NHTSA Complaint #10179551 — 2006 CHEVROLET HHR

2006 HHR 2LT WITH 5000+ MILES HAD NEAR MISS WHEN BRAKES FAILED WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45 MPH, I ATTEMPTED TO GENTLY BRAKE FOR A TRUCK TURNING 6-7 CARS AHEAD OF ME. I HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE THAT REMINDED ME OF PLASTIC GEAR TEETH TURNING THE WRONG DIRECTION. MY PEDAL WOULD NOT DEPRESS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT EVEN SLOW. REFLEXIVELY, I PUMPED THE BRAKE TO SEE IF THE ABS HAD JUST LOCKED UP. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT LIKE IT WAS LOCKED IN THE UP POSITION. LUCKILY I HAD BEEN ABOUT 6-7 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND AND BY THE TIME I GOT UP IN HIS REAR, MY BRAKE PEDAL RELEASED A LITTLE (STILL WITH RESISTANCE) AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOW ENOUGH NOT TO HIT HIM AS HE TURNED. I HAD TO AVOID HIM BY VEERING TO THE LEFT TO DRIVE AROUND HIM. THE BRAKE SEEMED TO RELEASE SEVERAL SECONDS LATER AFTER COMPLETELY REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL AND COASTING. MY AUTO DEALER SAID THEY TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE AND IT WAS BRAKING FINE. I??M CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY HAVE DISMISSED THIS NEAR COLLISION. ADDITIONAL INFO: OUTDOOR TEMP WAS BELOW 30 IN KY. IS POSSIBLE THERE WAS ICE ON THE ROAD, BUT HAVING LIVED IN BOTH OH AND MI I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH ICE AND A CAR'S RESPONSE. ABS DID SOUND LIKE IT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE BEFORE THE GRINDING NOISE, BUT BRAKE PEDAL RESPONSE WAS NOT NORMAL. BRAKES DID NOT LOCK UP AS WITH ICY CONDITIONS. CAR DID NOT SLIDE. SPEED WAS MAINTAINED, DESPITE ATTEMPTING TO DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL. PEDAL DIDN'T MOVE (LOWER) AS IT DOES WITH NORMAL BRAKING. *JB