NHTSA Complaint #10371726 — 2008 CHEVROLET COLORADO

THE BRAKES DRAG AND SQUEAL ALL OF THE TIME. THEY GRAB SOME OF THE TIME, AND HAVE TEMPORARILY LOCKED UP ON 6 OCCASIONS. BEING ABS; THEY DON'T ACTUALLY LOCK UP BUT DO GRAB HARD ENOUGH AND LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE THE TIRES "CHIRP". THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT NOTICEABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED BUT THE LOWER THAN EXPECTED MPG AND HIGHER THAN EXPECTED VARIATION IN MPG MAKES ME THINK THEY OCCUR AT ALL SPEEDS. HAVING NO DOUBT THAT THE BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE WORRIES ME. I'M ANXIOUS ABOUT WHEN THEY WILL FAIL AND AT WHAT SPEED. ON FOUR OF THE SIX "LOCK UP" OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAD SHIFTED ITSELF INTO HIGH RANGE 4WD. THAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED BUT WENT UNNOTICED THE OTHER TWO TIMES. EVERY TIME IT SHIFTED ITSELF INTO 4WD (AND TRIED TO LOCK THE BRAKES) WAS AFTER BACKING UP. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SELF BRAKING; A TURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES THE VEHICLE BRAKE HARDER. A TURN OF MORE THAN 1/2 ROTATION RESULTS IN A "GRAB" AND A "CHIRP". IF STARTING FROM A STOP AND TURNING AT THE SAME TIME, THE REAR WHEELS MIGHT SPIN. I'VE BEEN DRIVING 4X4S FOR MANY YEARS. I KNOW THAT FRONT WHEELS "LURCH" DURING A TIGHT TURN. THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS VEHICLE IS DOING. IT WILL EXHIBIT THE SAME SYMPTOMS IN 2WD. I THINK IT'S AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THIS COLORADO HAS BEEN TO THE SHOP FOR 8 ELECTRICAL FIXES ALREADY. THE NUMBER AND VARIETY OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE COLORADO MODEL ARE STAGGERING. THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED AND MADE RELIABLE IN THE NAME OF SAFETY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS LIKE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INJURIES AND DEATHS MUST BE REACHED TO WARRANT A RECALL.