NHTSA Complaint #10178374 — 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE

OUR 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE FAILED THE ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO THE PARKING BRAKE NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL. WAS ADVISED BY THE INSPECTOR THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE TAHOE AND OTHER GM SUVS DUE TO A POOR DESIGN OF THE PARKING BRAKE SHOE ATTACHMENT. SINCE THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT FUNCTION AT ALL, IT INDICATED THAT BOTH PARKING BRAKE SHOES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. AS EXPLAINED BY THE INSPECTOR: THE ATTACHMENT POINT FAILS EASILY ALLOWING THE PARKING BRAKE SHOE TO DROP DOWN AND COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR, WHICH THEN RENDERS THE PARKING BRAKE USELESS. IF NOT CAUGHT RELATIVELY SOON, THE PAD WILL BE WORN OFF FROM CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR AND THE UNDERLYING METAL OF THE SHOE CAN DAMAGE THE ROTOR. BOTH PARKING BRAKE SHOES WERE DETACHED AND THE MINIMUM COST WAS $120 IF THE SHOES ONLY NEEDED RE-ATTACHMENT, HOWEVER SINCE BOTH PADS WERE WORN FROM RUBBING THE ROTORS THE COST TO REPAIR WAS QUOTED AS $250. A SECOND ESTIMATE WAS $300. ACTUAL COST OF REPAIR WAS $234.43. THE SECOND REPAIR SHOP THAT QUOTED $300, ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM SUVS. THE INSPECTOR TOLD US THAT GM IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT, BUT HAS CHOSEN TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. THE END RESULT OF A POORLY DESIGNED PARKING BRAKE SHOE IS A USELESS PARKING BRAKE THAT THE CONSUMER IS NOT AWARE OF UNTIL INSPECTED OR AN ACCIDENT OCCURS AND THEN AN EXTREMELY COSTLY REPAIR. AFTER A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT ACCIDENTS HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED. THE FOLLOWING NEWS LINK LEAD US TO REPORT THIS TO THE NHTSA: HTTP://WWW.AZCENTRAL.COM/12NEWS/CONSUMER/ARTICLES/CHEVYTAHOE09152004-CR.HTML. *JB