

I was driving on york road in maryland going about 35 miles per hour when the car in front of me suddenly stopped. I pressed on the brake pedal but it went straight to the floor. Fortunately I had kept a good distance between my car and the car in front of me. My vehicle came to a stop about half and inch away from the car in front. After this I had to pull over and take the vehicle to the dealer. Dealer found that the brake lines had rusted and brake fluid was leaking hence the reason for the car not braking properly.

The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal and stated that the brake pedal dropped to the floorboard abnormally. The contact was able to stop the vehicle and place it in park. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the brake lines were corroded and was fractured, causing the brake fluid to leak. The vehicle was not repaired. There was an open investigation under NHTSA action number: ea11001 (service brakes, hydraulic service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) that could possibly have been related to the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

After entering the parking lot of the local shopping center I applied the brake pedal to park in the marked space but the truck did not stop, the pedal travel all the way down but no breaking effect at all, fortunately that section of the lot was mostly empty and I let the truck roll to almost a stop, push the brake pedal again and did not stop so ended up using the parking brake to stop the truck. No warning light ever came on so I went to check the rubber hoses and brake lines under the truck finding a brake fluid dripping from the area under the driver's seat, close to a big rubber " doughnut " ( chassis mount ). I pushed the brake pedal and fluid sprayed again from that area. There are several brake pipes running to and from a sensor or equalizing valve mounted on the chassis in that area. After towing the truck home I went under it and follow the tubing leaving from that area to the front and the rear of the truck, and it is all rusted with the exception of the flexible hoses going to the calipers. I own two other cars ( not chevy's) that are older and used under the same conditions as the Suburban and the brake piping looks like new on those, so I'm inclined to think this condition is particular to Suburbans or Chevrolet in general. Would this incident had not occurred in a parking lot it would have ended in an accident or a fatality. I'm calling the local chevy dealership Monday to check for any outstanding recall for my truck but never received a recall notice. This truck was bought new and have always been used in maryland, the winters are not extreme here and my only theory for the excessive rusting is that the brake lines are too cheap. Truck will be parked indefinitely and available for inspection if requested.

When I was moving my Suburban in my driveway, I noticed that I had no brakes, and I looked under my front bumper and saw a large brake fluid leak, I would not like to think what would have happen if this would accured when I needed my brakes. Because of this leak and the result of losing my breaks I almost hit my little kid who was outside because our driveway was on a slight grade. And I had no breaks.

See all problems of the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 🔎.

Upon backing into the driveway after returning from a short errand, the brake pedal went to the floor with no braking action. No damage occurred since the emergency brake stopped the car at low speed. All instrument panel lamps for the braking system were lighted and the message "service brake system" came on. Upon inspection, the brake fluid reservoir was empty and the fluid was dripping from the underside a little forward of the driver's side of the car. After having the car towed to the auto repair shop it was found to have rusted out steel brake lines in a cluster of four leading from the master cylinder back toward the rear of the car. Luckily this total loss of braking occured at the very end of the trip since there was no warning of any problem beforehand. Six lengths of the rusted steel brake lines needed to be replaced.

The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet surburban 1500. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, he applied the brakes and the pedal depressed to the floor. The vehicle coasted to a stop. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was a brake fluid leak. More brake fluied was added and the vehicle was driven home. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. The failure mileage was 59,000.

Corroded brake lines on 2003 Chevrolet Suburban caused a front end crash when brake line burst at corrosion. I was lucky to have had a snow bank in my path and not another car. I applied thebrakes coming to a stop light when the brake pedal went to the floor. Myself and my wife went through the red light, unable to stop, with no traffice coming from the cross street, luckily. I was able to get home slowly and found the brake line corroded and brake fluid squirting from the break when pressure applied upon inspection.