Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Brake lines rusted out. Apparently this is an issue for this year and many other model year vehicles. Considering the brakes stop the vehicle, this is a big safety issue, and very expensive to be fixed.
Suddenly and without any warning the brakes failed while attempting to stop for traffic on the highway. The brake pedal went to the floor and it appeared that all braking had been lost. The car was navigated to the shoulder and the parking brake was used to come to a full stop. If the brake pedal was engaged and the parking brake released, the car would begin to move again. This appeared to indicate any redundancy in the system was absent.
Brakes failed under hard stop (highway, in motion). Intermediate steel brake line failed to rear brakes in a mode of rupture due to corrosion. ABS light had been on with service brake message as well. All other steel lines were corroded and contacted GM. 2 other silverado line vehicles owned also failed this year due to corrosion. GM response was that no recall existed. Replaced all steel brake lines in vehicle with stainless aftermarket lines. After multiple contacts with GM customer service, I was told to save my receipts for repairs. This is an incorrect material specification, latent defect and GM needs to be held accountable. 3 vehicles that I own with the same repair in 8 months. Inexcusable!
I was driving to work 12/17/16, 5:40 am. I was traveling to work and I lost all pressure in my pedal. Which LED me to nearly hit a telephone pole. The master cylinder and a flex brake line going from the master cylinder to the brake booster(module) were replaced. But this did not fix the problem. I have bench bled the master cylinder, and all brake lines around the truck. I still have no brakes unless you push them to the floor. I have done some research, and found were other people with the same model and year truck have had the same problem. After reading all those blogs and post, I discovered that the model and year of Avalanche that I have was recalled for the ABS system for failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the brakes failed and the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicators illuminated. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The dealer was later contacted (gordon Chevrolet in philadelphia, pa) and the contact was informed that there was no recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was damaged and towed to an auto body shop. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off, fuel leaked from the fuel lines and a fuel odor emitted into the vehicle without warning. In addition, the contact stated that the brake pedal became extremely difficult to depress as the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact also mentioned that the seat belts failed to secure and retract properly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump modular assembly, module kit and fuel tank needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 06e043000 (fuel system, gasoline), 05V163000 (seat belts), 05V043000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.
The vehicle was stopped at a 2-way stop. Upon turning right, my foot went from the brake to the gas pedal and got hooked on a piece of metal extending from the arm of the accelerator. This caused my foot to be trapped below the brake pedal but attached to the gas pedal. The vehicle spun back and forth while trying to get my foot off the accelerator. I hit a truck coming from the opposite direction from which I was turning pinning it to the guard rail. Although both trucks had stopped, the tires on my truck were still spinning because my foot was still hooked on the accelerator and wedge below the brake pedal. Only after I turned the key off could I put the truck in park. In order to get out of my truck I had to unlace my shoe and pull my foot out, then pry it off the side of the accelerator, leaving a hole in the side of my shoe.
I was coming down the hill and saw 2 vehiles stopped one was going to turn once traffic was clear. And I started slowing down almost to a stop on a hill and I got about 2 car lenghts away still stepping on my brakes and all the sudden my brake light came on. A warning came up and said service brake system when I slambed into the rear end of the car in front of me who intern hit the car infront of them. I had just replaced my breaks and roters 45 days before this. I blew the brakeline on the front. July 2012 I blew a brakeline. Noone was injured that time and also blew a brake line August 2013. So for the 3 time blowing a brakeline there is something wrong. I lived in the north carolina until moving to west virginia in 2012 and this has happen every year since I moved north.
NHTSA investigations
Brake line corrosion failure
On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (96), 2003 (53), 2004 (39), 2005 (12) and 2006 (10) model years. Brake complaints make up 62% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for any Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles; 13% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (8 mentions), followed by the foundation components › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (6).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.