2008 Pontiac Torrent

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER OF A 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT (WHO WAS AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC) STATED THAT THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION (EGR) VALVE FAILED AND SHUT OFF THE ABS. ALSO, THE DISABLE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EGR VALVE FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE SHUT OFF THE ABS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE EGR VALVE AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS, I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN. THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND IN A NORMAL MANNER. AS I PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, AT FIRST THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AS IF THE BRAKES HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED. THE CAR CONTINUED MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED. AS I CONTINUED TO PUSH DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR DID SLOW DOWN, BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT FEEL NORMAL. THE PEDAL FELT AS IF IT WERE MOVING THROUGH SOME SORT OF THICK LIQUID. THE INCIDENT LASTED A FEW SECONDS. I HAD TO MAKE THE TURN AT A SPEED THAT WAS TOO HIGH. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. SINCE THEN, THE BRAKES HAVE BEHAVED NORMALLY. I HAD THE DEALER CHECK MY BRAKES. THEY FOUND NOTHING AND CHARGED ME FOR A BRAKE INSPECTION EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE, THEY CLAIM, THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED GM IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT. AT GM'S INSTRUCTIONS, MY BRAKES WERE CHECKED AGAIN AND AGAIN NOTHING WAS FOUND. TODAY, A GM REPRESENTATIVE DROVE THE CAR AND FOUND NOTHING. THE APPROACH HAS BEEN TO TRY TO REPRODUCE THE ERROR. SINCE THE BRAKES NOW WORK, THEY CAN'T FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG TO CAUSE THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE COMPANY HAS DONE ALL THEY INTEND TO DO AND I AM LEFT DRIVING A CAR UNDER WARRANTY THAT HAS SOME KIND OF BRAKE DEFECT. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE NEXT TIME IT OCCURS, I CAN AVOID AN ACCIDENT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THE FAILURE. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT TO HAPPEN. *TR