1994 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

HERE IS AN EXCERP OF THE LETTER I GAVE MY DEALERSHIP REGARDING ABS POTENTIAL PROBLEMS ON 2 OCT 1995. DEALERSHIP SAID BRAKES WERE FINE. ON 27 SEPTEMBER, WHILE I WAS BRAKING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, MY SUBURBAN HIT A BUMP. THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY "CHANGED". INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL STOPPING, IT FELT LIKE THE ABS "KICKED IN" AND I COULD FEEL THE HEAR AND FEEL THE CHARACTERISTIC PEDAL VIBRATION. WORST OF ALL, MOST OF THE BRAKING FORCE WAS GONE. THE ABS SHOULD NOT HAVE KICKED IN SINCE THIS WAS NOT A PANIC STOP OR A WHEEL LOCK UP SITUATION. I KEPT THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED AND WITHIN ONE OR TWO SECONDS THE ABS TURNED OFF AND NORMAL BRAKING RESUMED.. I KNOW WHAT NORMAL ABS FUNCTIONING FEELS LIKE SINCE I HAVE TESTED THEM UNDER A CONTROLLED PANIC STOP SITUATION. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS FAILURE HAS HAPPENED TO ME UNDER A NORMAL BRAKING SITUATION. I DISMISSED THE FIRST EVENT AS A FREAK OCCURRENCE UNTIL MY WIFE REAR ENDED A TRUCK IN FRONT OF HER ON 21 SEPTEMBER, WHILE IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC. SHE EXPLAINED THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP IN TIME TO AVOID THE COLLISION BUT COULD NOT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES-ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO OUR SUBURBAN AND THE TRUCK. THIS CONDITION MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT ACCIDENT. *AK