NHTSA complaint: 1999 GMC SIERRA — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS. SHORTLY AFTER BUYING THE VEHICLE (CERTIFIED), I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER COMPLAINING OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS UNUSUAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE ABS SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER, IN MAY OF 2003, MY ABS PROBLEMS BECAME SEVERE, IN THAT AT LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS TURNING INTO PARKING SPACES OR STOPPING AT INTERSECTIONS, THE ABS WOULD COME ON AND STAY ON FOR 3-4 SECONDS, RENDERING THE BRAKES USELESS FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, THIS DID RESULT IN MY VEHICLE STRIKING A CHAIN LINK FENCE WITH NO DAMAGE. TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING FURTHER, I PULLED THE ABS FUSE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AFTER FIRST COMPLAINING TO GM. THE DEALER WAS VERY HELPFUL, AND DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY LEFT FRONT HUB. GM AND THE DEALER LIMITED MY COST TO $100 ON THE $500 REPAIR. THIS APPEARED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, UNTIL RECENTLY. DURING THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED, AND AGAIN RENDERED THE TRUCK VERY DANGEROUS, AND AGAIN I PULLED THE ABS FUSE AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. AGAIN, THE DEALER WAS VERY HELPFUL, AND DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM THIS TIME AS A FAULTY ABS ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. AGAIN, THEY OFFERED COMPENSATION, BUT TO A LESSER DEGREE. I PAID $500 FOR THE $1000 REPAIR. IT APPEARS THROUGH MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, INCLUDING THE NHTSA SITE, THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS NOT LIMITED TO MY VEHIC
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation