Tom

Tom,

Q I own a 2002 Buick LeSabre with 53,000 miles. I purchased it new and

maintained it well. Recently, the car suddenly blew a brake line; there had
been no leakage beforehand. My technician said the line just “rotted out.”
Fortunately it didn’t cause an accident. I reported this failure to GM
headquarters asking if it was a pattern with these cars and, if so, would they
consider a recall. I never even received the courtesy of a reply to this serious
safety inquiry. Can I have your thoughts on this?

Ed—Massachusetts

Ed,

A Don’t expect to get a positive response from GM on this condition. They

will claim that they have no control over where you choose to live and drive
your vehicle. In your case, you chose to drive your car in the “Salt Belt”
region of the United States where rock salt, brine, liquid sodium, and
magnesium and calcium chloride are used to clear roads of snow and ice
during wintertime, resulting in severe undercarriage rust. GM can do nothing
to remedy such a condition. You’ll have to bite the bullet and pay to have the
brake line replaced. Understandably, no recalls here. Sorry about that.