NHTSA Complaint #10148929 — 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

IN JULY/AUGUST 2005 I BEGAN EXPERIENCING ACTIVATION OF THE ABS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS OF 5-10 MPH IN 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. I TOOK THE CAR TO REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND OUT THAT THE FRONT BRAKE UNITS, CALIPERS, ETC., WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DID THIS. ALSO ,FOUND OUT THAT THE ABS UNITS WERE NOT READING THE SPEED CORRECTLY AND THIS WAS CAUSING THE ABS BUMPING AT LOW SPEEDS. ADVISED THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED AT COST OF $1200! IN JANUARY 2006 I READ ABOUT THE SUBURBAN RECALL FOR MALFUNCTIONING ABS AND UNUSUAL CORROSION OF BRAKES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RECALL STARTED FOR 1999 MODELS. I BELIEVE MY 1997 VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL AND THEY RECOMMENDED THE ABS UNITS BE CLEANED AND THAT THEY WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE OTHER REPAIR SHOP (WHO DID THE BRAKE REPAIRS) RECOMMENDED AGAINST CLEANING"AND SAID IN THEIR EXPERIENCE THIS DOESN'T WORK. SUBURBAN HAS ONLY 61,000 MILES, SO IT HAS NOT BEEN OVER USED. I PUT ABOUT 6,000 MILES A YEAR ON IT, MOSTLY FOR PULLING A HORSE TRAILER AND FOR THIS I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFE BRAKING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS 1997 SUBURBAN HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 199S. I'VE SPENT ABOUT $500 ON THE BRAKE REPAIRS SO FAR AND THE ABS WILL COST ME ANOTHER $1200. FOR A VEHICLE THAT GETS SO LITTLE USE BY ME, THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY. I WOULD LIKE THE 1997 TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I AM UPSET BY THE EXPENSE OF REPAIRING THESE APPARENT MANUFACTURING FLAWS. *AK