1995 Chevrolet G20

The contact owns a 1995 Chevrolet G20. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the windshield wipers failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

TRAVELING STRAIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (65MPH), ON A VERY SMOOTH HIGHWAY, A LOUD POP WAS HEARD AND MY FRONT END DRIVER'S SIDE SUSPENSION COLLAPSED. I VEERED LEFT, STARTED TO ROLL, AND WAS RIGHTED BY A TOYOTA TACOMA IN THE LANE TO MY LEFT. THE TACOMA PROCEEDED TO WRAP AROUND THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE COLLIDING WITH A VEHICLE IN THE LANE TO MY RIGHT. TWO VEHICLES WERE TOTALED AND THE DRIVER OF THE TACOMA SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE RECENTLY INSTALLED SUSPENSION (MOOG COMPONENTS, INSTALLED BY FIRESTONE) HAD TWICE BEEN INSPECTED BY FIRESTONE IN THE PREVIOUS 6,000 MILES. (SUSPENSION INSTALLED 10,000 MILES PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, INSPECTED 6,000 AND 3,000 MILES PRIOR TO ACCIDENT BECAUSE I NOTED TO FIRESTONE OBSERVED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AND A SUSPENSION CLUNKING NOISE). THE PATROLMAN ON SCENE DID NOT CITE ME BECAUSE HE OBSERVED THE OTHERWISE BROKEN SUSPENSION WAS OF NEW, RECENTLY INSTALLED CONDITION. A LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE. GIVEN THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT I REQUESTED ALL FAILED SUSPENSION COMPONENTS BE PLACED IN MY VEHICLE. WHEN I ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE I WAS INFORMED THESE PARTS WERE DISCARDED. TWO DAYS AFTER I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE I FORMALLY REQUESTED FIRESTONE ADDRESS A SERIES OF SUSPENSION CONCERNS I HAD, ONE YEAR LATER, NO RESPONSE ON ANY CONCERN. 500 MILES AFTER THE SUSPENSION RE-REPAIR, I ONCE AGAIN WAS EXPERIENCING A CLUNKING NOISE AND ANOTHER FIRESTONE RETAIL CENTER DETERMINED ALIGNMENT SHIMS WERE MISSING, AND ON REPLACEMENT THE CLUNKING NOISE DISAPPEARED. FIRESTONE HAS NOT RESPONDED IF THEIR COULD BE A CONNECTION BETWEEN SHIM OMISSION AND PREMATURE BALL JOINT FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET G20. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH AND APPLIED THE BRAKES WHEN THE PEDAL DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND COASTED TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME WHERE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC EXAMINED THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,173. THE PLUNGER IN THE MASTER CYCLINDER WAS INCAPABLE OF PROPELLING THE BRAKE FLUID THROUGH THE LINES AND THE BRAKE CYCLINDERS COULD NOT EXPAND. VEHICLE HAS STOP BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION. FAILURE DURING DOWN GRADE. VEHICLE PICKED UP SPEED WHEN TRANSMISSION WAS USED TO STOP ITS FORWARD PROGRESS. UPDATED 11/09/2011 *LN *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED ONE MONTH AGO HE NOTICED A BRAKE PROBLEM. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE AT ANY SPEED THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. JUST AS HE WAS PRESSING THE PEDAL THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER HE WAS OFF OF THE PEDAL THE LIGHT DISAPPEARED. HE THE CONTACT CITED RECALL 99I006000. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HIM THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK