There are 50 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Silveradoin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The emergency brake does not work properly. It automatically comes on while I am driving almost causing me to have a accident. Please, fix!!!!
I pulled the truck out of the garage in working condition, left it running while parked in the driveway. It emptied the entire brake fluid reservoir through a leak in the distribution junction on the rear axle, leaving the truck with no brake function whatsoever. Had I not parked the truck in the driveway, I would have been involved in a serious collision due to sudden complete brake failure.
THE THROTTLE CABLE MAKES CONTACT AND RUB THROUGH THE FLEXIBLE PRESSURIZED FUEL LINE CREATING A PINHOLE LEAK OF NATURAL GAS. I SMELL GAS INSiDE CAB. CAUSES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON
While driving on US60 East of Lexington Kentucky I was preparing to turn left using the left turn lane. There was another car in front of mine and as I approached it I began to lightly apply the brakes. The brake pedal went all the way to the floor with no decrease in speed. Fortunately I was able to switch back to the through lane and avoid an accident. While I was able to avoid an accident there was definitely a risk of injury to myself and the occupants of the other vehicle. When I was able to inspect the vehicle I found that the brakeline adjacent to the fuel tank was rusted through which caused a complete brake failure. I do the vehicle maintenance personally and have since made necessary repairs to the brake system. I was aware of problems with the brakelines on this vintage truck being prone to failure due to rusting. As I was making repairs it was obvious the routing of the brakelines was such as to making the rusting more likely to happen.
HARD BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION FROM POOR QUALITY PARTS WITHOUT PROPER CORROSION PROTECTION OR CORRECT MATERIALS (I.E. STAINLESS STEEL VS MILD STEEL) WHEN VEHICLE IS USED IN AREAS WHERE DE-ICER IS USED ON THE ROADS.
MY ABS SPEED SENSOR GOT SHEARED BY BACK OF MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE IN WHICH I HAVE SEEN ON MULTIPLE SIGHTS A DEFECT THAT WAS DEEMED A RECALL FOR BEING POORLY SET UP ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE. SECONDLY, IVE SPENT THOUSANDS AND LOOKING ONLINE FOR A VARY SERIOUS ISSUE IVE BEEN HAVING WITH MY VEHICLE DUE TO INTERMEDIATE STALLING, BACKFIRING, AND VEHICLE DIEING DUE TO WHAT HAS FINALLY BEEN FOUND TO BE THE INFAMOUS CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. REPLACED MY COMPUTER, ALL 02 SENSORS, EGR VALVE EXC... THAN UPON LOOKING AND RESEARCHING, I FIND IT WAS A MAJOR ONE ON RECALL AS WELL FOR FAILING ALL THE TIME. I JUST FEEL IF THESE ARE FACTORY ERRORS AND BEEN ON THE RECALL, AND MY WOMAN WHO TRAVELS WITH ME THAT IS PARALYZED DUE TO AN ACCIDENT, I SHOULD BE ENTITILED TO THE RECALLS GIVING THEY WERE KNOWN FLAWS ON THE ASSSEMBLY LINE AND A DANGER TO OTHERS. WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLS OUT, IT STARTS CHOKING, BACKFIRING, AND BUCKING AND WANTS TO LOCK UP AND LOOSE CONTROL. NOT COOL. IVE BEEN CHASING THIS PROBLEM SPENDING THOUSANDS IN PARTS AND REPAIRS TO MAKE THIS TRUCK SAFE FOR WORK AND FEEL IF THERE HAS BEEN RECALLS FOR ALL THIS, WOULD BE NICE TO REAP SOMETHING OUT OF MY INVESTMENT IN THIS TRUCK
DRIVING UP TO CITY INTERSECTION WAS APPLING BRAKES, CAR IN FRONT APPLIED HIS QUICKER CAUSING HIS REAR TO RAISE UP, INDICATING PANIC STOP, I FOLLOWED AND APPLIED HARD PRESSURE TO MY BRAKES, PEDAL THEN WENT TO THE FLOOR AND LOST ALL BRAKE ACTION, THIS LEAD TO MY TRUCK REAR END OF OTHER CARS
HARD BREAK LINES ARE FULLY CORRODED AND NEED FULL REPLACEMENT AFTER A BREAK LINE FAILURE. LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE, CURRENTLY 65K, VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN MILD CLIMATE OF NC AND SC SINCE 2002 WHERE SNOW AND SALT IS INFREQUENT. NEVER DRIVEN IN COASTAL AREA. ONLY RECENTLY DRIVEN ACROSS COUNTRY, WHERE FAILURE OCCURRED. THANKFULLY AT SLOW SPEEDS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST MOTIVE POWER. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000.
BRAKE LINES STARTED LEAKING BRAKE FLUID OUT OF NOWHERE. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE BRAKE PETAL SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN DEATH. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH ON A CITY STREET WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS ISSUE. HAD I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AT A HIGHER SPEED I MAY NOT BE HERE TO COMPLAIN. RUSTED BRAKE LINES IS THE PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE.
ABS KICKS IN AT LOW SPEED
ABS SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES WITHOUT CAUSE SUCH AS A WET SURFACE
WHILE SLOWING DOWN COMING TO A STOP - NO BRAKES. CHECKED EVERYTHING. SUSPECT POWER BOOSTER. THIS STARTED SLOWLY ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. TODAY IT ACTUALLY WOULD NOT STOP AND I ALMOST HIT THE FIRE HYDRANT.
BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH TO POINT OF FAILURE
MY BRAKE LINES ON MY SILVERADO HAVE BEEN REPLACED 5 DIFFERENT LINES IN 4 YEARS THE TRUCK HAS 90,000 MILES ON IT AND IN THE LAST MONTH 3 TIMES IVE LOST BRAKES THE GUY WHO FIXES MY BRAKE LINES TELLS ME THE LINES ARE RUSTED OUT EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS, HE TOLD ME HE CANT TELL BY SIGHT WHEN THEY WILL FAIL CAUSE THEY LOOK OK BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE, I'VE READ THIS IS A ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLE'S IVE BEEN LUCKY SO FAR (KNOCK ON WOOD) BUT THE COST AND THE STRESS OF HAVING YOUR BRAKES FAIL IS UNACCEPTABLE SEEING THE LINES ARE NOT UP TO NORMAL STANDARDS, SOMEONE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT NOTICED A LEAK COMING FROM THE BRAKE LINE AND RUST. THE CONTACT DID NOT ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF ANY WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
IN JULY OF 2018, MY 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HAD MAJOR BRAKE FAILURE AS I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES, IT WENT TOTALLY TO THE FLOOR AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP, BLOWING RIGHT THROUGH RED LIGHT. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE MY BRAKE LINE RUSTED THROUGH, AND ALL THE BRAKES LINES, AS WELL AS THE FUEL LINE IS TOTALLY RUSTED. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON IN THIS CHEVROLET / GM MODEL ERA. HE SAID IF ALL HE WERE TO DO IS REPLACE BRAKE LINES IN THIS 1999 TO 2006 ERA, IT WAS ENOUGH TO KEEP HIS BUSINESS BOOMING. WHAT SHOCKING STRUCK ME IS THAT HE TOLD ME THEY ALL FAIL UNDER THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, ALONG THE FRAME, BEFORE THE ABS MODULE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. MYSELF, AS WELL AS OTHERS COULD OF BEEN KILLED WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AT THE RED LIGHT. JOHN D. NORRISTOWN, PA.
THERE IS A MAJOR SAFETY DESIGN FLAW IN THE 1999-2002 BRAKE SYSTEM. THE FRONT TIRES THROUGH THE SALT AND GRIME FROM THE ROADS ONTO THE BRAKE LINES WHERE CHEVROLET HAS LOCATED THEM IN THE DESIGN. THIS CAUSES THE BRAKE LINES TO CORRODE AND BURST DURING DRIVING. MINE HAVE NOW BURST FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. THE FIRST TIME IN 2013 I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN I WENT TO MAKE A RH TURN AND THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. THIS TIME I HAD WENT TO A LOCAL GAS STATION AND WAS ON THE WAY HOME WHEN I STOPPED TO TALK TO A NEIGHBOR AND ONCE AGAIN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I DRIVE THE TRUCK VERY LITTLE SO I HAVE ONLY PUT JUST OVER 17,000 MILES ON THE NEW SET OF BRAKE LINES THAT I HAD INSTALLED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER IN 2013. I LIVE IN SOUTHERN INDIANA, JUST NORTH OF LOUISVILLE, KY SO OUR WINTERS ARE NOT THAT HARSH, SO THE AMOUNT OF SALT FROM ROADS IS PRETTY LIMITED. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER CHEVROLET SILVERADO, YUKON AND SUBURBAN OWNERS AND THEY ALL SHARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR BRAKE LINES. I HAVE WENT TO YOUTUBE TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THE REPAIRS MYSELF AND HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS VIDEOS ON INDIVIDUALS REPAIRING THEIR BRAKES BECAUSE OF THE CORROSION AND THE BRAKE LINES BURSTING. COME ON NHTSB WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON BEFORE YOU ISSUE A RECALL, SOMEONE TO DIE OR BE PERMANENTLY DISABLED! DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THE BRAKES WITH STAINLESS STEEL LINES, ROTORS, CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS THAT WILL NOT RUST AFTER A FEW YEARS!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE DRIVER HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH HAD STILL GONE THROUGH THE STOP SIGN DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE BRAKE SYSTEM RECALL. THERE WERE MORE THAN 20 TSBS ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO SOLUTION TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO OPERATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026