NHTSA Complaint #10147315 — 2005 BUICK TERRAZA

YESTERDAY JANUARY 8, 2005 WE TOOK A TRIP TO A RELATIVES HOUSE IN PENNSYLVANIA. ON OUR WAY HOME AND LUCKILY FOR US IN THE TOWN WE LIVE IN, OUR TERRAZZA STARTED MAKE A SCREECHING NOISE AND THE BRAKES LOCKED BRINGING THE CAR TO A GRINDING STOP. IT WAS THE SCARIEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO US. THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN EVEN A FEW FEET,THE DISPLAY PANEL SAID "STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE". WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE CAR BEHIND US WAS ABLE TO SWERVE OUT OF OUR WAY OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED 30 MINUTES BEFORE AND WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I KNOW SINCE I WAS IN THE CAR, I BELIEVE WE WOULD NOT BE ALIVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. WE CALLED ON-STAR BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE ANYTHING AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER, FREEHOLD PONTIAC/BUICK/GMC. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS A SHORT IN A WIRE UNDER THE DASHBOARD AND THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND READY FOR PICK-UP. I REFUSED TO PICK THE CAR UP BECAUSE I AM AFRAID THAT IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN I MIGHT NOT SURVIVE NOR WILL MY FAMILY. THE DEALER AGREED TO KEEP THE CAR ANOTHER DAY AND TO PROVIDE US WITH FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE WIRES TOMORROW. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND MANY GM MODELS EITHER HAVE OR WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM SOON. THERE IS NO WAY TO DISENGAGE THIS SYSTEM. *NM