Complaint 1146510
2004 GMC SIERRA • SERVICE BRAKES • incident Dec 30, 2014
- Complaint ID
- 1146510
- Make
- GMC
- Model
- SIERRA
- Model Year
- 2004
- Component
- SERVICE BRAKES
- Incident Date
- Dec 30, 2014
- Date Received
- Jan 10, 2015
- Data As Of
- Jul 1, 2026
Complaint Summary
SERVICE BRAKES
Owner Narrative
AFTER HAVING A GM DEALER PERFORM OIL CHANGE, PERHAPS 1/4 MILE DOWN THE STREET FROM THEIR FACILITY ENCOUNTERED TRAFFIC STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION IN FRONT OF ME. APPLIED THE BRAKES TO FIND THAT THEY FELT MUSHY, AND BEFORE COMPLETELY STOPPING WENT TO THE FLOOR. I USED THE PARKING BRAKE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP WITHOUT CRASHING INTO THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I NURSED THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT USING THE PARKING BRAKE AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND COULD FIND NO ISSUE, THE WEATHER WAS VERY WET AND SLOPPY, AND LIGHT SNOW SO I COULD NOT SEE THE TELL TALE FLUID LEAKAGE FROM A BRAKE LINE. BECAUSE I HAD LOST ALL BRAKING I ASSUMED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED. I HAD CHANGED ALL CALIPERS, ROTORS AND PADS SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE, AND AT 140,000 THOUGHT THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILING WOULD BE UNUSUAL, BUT THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD CAUSE COMPLETE FAILURE. AFTER REPLACING THE MASTER I ATTEMPTED TO BLEED THE SYSTEM ONLY TO FIND THAT THE PROBLEM REMAINED. NOW THAT THE UNDER HOOD AREA WAS COMPLETELY DRY IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE FAILURE WAS RUST THROUGH AT A POINT THE LINE TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE FRAME RAIL BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE OIL CHANGE HAD PROBABLY CAUSED MOVEMENT OF THE LINE RESULTING IN THE FAILURE. MOVING SOME OF THE OTHER LINES MADE IT APPARENT THAT ALL OF THE HARD LINES WERE SHOT. THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT CAUSED THEM TO FRACTURE. WORSE THAN THAT, THEY WERE ALL ENCASED IN A "SHELL" OF RUST FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, CONCEALING HOW FRAGILE AND DANGEROUS THEY REALLY WERE. REPAIR ESTIMATES WERE ANYWHERE FROM $800 (LOCAL MECHANICS) TO $3,400 (GM DEALER). LOVELY. I HAD A 1994 S10 BLAZER THAT I SOLD A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH 290,000 MILES ON IT, ORIGINAL BRAKE LINES AND ALL. CHANGED THE LINES MYSELF IN A WEEKEND FOR $120.00, THE GM PARTS GUY NEW EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED AND HAD THE "KIT" IN STOCK, WHAT A SURPRISE. *TR
Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.
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