Complaint 1634296

Complaint Summary

SERVICE BRAKES

Owner Narrative

VEHICLE FREQUENTLY EXHIBITS LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. WHEN THIS OCCURS, SOMETHING SOUNDING LIKE THE ABS SYSTEMS IS SOMETIMES ENGAGED BY THE VEHICLE AND OTHER TIMES NOT. WHILE GM CLAIMS BRAKING PERFORMANCE MEETS FEDERAL STANDARDS, THE BRAKING POWER IS GREATLY REDUCED WHEN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM IS ENGAGED AND ALMOST NON-EXISTENT WHEN NEITHER VACUUM PUMP NOR THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS. EVEN IF THE BRAKING PERFORMANCE MEETS FEDERAL STANDARDS, IT CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN THE DRIVER IS NOT EXPECTING A FAILURE. A GMC DEALERSHIP HAS ADMITTED THERE IS AN ISSUE AND RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE VACUUM PUMP BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO SOURCE THE PARTS IN OVER TWO WEEKS AND HAS NO ETA FOR WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. MEANWHILE THE BRAKING POWER LOSS CONDITION OCCURS EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. DURING THE FIRST INSTANCE, I WAS TOWING A TRAVEL TRAILER IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC DOWN A 7% GRADE. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE TRAILER BRAKES, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE INVOLVED BACKING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION BECAUSE OF POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE. NOW THAT I FULLY AWARE OF THE ISSUE, THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN SPARINGLY (ONLY WHEN ABSOLUTELY NEEDED) AND WITH GREAT CARE. THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THIS ISSUE BY GM AS NOT BEING A GRAVE SAFETY CONCERN IS INACCURATE. THEIR INABILITY TO SOURCE PARTS IN A TIMELY MANNER IS INEXCUSABLE.

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.