1996 Chevrolet Blazer

IN RAINY, WET OR SNOWY WEATHER THE BRAKES ON MY 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER FAIL TO WORK. WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT IS VERY STIFF AND IT FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES AREN'T GOING TO WORK AT ALL. THEN FINALLY THE VEHICLE DOES STOP BUT IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME TO HAPPEN. ALSO IN OTHER TIMES WITH THE SAME WEATHER CONDITIONS THE BRAKES WILL BE VERY TOUCHY. SO MUCH SO THAT WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE IT JERKS ME FORWARD AND STOPS VERY ABRUPTLY.

APPLIED BRAKES WHILE TWO CAR LENGTHS BEHIND ANOTHER CAR IN TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY, GOING ABOUT 25 MPH. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, CAR DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT HIT CAR IN FRONT OF US. WHILE BRAKING ON WET PAVEMENT, OR RR TRACKS, OR UNEVEN PAVEMENT THE ABS FAILS AND PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. AT MY EXPENSE I TOOK CAR TO GMC DEALERSHIP TO CHECK BRAKES. I WAS TOLD CAR HAD NO OPEN RECALLS. THEY LOOKED AT ABS AND SAID THERE WERE NO ERRORS COMING UP. GMC SAID BRAKE PADS WERE WORN - THEY WERE REPLACED 6 MONTHS AGO, AND THEN AGAIN ABOUT 30 DAYS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. MECHANIC TOOK US ON TEST DRIVE OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT, WE TRIED TO BRAKE, AND ABS WENT TO FLOOR, STOPPING WAS EXTREMELY DELAYED. WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS "NORMAL". HE ALSO SAID THAT IF WE HAD GMC BRAKE PADS THEN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP BETTER. OPENED CALL WITH GMC AND WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO MILEAGE OF CAR THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. HOW CAN A CAR BE CONSIDERED SAFE TO DRIVE IF THE BRAKES DON'T WORK? GMC RECALL 99I006000 DESCRIBES THIS EXACT PROBLEM WE EXPERIENCED. I WAS TOLD MY CAR HAD THIS RECALL PERFORMED. I WILL TAKE CAR TO 3RD PARTY FOR OPINION, AND THEN WILL SEEK LEGAL REPRESENTATION. CAR WILL SIT IN GARAGE UNTIL THEN. IT'S TOO UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *LA

I HAVE A 1996 BLAZER WITH ONLY 56000 MILES ON IT AND THE VEHICLE CONTROL UNIT AND THE ABS MODULE SHORTED OUT COSTING 1700.00. THE CAR IS STILL YOUNG. I DID A SEARCH FOR THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND OVER 200 OTHER PEOPLE POSTED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS ALSO HAPPENED IN MY 1993 BLAZER. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 5 CARS 4 OF THEM ARE CHEVROLET BUT HOPEFULLY THAT NUMBER WILL DECREASE, WELL IM SURE IT WILL IF WE KEEP HAVING PROBLEMS

I WAS ON MY WAY TO MY SISTER'S HOUSE, I CAME UP TO A STOP SIGN, AND THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. I TRIED PUMPING THE BRAKES, BUT NOTHING, SO I TRIED HOLDING THEM TO THE FLOOR AND STILL NOTHING. THE ROAD DEAD ENDED AND I HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE, AT WHICH TIME I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT WENT IN THE DITCH AND ROLLED ON IT'S SIDE. THE BRAKES WORKED UP TIL THIS POINT, I HAD MADE 5 STOPS PRIOR TO THIS ONE. THERE WERE NO SKID MARKS, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKES. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OUT OF THE DITCH, AND THE BRAKES WERE TESTED, THEY SEEMED TO WORK AGAIN. I WAS VERY LUCKY, I FOUND OUT LATER, THAT MY BOYFRIEND HAD DRIVEN THE CAR, EARLIER THAT MONTH AND THE BRAKES HAD DONE THE SAME THING TO HIM, HE CHECKED THE BRAKE PADS, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM, AND THE BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK AFTER THAT. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AND FOUND OUT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. I HAVE TALKED TO A PERSON, WHO HAD WORKED FOR GM FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND HE KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND TOLD ME THEY NEVER DID A RECALL, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT THEIR CARS IN FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM, THE BRAKES WOULD RANDOMLY FAIL. I CAN NOT BELIEVE A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN DONE, I WAS VERY LUCKY, SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT BE. DT

BRAKES FAILED/SKIPPED WHEN I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN TO EXIT OFF MAJOR HIGHWAY. I WAS GOING BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT WHICH WAS 55 MPH, I WAS GOING 50 MPH. AS I PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN TO EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY. I PRESSED THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES SKIPPED AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SPIN 1-2 TIMES. THEN PROCEEDED TO FLIP OVER FOUR TIMES. NO FATALITIES, BUT DRIVER WHO WAS MYSELF WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND REQUIRED LEFT ARM AND HAND SURGERY DUE TO DEGLOVING OF HAND AND LACERATED TRICEPS AND SERIOUS GLASS DAMAGE. THE CAR WAS TOTALLED OUT. DRIVER SIDE ROOF WAS CAVED IN AND PASSENGER SIDE ROOF WAS COMPLETELY CAVED IN. BRAKES SEEMED LIKE THEY TRIED TO GRASP THE TIRES FAILED TO DO SO THEREFORE SKIPPING AND CAUSING THE CAR TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. DT

FIRST PROBLEM OCCURRED JAN 97 WHILE DRIVING IN RENO NEVADA IT BEGAN TO SNOW LIGHTLY AND FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WAS ENGAGED BUT THIS DRIVER COULD NOT FEEL OR SENSE A CHANGE IN TRACTION. THE BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT ADJUST TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WE EVENTUALLY SKIDDED OFF THE ROAD AS CONDITIONS WORSENED AND ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED ME. I SUFFERED RIGHT ROTATOR CUFF TEAR AND HAD A DISC REMOVED FROM MY NECK. MY PASSANGER HAS HAD TWO BACK SURGERIES DUE TO DISC INJURIES. ON AT LEAST TWO OTHER OCASIONS THE BRAKES NEARLY CAUSED ME TO REAR END SOMEONE BECAUSE OF A SLOW RESPONCE.

I HAVE HAD TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT'S PURCHASE DATE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS EXPERIENCED TWO MAJOR FAILURES AND THE DEALER SAID HE REPLACED THEM BOTH TIMES. I HAVE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE SHIFTING PROBLEMS AND OCCASSIONAL LOCKUP OF THE TRANSMISSION WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE. THE TRANSMISSION DIP STICK AND FILLER TUBE HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE FOR RUST WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT ENGINE COOOLANT IS GETTING INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS NATURALLY THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS IS THE SORRIEST EXCUSE FOR BRAKES ON A VEHICLE THAT I HAVE SEEN. I MUST ALMOST STAND ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. I ALSO EXPERIENCED PREMATURE BRAKE PAD WEAR OUT ON THE FRONT WHICH DAMAGE THE ROTORS. CHEVROLET REFUSED TO FIX THIS UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 20,000 MILES ON IT. THE ABS SYSTEM LOCKS UP SOMETIMES WHEN I PUSH HARD ON THE BRAKES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE POOR BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU COULD BE TO LEVERAGE CHEVROLET TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS.