2008 Chevrolet Silverado Brakes Problems

DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ABOUT 35 MPH, QUICKLY DEPRESSED BRAKE TO STOP AT RED LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKING. WENT THRU RED LIGHT AT 35 MPH, ALMOST HIT CROSS TRAFFIC. HAD TRUCK TOWED AND DISCOVERED THAT BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED AND BURST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE "SERVICE BRAKE TRAILER SYSTEM" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT PART NUMBERS: 20850923 AND 20904439 NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,277.

FIRST INCIDENT WITH THE ENGINE OCCURRED LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. AT ROUGHLY 88K MILES I NOTICED A SKIP IN POWER/TORQUE ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING UPHILL AT A CONSTANT SPEED, A LIGHT LOSS OF POWER WAS NOTICED VERY BRIEFLY AS IF ONE CYLINDER WAS MISSING. LESS THAN 100 MILES LATER THE "SERVICE STABILITRAK" AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAD THE ENGINE CODE READ AND CYLINDER 7 WAS MISFIRING. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH 3 DAYS LEFT ON MY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY (THANK GOD RIGHT?), WRONG. FOR WHATEVER REASON AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. BUT THE LEAKING AND FAILING BRAKE SYSTEM WAS COVERED. ADVISED BY THE DEALERSHIP THE LIFTERS HAD FAILED WHICH COSTED ME A GRAND TO FIX LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. EXACTLY ONE YEAR AND ROUGHLY 20K MILES LATER THE TRUCK DEVELOPED A LOUD TICK RIGHT AFTER STARTUP. ITS NOW IDLING VERY ROUGH, RPM GAUGE DOES NOT STAY CONSISTENT AT IDLE AND AT ONE POINT DROPPED ALMOST TO 0, TRUCK ALMOST SHUT OFF AND THEN JUMPED BACK UP. AFTER SPEAKING WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ABOUT IT HE PROPOSED IT WAS THE CAM FROM HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. IT SEEMS THE INCORRECT MATERIAL WAS USED ON SOME OF THE CAMS CONSTRUCTION ("SOFTER METAL"). THIS MECHANIC TOLD ME IT CAN PUT AN INDENTION IN THE CYLINDER WALL AND CAUSE THE VALVES TO MALFUNCTION, IN TURN CAUSING THE LIFTERS TO FAIL. SO IF THIS IS TRUE WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS PART? EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES INCLUDING BIG COMPANIES, THEY'D BE A LOT MORE RESPECTABLE IF THEY CORRECTED THEIR MISTAKES. SO NOW MY OPTIONS ARE TO SPEND ALL THE MONEY I SAVED FOR COLLEGE, FIX MY TRUCK FOR $4,000 AND NOT GO TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR OR TRADE IT IN AND GET A FORD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14E036000 (SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I WENT TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND THE BRAKES WOULDN'T WORK. I HAD TO PUMP THEM BOUT THREE TIMES TILL IT STARTED TO WORK.HAS HAPPEN BOUT FOUR TIMES NOW AND NO BRAKE LIGHT OR ANYTHING WILL COME ON. *TR

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES GOING DOWN A MOUNTAINS, THE FRONT END STARTED SHAKING, IT SEEMED LIKE THE FRONT END WAS FALLING OUT. .I HAD THE TRUCK CHECKED OUT, THE FIRST TIME GM HAD THE ROTARS TURNED THEY SAID THEY WERE WARPED. THIS HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES AND IT HAPPENS WHEN I TRAVEL TO TN OR VA OR WEST VA. THESE LAST 2 TIMES I HAD IT FIXED AT MY EXPENSE. I FINALLY HAD NEW ROTARS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE . I MADE A TRIP TO FL . AND HAD TO GO THROUGH TN , WHICH IS UP AND DOWN MOUNTAINS. ;AND IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN WITH THE BRAKES. IT WAS 1 YEAR OLD THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED. IT WAS TAKEN TO GM DEALER THE FIRST 2 TIMES. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 63000 MILES ON IT. AND THE ONLY THING IN THE TRUCK IS MY WIFE AND I AND THE DOG AND OUR CLOTHES. *JS

BRAKE FLUID FLOWING OUT OF PIN HOLE IN ABS EHCU SYSTEM LOCATED ON THE LEFT FRAME RAIL UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. EVERY TIME YOU PUSH BRAKE PEDAL LOSING ALL BRAKE FLUID. *KB

I DRIVE A 2008 CHEVY SILVERADO CREW CAB AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKES WORE COMPLETELY TO THE METAL DUE TO THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE DEALERSHIP. I SPOKE WITH THE OWNER AND THEY ARE INCURRING SOME OF THE COST, BUT AFTER THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE THE BACK BRAKES ARE ALSO WORN. THE TRUCK HAS 39,700 MILES AND ALL THE BRAKES ARE BEING REPLACED, FRONT AND BACK. I HAVE ALWAYS COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT MY BRAKES NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THEY ALWAYS CAME UP WITH SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION TO JUSTIFY THE NOISE. THIS IS MY 4TH CHEVY TRUCK AND THE FIRST ONE WHERE ALL THE BRAKES ARE BEING REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME BEFORE IT HAS HIT 40,000. *TR

THOUGH MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES MAY BE WORKING JUST AS THEY WERE DESIGNED, THEY SEEM TO INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER WHAT WOULD BE ATTAINED WITH JUST THE WHEELS LOCKING UP AND SLIDING OR SKIDDING. ON DRY PAVEMENT, STOPPING POWER OF THIS TRUCK IS FANTASTIC UP TO THE POINT WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE, THEN ITS AS IF THE BRAKES ALMOST COMPLETELY RELEASE THE WHEEL THEN REACTIVATE THE BRAKE TO THE POINT IT STARTS TO SKID THEN RELEASES IT COMPLETELY AND SO ON AND SO ON. THIS ACTION OF COURSE HAPPENS VERY QUICKLY, BUT SEEMS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER ANTI LOCK VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED. BECAUSE OF THIS CYCLE OF COMPLETELY RELEASING THE BRAKES THEN HITTING THEM SO HARD THEY INSTANTLY LOCK UP THEN RELEASING THEM AGAIN, THE STOPPING DISTANCE SEEMS GREATLY EXAGGERATED. ON A REDUCED TRACTION SITUATION SUCH AS SNOW, ICE, OR DIRT, ITS AS IF THE BRAKES DON'T WORK AT ALL. AS I STATED IN THE OPENING STATEMENT, THIS TRUCK HAS WONDERFUL BRAKES UP TO AND UNTIL THE POINT OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, SO WHEN THIS OCCURS IT IS QUITE SHOCKING. AS FOR MY BRAKING TECHNIQUE, I'VE BEEN TOLD AND HAVE FOLLOWED THE ADVICE THAT ONCE THAT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE, YOU KEEP FIRM STEADY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I'VE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE RECENT ICE AND SNOW IN OUR AREA TO TEST AND CONFIRM THAT I AM USING PROPER TECHNIQUE IN USING THE BRAKES AND I'M MORE CONVINCED THAT THIS SYSTEM IS CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES. I WOULD RATHER HAVE STANDARD BRAKES THAN THIS. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST IF THIS SYSTEM WERE CHECKED BY SOMEONE WITH THE ABILITY TO CONFIRM THAT THESE BRAKES MEET THE SAFETY STANDARD EXPECTED BY SAFETY REGULATORS OVER SEEING THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT TAKING THIS VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO SOLVE ANYTHING, IN THAT I EXPECT THEY ARE GOING TO TELL ME THAT THEY ARE WORKING FINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH DOWNHILL AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE AND THAT HIS BRAKES COULD POSSIBLE HAVE BEEN HEATING UP AND CAUSING THE VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 29,400.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH WHILE PULLING A TRAILER, THE BRAKES FAILED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SERVICE BRAKE CONTROLLER WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE FAILURE RECURRED EVERY YEAR AND WAS REPAIRED. ON 2/3/16, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,880. UPDATED 04/07/16*LJ CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE CONTROLLER WARNING LIGHT ON DASH COMES ON STATING TO HAVE CONTROLLER SERVICED. CONSUMER HAS NO BRAKES TO THE RV BRAKES, THIS PROBLEM IS THE 7TH TIME. UPDATED 05/31/18*JB

CRUISE CONTROL WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE SWITCH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS SWITCH DOES NOT ACTIVATE ON "LIGHT" BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE. IT IS DESIGNED TO WORK ON FIRM BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE, WHICH CAN BE HAZARDOUS WHEN USING ELECTRIC TRAILER BRAKES. *TR

LEFT FRT BRAKE HANGING UP AT TIMES. LEFT FRT. ROTOR HAS GROVES STARTING TO SHOW. ALSO THE PADS LOOK OK. LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE GETTING HOT. THE RIGHT FRT. BRAKE LOOKS FINE. MAKES A NOISE AT TIMES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. *TR

I HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP SHOP TWICE REGARDING THE SQUEALING BRAKES. THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FRONT BRAKES AND THEY REPLACED THEM AT NO COST. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REAR BRAKE REPLACEMENT. I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TWO WEEKS LATER BECAUSE OF THE SAME SQUEALING. THEY SAID THE ONLY THING THEY COULD DO WAS TO SPRAY ON SOME KIND OF METAL COATING. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL HOURS TO DRY. IF THEY JUST REPLACED DEFECTIVE BRAKES, WHY WOULD I HAVE TO ACCEPT THEM SPRAYING SOMETHING ON THEM INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND HAS THIS SAME TRUCK AND HIS BRAKES SQUEAL TOO. *TR

WE PURCHASED TWO 2008 CHEVROLET PICK UP TRUCKS ON THE SAME DATE AND ARE EXPERIENCING A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH BRAKE ROTOR WARPING. I HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED AFTER 3,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 11,300 MILES. IT HAS HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED AT 8,000 MILES. ON APRIL 14, 2009 VEHICLE #2 WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN A STEEP HILL AND THE BRAKES BARELY STOPPED THE TRUCK DUE TO THE ROTORS BEING WARPED AND OVERHEATING. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY AND A COMPLAINT #71-716924191 WAS FILED WITH CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE NATIONAL LINE. VEHICLE #1 WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN A HILL LAST THURSDAY AND THAT VEHICLE BARELY STOPPED DUE TO BAD ROTORS. WE EXPRESSED TO CHEVROLET THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THEY SAID THEY WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OF THEIR WARRANTY AND TURNED DOWN THE ROTORS AS NECESSARY AS LONG AS THERE IS STILL SERVICEABLE LIFE LEFT IN THEM. THEY WILL NOT INSTALL ANY BETTER ROTORS NOR WOULD THEY OFFER ANY OTHER SOLUTION. THE DEALER SERVICE ADVISER TOLD US THAT THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ALL PICK UP TRUCK ROTORS ON VEHICLES THAT FREQUENTLY TRAVEL ON HILLS AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH CARS AS WELL. THESE TWO PICK-UP TRUCKS DO NOT NORMALLY TOW ANYTHING, ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON IN THE VEHICLE, AND USUALLY HAVE A FOUR WHEEL ATV ON THE BACK WHICH WEIGHS ABOUT 360 POUNDS WHICH IS LESS THAN TWO OF THREE PEOPLE OCCUPYING A CAB. THE VEHICLES ARE DRIVEN ON SOME FARM LANES AND GET SOME MUD ON THE WHEELS INFREQUENTLY BUT THEY SAID THIS CONTRIBUTES TO THE ROTORS OVERHEATING. PICKUP TRUCKS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNED FOR HEAVIER USE "CHEVY TOUGH IS THEIR ADVERTISING SLOGAN" AND THESE PICKUPS, DO NOT SEE MUCH HEAVY USE. WE FEEL THIS IS A CONSIDERABLE SAFETY HAZARD OF BRAKE FAILURE AND LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WELL AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRES. WE LIVE IN A HILLY AREA WITH MANY STEEP ROADS AND WERE NEVER ADVISED THAT THE TRUCKS COULD NOT WITHSTAND THESE CONDITIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES GRADUALLY TEND TO STOP WORKING. THE DEALER CHECKED THE BRAKES AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. ANOTHER DEALER TOOK THE BRAKES APART AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE VERY WORN AND WOULD COST $800 TO REPAIR. THE CONTACT DECLINED THE REPAIR AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE BRAKES ARE THE ORIGINAL ONES THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAS A GM REPAIR ORDER. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THE BRAKES, BUT ONLY ONE MECHANIC FOUND HEAT CRACKS AND HEAT SPOTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,090 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD GO OUT IF THE CONTACT SLIGHTLY REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER BOTH STATED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS SLIGHTLY RELEASED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. THERE WERE NO RECALLS AVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 7,000. UPDATED 07/01/09 *BF WHILE TOWING A TRAILER, THE VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHEN BRAKING. THE ELECTRIC TRAILER BRAKES SEEMED TO FUNCTION OFF OF THE VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHTS, WHICH CAUSES THE TRAILER BRAKES TO DISENGAGE EVEN WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE. THE VEHICLES BRAKE LIGHTS ALSO FLICKER ON AND OFF WHILE BRAKING. UPDATED 07/02/09.*JB

BRAKE LIGHTS GO OUT WHEN PRESSURE ON PEDAL IS DECREASED WITHOUT COMPLETLY RELEASING PEDAL. 2 NEW BRAKE SWITCHES WITH UPDATED TECHNOLOGY TO SOLVE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO GM HAVE NOT STOPPED THIS CONDITION. TRUCK HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASED AND STILL HAVE IT NOW 37000 MILES LATER. *TR

BRAKING SYSTEM ON MY 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO VIBRATES HARSHLY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH. THE HIGHER THE SPEED, THE MORE THE VIBRATION I FEEL, MAKING IT HARD TO STOP AND MAKING THE VEHICLE FEEL UNSTABLE. THERE IS ALSO A POPPING NOISE THAT HAS BEEN COMING FROM MY REAR BRAKES. THESE ISSUES STARTED AT ABOUT 5-6K MILES AND HAVE CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. I NOW HAVE 24K MILES ON MY TRUCK AND GM HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THESE ISSUES. *TR