NHTSA Complaint #10149463 — 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE IN MY 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND A TERRIBLE BUZZING NOISE CAME OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I DETERMINED THE ENGINE FAN WAS NOT RUNNING AND (AFTER NEARLY AN HOUR) DISCOVERED THE ABS MODULE WAS RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY. I FINALLY DISCONNECTED THE ABS FUSE UNDER THE HOOD BEFORE THE WHOLE THING CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE TRUCK ONLY HAD 55,000 BUT WAS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID THE ABS MODULE SHORTED-OUT INTERNALLY. ONLY $975 LATER FOR PARTS AND LABOR I HAD ABS BRAKES AGAIN. GM HAS HAD DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS ON THE '02 AVALANCHE BUT SO FAR HAS ONLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR NORTHERN STATES, BLAMING THE PROBLEM ON ROAD SALT RATHER THAN THE OBVIOUS DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE DEFECT. ROAD SALT DIDN'T CAUSE THIS ABS FAILURE BECAUSE WE DON'T USE IT IN OKLAHOMA. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE WHOLE U.S. A CRITICAL SAFETY PART SHOULD NOT SHORT OUT AT 55,000 MILES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NHTSA SHOULD ADDRESS WITH A MANDATORY RECALL FOR ALL '02 CHEVY AVALANCHES. GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM RATHER THAN A WARRANTY ISSUE. IT WAS ONLY BY LUCK THAT THE ABS DIDN'T GO OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. *JB