Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK | |||||
| 020525006A | 12/01/2002 | 020525006 | 10000749 | Antilock brake (abs) activation at low speeds on various models including the 1995 and 1996 envoy. *tt | 03/28/2003 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||||
| 020525006 | 01/01/2006 | 020525006B | 10000062 | Antilock brake (abs) activation at low speeds. *tt | 02/10/2003 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK | |||
| 06/09/2001 | 102744 | 1 | 08/01/1996 |
| A leak in the vaccuum booster caused the brakes to fail which resulted in a collision. | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 111 | 12/01/1995 | |
| The brakes are improperly designed and do not operate correctly. brake pedal too high; pedal depresses too far before engaging; brakes lock up irratically. no manufacturer explanation. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - PADS | |||
| Consumer experiencing problems with excessive wear of the front brake shoes and pads, consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the excessive wear. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - SLACK ADJUSTERS | |||
| 02/23/2000 | 1 | ||
| Defective actuators caused the four wheel drive system to engage itself at the wrong times causing major damage to the transfer case. nlm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Unwanted antilock brake activation at low speed started intermittent now consistent in unwanted activation resulting in increased stopping distance. there is a current campaign for 1999-2002 that should be expanded to include 1996 vehicles. campaign no. 05v379000 | |||
| 12/16/2010 | 53000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet tahoe. while driving approximately 25 mph the brakes were applied and the pedal depressed to the floor. the vehicle was taken home and the contact could see brake fluid leaking from the brake lines. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 53,000. sm. | |||
| 05/30/2008 | 105721 | ||
| My '96 chevrolet tahoe 2-door suffered complete brake system loss when a brake line burst while in-service. the tahoe, used primarilly in illinois in the winter, suffered the failure in may of 2008 with about 102,000 miles accumulated and with no with noprior indications of a problem prior tothe complete failure. the brake line simplyburst/ failed completely when the line (nounted to the firewhall below the radiator) complrtrly failed, leaving blown out gap about an inchlong in the line. the truck was slowing to a stop sign when then line failed and the brake pedal went down to the floor, so there was no collateral damage. the vehicle was towed immediately to a repair shop for estimation and repairs (not a chevy garage). these repairs required complete vehicle brake line replacement (except to the front ant-lock unit) and complete system componrnt trplacememnt (except for the master cylinder). i thought the faiure was random until i recently saw an article on the topic in print by jerry hirsch, staff writerfor the los angeles times, business section where other similar failures on similar models were noted. the repairs cost close to $2,000 and, if there are other campaigns on tnis model, i would like to research them to determine if poor drsign by general motors/chevrolet division is responsible for these repairs and how to go about adding my vehicle to that compaign. i have kept the vehicle registered in my name and currently own a 2004 chevrolet, so my contact information would have been on-file with gm such that proper notifications could have been made. i had no idea that this type of faiure was part of gms faulty design history or that any campaign was underway pertaining to brake line failures intil i saw the article printed by mrjerry hirsch as noted above. | |||
| 02/08/2005 | 3 | ||
| Consumer was having trouble with electrical system. the exterior and interior lights inadvertently fail and cease working. consumer took the vehicle to a dealer to determine the cause; however, the dealer was unable to locate the problem. the consumer is still experiencing unexpected failure with the lighting system. also, check engine light was on. dealer could not determine why the light was on. fuel pump had to be replaced twice within the past year.*ak the blinker and turn signals have to be replaced frequently. coolant leaked into the engine and it had to be replaced. air bag warning light illuminated. starter was replaced. the steering wheel shook. the dealer replaced the idler arm and drag link. water pump leaked. power steering pump leaked. brake cable broke. pinion seal leaked. master cylinder leaked. *nm | |||
| 04/21/1996 | 12/27/1995 | ||
| Brakes were mushy while traveling at 10 mph and caused a collision. | |||
| 10/01/1996 | 12/29/1996 | ||
| Metalic material in brake pads overheats and causes extreme vibration in front end of vehicle when moderate brake pressure is applied. vibration is so severe that bolts and screws are working loose throughout vehicle. dealer claims the brakes are engineered that way. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 09/01/2005 | 119000 | 25 | 04/07/1995 |
| Anti-lock brakes are coming on frequently. *jb | |||
| 03/02/2005 | 1 | ||
| While driving. the brakes failed, and a collision occurred. consumer's vehicle hit the back of another vehicle. . upon hitting the brakes they pulsated. *ak | |||
| 09/18/2001 | 25 | 09/01/2000 | |
| Abs system activates under normal braking causing extended braking distance. no indiactions of equipment problems ie. abs dash light, brakes in good condition, vehicle just nys safety inspected.*ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| Accident ron a major highway. there was a sudden stop in traffic. we were a least at an eight second following distance. when we try to stop the rear passenger tire locked up. our truck slammed into a full sized truck which then in turn crashed into a minivan. damages totaled over $15,000 this is the second major accident with this vehicle. | |||
| 04/28/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving vehicle in front came to a sudden stop, and consumer rear ended other vehicle. consumer has been having a problem braking since 1998. took vehicle to dealer in august of19 99, and they were unable to find any problems. consumer said that vehicle kind of sluggushly stopped. consumer had to put foot to the floor to stop vehicle.*ak | |||
| 08/10/1996 | 5 | 06/01/1996 | |
| Both axles have failed in this vehicle. brake failure on first occurance. rear axles have been repaired 5 times! chevy acknowledges engineering defect but states that warranty covers manufacturing or materials defects only. unsuspecting owners could experience brake failure due to axle fluid contamination of brake pads. | |||
| When the brakes are applied pedal becomes firm, resulting in extended stopping. distance. dealer will be notified. *ak | |||
| 11/26/1999 | 1 | 04/04/1996 | |
| The abs seems to lock and unlock erratically,making the vehicle very difficult to control and stop. yh | |||
| 07/15/1999 | |||
| Vehicle experiencing ongoing / intermittent problem with abs / brake system; whenever brakes are applied it causes extended stopping distance. sometimes pedal would have to be pressed down hard to get vehicle to stop. vehicle was inspected by a independent shop, and informed consumer that the brake system malfunctioned.*ak | |||
| 05/01/1996 | |||
| When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, the anti-lock brake system kicks in, causing brakes to lock-up. the brakes work intermittently. brakes have been spongy since purchase. *yc *ml | |||
| 05/12/1999 | |||
| When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, they go straight to the floorboard, and there is a problem with the master cylinder and brake rotors. *ak | |||
| 07/22/1999 | |||
| Abs brakes failed, resulting in loss of control/crash. upon impact,air bags didn't deploy. consumer contacted dealer. *ak | |||
| 05/31/1999 | 4 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Calipers operate improperly, causing uneven pad wear/premature wearout. one pad (on the same caliper) would be completely gone (down to rivets)and the other having more than half its life left. this happened on both front calipers. this caused excessive wear to rear shoes because the front brakes were not fully opetational and the rear brakes were primarily stopping the vehicle. the dealer replaced pads first, later did a caliper rebuild kit, later after vehicle out of warranty, refused to replace calipers, or fix problem. i had calipers replaced at my expense (bendix calipers). i am currently waiting to see if this fixes the problem. have contacted gm and they now refuse to fix the problem as vehicle is out of warranty(even though problem has occurred repeatedly since vehicle was new). *ak | |||
| 11/26/1997 | |||
| When the brakes are applied the vehicle pulls to the right, resulting in extended stopping distance. *ak | |||
| While making a sudden stop by depressing the brakes the vehicle continues to travel. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 09/10/1998 | |||
| Brake rotors and pads had to be replaced every 5000 miles of wear and the brakes would squeak all the time. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on numerous occasions. dealer informed consumer that they could not find anything wrong or duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| When abs brakes are applied the pedal travels to the floor, causing extended stopping distance. cause unknown. dealer cannot identify the problem. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 03/15/1998 | |||
| When pushing on the brake pedal to stop, the vehicle does not stop in time. the problem constantly occurs. the highway speed is 55mph. weather conditions do not matter. dealer has not been contacted. *ak | |||
| 1 | 05/01/1996 | ||
| Anti-lock brakes experience extended stopping distance, almost resulting in a collision. | |||
| 03/12/1998 | 2 | 12/30/1996 | |
| Abs brakes failed. also, brake drums overheated/warped, causing violent vibration when braking a thigher speeds. *ak | |||
| 11/27/1996 | 3 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Anti lock brakes failed several times, one incident resulted in a vehicle collision. | |||
| 04/01/1997 | 3 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Brakes failed several times. | |||
| 11/04/1997 | 5 | ||
| Driving at about 30 mph went to slow down by applying brakes, brake system locked up,vehicle then started to slide. dealer did . this defect can result in an accident. *ak | |||
| Abs brakes; when applying the brakes in a panic stop, the vehicle brakes locked up, causing an accident. please describe details. *ak | |||
| 11/05/1997 | 12 | ||
| While driving vehicle about 20 mph the consumer had problem with the brakes because when she tried to stop the vehicle did not respond. *ak | |||
| 06/12/1997 | |||
| In reference 94v-038, the vehicle braking system malfunctions when applying the pedal to the floor, and causing extended stopping distance. dealer replace master cylinder and valves. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak | |||
| 5 | |||
| During heavy braking the truck pulls to the right and the brakes start to fade. the dealer has replaced the brake pads . consumer states that the truck has been into the dealer 5 times about the brakes. *ak | |||
| 01/06/1997 | 1 | ||
| Driving the truck on a icy hill and had chains on the rear wheels, put foot on the brakes, had no steering and the truck kept going until it hit the vehicle in front of the truck. *ak consumer stated he had to stop on an icy hill becuase the road was blocked, and he started to back up slowly, when consumer attempted to stop the vehicle did not seem to respond to braking or steering and the chains were diggin in and consumer came to stop after hitting another vehicle.*jb | |||
| 08/30/1997 | 0 | ||
| While driving vehicle about 25 mph the comsumer tried to stop the vehicle, but could not when stopping for a red light. almost rear ended the vehicle infront. the abs. did not respond to stop the vehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Antilock brakes failed. | |||
| 02/01/1996 | 1 | 12/01/1995 | |
| Antilock brakes failed, causing accident. | |||
| 11/29/1996 | 1 | ||
| Customer states front wheels lock up when braking and that the pedal feels soft. | |||
| 10/04/1996 | 5 | 10/03/1996 | |
| Abs brake system failed. | |||
| 12/15/1996 | 0 | 10/01/1996 | |
| After multiple incidents of not being able to stop vehicle on demand, the abs braking system let the vehicle keep moving, consumer has had some near accidents.*ak | |||
| 01/10/1997 | 10/10/1996 | ||
| #ea94-038, in snowy weather when applying the abs anti-lock brakes the brakes fail, almost had an accident, consumer said the performance of the brakes is poor . *ak | |||
| Abs braking system when applied in panic stopping do not work, the pedal goes to the floor and vehicle will not stop. had an accident in the summer. *ak | |||
| 03/28/1996 | |||
| Abs, brake failure , vibration when brakes are applied and cause the front end to vibrate, pulsation of the brakes , in for repair 4 times.*ak | |||
| 06/24/1996 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Abs, brake failure, dragging, worn and disc pads/rotors. *ak dealer replaced brake pads and resurfaced rotors to remove blued hotspots rotors.*jb | |||
| Abs brakes; when applying the brakes, vehicle pulls to the right. please describe. *al | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 1 | |||
| Brakes continually fail since ownership. mjs | |||
| When applying the brakes the pedal goes to the floor and the vehicle keeps going. dealer has not seen vehicle as off yet. *ak | |||
| 1 | 01/12/1996 | ||
| Brakes failed. | |||
| 09/03/1998 | |||
| Consumer was driving 55 mph on dry road, began to press on brakes then brakes started to grab and lock up. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak | |||
| 03/18/1996 | 1 | 12/01/1995 | |
| Anti lock brakes lock up and master cylinder loses fluid. | |||
| 1 | 08/31/1996 | ||
| Front brakes failed. | |||
| 09/19/1997 | |||
| While driving on freeway appled brakes and discovered that the pedal kept going down, and by the time he reached safety the reservior was empty , he had no brake fluid, he had no brakes . *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Front end shimmies when brakes applied. | |||
| 1 | 05/01/1996 | ||
| Brakes failed. | |||
| 03/22/1996 | |||
| Front end. applied brakes, vehicle jerked to right or left abruptly when being applied. problem with clearance between knuckle and caster. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC | |||
| 25 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| I sent the follwing to gm>>>i own a 96' chevrolet tahoe. i love my truck but i have a major concern. my brakes are horrible, i thought it was the pads, so i had them replaced, then my rotors warped... so i had them replaced also, my brakes still felt soft so i kept driving it like that for about 5000 miles, next i'm driving on a flat road and come to a stop. i take off from this country road and see a deer, i hit my brakes and nothing!!!! the brake fade is so bad that i go back to the dealer again. he suggests a master cylinder (ouch) so i foolishly give him my money. next day i'm going down a slight hill and again major brake fade. i am really upset and honestly frightened of your vehicle. in reading some of the news groups on the internet, i find that many folks have contacted gm and alerted you to this problem, please fix our brakes before one of us and/or an innocent bystander gets seriously injured or killed. please help save lives, don't be like ford and deny an obvious problem with your 92-99 tahoe, suburban, and pickups.*ak | |||
| 09/22/1998 | 4 | 09/01/1996 | |
| The discs and the cylinder have been replaced twice and now need to be replaced for the third time. if we drive in the nearby smokey mountains the brakes begin to smoke soon after starting downhill where more braking than usual is required. we have been told by the gmc dealer where we purchased the tahoe that the brakes on the 1996 vehicle were too small and have since been upgraded on later vehicles. yet they charge us to replace the brake discs or cylinder. we basically can not drive in any mountain areas with just passengers, much less pulling anything.*ak | |||
| 2 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| Front disk brake pads wear out in as little as 12,000 miles. my other vehicles have gotten 50-70,000 miles on a set of pads. | |||
| 05/31/1999 | 4 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Calipers operate improperly, causing uneven pad wear/premature wearout. one pad (on the same caliper) would be completely gone (down to rivets)and the other having more than half its life left. this happened on both front calipers. this caused excessive wear to rear shoes because the front brakes were not fully opetational and the rear brakes were primarily stopping the vehicle. the dealer replaced pads first, later did a caliper rebuild kit, later after vehicle out of warranty, refused to replace calipers, or fix problem. i had calipers replaced at my expense (bendix calipers). i am currently waiting to see if this fixes the problem. have contacted gm and they now refuse to fix the problem as vehicle is out of warranty(even though problem has occurred repeatedly since vehicle was new). *ak | |||
| 09/10/1998 | |||
| Brake rotors and pads had to be replaced every 5000 miles of wear and the brakes would squeak all the time. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on numerous occasions. dealer informed consumer that they could not find anything wrong or duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 1 | |||
| Brake pad design material overheating resulting in vibration. | |||
| 3 | |||
| Brake pads replaced . | |||
| 09/30/1996 | 2 | ||
| Brake pads failed. | |||
| 10/01/1996 | 12/29/1996 | ||
| Metallic material in brake pads overheats and causes vibration. *ak | |||
| 09/30/1996 | |||
| Poor abs brake performance, during a panic stop situation, the pedal was soft, and the front brakes locked up. the pads, and master cylinder have been replaced at 12k. ak | |||
| 06/24/1996 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Abs, brake failure, dragging, worn and disc pads/rotors. *ak dealer replaced brake pads and resurfaced rotors to remove blued hotspots rotors.*jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 120000 | 1 | 12/01/1995 | |
| The front disc brake rotors separated from the mounting bracket, and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately when the pad was depressed. this resulted in extended stopping distance. *ak (the right side front disc brake rotor) *sc | |||
| 08/31/2000 | |||
| Right front rotor broke, repairs were made. dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. feel free to provide further details. *ak | |||
| 05/12/1999 | |||
| When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, they go straight to the floorboard, and there is a problem with the master cylinder and brake rotors. *ak | |||
| 04/28/1997 | 2 | ||
| Front rotors failed. | |||
| 11/01/1996 | 1 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Rotors failed, causing vibration. | |||
| 06/24/1996 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Abs, brake failure, dragging, worn and disc pads/rotors. *ak dealer replaced brake pads and resurfaced rotors to remove blued hotspots rotors.*jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM | |||
| 05/19/1997 | 1 | ||
| Brake pedal low/misadjusted. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - DRUM | |||
| 03/12/1998 | 2 | 12/30/1996 | |
| Abs brakes failed. also, brake drums overheated/warped, causing violent vibration when braking a thigher speeds. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - WHEEL CYLINDERS | |||
| 09/22/1998 | 4 | 09/01/1996 | |
| The discs and the cylinder have been replaced twice and now need to be replaced for the third time. if we drive in the nearby smokey mountains the brakes begin to smoke soon after starting downhill where more braking than usual is required. we have been told by the gmc dealer where we purchased the tahoe that the brakes on the 1996 vehicle were too small and have since been upgraded on later vehicles. yet they charge us to replace the brake discs or cylinder. we basically can not drive in any mountain areas with just passengers, much less pulling anything.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 09/09/1996 | |||
| The location of the brake line has caused a hole to rub in the gas tank. ) while driving at high speeds the headlights go off and eventually they come back on after the switch cools off. (3)while driving the tahoe a loud clunking comes from the middle or the rear of vehicle, which sounds as though the rear axle or driveshaft is loose and going to fall off. the dealer is aware of the problem. dealer not able to correct the problems. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1996 | 1 | 08/01/1996 | |
| Hydraulic seal leaks. | |||
| 11/25/1996 | 1 | 05/29/1996 | |
| Metal brake line is routed in contact with steering column; rotation of column is wearing a hole in the metal brake line, causing loss of brake fluid. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER | |||
| 07/12/1999 | 1 | 03/26/1996 | |
| Master cylinder and power booster failed. nlm | |||
| 05/12/1999 | |||
| When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, they go straight to the floorboard, and there is a problem with the master cylinder and brake rotors. *ak | |||
| 12/11/1998 | 2 | 09/01/1996 | |
| Brake pedal soft and spongy, master cylinder replaced (warranty repair). same symptoms again with complete brake failure this time. pedal goes right to the floor. | |||
| 06/12/1997 | |||
| In reference 94v-038, the vehicle braking system malfunctions when applying the pedal to the floor, and causing extended stopping distance. dealer replace master cylinder and valves. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak | |||
| 06/12/1997 | 1 | 07/01/1996 | |
| While driving the vehicle noticed a leak in the master cylinder, and right after that the power brakes failed which left the driver with no brakes. *ak brake booster failed. *yh | |||
| 1 | |||
| Master cylinder failed. | |||
| 09/30/1996 | |||
| Poor abs brake performance, during a panic stop situation, the pedal was soft, and the front brakes locked up. the pads, and master cylinder have been replaced at 12k. ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - PEDALS AND LINKAGES | |||
| 1 | |||
| Brake pedal soft when applying. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST | |||
| 07/01/1996 | |||
| Power vacuum assist brakes developed a leak, causing loss of brakes/air escaping,and brake pedal hardening. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM | |||
| 04/21/2002 | 84700 | 1 | 06/01/1998 |
| At a speed of 50 mph i applied brakes on the approach of a stop light. the brake pedal went down about two inches and then catapulted up vary quickly. at this point the pedal was very hard. which if the vacuum booster failed it should have left me with hydraulic manual brakes, and it did not. i had to stop the truck with the emergency brake after rolling through a red light at about 30 to 40 mph. i replaced the vacuum booster and it fixed the problem. chevy customer service dept. was called and a case was opened #c06749958. this is unacceptable like it failed, this could have been a loss of life issue. there are a number of complaints of brake problems with this vehicle and at this point nothing being done about it. *ts ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***761073 | |||
| 07/12/1999 | 1 | 03/26/1996 | |
| Master cylinder and power booster failed. nlm | |||
| When applying the brakes the pedal stifens, then releases to the floor. also causing longer stopping distances. dlr replaced brake boosters. | |||
| 06/12/1997 | 1 | 07/01/1996 | |
| While driving the vehicle noticed a leak in the master cylinder, and right after that the power brakes failed which left the driver with no brakes. *ak brake booster failed. *yh | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 06/12/1997 | |||
| In reference 94v-038, the vehicle braking system malfunctions when applying the pedal to the floor, and causing extended stopping distance. dealer replace master cylinder and valves. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak | |||