NHTSA Complaint #10203393 — 2000 CHEVROLET ASTRO

MY 2000 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO STOP AT LOW SPEEDS DUE TO INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVATION OF THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS CONDITION HAS NEARLY RESULTED IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS THAT JEOPARDIZED THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE AND PROPERTY, SUCH AS WHEN TRAVELING IN PARKING LOTS AND CROWDED CITY STREETS. THE ABS SYSTEM FAILURE DOES NOT REGISTER A SERVICE CODE, AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RECOGNIZED BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP, WHO REPLACED TRANSFER CASE FLUID IN THE ABSENCE OF HAVING A CLUE. THROUGH SELF DIAGNOSIS, THE PROBLEM WAS CONFIRMED TO BE THE ABS SYTEM BECAUSE THE BRAKES OPERATE NORMALLY WHEN THE FUSE IS REMOVED FROM THE WIRING BLOCK SLOT LABELED ABS. DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF ANY PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, AND THE FAILURE OF THE VEHICLES DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM TO DETECT THIS PROBLE, IT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE OR COMPONENTS DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION. OWNERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PULL FUSES ON SAFETY SYSTEM IN ORDER FOR THE BRAKES TO WORK WHEN NECESSARY. NHTSA SHOULD EVALUATE THE AGGREGATE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ALREADY ISSUED WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE GM TRAINED SERVICE TECHNICIANS ARE NOT HELPING OWNERS REMEDY OR UNDERSTAND THIS DEFECT EXISTS. A RECALL NOTICE SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR