2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Service Brakes Problems
- 270
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 270 stored complaint records:
- 15 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- brake lines · 71 records
- brake pedal · 51 records
- brake line · 51 records
- went floor · 37 records
- pedal went · 34 records
- brake fluid · 22 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 97 |
| 60–100k mi | 91 |
| 150–400k mi | 38 |
| 30–60k mi | 26 |
| 1–30k mi | 14 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Service Brakes
Stopped to get gas. As i was pulling out the lot, brakes went to the floor. Tried to pump brakes to pressurize. I decided to pull over. As i was turning off road to investigate i heard a loud pop. Check brake light and audible came on. Pulled over immediately only to discover brake line had ruptured. Further investigation revealed all brake line tubings were severely corroded. Chevy had finally made wise decision to…
ODI 10513542
Service Brakes
Approaching a 3 way stop intersection, upon depressing the brake pedal in order to stop at the intersection, the brake pedal went to the floor. No warning lamps of any sort were illuminated prior to the brake pedal going to the floor. Pumping of the pedal did not produce any resistance. After couple minutes the "service brakes" warning came on. I was able to bring the truck to a stop by slowing down. Had to have the…
ODI 10508656
Service Brakes
Had just driven 30 miles on backroads to my parents house to pickup an enclosed race trailer (fully loaded) and was backing up to hookup, had gotten out to check lineup and when i got back in to backup further the brake pedal went to the floor and got a "service brake system" warning on the gauges. Upon investigation i found one of the front brake lines that run on top of the frame rail in the engine bay that runs…
ODI 10504343
Service Brakes
Coasting to a stop sign. Pressed brakes and pedal went to floor. Engaged emergency brake just before rear end collision with vehicle at stop. A puddle of brake fluid remained after a tow home. *tr
ODI 10504245
Service Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado c1500. The contact stated that he tried to stop the vehicle and the brake went all the way to floor. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who inspected the failure and stated that the entire brake line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 69,974. Updated 05/10/13*lj the…
ODI 10504793
Service Brakes
Brake lines completely rotted beyond repair, so bad that they cannot be removed from the abs unit, which should not be underneath the truck, so vulnerable to corrosion from salt. They should have been stainless lines, or routed differently. Same with the fuel lines. I was a die hard chevy guy, but this is ridiculous. Sooo many people have issues with this, gm needs to step up. I can't wait to sell this truck and buy…
ODI 10504305
Service Brakes
I was driving around 45mph and when coming to a stop the brake pedal went to the floor. I did not have total loss of brakes, however, if this was an emergency braking condition, i would not have been able to stop safely. The front right brake line rusted and fluid came out. This is an obvious engineering failure. Brake lines should not be made out of material that can rust. *tr
ODI 10503272
Service Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. The contact stated that while decelerating and descending a hill at an unknown speed, the brake pedal went to the floor and stopping distance was increased. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic for diagnostics. The mechanic stated all of the brake lines had excessive rust and needed to be replaced. The contact did not call the manufacturer. The…
ODI 10502339
Service Brakes
Driving down [redacted] at approximately 40 in a 45 mph zone. Traffic light turned yellow at the worst possible moment. Decided to panic stop, pressed the pedal hard, immediately the pedal went to the floor and the brake warning came on. Truck did not have sufficient braking to stop and i had to plow through the intersection, thank god i made it through safely. From this point until i reached home, very little…
ODI 10512816
Service Brakes
2003 chevy silverado, purchased new with 92k miles on the clock now. While starting out from my driveway, i stopped for oncoming traffic and the brake pedal went to the floor with no pressure resistance. I returned to the garage and saw brake fluid dripping from the left front. A quick examination showed that a steel brake line burst obviously due to massive rust. This is a serious, unexpected and a critical design…
ODI 10502007
Service Brakes
Vehicle resides in "salt belt" state but rarely driven in the winter months; mainly to leave for a 2-month trip south. Thanks to god that my wife, others and i escaped serious injury. Just prior to this incident, vehicle was at dealer for regular service/check. Previous brake work at 47k miles in 02/2010 pads on one wheel completely gone and pads on other were worn to 1/16? Thick. Front pads at 85% at that time.…
ODI 10498504
Service Brakes
This is a 2003 chevrolet silverado, regular cab, 5.3l v-8. It has about 164500 highway miles. The vehicle has been well cared for. The brake lines rotted out, and almost caused me to hit other vehicles...without warning. Gm will not offer any help, although this is a huge problem based on research and just hearing others tell of the exact same problem. They should recall all of the vehicles that have this problem;…
ODI 10493590
Service Brakes · Underbody Shields
BRAKE LINING &FRAME. *TR
ODI 10714984
Service Brakes
2003 chevrolet silverado 4x4 pickup. Service brake system warning appeared on dash display. Brakes almost went to the floor. Checked the undercarriage and found a major brake fluid leak from the rear driver side brake line. Also discovered that all of the brake lines were rusted and corroded. An online web search revealed too many incidents regarding the same topic. Any malfunction of a vehicles braking system is a…
ODI 10494640
Service Brakes
Application of brakes upon slow down of getting off of exit ramp was soft and farther then normal. 3 or 4 applications for turns seemed ok. Final application to turn into property had brake fail appear and brake go to floor and vehicle not slow quickly enough and truck running into my fence scrapping the side of my truck down fence. Upon inspection found reservoir empty and fluid leaking from ruptured rusted line on…
Crash reported
ODI 10486719
Service Brakes
I was driving my 2003 chevy silverado on a rural but residential road with a steep decline at about 35 mph. I attempted to slow down but when i stepped on the brake pedal it went to the floor and the service brakes light came on. It felt like there was air in the brake lines so i attempted pumping the brakes hoping to prevent any more acceleration down the hill and that is about all i got. I could not stop and had…
ODI 10486751
Service Brakes
I was pulling a trailer full of firewood out of a pasture and the brake pedal went to the floor and the service brake system light came on the dash. The vehicle stopped after going about another 10 feet and i got out and found a large amount of brake fluid on the ground under the driver's door. Looked under the truck and found a pin hole in the brake line and brake fluid would spray out when i pushed on the brakes.…
ODI 10534046
Service Brakes
I stopped at a fast food establishment and when i came out, i saw brake fluid puddled by the front of my vehicle. I looked under the truck and saw the fluid leaking out of very corroded lines. I called a tow truck as i was far from home. I had to have all the brake lines replaced due to corrosion. I recently found out this is a very common occurrence. *tr
ODI 10534683
Service Brakes
Brake lines on truck are extremely corroded, areas affected are crossing the rear end along the chassis and under the hood where no moisture is present. All lines on truck will need to be replaced as this is an extreme safety hazard. *tr
ODI 10485928
Service Brakes
I was attempting to stop at a traffic light and ruptured a brake line,when i inspected the brake lines they were completely rusted. I've owned several chevrolets and have had brake line problems with the last three i've owned ,all rusted prematurely in my opinion. I think with a safety issue such as this gm should recall and replace with stainless brake lines all vehicles of less than ten years old. *tr
ODI 10485061
Service Brakes
My son was driving my truck to college and pulled into the parking garage and when looking for a space to park the brake pedal went all the way to the floor. He was able to keep going long enough for the vehicle to coast into a parking spot but the brakes were completely out. G.m. States that the salt that they treat the roads with along with the weather caused the lines to rust out. If that was the case that would…
ODI 10497658
Service Brakes
Aug. 1,2012 right front lines burst. Nov.15,2012 left front brake lines burst. Shop recommended that all brake lines corroded and needed replaced. Estimated $1600 to 1800 per racetrack auto berlin maryland. I have already paid $200 for the right brake line and expect approx the same bill for the left corroded line. Please help, this is a safety issue! *tr
ODI 10484947
Service Brakes
Brake performance was poor, but brakes did work before servicing the system. Replaced rotors, pads, calipers on all four wheels. Brakes bled successfully. Was beginning a test drive of the vehicle and when putting in reverse brake pedal went to the floor with dash warning of brake system failure. Brake fluid was leaking from under the vehicle. Inspected and found abs unit to rear brake line failed due to corrosion…
ODI 10483279
Service Brakes
Came to a stop but the pedal felt soft, went two more miles to my destination and brakes felt even softer. When i went to leave i noticed a puddle under the drivers door, i put some on my finger to smell it and knew it was brake fluid. I took it to my mechanic who said it was a blown brake line caused by rust, he said he has seen this on alot of silverados. I called my chevy dealer and they didn't offer any recalls…
ODI 10486646
Service Brakes
I was driving my 2003 silverado on the local highway pulling my 7 x 14 trailer in traffic and went to apply the foot brake pedal and it went to the floor with no signs of anything wrong, tried to pump the pedal and nothing went straight to the floor with no help of stopping, the only thing that kept me from a crash was the trailer brakes and the e-brake of the truck. I got off the highway and checked the brake fluid…
ODI 10482723
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.