1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS I HAD NOTICED THAT THE ABS WOULD OCCASIONALLY ENGAGE AT LOW SPEEDS ON DRY PAVEMENT, RESULTING IN INCREASED PEDAL TRAVEL AND INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES. THEN ON DECEMBER 15, AS I LEFT THE HOUSE AND HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 100 YARDS, I HEARD A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE ABS UNIT NEXT TO THE TRANSFER CASE, AND THE NOISE STOPPED WHEN I PULLED THE ABS FUSE. I CALLED O'BRIEN CHEVROLET, AND THE EARLIEST THEY COULD LOOK AT IT WAS DECEMBER 20. THEY LOOKED AT IT, AND TOLD ME THAT THE ABS UNIT HAD DEVELOPED AN INTERNAL SHORT, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, COSTING ABOUT $1200.00. I WAS SHOCKED! THIS TRUCK IS IN LIKE-NEW CONDITION, WITH ONLY 37,200 MILES, AND ITS ALWAYS BEEN KEPT IN A GARAGE OR A CARPORT. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT 37,200 MILES IS A NORMAL SERVICE LIFE OF A GENERAL MOTORS ABS UNIT BEFORE THEY DEVELOP SHORTS AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *JB

ON THE APPROX. DATE LISTED I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY ABS. SYSTEM RUNNING NON STOP. WHEN I APPROACHED A LOCAL DEALER ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX OR I COULD JUST PULL THE FUSE AND IGNORE THE LIGHTS THAT WOULD BE ON SO THIS IS WHAT I DID. I WAS RECENTLY NOTIFIED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD NOW BE FIXED FOR MUCH LESS ($1500). *NM

LAST FALL I REPORTED TO NHTSA THAT A SOLID BRAKE LINE TUBING FAILED ON MY 1999 SILVERADO WHICH I LOST BRAKING POWER WHICH ALMOST CAUSED ME TO GO OVER THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN JUST BEFORE KINGWOO WV. I HAD THIS REPAIR DONE A THE CHEVY DEALER IN NEARBY OAKLAND MD NAMED TEAM ONE. NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM NHTSA. WEDNESDAY THIS PAST WEEK I WAS HEADING FOR CLARKSBURG VAMC WHEN THE SECOND RIDGED BRAKE LINE CRACKED AS THE FIRST. AGAIN I ALMOST LOST THE VEHICLE AS I WAS GONG DOWN HILL JUST OUTSIDE KINGWOOD AND ALMOST LOST THE TRUCK OVER THE MOUNTAIN. AGAIN I GOT IT THIS TIME TO JOE ROMEOS CHEVY DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK. SAME FINDINGS AS THE FIRST AND THEY REITERATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT, BUT I STATED HOW CAN LINES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STAINLESS STEEL OR RUST RESISTANT THAT FAIL BE EXCLUDED FROM THE WARRANTY? I ASKED THIS OF GM LAST WEEK AND ALL I GOT WAS A BEAT AROUND THE BUSH ANSWER AND THEY WOULD NOT PAY. THIS LEAVES ME WITH OVER $400 IN REPAIR BILLS I HAVE TO PAY. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN AT THE LATEST DEALER FOR ALMOST A WEEK NOW WITH HOPES OF GETTING IT BACK TODAY. THIS WHAT I CALL INFERIOR PARTS BUT MY ELECTRIC WHEEL CHAIR THAT IS IN BACK OF THE VEHICLE I DO HAVE USE OF. [XXX],OF CRL AND ASSOC MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CONSULTANT. ALSO I MENTIONED THE DEALER HAS KNOWLEDGE OF OTHERS THAT THEY BROKE IN SAME MANOR AS MINE. *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH INTO A SERVICE DEALER, THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN TO PULSATE AND THE ABS SYSTEM MADE A BANGING NOISE IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE WAS NOT RESPONSIVE AT ALL. THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH THE SERVICE DOOR. THERE WAS 3200 WORTH OF DAMAGE DONE TO THE SERVICE DOOR AND 1500 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY. THE REPAIR FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. THERE ABS ENGAGE WHEN IT WASN'T NECESSARY. UPDATED 01/10/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE SPUN 180 DEGREES RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE FACING THE TRAFFIC. ALSO WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE DESIGN OF BRAKING SYSTEM WAS 4-WHEEL ANTILOCK. THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE WAS PERMANENT. THE FAILED PART WAS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST AND THERE WAS NO REPAIR INVOICE. THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND, SO A WIRE WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE ABS SYSTEM. WHEN RESTARTED, THE WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELTS TIGHTEN UP AT TIMES AND WON'T RELEASE, UNLESS THEY ARE UNBUCKLED. UPDATED 12/01/06. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 CHEVY SILVERADO. LAST WEEK I WENT TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM FIX THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR UNDER THE RECALL FOR THE ABS ACTIVATION. I TOLD THEM THAT I PULLED THE FUSE FOR THE ABS MOTOR A WHILE BACK AND I DIDN'T HAVE A REPLACEMENT. TO MY SURPRISE, HE SAID THAT FIXING THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WOULD NOT FIX THE ABS PROBLEM I WAS HAVING. HE SAID THIS WITHOUT ANY DETAILS AS TO WHY I PULLED THE FUSE. HE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE ABS MOTOR. HE SAID THAT THE CIRCUIT PACKS WITHIN THE MOTOR ARE SHORTED AND THE MOTOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IT SEEMED LIKE HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES BEFORE. EVEN SEEMED ANNOYED WHEN I ASKED FURTHER ABOUT IT. I GOT THE FEELING THAT HE HAS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME. EVERYONE I KNOW WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC I USE TO GO TO TOLD ME THAT HE SEES THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME ON CHEVY'S AND GMS FROM AROUND 1999. HE OWNS A 2000 GM SIERRA AND IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. GM PUT OUT A RECALL FOR THE ABS, BUT ARE NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM COMPLETELY. CHEVY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ABOUT $800.00 TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. I FEEL LIKE GM TOOK THE CHEAP WAY OUT BY FIXING THE WHEEL SPEED CENSOR. IS EVERYONE ELSE WITH THIS PROBLEM BEING FOOLED THINKING THAT THEIR ABS PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE FIXED WITH THIS RECALL THAT IS CURRENTLY OUT? WHY IS GM CONCERNED ABOUT ONE SAFETY ISSUE (THE CHEAP ONE) AND NOT ANOTHER (THE EXPENSIVE ONE)? *NM

I HAVE A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO PICK UP TRUCK THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAVE CORRODED AND FAILED RENDERING THE BRAKES USELESS. FORTUNATELY, THIS HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE ALL THESE LINES REPLACED. THIS TRUCK IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD AND MY SERVICE GARAGE HAS STATED TO ME THAT THEY REPLACE BRAKE LINES ON LATE MODEL CHEVROLET TRUCKS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. I HAVE WRITTEN CHEVROLET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND I DID NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LINE MATERIAL OR MANUFACTURE OF THESE ITEMS. *NM