NHTSA Complaint #10248363 — 2002 CHEVROLET ASTRO

ON MARCH 26, 2008, I TOOK MY 2002 CHEVY ASTRO VAN TO BE SERVICED. MILEAGE 93,829,I HAD NO BRAKES. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED. ON APRIL 12, 2008, ONCE AGAIN I HAD NO BRAKES, THIS TIME IT RESULTED IN ME GETTING INTO AND ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE SAME REPAIR SHOP. WHEN THEY PUT IT ON THE LIFT THEY SAID THE WHOLE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS MELTED UNTIL THE POINT OF THE HOSE BURSTING. HE SAID HE NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN HIS 20 YEARS OF SERVICE. THEY DID NOT WANT TO TOUCH IT STATING IT WAS NOW A LIABILITY TO THEM AND DIRECTED ME TO CHEVY. CHEVY CONCURRED, FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE SAID THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN OR HAVE A CLUE AT WHAT CAUSED THIS. THEY CALLED IN GM, WHO ALSO NEVER HAD SEEN THIS, BUT BOUNCED THE BLAME ON A QUESTIONABLY INSTALLED MASTER CYLINDER. CHEVY SAID THEY CAN REPLACE THE WHOLE BRAKING SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG, BUT SINCE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS OR WHY FUSES DIDN'T BLOW TO PREVENT IT, IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. WE HIRED OUR OWN CAR CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THE VAN, HE TOO HAS NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THE HEAT AND MELTED BRAKE LINES RAN CLOSER THAN 1/4 INCH AWAY FROM THE GAS TANK. I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THE RISK OF DRIVING AGAIN WITH MY CHILDREN AND LOOSING BRAKES OR POSSIBLY IGNITING THE GAS TANK. *TR