NHTSA Complaint #10072921 — 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

REGARDING 2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO - INTERMITTENT FAILURE/ MALFUNCTION OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP.UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD APPEAR TO WORK FINE. THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, INDICATED BY THE "LOW TRAC" LIGHT MAY OR MAY NOT BE LIT, INDICATING A PROBLEM. SHORTLY AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM SEEMS TO SENSE A SLIPPERY ROAD AND ACTIVATES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE AND THEN SLOWLY RE-ENGAGE, AS IF STOPPING ON SLIPPERY PAVEMENT. HOWEVER, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON DRY, NORMAL PAVEMENT AT NORMAL SPEED AND STOPS. HAVING THE BRAKES DISENGAGE WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP INCREASES THE NEEDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO EITHER TURN TO AVOID A COLLISION OR USE THE EMERGENCY BREAK TO STOP. NOTE THAT THE THE RED BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT IS NOT ON DURING THIS CONDITION. AFTER STOPPING, THE AMBER "ANTI-LOCK", "TRAC OFF", AND "SERVICE VEHICLE SOON" LIGHTS ARE LIT AND THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO DEACTIVATE THE ANTI-LOCK AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. THE BRAKES THEN WORK FINE, WITH THESE SYSTEMS DEACTIVATED. *AK