2005 Buick Lesabre

2005 BUICK LESABRE WITH 42,330 MILES WENT INTO THE REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED. ONCE THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED, THE MECHANIC TOOK THE CAR FROM THE REPAIR BAY ONTO THE PARKING LOT TO CHECK THE INTEGRITY OF THE BRAKES. THE MECHANIC APPLIED A HARD BRAKING WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. UPON INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE WHICH GOES ACROSS THE REAR OF THE CAR FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND CAUSED THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THIS BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL. THE SYSTEM WAS THEN BLED AND BRAKE FLUID REPLACED. THE CAR WAS CHECKED AGAIN AND WAS FOUND TO BE DRIVABLE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH DOWN A STEEP HILL UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A LAKE. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT AND A PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY, WHO COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE FOR THE BRAKE FAILURES AND DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. ODI #10160493 CAN BE USED IN COMPARISON TO THIS ISSUE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE BRAKES SUDDENLY FAILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS HANGING LOOSE AND WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE ROD CONNECTING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS MISALIGNED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS HAPPENED AT THE FACTORY AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. THE SERVICE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BY REPLACING SEVERAL UNKNOWN BRAKE COMPONENTS. UPDATED 6-12-2006. THE CONSUMER REPORTED THE FAILURE TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT CRANK DUE TO A DEAD BATTERY. *NM

3/17/2005 TRAVELED TO MYRTLE BEACH, SC MOSTLY ON I-95. ON THE WAY I EXPERIENCED PERIODS OF RAIN. THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED A PROBLEM WAS DURING RAIN WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSED ME APPLY MY BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. WHEN I APPLIED FOOT PRESSURE IN THE NORMAL MANNER THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND PROPERLY, INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN IMMEDIATELY, I DISCOVERED I NEEDED TO APPLY AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES MORE PRESSURE (IF NOT MORE) TO GET THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. I ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WHENEVER I WAS IN WET CONDITIONS. I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ON DRY ROADS AT ANY SPEED, AND I WAS DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 75 MPH. 3/23/2005 RETURNED TO HARRISBURG, PA. EXPERIENCED RAIN FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA/NORTH CAROLINA BORDER ALL THE WAY HOME (APPROXIMATELY 520 MILES). THE RAIN VARIED IN INTENSITY FROM A LIGHT DRIZZLE TO A DOWN-POUR. THE BRAKES CONTINUED TO NOT SLOW THE CAR IN THE NORMAL WAY (MY TOP SPEEDS VARIED FROM 55 TO 75 MPH). I CONTINUED TO HAVE TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FOOT PRESSURE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE OR EVEN GET IT TO RESPOND. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE THE RESPONSE WAS VERY SIMILAR TO DRIVING A CAR FROM THE 40'S OR 50'S EQUIPPED WITH BRAKE SHOES THAT HAS BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH A LARGE PUDDLE OF WATER AND THE BRAKE SHOES NEEDED TO BE DRIED BY APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO DRY THEM BEFORE THEY WOULD TAKE HOLD AGAIN. AT ONE POINT I THOUGHT THE FLOOR MAT MIGHT BE THE CULPRIT AND INTERFERING WITH THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE MAT WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE BRAKE PEDAL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, BUT THE DAY I WAS ABLE TO DO THIS THERE WASN'T ANY RAIN AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. WHEN WE RECEIVE HEAVY RAIN AGAIN I WILL BE GOING BACK TO THE DEALER. *AK