NHTSA Complaint #10246867 — 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO

ON MONDAY OCTOBER 20, 2008 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT, THAT I BELIEVE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO FAULTY BRAKES. ON TWO PRIOR OCCASIONS, DIFFERENT LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS WERE CONTACTED. ON THE 2ND VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE NEVER "ADJUSTED" WHEN THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, AND MADE AN ADJUSTMENT. THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE "GLAZED" DUE TO THE PRESSURE ON THEM, AND NOT EQUAL PRESSURE ON ALL FOUR BRAKES. THEY STATED THEY CLEANED THE FRONT BRAKES THE BEST THEY COULD. THE BRAKES NEVER SEEMED TO BE COMPLETELY CORRECTED--MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS "COLD". THE PROBLEM WAS ERRATIC. PUMPING THE BRAKES PRIOR TO DRIVING BECAME A NECESSITY. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON DRY ASPHALT, WHEN THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO (APPX 5650 TOTAL MILES) COULD NOT MAKE A COMPLETE OR IMMEDIATE STOP WITH THESE BRAKES. A STOPPED PICKUP TRUCK WAS HIT IN THE REAR. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AT THE SCENE. BY NM LAW, A POLICE REPORT IS ONLY REQUIRED IF THERE IS A REPORTED INJURY. SINCE BOTH DRIVERS EXCHANGED INFORMATION, AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE SCENE ON THEIR OWN, NO IMMEDIATE REPORTS WERE FILED UNTIL OCTOBER 24, 2008. ON OCTOBER 25, 2008 AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED BY JUST BRAKES, IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM. THE STATIC TEST FAILED THE FIRST TWO TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COLD. A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS AN ERRATIC PROBLEM WITH THE VACUUM BOOSTER. *TR