Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | ||||||
| PE01001 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/08/2001 | 05/22/2001 | VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER | ||
| Alleged that the vacuum brake booster can fail resulting in loss of brake effectiveness and extended stopping distances. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK - WHEEL SPEED SENSOR | |||
| 06/11/2005 | 83000 | 20 | 04/28/2005 |
| Normal usage of truck, hot or cold, happens about 20% of the time. when coming to a stop, at about 5mph, the abs turns on and incresses the stoping distance. no damage yet but this weekend i came much too close to hitting a family crossing the street. i have not driven the truck since but after doing some research i have found there is a tsb #634839, for 99-02 silverados with this problem. it states dirty wheel speed sensors or sensors out of range. i will be folowing the directions there to attempt to repair my 98 silverado. i am not positive but i believe gm of canada has already recalled affected models to repair this problem. there is no abs light or codes stored. i did not realize how large this problem is but chevy truck world has a 3 page forum filled with people complaining about this very issue (http://chevytruckworld.tenmagazines.com/forums/topic.ten?pos=2&id=94989). i believe this is a serious safty hazzard since there is no warning light and as i found out this weekend, a few extra feet of stoping distance matters. thank you for your time. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 07/30/2009 | 136403 | ||
| Brake failure on 2 separate occasions due to brake line ruptures...once 6' below the master cylinder and 8 months later on a line to a rear brake. both times lost the pedal. my truck is a 1998 ck 1500 with virtually no body rot. i was surprised that #1 there was a complete loss of pedal and #2 a second perforation occurred so soon. i will fill out the form for incident #1 ( july 2009) the other rupture was 23 mar 2010. | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 97000 | ||
| My 1998 chevy silverado pickup truck had a brake line failure due to the brake line rusting out because the design has the break line laying on top of a steel guard under the front of the truck where snow gathers rather easily and it is almost impossible to inspect the line there. i rear ended another vehicle on a highway due to the line rupturing without any prior notice of leaking when i applied the brakes. i had my truck towed to a repair shop and they replaced the line. they discovered where the rupture was and said it is a poor design of gm to place a line where it can rust out so easily without being detected. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 10/10/2006 | 90000 | 1 | 07/12/2003 |
| My vehicle has the problem described in nhtsa campaign #05v379000. my antilock brakes activate at low speed making it difficult to stop my truck. *tr | |||
| 10/25/2006 | 80000 | 1 | 11/15/1997 |
| I have a 1998 chevy pickup truck with anti-lock brakes. for the last 2 years, the anti-lock brakes would activate whenever the vehicle is moving at speeds less than 10 mph; this makes it difficult when trying to stop at slow speeds. i recently found out that 1999 & 2000 chevy pickup trucks have a recall for the same abs problem that i am experiencing with my 1998 truck. i went to the dealer to discuss this recall with them and they said that it was caused by the speed sensor and that it was the same problem that the recall was addressing, but because my truck was a 1998, they could not do anything unless chevrolet gave them the ok. i went to chevrolet's customer service and they said they would not cover it under the recall. i talked to another owner of a 1998 chevy pickup and his truck had the same abs problem. his solution to the problem was removing the abs fuse. my concern is that chevrolet has a known problem with the 1998 abs system as well, but in the interest of saving money, they are not including it in their recall. i feel that since 1998 vehicles have the same anti-lock brake issues as the 1999 and 2000 vehicles, 1998 vehicles should be included in the recall as well. *nm | |||
| 08/02/2005 | 1 | 08/03/2003 | |
| Abs wheel sensor problems. tsb released but no recall. could cause serious accident. brakes shutter when slowing down. brought to dealership to have serviced but my warranty wouldn't cover due to tsb. many complaints by other people online due to this problem. a $500.00 repair. should be racalled. *nm | |||
| 03/29/2006 | 70000 | 1 | 09/09/1998 |
| I have a 1998 chevrolet pickup truck that periodically has the anti-lock brakes engage for no known reason when you are traveling at a slow speed and apply the brakes. this engagement of the abs makes stopping the vehicle in a reasonable distance difficult. i have read about several people with this problem in these vehicles. it is my understanding that there either is a recall or may be a recall some be a recall on 1999 and later models of this vehicle in certain states. it appears to me that 1998 models of this truck may have the same problem that is causing the possible recall i mentioned above. *jb | |||
| 03/13/2006 | 1 | ||
| Sensor on driver front wheel not working right for last 3 years wheel will slide bad on wet ground gravel grass ect. many close calls in last couple of years. *jb | |||
| 11/07/2005 | 50590 | 5000 | 10/14/1998 |
| Abs brakes engage on dry pavement when comming to a stop. this happens at every stop and increases stopping distance greatly. *ak | |||
| 06/21/2004 | 48000 | 1 | 12/15/1997 |
| Dt: the contact states there is a nhtsa recall campaign 05v379000 concerning the anti lock brakes. this vehicle is experiencing the same problems as indicated in the recall, but it is not included in the recall due to vin. the contact repaired the vehicle at his own expense. *ak | |||
| 10/11/2004 | 63345 | 1 | 09/30/1998 |
| I began to have trouble with my brakes in september of 2004. at very low speeds (under 5mph) my anti lock brakes would start firing for no apparent reason. i took the vehicle into the shop and they cleaned the speed sensors on the abs. a few weeks later, the abs started to do the same thing again. i took the vehicle back in and they did some kind of test on the speed sensors. they reported back to me that one of the speed sensors had gone bad. they replaced the speed sensor at that time, oct 11, 2004. i have not had any problems since but have seen a report with certain vehicles being recalled for this problem. my vehicle is not one that has been recalled but has the same problem described in the recall i read. how can you say wisconsin is not part of the salt belt?? that seems ridiculous. *nm | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 50000 | 1 | 07/01/2000 |
| Abs brakes come on at low speeds on dry pavement. happens everytime i use the brakes. stopping distance is increased. this is a safety issue. the 1998 trucks should be recalled like the newer ones. why are only the 1999 and newer trucks recalled? the 1998 trucks have the same problem. *jb | |||
| 09/12/1998 | 12 | ||
| Gm has had and still has numerous problems with their abs. my 1998 silverado has at least 12 times lost braking when hitting a small bump in the road usually coming to a stop. i have actually slid past stop signs and into busy intersections, luckily no damage yet. but what am i supposed to tell the police when they see me slide past a stop sign? oh, you see, this gm truck has a known problem with the brakes. is gm going to pay for the ticket or worse, property and liability claims when i actually do hit a person or another vehicle? i have seen nearly 250 individual complaints on this issue on the nhtsa website. some that led to crashes and damage. my question is: when will nhtsa force gm to recognize and recall their abs failures???? gm won't recognize this because it will cost millions to resolve this. it's always easier for them to ignore the problem and blame the stupid consumer for not knowing how to use their abs brakes. this problem goes back as far as 1995 year models and continues on current production models. gm knows there is problems with their abs systems, but continues to slap them in their new models. please nhtsa - force gm to recall their abs brakes in all the affect model years!!!!!!*jb | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 55000 | 999 | 05/15/1998 |
| I have just read the following on cnn: detroit (reuters) - general motors corp. is recalling 804,000 full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles because of potential brake problems, federal safety regulators said tuesday. the national highway traffic safety administration said unwanted application of the antilock brake system in some vehicles can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed braking and may result in a crash. vehicles affected by the recall include the chevrolet avalanche and silverado pickups and the chevrolet suburban and tahoe suvs. the gmc sierra pickup and yukon and yukon xl suvs are also affected. all 804,000 vehicles trucks are from the 1999-2002 model years, nhtsa said. this exact problem exists on my 1998 chevrolet silverado 4x4 pickup. i have lived with the problem now for over two years as i have been told by mechanics that there is no problem with my abs brakes that they can find. my experience has been just as stated above... my abs system engages at low speeds... such as coming to a stop for a traffic light, stop sign etc. initially it took me by surprise and i am still very worried that it will fail at higher speeds. how can i get gm to honor the recall on 1998 trucks? this happens 95+% of the time when slowing down or coming to a stop. thank you, joe montague, 845-435-1915 days. *nm | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 100000 | 5 | 03/21/2003 |
| I have a 1998 chevy c1500 extended cab p/u. if you hold normal pressure on the brake pedal at a stop sign or light, the pedal holds just fine. but if you push just a little harder, it goes down. i have taken it almost to the floor. there is no brake fluid leaking. it never gets low. i have put a new, not used, master cylinder from autozone on it. it does the same thing. i used to be an auto mechanic at a.k. durnin chrysler plymouth in baton rouge louisiana. i now sell auto parts and i'm telling you, this is not normal. also, if i hit the brakes kind of hard, and then let off just a little, it makes a noise and an uneven breaking pattern. it's the anti-lock brakes, braking and letting off, repetitively. about like the rhythm of a jack hammer. oh, i spent 3 1/2 years at the dodge dealer as a mechanic. i did brakes every week. i was the mechanic that they would bring a car to, when no one else could fix it right! *jb | |||
| 05/08/2003 | 50000 | 0 | 01/15/2002 |
| Vehicle goes into anti-skid mode on dry pavement, vehicle does not stop. i wound up on sidewalk on may 7, 2003. visited chevrolet dealership on may 8; claims faulty regulator ring in front hubs causing abs to activate at incorrect intervals. could not tell me which one was bad! wanted to try to replace one, if that didn't work would replace other. all at cost to me! $1000 for repairs. i'm amazed they can not even diagnose their own faulty parts and want to charge me for their trial and error repairs, including possible unnecessary repairs because of their incompetent diagnosis. i know of two other people who have had this problem, they have the same model and make, different years: 2000, and 2001. *nlm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 10/01/2005 | 65500 | 1 | 12/01/2004 |
| The abs braking system activates at low speeds while applying brakes. there is a recall by gm for 1999 for the same issue. unfortunately, they tell me that a 1998 is not involved as of yet. *nm | |||
| 10/19/2005 | 73000 | 1 | 02/17/2000 |
| Abs brakes on 1998 gm c/k model pickups. *nm | |||
| 10/03/2003 | 42000 | 30 | |
| In late 2003, i had antilock brake problems with my 1998 chevrolet silverado 1500 pickup truck. at low speeds, the antilock brake sensor would display, and the vehicle would continue to glide through intended stopping points. until i got used to the stopping distance, i was rolling past stop signs. i took the truck in to a chevrolet dealer, who among other things, replaced the speed control sensor. it took two trips to the dealer before they could figure out the problem. at that time, the truck had only 42,000 miles on the vehicle. i called chevrolet to complain about the defect, but got no help from the manufacturer. the latest recall notice concerning chevrolet's antilock breaks appears to be the exact problem i experienced almost 2 years ago. my concern is that the notice only includes 1999-200? models, and only those in cold weather states. i feel my vehicle should be included in the recall because the problems appear to be identical. i don't live in one of the cold weather states mentioned in the notice, but i do live within a few miles of, use the truck every weekend possible to trailer my boat to, and travel over the chesapeake bay -- a saltwater body of water. maryland also uses salt on the roads, which should include it with the other cold-weather states. there's too much of a coincidence in defects not to have my truck included. i'd appreciate it if you reconsidered the years and vehicle locations to include 1998 models in maryland, or at least consider those that are located near saltwater. if you don't include my vehicle, will i ever find out if it was considered, or why my claim was dismissed? i don't have the old parts because i thought my problem was unique, so didn't feel the need to hang onto anything as proof. all i have is my original complaint to the service department, which still has the problem on record. *nm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1998 | |
| While driving on highway at about 60-70mph and applying brakes, brakes will go all the way to floor, making it hard to stop. at times does not stop at all. contacted dealer, and dealer did not fix car.*ak two studs were replaced. pcm was updated to correct the engine suge under load. *yh | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 10/31/2005 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Front rotor on chevrolet cheyenne 4 wheel drive pick-up separated into two parts. the inner section being the part where the lugs are.the outer section being the portion the brake pads ride on.inspection of the rotors shows an insufficent thickness in the metal of the rotor.this is not an isolated incident. a friend of mine had the same thing happen to him.i replaced the rotors with new ones, but i was fortunate that i heard a noise at a toll booth as i pulled onto a high speed highway.i have the defective part. *nm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 09/01/2005 | 84467 | 1 | 10/09/2000 |
| Brake pedal went to floor. loss of rear brakes due to rusted, ruptured rear steel brake line. replaced rear steel brake line. *nm | |||
| 02/24/2005 | 1 | 02/20/1998 | |
| Truck pulls violently to right when braking. dealer informed me it was a collapsed brake line. brake lines were replaced. i do have old parts. *jb | |||
| 08/09/2003 | 53000 | 1 | 10/01/1998 |
| While driving 25 mph, the rear left steel brake line broke due to rust. *ak. the consumer stated when he applied the brake, the vehicle failed to stop and the pedal went all the way to the floor. the consumer replaced the part himself. *jb | |||