Brake Hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings problems of the 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe

This is a fleet vehicle with multiple drivers. It has been garaged since purchased new, and frequently washed. It is infrequently used in poor weather, when roads are salted or brined, and undercarriage is rinsed after use in such conditions, intending to avoid premature undercarriage rust. In this event, the brake pedal gradually lost pressure while holding at a stop and vehicle began to roll imperceptibly. Driver initially thought seat was misadjusted from previous driver and that his applied pedal pressure was relaxing, therefore he adjusted the seat and continued driving. This was during a snowstorm, so driving was cautious anyway. The prior driver had noticed the same gradual pressure loss retroactively when asked. With 2 more hours driving (mostly highway with little need for braking), the problem worsened to the point that braking was completely unreliable and instrument cluster warnings were triggered. The problem is ruptured brake lines, due to premature rusting.

Applied brakes to stop, and brake pedal went to the floor. The Tahoe slowly stopped after pumping the brake pedal, but reluctantly. I had stopped without a problem only seconds before this incident. Cause of the braking problem according to the repair shop was a broken brake line. The repair shop also indicated that all the brake lines need to be replaced due to severe corrosion problems. The mechanic said that this is a common problem with gm vehicles. As an aside, the tow truck driver who picked up the Tahoe said that he has seen many vehicles with the same problem.