1992 GMC Suburban

I HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THE BRAKES WOULD LOSE HOLD AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD AS IF IT WERE ON ICE. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID COLLISIONS THROUGH LUCK AND ALSO BY BEING VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND LEAVING EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. VARIOUS DEALERS MISDIAGNOSED THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. FIRST TIME, FRONT BRAKE JOB, SECOND TIME, REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT. THIRD TIME, THEY SAID THE PUMP WAS BAD. MIRACULOUSLY THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN THE DEALERSHIP. $900 LATER I HAVE A NEW ABS PUMP. NOW THE TRUCK PULLS TO THE RIGHT. IT DID NOT DO THIS BEFORE. DEALER SUSPECTED THAT THE ABS PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. UPON REPLACEMENT, THE TRUCK STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THEY NOW SUSPECT THAT THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE HOSE IS BREAKING DOWN INTERNALLY AND CAUSING UNEVEN PRESSURE TO THE FRONT CALIPERS CAUSING THE PULLING SENSATION. THEY ARE NOT SURE, SO THIS WILL BE MORE $ OUT OF MY POCKET FOR A TRIAL AND ERROR THAT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. I HAVE OVER $1300 IN BRAKE REPAIRS AND THIS VEHICLE STILL DOES NOT STOP PROPERLY. I AM RUNNING OUT OF PATIENCE AND MONEY. YOUR HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED. THANKS. *AK

IN DECEMBER OF 1993, I WAS INVOLVED IN A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT. WHILE I DID NOT CREATE THE ACCIDENT, I DID CONTRIBUTE BY CRASHING INTO THE REAR OF ONE OF THE CARS. THE CAUSE - MY BRAKES SIMPLY WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A NORMAL AMOUNT OF TIME. THE ABS SYSTEM MADE ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING NOISES. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP SIMILAR TO OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDING MY PREVIOUS SUBURBAN THAT I HAD OWNED AND DRIVEN. FOLLOWING REPAIRS, I TOOK THE SUBURBAN TO A GMC DEALER WHO REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER (AT MY COST) AND IDD A TEST DRIVEL THE MECHANIC SAID THE BRAKES WERE WORKING PROPERLY. THEY WERE NOT! AND STILL DO NOT WORK AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES WITH OR WITHOUT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. RECENTLY I WAS MAKINA A RIGHT TURN WHEN A YOUNNSTER SHOT THRU THE INTERSECTION ON A BICYCLE. I JUMPED ON THE BRAKES AND AGAIN HEARD THAT SICKENING GROAN BUT NO BRAKE ACTION. FORTUNATELY THE BRAKES EVENTUALLY DID GRAB AND THE YOUNG MAN SWERVED TO AVOID A COLLISION. THIS RECENT INCIDENT CAUSED ME TO RE-READ A SYNDICATED NEWS REPORT FROM LAST JULY. THE NHTSA WAS WORKING WITH GM TO RECALL AND REPAIR ABS SYSTEMS IN VARIOUS SUV'S. THE ARTICLE ALSO SAID A SECOND INVESTIGATION WAS UNDER WAY INVOLVING MY '92 SUBURBAN. I'D LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT INVESTIGATION. AT PRESENT I STILL DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND I KNOW IT WILL NOT STOP IN NORMAL STOPPING DISTANCE. I HAVE STARTED TO INVESTIGATE REMOVING THE ABS SYSTEM AND INSTALLING SOMETHING SAFER. ANY ADVICE YOU MIGHT PROVIDE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED VEHICLE SHOT AHEAD AND THEN BEGAN TO STOP. ALL INCIDENCES OF FAILURE SEEMED TO OCCUR WHEN THE REAR WHEELS MOMENTARILY LOST CONTROL WITH PAVEMENT, I., GOING OVER A MANHOLE COVER THAT WAS RECESSED/PAVEMENT DEPRESSIONS AT EXPANSION JOINTS OR HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF WATER. IN THE ROADWAY. WHEN VEHICLE ENCOUNTERED ONE OF THESE CONDITIONS UNDER HEAVY BRAKE PRESSURE, THE ABS BRAKES WOU;LD EMIT A LOUD GROANING NOISE, AND VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE AHEAD. THEN AFTER ONE OR TWO CAR LENGTHS WOULD GRAB HOLD AND TRY TO STOP. IN ALL OF THESE CASES, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAIL WHEN IN A POTENTIAL SLIDING SITUATION (GOING ONTO A SLICK SURFACE, LIKE ICE OR WET PAVEMENT). THE ABS ACTUALLY ATTEMPTS TO WORK, AND THEN SHUTS OFF, LEAVING ONLY THE REGULAR BRAKES. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. EACH TIME WE HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE SOMETHING RESET, OTHERWISE THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH , SAYING THERE IS A BRAKE PROBLEM, REMAIN ON. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER (SEVERAL TIMES) THAT IT DOESN'T HURT TO DRIVE IT LIKE THIS, BUT THE ABS ARE NOT WORKING AS LONG AS THOSE LIGHTS ARE ON. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING - AT THE TIME THE ABS ARE NEEDED, THEY FAIL, EVERY TIME. I'M TIRED OF THEM NOT WORKING, AND PAYING TO HAVE THEM RESET.

EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES HARDER THAN NORMAL THE ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. THERE WAS SOME VIBRATION IN THE PEDAL. DRIVER HAD TO DRIVE SUBURBAN OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID A CRASH. THIS HAPPENED ON DRY PAVEMENT AND WET PAVEMENT. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM, AND RESET THE COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER WAS RESET TWICE FOR THIS REASON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK