NHTSA Complaint #10179375 — 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

VEHICLE'S ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED TO BRING VEHICLE TO STOP ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST 2 WEEKS. ALL OCCURRENCES WERE DURING OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. IN THE FIRST INCIDENT MY VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AT NOT MORE THAN 15 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED WITH LOAD GRINDING NOISE AND SLID THOUGHT THE STOP LIGHT, FORTUNATELY WITHOUT ACCIDENT. IN THE 2ND AND 3RD OCCURRENCES, MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP DUE TO THE SAME TYPE OF BRAKE FAILURE AND NOISE, RESULTING IN HER GOING OF THE SHOULDER INTO A DITCH TO AVOID COLLISION. AND FINALLY THE NEXT DAY WHICH IS A MONDAY, I WAS TAKING THE VEHICLE TO OUR CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED WHEN ONCE AGAIN, WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO APPROACH 5-10 MPH WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, I NEARLY REAR-ENDED A SCHOOL BUS DUE TO ANOTHER OCCURRENCE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO BRAKE. A BRAKE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP TOOK THE CAR FOR A TEST DRIVE ON THE BACK LOT FOR 2 MINUTES AND DECLARED THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. FURTHER PERSISTENCE PROMPTED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO TAKE THE CAR FOR A STREET TEST DRIVE AND UPON HIS RETURN HE STATED THE BRAKES WORKED FINE FOR HIM. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE A CAR ON ICE OR SNOW AS I AM WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHICH BY THE WAY DOES NOT HANDLE WELL IN WIND EITHER. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE RESPONSE OF MY DEALERSHIP AND FEEL THESE OCCURRENCES ARE VERY SIMILAR IF NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THOSE THAT PROMPTED A SIMILAR RECALL OF GM 1999 -2002 MODEL TRUCKS AND SUV VEHICLES IN 2005. *NM