NHTSA Complaint #10140968 — 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

VEHICLE WITH 25,300 MILES FAILED THE ANNUAL VIRGINIA STATE INSPECTION DUE TO FAILURE OF THE PARKING BRAKE TO HOLD. THE DEALER STATED RUST HAD FORMED ON THE ROTORS AND THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THEY AND THE BRAKE LININGS WERE NOT WORN OUT. THE DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THE DESIGN HAD BEEN CHANGED ON LATER MODELS, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $980.00 TO REPLACE ROTORS, PADS AND PARK BRAKE LININGS. I CALLED GM'S CHEVROLET DIVISION CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID SHE WOULD INVESTIGATE AND CALL ME BACK IN A FEW DAYS. I PICKED UP THE TRUCK AND PAID $775.71 THE DEALER HAVING "GIVEN ME A BREAK ON THE LABOR" NINE DAYS LATER, THE GM REP CALLED TO TELL ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS THE "DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE" (4 YEARS AND 25,300 MILES) AND SHE WAS CLOSING THE FILE INDICATING I WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS. I POINTED OUT TO HER THE FACT THAT THE NHTSA WEB PAGE HAS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT PARKING BRAKES ON CHEVY SUBURBANS. SHE WAS NOT MOVED AND RESTATED HER INTENT TO CLOSE THE FILE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR WHO STATED THAT VEHICLE AGE AND MILEAGE WAS NOT THE CAUSE BUT. THE PROBLEM WAS A DURABILITY ISSUE WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM ON CHEVY TRUCKS. HE REFUSED TO CONTACT THE GM SERVICE REP ON MY BEHALF SO, I LEFT A MESSAGE ON HER VOICE MAIL FOR HER TO CONTACT HIM TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE. I THEN FILED THIS COMPLAINT.*JB