NHTSA Complaint #10013848 — 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

I AM CONCERNED THERE IS A CHEVROLET MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IF WHAT THE LONE STAR CHEVROLET REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME IS CORRECT AND AN UNUSED EMERGENCY BRAKE IN A 2001 SUBURBAN CAN DESTROY ITSELF AT ANY TIME MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ON 3/10/2003 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LONE STAR CHEVROLET FOR ITS 50K MILE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, EXCEPT FOR A SQUEALING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE WHEN THE BREAKS WERE APPLIED. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES. ON THEIR FIRST CALL, THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THE MECHANIC FOUND THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS TO BE GLAZED OVER, CAUSING THE NOISE. I TOLD THEM TO FIX IT, A STANDARD WEAR REPAIR ITEM. LATER, THE REPRESENTATIVE CALLED AGAIN TO SAY THE MECHANIC FOUND THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WERE BROKEN,NOT HOLDING AGAINST THE DRUM, WHICH CAUSED, THE CAR TO BE UNSAFE TO THE POINT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. WHEN I ASKED HOW THAT COULD BE SINCE I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY DIFFICULTY IN STOPPING VEHICLE, HE SAID THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS A TOTALLY SEPARATE SYSTEM FROM THE REGULAR BRAKES. I POINTED OUT SEVERAL FACTS TO HIM: 1)I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY PERSON TO DRIVE THE CAR EXCEPT WHEN IT WAS IN THEIR SHOP FOR REPAIRS. 2)I HAVE NEVER (NOT ONCE) ACTIVATED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON THE VEHICLE AND I ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE CERTAIN ITS NOT ON WHEN ITS RETURNED FROM REPAIRS. 3)THE CAR PASSED ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION DURING 12/2002 WITH THE INSPECTION DONE BY THEIR FACILITY. THERE WAS NO MENTION ABOUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE NOT WORKING THEN. IN LIGHT OF THESE ISSUES, I ASKED THE REPRESENTATIVE TO EXPLAIN HOW A PART THAT HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED GOT A DRUM THAT IS SO BADLY SCORED AND WORN THAT IT NO LONGER WORKS AND WHY THE PROBLEM WASN'T NOTICED DURING DECEMBER. HE THEN SAID NORMAL ROAD VIBRATIONS CAN CAUSE THE PARTS TO SLIP OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING THE DAMAGE AT ANY TIME, AND IT WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING DECEMBER. HE WENT SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT THEIR MECHANICS SAW THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME. *NLM