# 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 — SERVICE BRAKES
> NHTSA complaint `1128739` · 2014-11-08 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** CHEVROLET
- **Model:** SILVERADO 1500
- **Year:** 2003
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** SERVICE BRAKES
- **Miles at failure:** 148,401
- **Speed:** 45 mph
## Narrative
I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SILVERADO 1500 DOWN A 3 LANE WIDE ROAD IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC UP TO A STOPLIGHT AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 15-45 MPH. I NOTICED THAT MY BREAKS FELT DIFFERENT THAN THEY NORMALLY DID, REQUIRING ME TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET "MODEST" BREAKING, NOT NEARLY THE NORMAL EMERGENCY/QUICK BREAKING ACTION I'M USED TO. AFTER SLOWLY COMING TO A STOP, I NOTICED THAT IF I HELD THE BRAKE PEDAL AT THE SAME PLACE/SAME PRESSURE, THE TRUCK STARTED ROLLING AGAIN! I EVENTUALLY HAD TO PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER 2 STOPLIGHTS WITH THESE SIMILAR SLOW BRAKING CONDITIONS, THE RED "BRAKE" LIGHT ON THE DASH LIGHT LIT UP AND A MESSAGE OF "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" POPPED UP ON THE DASH PANEL. WITH SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS OF NEARING RUNNING INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, I PULLED OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY TO A LOCAL MIDAS LOCATION, AND THEIR TECHNICIANS EXAMINED THE TRUCK IN THE PARKING LOT. THE HOOD STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDERNEATH AND MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL. MY FRAME NEAR THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WAS COMPLETELY SOAKED IN BREAK FLUID, AND WHEN WE PRESSED DOWN ON THE BREAKS, WE COULD VISUALLY SEE THE LEAK COMING FROM THE RUSTED THROUGH BREAK LINES. THE SMOKE WAS FROM THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID, AND COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN RUST DO SO MUCH DAMAGE AND CREATE SUCH A SAFETY HABIT IN MY 13 YEARS OF DRIVING AND MAINTAINING MY VEHICLES. THE STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY CAKED IN RUST, AND HAD CLEARL
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*