NHTSA Complaint #10104890 — 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

I ALWAYS NOTICED ON MY 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER THAT THE LOW TRAC LIGHT WOULD PERIODICALLY COME ON WHEN I BRAKED. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS JUST BECAUSE IT WAS A NICER VEHICLE THAN MY PREVIOUS ONE (AN OLD FORD ESCORT). I RECENTLY TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP (INTEGRITY CHEVROLET IN PARMA HEIGHTS, OH) FOR 2 RECALLS. WHEN THEY FINISHED DOING THE RECALL WORK, THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY FRONT BRAKES WERE LOW. I THOUGHT THAT WAS UNUSUAL SINCE THE CAR WAS ONLY 1 1/2 YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 23,000 MILES. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I INQUIRED TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT GETTING THE BRAKES REPAIRED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS JUST PART OF THE "NORMAL MAINTENANCE" WORK AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I THOUGHT THIS WAS NOT USUAL MAINTENANCE SINCE A PERSON SHOULD NOT NEED NEW BRAKES AFTER 23,000 MILES. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER TO CHECK MY BRAKES. THEY INFORMED ME THAT NOT ONLY DID I NEED NEW BRAKES, BUT I ALSO NEEDED NEW ROTORS BECAUSE MINE WERE RUSTED. THIS TRIP TO THE LOCAL SERVICE CENTER COST ME $423.14. I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THIS CAR AND IT IS ONLY 1 1/2 YEARS OLD! THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO A 1 1/2 YEAR OLD CAR WITH ONLY 23,000 MILES! THE SERVICE CENTER ATTENDANT HAD INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD NOTICED THIS WITH MANY OF THE 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIERS. THIS LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM WITH MY BRAKES AND ROTORS IS INDICATIVE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT! *JB