1994 GMC Sonoma

UPON THREE SEPARATE SITUATIONS, LAST ONE AND THE ONLY ONE WHICH CAUSED FRONT END CRASH DAMAGE, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP QUICKLY AT ABOUT 35 MPH, THE TRUCK FELT AS IF IT WERE ON ICE. THE TRUCK TOOK LONGER TO STOP THAN EXPECTED AND THERE WAS NO PULSING FEELING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL OR NO SOUNDS WHILE CONSISTENTLY HOLDING IT DOWN WITH HARD FOOT PRESSURE. THE BRAKE PADS WERE CHANGED AT AROUND 50,000 MI. ON THE OTHER TWO OCCASIONS, THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH BECAUSE OF CLEARANCE TO MANUVER INTO THE OTHER LANE. *AK

VEHICLE NOT LISTED BY GMC AS BEING ONE AS DEFINED BY NHTSA CAMPAIN ID NUMBER: 99V193000. THIS IS PER MY LOCAL GMC DEALER. MY VEHICLE'S ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DO MALFUNCTION AS DEFINED. ON ICY/SNOW COVERED SURFACES AND GRAVEL HILLS THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL SUDDENLY DROP WHILE FOOT PRESSURE IS BEING APPLIED. THE BRAKES WILL THEN LOCKUP UNEXPECTEDLY. THE ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME OR PREVENT THIS MALFUNCTION IS TO PLACE THE VEHICLE SHIFT LEVER INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE BEFORE HAND. THIS PROBLEM IS SO WIDESPREAD THERE IS AN AFTERMARKET KIT AVAILABLE THAT ALLOWS THE GMC OWNER TO BYPASS THE ABS SYSTEM. I KNOW GM OWNERS WHO HAVE DONE SO BECAUSE THEY FEEL THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM IS UNSAFE. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF THE 1125749 POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED WERE ACTUALLLY NOTIFIED BY GMC TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED? *AK

MY PICK UP HAS FOUR WHEEL ANTI LOCK BRAKES. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED ON IRREGULAR SURFACE THE STOPPING TIME IS GREATLY EXTENDED. WHEN YOU HAVE ONE FRONT WHEEL ON A SLICK SURFACE IT SLIDES AND THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS EXTENDED. TODAY I PULLED THE FRONT WHEELS ON ICE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH THE BACK WHEELS ON BARE PAVEMENT AND THE STOPPING TIME WAS GREATLY EXTENDED AND THE FRONT WHEELS APPEARED TO LOCK UP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY GMC THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM WITH YOU AND MAY HAVE A RESOLUTION IN JANUARY. I WOULD HATE TO HAVE A WRECK IN THE MEAN TIME. I HAVE NOT NOTICE ANY OF THESE BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH MY 1999 LHS.

BRAKES ARE WOEFULLY INADEQUATE WITH OR WITHOUT ABS COMING INTO PLAY. I'VE HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WHERE I COULD NOT STOP THIS VEHICLE IN A NORMAL STOPPING DISTANCE BECAUSE OF EITHER ABS KICKING IN FROM A SINGLE TIRE BOUNCE WHILE STOPPING ON UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES OR WHEN THE TRUCK WAS LOADED, SUCH AS WHEN HAULING HEAVY MATERIAL OR PULLING A LOADED TRAILER. THE FRONT DISC PADS FOR THIS TRUCK ARE EXCEEDINGLY UNDERSIZED WHEN COMPARED AGAINST A SIMILAR WEIGHTED SEDAN (5300LBS) AND SEDANS AREN'T EXPECTED TO HAUL 1/2 TON LOADS. I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY TRAVELED THROUGH INTERSECTIONS TRYING TO STOP THIS VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. LUCKILY NEVER HITTING ANYONE OR GETTING HIT BUT VERY DISTURBED. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE TWO RECALL CAMPAIGN PROGRAMS SLATED FOR THIS VEHICLE BY GM (99I006000 AND 99V193000) BUT PER MY DEALER GM IS SEVERAL MONTHS AWAY FROM HAVING ANY PARTS OR CORRECTIONS FOR THIS.