NHTSA Complaint #10052408 — 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

I ASKED HUFFINES CHEVROLET [PLANO, TX] TO CHECK MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN AS THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT HOLDING. THE PEDAL WOULD DEPRESS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL. THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE HAD CAUSED PREMATURE WEAR ON THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE RESULT OF THE BODY STYLE CHANGE IN 2000. THE NEW DESIGN OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PLACED IT IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTORS WHICH CAUSES PREMATURE WEAR. THIS IS NOT A REPAIR THAT IS COVERED UNDER THE 36 MONTH/36,000 MILE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY. DESPITE THAT, THE DEALER REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS AT NO CHARGE. I AM STILL NOT CLEAR AS TO WHY, BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE INCURRED THE EXPENSE OF THE REPAIR IF THE VEHICLE HAS OVER 30,000 MILES. I'M LED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN ITEM, THAT DUE TO THE NUMBER OF REPORTED OCCURRENCES, THAT GM IS REPAIRING UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 30,000 MILES. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE IN THAT I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THEM AT 29,700 MILES. AS A SIDE NOTE, I WILL POINT OUT THAT WHEN THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM HUFFINES CHEVROLET, THE PARKING PEDAL WOULD DEPRESS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MY WIFE AND I BOTH FOUND THAT TO BE ODD. WE ALWAYS USE THE PARKING BRAKE AND WE NEVER HAD ONE OPERATE IN THAT FASHION. BUT THE DEALER SAID THAT WAS NORMAL AND THAT BRAKE WAS HOLDING THE VEHICLE. THE EXISTENCE OF A POTENTIAL EMERGENCY BRAKE MECHANISM DEFECT IS A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CASE FOR ALL OWNERS OF THE 2000-2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. MANY HOUSEHOLDS OWN AND OPERATE THESE VEHICLES AND SUCH A DEFECT PUTS OUR WIVES AND CHILDREN AT RISK. I RECOMMEND, WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE, THAT NHTSA CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE. *AK