1994 Chevrolet S10

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1994 CHEVROLET S10 PICKUP. WHILE ON THE NY THROUGHWAY AT MILE POST 145 WEST BOUND WITH TWO LANES OF VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC ALL THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF CONTACT'S VEHICLE WERE HITTING THE BRAKES BECAUSE IT WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC. CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS ON THE OUTSIDE PASSING LANE GOING STRAIGHT WITH PLENTY OF ROOM BARELY HIT THE BRAKES AND THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR. SINCE EVERYONE IN FRONT SUDDENLY STOPPED CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAD TO MOVE OVER, WENT ON THE MEDIAN IN THE HIGHWAY TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT AND PASSED ABOUT 40-50 VEHICLES. BEGAN DOWN SHIFTING, AND FINALLY GOT THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP, AND THEY REPAIRED BOTH BRAKE LINES. CONTACT KNEW SOMEONE THAT OWNED A 1996 CHEVROLET SILVERADO AND HAD SAME PROBLEM, BRAKE LINE BROKE AND VEHICLE WENT INTO A WALL. ALSO, KNEW A RETIRED MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH GM ABS BRAKES. THE BACK BRAKES HAD TO BE ADJUSTED VERY TIGHTLY TO HAVE BRAKE PRESSURE. THE POLICE OFFICERS DID NOT FILL OUT AN ACCIDENT REPORT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. *AK

I PURCHASED MY 1994 CHEVY S-10, VIN [XXX], NEW IN '94. WITHIN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM. THE PROBLEM, THE ADJUSTORS ARE SHOVING THE SHOES TOO TIGHT AGAINST THE DRUMS, CAUSING THEM TO DRAG, GLAZING THE SHOES, & AFTER PERIODS OF TIME, BURNING UP THE SHOES, WARPING THE DRUMS. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE SHOES & DRUMS AN AVERAGE OF EVERY 30,000 MILES. TAKEN THE TRUCK BACK SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESULTS OR PROBLEM ACKNOWLEDGMENT. THEY CLEAN THEM, ADJUST THEM, CHARGE ME, SHIP ME OUT THE DOOR. WHEN THE ROADWAY IS WET OR SNOWY, THE REAR BRAKES CONSTANTLY LOCK UP. THIS HAS THROWN ME INTO SEVERAL INTERSECTIONS, INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, BECAUSE OF NO BRAKES. WHEN THE REAR BRAKES LOCK UP THE FRONT BRAKES UNLOAD, LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKES. THE FRONT PADS GO AN AVERAGE OF 80,000 MILES WITHOUT NEEDING CHANGED. YOU ASK FOR NUMBER OF FAILURES. THE BRAKES FAIL DURING RAINS, SNOW, ETC? EACH TIME I HIT MY BRAKES DURING THESE CONDITIONS IS A FAILURE. I CAN'T LIST ALL INCIDENT DATES, THERE'S TOO MANY! I LISTED APPROX. BEGIN DATE INSTEAD. THIS IS STILL ONGOING TODAY! FOR GM TO RECALL SAFETY BELTS AS A "SAFETY HAZARD" IS ONE THING. TO TOTALLY IGNORE & HIDE A BRAKING PROBLEM AS NOTHING IS QUITE ANOTHER. I FEEL BRAKES ARE A BIT MORE OF A SAFETY FEATURE. I FEEL THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS VERY IMPORTANT. FOR GM TO IGNORE THIS PROBLEM VERIFIES WHY THEIR STOCK IS NOW CONSIDERED JUNK BONDS! JUST LIKE MY TRUCK, JUNK! I ASK FOR A REPLY, AS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE GOTTEN OTHER COMPLAINTS OR COMMENTS ON THIS BRAKING SYSTEM, IN THIS YEAR. I'VE TALKED WITH OTHERS & LEARNED THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN BLOWN OFF BY DEALERS AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HELP WITH LOOKING INTO THIS MATTER. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS SON WAS DRIVING ALONG AT A SPEED OF 25-30 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED IN FRONT OF HIM. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE STATED THAT HIS SON APPLIED HIS BRAKES PLENTY OF TIMES, BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT TRAVELING AT THE SAME SPEED. ALSO, HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEVER SLOWED DOWN, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO PLOW RIGHT INTO THE BACK OF THE PERSON'S VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED THE OTHER VEHICLE'S AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, INJURING THE PASSENGER SOME. CONSUMER STATED THAT AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET HE FOUND THAT THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE BRAKES. HE STATES THAT HE HAS NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. *LA

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR, THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. *JB....THE FIST NOTICE OF IMPENDING FAILURE WAS VERY SLOWLY SINKING BRAKE PEDAL WHILE STOPPING IN TRAFFIC. AS MORE STOPS WERE MADE THE RATE OF THE PEDAL SINKING BECAME FASTER. CUPS IN THE MASTE CYLINDER WERE LETTING BRAKE FLUID LEAK BY THEM. NEW MASTER CYLINDERS DID NOT SOLVE PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELT AN AWFUL SMELL COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS. CONSUMER PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, AND HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE SMELL, WAS DUE TO THE AIR COOLER LINE COMING DETACHED, WHICH CAUSED THE OIL TO LEAK OUT, AND DESTROY THE ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS