2000 GMC Sierra 3500

2000 GMC K3500 REG. CAB PICKUP 4X4 -- BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR AND ABS SYSTEM ENGAGES. VEHICLE HAS EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCES ON DRY PAVEMENT. BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF AFTER RE-APPLICATION OF BRAKES BY "PUMPING" THEM. PEDAL ALSO GOES TO FLOOR WITHOUT ENGAGEMENT OF ABS SYSTEM AND VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECURRING FOR THREE (3) YEARS BUT THIS TIME VEHICLE WAS INTENTIONALLY DRIVEN INTO A SNOWBANK TO PREVENT A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. ON 06/24/2010 DRIVER REAR BRAKE LINE (STEEL) ROTTED THROUGH WHERE IT TOUCHED FRAME AND EXPELLED ALL BRAKE FLUID FROM MASTER CYLINDER ALSO CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE.OTHER LINES ALSO SHOWING PREMATURE CORROSION. BRAKES ALWAYS HAVE A SOFT AND SPONGY FEEL EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT OF FLUID AND BLEEDING OF ENTIRE SYSTEM. PARKING BRAKE CABLE (FRONT) ALSO SNAPPED DUE TO CORROSION AT UNDERSIDE OF CAB. *TR

STEEL BRAKE PIPE THAT CARRIES FLUID TO THE REAR BRAKES RUPTURED NEXT TO THE FUEL TANK. FLUID IS LEAKING AND POOLING ON THE FLANGE OF FRAME. STOPPING PERFORMANCE IS DEGRADED, AND NO WARNING HAS REGISTERED VIA THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OR IDIOT LIGHTS. LINE IS BADLY CORRODED, WHICH PERHAPS IS TO BE EXPECTED GIVEN THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I FIND IT IRONIC THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IS MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL YET THE BRAKE LINES ARE NOT. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD OTHER BRAKE-RELATED FAILURES THAT GM REFUSED TO CORRECT, DESPITE HAVING RECALLED CONTEMPORARY VEHICLES WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEMS. IT IS AN UNUSUAL BUILD - OLD (GMT400)BODYSTYLE, MODEL YEAR 2000, 1 TON CREW CAB LONGBOX. I BELIEVE GM FORGOT THEY BUILT THESE AND THUS THEY NEGLECT TO INCLUDE TRUCKS OF THIS TYPE IN THEIR PRIOR RECALLS. REGISTERING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT GM WILL REMEMBER TO INCLUDE SUCH TRUCKS IN THE ONGOING PE OVER THE BRAKE PIPE CORROSION ISSUE. *TR

ABS BRAKES ACTIVATE INAPPROPRIATELY AT LOW SPEEDS (UNDER 10 MPH) ON SMOOTH DRY SURFACES. THIS LENGTHENS THE STOPPING DISTANCE AND CREATES THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH WHEN AVAILABLE STOPPING DISTANCE IS LIMITED. THE DESIGN IS FLAWED IN THAT 1) NORMAL CORROSION, EXPECTED DURING THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, FREQUENTLY LEADS TO THIS FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, AND 2) WHEN THIS NORMAL, EXPECTED CORROSION OCCURS, THE ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT 'FAIL TO SAFE', BUT INSTEAD FAILS IN A MANNER THAT REDUCES BRAKE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AND INCREASES STOPPING DISTANCE ONCE PROBLEM BEGAN, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. DEALER REMOVED THE FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSORS FROM THE WHEEL BEARINGS, CLEANED CORROSION OFF THE MOUNTING SURFACE, AND REINSTALLED THE SENSORS. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME FAILURE MODE, SAME ROOT CAUSE, SAME CORRECTIVE ACTION AS DESCRIBED IN GM'S EXISTING PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL #05068C, HOWEVER GM REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE RECALL BECAUSE, AS IT IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER THE SMALL NUMBER OF TRUCKS BUILT AT THE FLINT PLANT. MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT IN THE AFFECTED TIME FRAME, WITH THE SUSPECT COMPONENTS, AND EXHIBITS EXACTLY THE SAME SAFETY DEFECT AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL, BUT GM HAS THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND WITH REGARD TO THE FACT THAT THERE WERE A BATCH OF AFFECTED VEHICLES BUILT AT FLINT. THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED AND GM SHOULD BE ASSESSED PUNITIVE DAMAGES FOR THE SHAMEFUL WAY THEY ARE TREATING CUSTOMERS WHO REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN GETTING THEIR VEHICLE FIXED. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE AND GM HAS REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIR. GM REP ACTUALLY SUGGESTED THAT I FILE THIS COMPLAINT, AS HE CLAIMED THAT HE WAS NOT EMPOWERED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT A NHTSA COMPLAINT HISTORY TO JUSTIFY ACTION. *TR

TRIED TO STOP ON DRY PAVEMENT, BUT DUE TO ABS MALFUNCTION, THE TRUCK WASN'T ABLE TO STOP. WE HAVE HAD MANY INCIDENTS WHERE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN PROPERTY DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE DEATH DUE TO BRAKING SYSTEM. THE ABS WOULD CALCULATE WHEEL LOCK UP EVEN WHEN THE TRUCK DID NOT HAVE "LOCK UP" AND ENGAGE SYSTEM NOT ALLOWING TRUCK TO STOP. MAILMAN PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF TRUCK COULDN'T SLOW DOWN, BUT DID AVOID ACCIDENT. RAN A STOP SIGN ONCE. ALMOST RAN INTO THE SIDE OF A BUILDING. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INCIDENT'S, I KNOW OF THREE OR MORE VEHICLES WITH SAME PROBLEMS, ALL ARE MADE BY GM. WHEEL BEARINGS AND SPEED SENSORS MUST BE REPLACED AND POSSIBLY AXLES BECAUSE THERE IS A RING GEAR THAT EMITS SIGNAL TO WHEEL SPEED SENSOR, RING GEAR IS ON AXLE OR WHEEL BEARING. WHEEL BEARING COST 265.00 A SIDE ON MY FAMILY'S 2000 GMC SIERRA 3500 4X4 CREW CAB LONG BOX DUALLY. AN EASY ZERO COST TO FIX THIS IS TO PULL OUT THE 30 AMP TO 60 AMP FUSE IN POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER UNDER THE HOOD. THIS DISABLES THE ABS AND DOES NOT ALLOW IT TO OPERATE. ABS LIGHT ON DASH COMES ON TO NOTIFY THIS. THIS MAY SHOCK YOU, BUT I DON'T LIKE ABS ANYWAY AND IF YOUR A SAFE DRIVER YOU DON'T NEED ABS IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN FRONT OF YOU THAT ISN'T CONTROLLABLE, YOUR GOING TO HIT THEM OR IF YOUR SMART, YOU WILL GO FOR THE DITCH. ANYWAYS WITH THE FUSE PULLED YOU WILL HAVE THE SAME BRAKES THAT YOU HAD BEFORE, ONLY THAT THE ABS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HELP YOU STOP IN A CASE WHERE THERE IS WHEEL LOCK UP, NOT THAT IT WAS HELPING ANYWAY (THIS IS WHY I AM WRITING TO YOU). AND YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RUNNING INTO THINGS OR RUNNING STOP SIGNS. AND I HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEMS SINCE. *JB

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MECHANIC WAS WAITING FOR CONFORMATION APPROVAL TO REPLACE THE BRAKES PADS. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER MORE THAN ONCE, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK