NHTSA complaint: 2004 CHEVROLET W-SERIES — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
VEHICLE WAS BEING USE OFF THE ROAD CLIMBING A STEEP BANK. WHEN IT BROKE TRACTION THE DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE BOTTOM AND WITH NO BRAKING EFFECT. IT HIT A TRUCK FOLLOWING IT DAMAGING THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPT AND DEEMED TO BE NORMAL. WE TESTED THE TRUCK ON A SIMILAR BANK AND FOUND THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. WE THEN TRIED FIVE OTHER CHEVYS (2003 &2004 MODELS) AND FOUND THE SAME BRAKE FAILURE IN ALL FIVE EVERY TIME TRACTION WAS BROKEN. WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM CHEVROLET WITNESS OUR TEST AND ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THEIR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SAID THE BRAKES ARE NORMAL. WE CALLED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND DIDN'T GET A DIRECTION FROM THEM. WE ARE WRITING CHEVROLET/GM, BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE OR WHO TO SEND THE COMPLAINT TO. SO FAR WE HAVE HAD NO RESULTS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation