2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Dec 3, 2025 · 164 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 164 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 32% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “brake lines” (26% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Brake lines: mentioned in 42 of 164 complaints (26%)
  • Anti lock: mentioned in 26 of 164 complaints (16%)
  • Went floor: mentioned in 17 of 164 complaints (10%)
  • Brakes hydraulic antilock: mentioned in 12 of 164 complaints (7%)

How much does it cost to fix?

Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at $1,500, and half of them between $1,000 and $2,850.

Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.

At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?

Based on 145 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles5 · 3%
10k–25k miles12 · 8%
25k–50k miles19 · 13%
50k–75k miles39 · 27%
75k–100k miles35 · 24%
100k–150k miles29 · 20%
150k+ miles6 · 4%

How serious are the reports?

Of 164 complaints, 16 mention a crash, 1 an injury.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year

Peak: 2000, with 237 complaints
1995: 119951996: 21997: 1231998: 10919981999: 2222000: 2372372001: 14720012002: 1642003: 1512004: 10020042005: 462006: 532007: 2620072008: 142009: 62010: 220102011: 32012: 12014: 1220142015: 232016: 112017: 1520172018: 122019: 162020: 1120202021: 42022: 32023: 720232024: 12025: 12026: 22026

n = 1,525 complaints · Source: NHTSA

When owners reported it

Peak: 2010, with 46 complaints
2002: 2200222003: 2200322004: 4200442005: 9200592006: 172006172007: 7200772008: 152008152009: 122009122010: 462010462011: 352011352012: 9201292013: 3201332014: 2201422015: 120151

n = 164 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (0)

No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving at 5 mph, the antilock brake system would activate independently. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wheel speed sensor mounting surface needed to be…

Received Jun 15, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10725363

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving various speeds, the antilock brake system activated automatically and the antilock brake system warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed, but was repaired by the contact who removed the antilock brake system…

Received Oct 6, 2014 · NHTSA complaint 10641762

I have owned this truck from new. It is used for limited hauling duties around town and has very low mileage. Last summer i took it to the chevrolet dealer for pa state inspection. The mechanic drove the car into the service bay and upon doing so, the brake fluid dumped out suddenly from beneath…

Received May 16, 2014 · NHTSA complaint 10596137

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500s have service brakes, hydraulic problems?

No. NHTSA has 164 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (32% of the 509 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 service brakes, hydraulic?

No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.

At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?

The median reported mileage is 70,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $1,000 and $2,850), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.

What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

The most frequent phrase is “brake lines”, in 42 of 164 complaints, followed by “anti lock” (26).

Other 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems

See all 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Silverado 1500 years.