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Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Brake Problems

mcleandmcleand Member Posts: 3
edited June 2015 in Chevrolet
I own a 2003 Silverado that has intermittent brake failure problems . The dealer has repaired this time and time again but the problem persists . The dealer and now GM say that this is a normal function for this vehicle , but now the brake pedal goes to the floor and although they are telling me it is safe to drive I am refusing . This truck sits in my garage .

I found over 100 similar complaints on the NHTSA web site , some involving accidents with injuries and deaths .

Does anyone have any advice . This truck has 48000 KM on it .

See Also: Finding the Causes of a Low Brake Pedal
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Comments

  • thompson1223thompson1223 Member Posts: 3
    I was wondeing if any one could help me out on this i hit a rock like a year ago and as the time went by i starting hearing sweaking form the rear passinger tire i went to places and they said it was a bent axle well the sound has gotton way worse but when i hit the brakes it goes away so i dont know what it is can someone help thanks.
  • thompson1223thompson1223 Member Posts: 3
    Yea i have the same thing when i hit a bump when i go to hit the brakes and they told me its has something to do with the sensor and they fixed it and it hasent done it since then
  • eric62eric62 Member Posts: 1
    Changed master cylinder thinking that may be the problem, but pedal still soft and goes to floor. Mechanic thinks it may be abs module? Can this be bypassed? Suggestions???
  • jgriffithjgriffith Member Posts: 1
    I just had my mechanic replace my brake rotors and pads on my rear wheels. Almost immediately I noticed a sound coming from my rear wheels. Took it back to my mechanic and he tells me my emergency brake pad came loose and was rattling around in my wheel. Question: Did my mechanic have to remove the emergency brake assembly to replace my rotors and pads on my initial visit? :confuse:
  • twevertstweverts Member Posts: 24
    Yes. The rear rotors have the barking brake on the inside or back side of your rotors. The parking brake shoes operate similar to the old drums whereas they push out on the internal surface of the drum which is actually the inside component of your rotors.

    here's a picture of a slotted rear rotor where you can see the internal drum surface.
    image
  • seewoodyseewoody Member Posts: 7
    The brake bleeding procedure in my"96
    ' book(Dealer "tech." manuel)includes pumping the pedal and cracking open and closing in succession, each fitting on all hydraulic components, working your way back to and including the master cylinder, untill all air is bled out. Don't forget to use something to prevent brake fluid from sraying all over the paint and yourself."TRY IT! YOU'LL LIKE IT!
  • seewoodyseewoody Member Posts: 7
    I experianced some thing like that, cruising on the highway for a long way with out using the brakes, when I applied the brakes, the pedal went way low. I think I pumped the pedal before it bottomed, however on the second pump I had brakes. These symptoms repeated whenever I was on a long high way cruise. So I would apply the brakes every so often, (I'm cheap) until I replaced the rotors. With new rotors Inever had the problem again. Runout,jouncing,etc. can cause some calipers, more then others, to retract the pistons enough that the brake pedal will depress frieghteningly low before the brakes are applied if at all on the first brake application.
  • seewoodyseewoody Member Posts: 7
    I replaced my front rotors,pads,caliper guide o-rings,cleaned all "sliding"surfaces and lubed the guide pins. When driving,I found myself smelling somebody riding with their parking brake on way to often. So I jacked up my front and spun my front wheels-free spinning-drove truck still smelling fillet-ala-brakes. Checked rotor temp. after coming home using very light brakes. One rotor-525F-other-675F.The caliper pistons retracted as caliper pistons usually do.I replaced the calipers with "Cardo" rebuilts. 80,000 later, still O/K. P.S. 120,000 and still original untouched rear brakes.
  • paumatpaumat Member Posts: 1
    I just replaced my rear rotors and pads as well. What happens is the emergency brake, if not properly adjusted, wears a groove into the drum and prohibits the rotor from pulling off -- you basically need to finesse it off and if that doesn't work -- pound it off. If the guy whacked it with a hammer, etc. to get the rotor off he probably broke the e-brake shoe retainer clip. If he didn't replace the clip, that would cause the ebrake shoe to rattle around inside the drum.
  • boozerboozer Member Posts: 3
    Hey Mcleand,
    I have a 2003 sierra slt
    Conserning your brake problem whit the truck,I had the same problem whit the brake pedal going to the floor and after (quite a few trips to the garage) Finaly they changed the "Brake Booster" It did fix the problem whit the peddal going to the floor but still today I have problems whit the anti-lock not working properly...it takes the truck an exagerated distance to stop on a snowy road whit me pushing like crazy on the pedal whitch is as stiff as pushing on a cement wall(and you can just hear the anti-lock humming wide open)...And you know what! All of this is just normal operation of these trucks,everything is normal if you ask a GM Teck.And this is litterely the very tip of the iceburg whit my truck....lots and lots of trips to the garage and lots of headakes and frustrations to go whit it(major lemond) Hope you have some luck getting to the bottom of your problems.
    I`m getting rid of mine in about a year when the worth of the truck is equal to what I owe...and never again will I even buy a Delco Spark plug. Gm has a very bad quality system and it shows and they dont back up there product after its sold,I had to fight whit gm canada and garages since i got this 60 000$ piece of junk on wheels.(what a waste)
    sinceraly,
    :lemon:
  • jake41jake41 Member Posts: 2
  • jake41jake41 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Silverado 1500 4x4, I have been experiencing a front brake rattle when drive rough spots in the road with my foot off the brake, when I apply slight pedal pressure the rattle is gone. I have taken to the dealer multiple time with no results, they say from temp changes to lubrications of the slides. My warranty is almost done..I need suggestions..I sounds like tin can in my front end.
  • brett4mvpbrett4mvp Member Posts: 1
    I just had an accident resulting from a brake failure with my 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 truck. I was making a left hand turn into a parking stall (was going about 5 mph) and when I pressed on the brake pedal my vehicle did not stop. My truck hopped the curb and went down a slight hill and rammed into a retaining wall. When I pressed on the brakes they went lower to the floor than normal. I had no apparent warning of this impending brake failure (no check engine light, brake squealing, etc.). This is the first time I had this happen with the truck. The officer that did the accident report had me back out my vehicle and at this time the brakes worked fine and I still had no check engine light on.

    The kicker is I had a recall service performed on my truck not more than six weeks to clean the front wheel sensors. The recall dealt with a problem where the ABS would turn on during low speed brake applications between 3.7 mph to 10 mph. I am not sure if they did the cleaning properly, but it was similar to the consequence that was listed in the recall of the braking distance increasing as a result of the ABS being activated. If I would of been on flatter land then I do not believe I would have had this problem with my truck.

    Has anyone else had a similar experience? I am currently waiting for an official GM investigation of my brakes. I will report back after I get the results.
  • phxdenisephxdenise Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever get an answer to this question? We are experiencing the same issue on our 2004 Sierra 1500 4X4?
  • canayjun64canayjun64 Member Posts: 34
    Hi everyone,

    Just like post # 14, my ABS has been kicking in just as I'm about to make a complete stop (on dry surfaces) Thankfully, it won't do this on higher speeds. Before I send my 4WD 2000 Silverado in for repairs, is there something I can do to remedy this? Perhaps a simple sensor replacement?

    (FYI)I got the recall done on this about a year ago.

    Thanks
  • steve142steve142 Member Posts: 1
    phxdenise/jake41: Have you had your pads replaced lately? If so, I have an '02 Z71 with the same problem - which appeared shortly after the dealer replaced the front pads. After about a year or so of folks trying various remedies, I found a service manager at another dealer who knows trucks. Some Chevy dealers apparently use lesser-quality (and cheaper) replacement pads. The rattle on mine was the result of the lesser-quality pad - which is supposed to be a harder substance and last longer. I had the more expensive pad installed and the rattle is gone.
  • canayjun64canayjun64 Member Posts: 34
    No. I didn't change my pads. The problem started all of a sudden last week.

    In the meantime, I went to the dealer and (of course) they wouldn't honor the recall that was done back in Feb 05 for the same problem. They (at the time) took 15 minutes to "fix" the problem. Whetever they did, they did fast only this time, they want to charge me for 1.5 hour labour and (get this) $300.00 CDN for each sensors!!

    Needless to say that this is a total rip off. These sensors are not even available in other part stores. It's a part reserved (so I'm told) exclusively for dealers. I don't get this one bit.

    Anyway, I will not pay $600.00 + for this repair that I believe is useless to start with. I never believed in ABS and I still don't. MY work around, I unpluged the stupid things. However, If I remove the fuse, both the ABS and the emergency parking light stay on. So by unpluging the sensors, only the ABS light remain on. To fix this, I removed the dashboard, and removed the LED light for the ABS. End of story. My truck now stops on a dime and no more pulsating pedal.

    It's shameful to have to resort to such a drastic so called "repair". I'm not satisfied but at least, I'm $600.00 bucks richer. ;)
  • bdsumnerbdsumner Member Posts: 1
    Had 2 of the above noted brake failures with my 2000 Silverado - too bad - a beautiful truck otherwise. Just got off the phone with GM Canada (there is no recall on this for Western Canada) and they told me I was on my own with regard to fixing this. As some of you guys have done I disabled the ABS crap system by taking off the 2 wire harness to the ABS unit itself (don't pull the fuse or you'll lose your cruise control). I guess I'll do as some above have done and just pull the ABS and P&! lights out of the dash.

    I'm out $600 for a new bumper should I decide to fix it and $155 for the dealer to R&R the wheel speed sensors. Without ABS (Hooray!) I won't hit anymore immovable objects and I'll never have this problem again. Geez - I wonder should my next truck be a Silverado or a Toyota Tundra??? I have to agree GM has been absolutely shameful on this ABS issue. I've been a GM guy for the last 41 years but I'm a little embarrassed for the company over this nonsense.
  • canayjun64canayjun64 Member Posts: 34
    bdsumner--- Just so you know, you'll need a soldering gun to remove the LED light from the dashboard. It's soldered in place.
  • liperonusliperonus Member Posts: 1
    hey whats up eric,i have a 98 sierra with the 4wal abs system and the 5.7 vortech,vin code r.If im driving down the road and get ready to apply the brakes to stop at a light,the first initial push on the brake pedal goes straight to the floor,if i pump it once it gets better and better.Ive replaced master cylinder and both calipers up front,bled the brakes over and over,pedal still goes to the floor.Ive been told it has something to do with the abs dump valve.
  • bp21901bp21901 Member Posts: 2
  • bp21901bp21901 Member Posts: 2
    I have an '03 Silverado 1500. My ABS & Brake dashboard lights come on and beep when I have my vent fan on setting 2, 3 or 4. When the fan is on 1 they don't come on, when on 2 they come on when braking, when on 3 or 4 they come on and stay on whether braking or not and will go off if I change the fan switch to the 1 setting. I also noticed that when I have my inverter in use it will also light up and beep when on fan position 1 and braking and all the time when in fan position 2.

    The brakes work fine, just very annoying to have the truck beeping at you while the fan is set to more than 1. The wheels have been pulled and brake pads checked, they are fine. Brake fluid level is fine. Brake lines have been bled.

    Any ideas? The local dealer is stumped, but willing to start swapping things out on a trial and error and high $ basis.
  • ttaupier1ttaupier1 Member Posts: 50
    I had serious break problems; they couldn’t seem to stop the truck. At all (10-300miles...dealer had no idea what to do after repeated visists). I typically drive in commuter traffic and they have stunk! from day one. Then a friend showed me his Chevy 2500HD his breaks that are practically the same and his truck did not stop either... rear calipers were not greased from the factory or installed properly. Off I went to Google and every GM/GMC forum on trucks, seems there are hundreds and thousands of folks out there with GM brake problems, My brother and father both have GMC truck and they also have problems. Here's what I did. I went to SSBC and ordered the rear caliper and rotor kit, I ordered the Russell SSbrakelines and ordered new SSBC rotors and pads for the front calipers. I installed and bled the lines and install the new gear...Holy Shmoly... The issue that most GM truck owners have is that the rear calipers are not designed to help stop the truck (they were miss manufactured, or mis-installed (not greased slider pins), rear rotors wear funny and pads do not squeeze the rear rotors. Mstcyliners have issues and ABS sensors have issues. Most everyone I talk to all have had issues with breaks. For now my issues are done the truck feels like a track car...until ABS or wheel sensors hit me. I have had the SSBC system for 2 years and 30K miles, my wife loves the feel of the truck despite the fact that its 6000+lbs. Toyota even markets their trucks to the fact that GM has crappy brakes...Hmmm what do they know that GM does not.. Oh yeah...what was the number one American car company in 2006 Bueler, "Anyone"... contact me if you want photos or thoughts :mad:
  • daffypuckdaffypuck Member Posts: 2
    I havent had any of the problems yall are mentioning. BUT, I have had serious warping of my rotors problems. After about 7,000-10,000 miles on my 05' Silverado, My truck started bouncing up and down when braking. It turned out to be warped rotors, Which I figured. The dealer repaired them and now 12,000 miles later, Theyre warped even worse. I never pull or haul anything. I dont drive like my Grandpa, but Im also not abusive to my truck. Why are they warping so easily? Is it substandard materials or too small of rotors? If the dealer is uncoperative, What are some good aftermarket rotors I can buy?
  • ttaupier1ttaupier1 Member Posts: 50
    The Warping is caused by excessive heat on the rotors, excessive heat is caused by having to apply too much friction... by the front pads,

    too much friction on the front rotors is caused by lack of brake pressure balanced between the front and back brakes 70/30(is the likely cause)

    You could have MSRCylynder issues...?,

    I know from personal experience from yr2000 and on, GM has always had warping issues, I now have 34K miles on my after market SSBC components and no more warping, SSBC.com is probably your best bet, they have rotors that are coated that resist rust.

    I now have about 45K on my truck and bakes and rotors are fine, dealer serviced said their 10% used, means I will get about 150k miles before the next brake job... see my photos http://www.carspace.com/ttaupier1/Albums/2003-5_3truck/
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    and rotor. Still had a lot of meat on the pads too. Figured 100k was no problem.
  • daffypuckdaffypuck Member Posts: 2
    Well, Too much friction is the common sense assesmaent that the dealer gave me. You would think that would know that and adjust accordingly. But alas, they didnt. If they fix em again for me, How can I adjust the differential? IMO, A truck should never have warped rotors unless youre abusive or haul a butt load of crap all the time. My truck is just a small V-8 2WD. It never has the load to warrant warping the rotors reguardless of how abusive one is when braking. Thanx..
  • utah2004utah2004 Member Posts: 1
    Hello ttaupier1,
    I have rotor warping problems also. I own a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500, 2WD. Last July/2006, I experienced brake pulsation. Dealer determined that all 4 rotors were warped. They were machined and this fixed the problem.
    Milage at that time was 67338 miles. Today after only 7723 miles, I again have brake pulsation caused by warped rotors - this confirmed by dealer. Rear rotors must be replaced since not enough metal to machine them; front rotors need to be machined again. I don't feel I should have to pay for this since it shouldn't have happened after so few miles. I think I need some kind of official proof to show my dealer before they will give in to my request. I've searched the Internet but can find nothing that appears 'official' You mentioned you've seen many instances of people with GM truck brake problems. Do you recall anything specific that would help me here?

    Thanks. Clark
  • zimjerryzimjerry Member Posts: 2
    ttaupier1, did you get the stock rotors or the 14" ones from SSBC? I'm looking at the 14" rotor upgrade. Every GM vehicle I have owned has had marginal brakes,(except my GXP)but these are he worst.
  • ttaupier1ttaupier1 Member Posts: 50
    edited October 2015
    I got the standard OEM rotors for the (4 of them)truck, like you my truck had marginal brakes from the start, and i assumed that the front calipers were working well, so i replaced the rears with the triple piston SSBC calipers, russel SSbrake lines and standard OEM rotors....feels like a nascar now!!!, my wife loves to drive it due to the brake feel. I have standards OEM rotors from SSBC all the way around. (note*...the key might be the SS-brake lines to the feel.) I did all the work myself and only extended the complete brake job by an hour for bleeding the new lines.

  • tcbin07tcbin07 Member Posts: 7
    I very recently purchased an 06 GMC Sierra 1500 HD Crew Cab from a reputable? dealer and quickly discovered a braking issue that I'm certain will lead to problems down the road. The truck was a lease return with 35000km on it (may have been a rental, so it seems). Tire wear on the front indicates a fair bit of wear, but I think the dealer rotated the tires as the back ones seem quite good. I suspect that the brake rotors are warped though, because when I brake with medium pressure at higher speeds (80 km/hr) I can feel a pulsation in the front end and the steering wheel shakes a little. I contacted my salesman and he advised me to bring it back for a diagnostic as to whether the thing is a safety concern, or is just the result of normal wear. Like one of their advisors is going to tell me that the issue is all in my head or something, and that what I'm feeling is the result of "normal" wear. The vehicle has 36K on it and I'm feeling a brake problem already? That is not normal, but the situation may not be serious enough yet for them to do anything to correct it. Plus they want me to pay the cost of the diagnostic if they deem nothing is wrong with it. Some dealership! Well, I made an appointment to take it in to see what they say, but I suspect I may be in for a battle with them about fixing anything, in view of the comments I've been reading in this forum about inferior GMC brakes and parts.

    Anyone out there have similar braking problems with their 06 Sierra? Any advice as to how to proceed with convincing them to fix it, at their expense?

    Am I asking for the moon here?

    Signed,
    Perplexed
  • zimjerryzimjerry Member Posts: 2
    tcbin07 If you have to replace anything, go aftermarket. Even NAPA has upgraded rotors and pads. the slotted rotors will be your best bet. The rear brakes have been a problem on these trucks since GM switched to rear discs. Just my.02
  • sweetlbsweetlb Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2001 Silverado 1500 4wd with 55,000 miles. The past month or so, when I am coming to a slow stop (under 20 mph), when I touch the brake pedal, it starts to pulsate/shudder and press back towards me. The only thing I can do to stop is to start pumping the brakes repeatedly and hard.
    So now, when coming to traffic lights and stop signs, I start braking well before giving myself space.
    I’ve already replaced the rear pads and rotors about 12,000 miles ago because of squealing. Bought after market parts from local Autozone.

    I took the truck to the local mechanic who said he thinks it’s the speed sensor. When I picked it up, he said “the speed sensor is fine and the computer shows nothing wrong. When it gets worse, bring it back and we’ll put it back on the computer.” Not a very reassuring answer.

    Only thing I can think to do is replace the front rotors/pads, but don’t want to waste my money/time if that’s not it.

    Any ideas what I should check/replace?
  • ttaupier1ttaupier1 Member Posts: 50
    I am not sure its the front rotors and calipers ...are a problem.. but rather the symptom. I have put new rear calipers from SSBC on my 2003 GMC Sierra, not sure it matters what type, but rather the rear calipers are swapped for something that works. I also added brake SS-lines. I drive in Boston traffice weekly and have for about 35-45k miles on top of the 45k i had when i need to replace the brakes. NOT one issue, and often times atleast once a week i use them and I mean HARD.

    Whith this said, the front rotors warp due to too much heat..the back brakes were not pulling their weight. This i suspected because my wifes old car.. Honda Accord ex stopped on a dime. i actually felt the difference in the rear wheels having more stopping power on the honda.

    I saw the on line forums and notices everyone having stopping isses, however the front brakes on the truck created tons of dust, non on the back wheels, I use a little logic, my wife's rear wheels always had to be cleaned disk brakes. Hmmm can you see where this is going..

    a friend had a 2500 silverado..had to do a complete brake job, noticed the rear disks not being used and rusting over, a friend of his the mechanic, in his army unit repairs chevy's, told my friend about the rear break caliper defects, it was talked about in a chevy trainig class....hmmmm ..well here comes rear SSBC calipers...there i go. have you guys noticed the Toyota emphasis on heavy duty breaks...stopping the truck before it goes over the cliff...that is not an accident in Marketing.

    new rear calipers should fix the back brakes, and front, and the warping...not sure the dealer will pay for it...since they have had training for their mechanics for 3-4 years about the issues .... Until some folks die the NTSB won't get involved which means GM will only loose money by assisting the repair. Why loose money when the public will pay for it, and add service revenue to their bottom line.

    This was more than .02, maybe .03,,,was i sick to buy $1500 in brakes...all i know is when i drive my 20 month old son around..i would pay 10 times that for peice of mind.

    MY OLD POST>>>>I know from personal experience from yr2000 and on, GM has always had warping issues, I now have 34K miles on my after market SSBC components and no more warping, SSBC.com is probably your best bet, they have rotors that are coated that resist rust.

    I now have about 45K on my truck and bakes and rotors are fine, dealer serviced said their 10% used, means I will get about 150k miles before the next brake job... see my photos http://www.carspace.com/ttaupier1/Albums/2003-5_3truck/
  • sweetlbsweetlb Member Posts: 4
    Okay, here’s where I’m at.
    After looking through my receipts, it appears I’ve already replaced the Rear Rotors and Pads ~15000 miles ago. So I went to the local Car Quest and bought after markets Front Rotors and Ceramic brake pads. Lady behind the counter told me any pulsation on the brake pedal is the rotors. Also talked me into ceramic pads (no brake dust on the rims). I hate cleaning my rims…

    So yesterday I replace the Front rotors and pads, and took the truck for a ride. Still have the same problem.
    However, it does this less now. For example, it only used to do the “brake pedal pulsation/shudder” on soft stops under 20 mph maybe 9 out of 10 times.
    After changing the fronts, it seems to be doing this only on soft stops under 10mph. And maybe only happening 7 out of 10 times.

    So the short version is, it’s still doing this, but by replacing the front Rotors and Pads, it seems to be doing this less.

    Could there be an ABS problem?
    What are the symptoms of ABS problems?
    Not sure what else to check.
  • tcbin07tcbin07 Member Posts: 7
    An update to the brake concerns I have with the 06 Sierra. Took the truck back to the dealer and they were very good with recognizing my brake issue. End result they shaved the rotors on the front wheels, test drove it and sent me on my way - no charge. Got what I wanted, for now. Will wait and see how long this lasts. Makes me think that this is a common occurrence with Sierras. As this is a warranty item, I will be watching it closely near the expiry date of my warranty, in case the pulsation issue needs to be looked at again.

    Should I need to replace anything after warranty, I will probably go with SSBC parts if I can get them.
  • tcbin07tcbin07 Member Posts: 7
    Could it be your calipers? If not mechanical, a sensor maybe? Not likely ABS. I know I need to hammer my brakes on my 06 Sierra to get ABS to kick in. But from what I'm getting from the forum, it looks like all the GM mechanical brake parts are suspect.
  • sweetlbsweetlb Member Posts: 4
    Calipers? I’m not sure. I was going to purchase those too the other day, but the lady behind the counter convinced me that it was the rotors. Now I’m hesitant to replace anything else unless I get some sort of reassurance on what it might be.

    I’m also hesitant to take it to the GM dealer. Had an issue with them a while back on a recall that they said they would fix, then decided it was my fault (faulty tail gate cables).
    So I’m still a little bit upset with them right now.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    When I had installed ceramic pads, there were specific instructions on how to burn in the pads. Failure to burn the pads in properly could cause a variety of problems. Course I thought that it was nonsense. But then again better safe than sorry.

    I remember that you had to do almost complete stops from a variety of speeds. BTW, the instructions came enclosed with the pads. Raybestos I believe.
  • 1offroader1offroader Member Posts: 208
    Jack up a front corner, remove a wheel, and grab the rotor and test for any loosenes or shake due to a bad wheel bearing, or steering components such as ball joints. Then do the same to the other side. It's cheap and fast and might eliminate (or identify) these parts as the source of your problem. Does it have a hydraulic steering stabilizer? If yes, check that too.

    1offroader
  • margeauxmargeaux Member Posts: 2
    I have to put the brake all the way to the floor to stop. Dealer says his computer shows no problem. GM Rep drove it and told me it felt fine to him. He is about 5'11",250 lbs,and a size 13 shoe. They had me drive the 2007 with new body style and there was no problem with me using the brake. They then told me that the brakes are different on that vehicle,because they have a different part number. Next week the dealer told me he would bleed the brakes and take off the wheels and check for problems. If they couldn't find anything wrong,I will have to get used to the way these brakes work. I only have 4800 miles on this truck,but it scares me to drive it. Has anyone else had a problem with brakes? I have this feeling that since I and a woman they can say anything and I should believe them. That is why I am asking for any help. Thanks
  • ttaupier1ttaupier1 Member Posts: 50
    Hi Margeaux,

    The Chevy and GMC (GM trucks)trucks have had break problems since 2000, see my other posts...I am assuming you have read these.

    My take is that the front brakes are okay, its the back brakes that are not functioning properly. This issue "not really great breaking" has to due with the rear caliper manufacturing process and overall design of the rear calipers. They are either not assemble correctly at the factory/supplier or not tested for stopping distances.

    It seams that this issues only effects a few hundred out of thousands, the rear calipers are probably not squeezing their share of the load. This is the exact problem i had and, like you was told to get used to it...

    Thats when i selected SSBC calipers for the rear, and replaced the rear calipers (at my expense)...I have no breaking issues, my wife is 5,7", 130#s says it feels like a nascar and stops better than most cars she has driven..

    Take the car back and ask them to take the vehicle back....hmm i would be interested in hearing their response when you tell them the Toyota-tundra comes with heavy duty brakes...and that's the vehicle you want to be driving
  • sweetlbsweetlb Member Posts: 4
    Finally some progress.
    I jacked up the front end and checked for looseness, shakes, etc… and no problems.

    Then this past weekend, I had my buddy in the truck with me (he owns a 1997 Silverado).
    He heard the noise and asked what the heck that was. I told him my story on how I already changed the Pads and rotors and still have this problem. Not sure what to do. I said I might have a Caliper, ABS, brake line problem. Not sure. So he says, I have ABS problems on my truck. I just took out the fuse and it went away. No ABS, but no brake problems.
    So I took out the fuse 3 days ago and the problem hasn’t been back since. Bunch of idiot lights on my dash, but no brake problems.
    So on top of that, I had to have my truck inspected. I never said I had a brake problem (sticker was already expired), but started throwing “what ifs” to the kid doing the check.
    He told me Chevy’s have a history of brake problems. Then he tells me a story about how he is in Tech School and at that time, his dads Silverado starts giving pulsating vibrations on the brake pedal on warm dry days at slow speeds. Sounds familiar, right?
    So the dad takes it to GM, and they can’t fix it. They say nothing is wrong.
    The kid takes the truck to Tech school the next day and the instructor shows him how components on the ABS get corroded, but it doesn’t show up on the computer check.
    They clean the components, and problem gone.

    Here’s what makes me mad at my friend. He’s been in my truck at least 5 times before this past weekend. And every time he’s been in the truck the problem happened and he asked what it was. How is it that his ABS problem slipped his mind each time? Could have saved me some money and a bunch of head aches.

    So now I’m going to take it to GM and TELL them I have an ABS issue.
    Who knows what next…
  • margeauxmargeaux Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for your help. I am taking it back in on Tuesday for them to look over it again. I did call GM and made a safety report, just to have it on record. I am going to talk to the service manager about the rear brakes. Thank you for your help. I am not going to get used to these brakes, I may have a new Toyota-tundra! I want to enjoy the truck and feel safe.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Make sure you ask the Toyota dealer about the Tundra's failing cam shafts and failing transmissions.
  • cmaridercmarider Member Posts: 1
    My dad has a 96 Silverado from new, this truck has 125k in miles on it and the rear brakes have never worked...does anyone know where to start looking or know what the problem is??

    thank you in advance for your help
    Steve
  • 01rado01rado Member Posts: 6
    i belive the 96 had rear drum brakes/front disk?the rear need more fluid to even out with the disk so there is a preportioning valve pretty sure it will be mounted by the master cylinder.if not follow the lines from the cylinder.it will need recentered but it should have set your warning lite off in the dash.if no lite i would check adjustment of rear brakes.if that cks out crack a bleeder open on a rear with pressure on the pedal.just ck for fluid don`t open very far as that screw up the p/portion center.if no fluid look back at the valve.to center you will need to open a bleeder on the front.what the valve does if you broke a line on one end it shifts to out of center to keep fluid to the working end
  • feaglefeagle Member Posts: 3
    i have a 2007 1500 crew cab and i was out the other nite and the brakes got so hot on the front it melted the center caps off and melted the sencers one the inside of wheel which makes the traction control lite come on so i have real problems the truck has 5600 miles.. this is too soon to be having problems i wonder if my warranty covers this major problem
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Warranty should cover it including the towing to the dealer.
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