NHTSA Complaint #10380248 — 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

THOUGH MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES MAY BE WORKING JUST AS THEY WERE DESIGNED, THEY SEEM TO INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER WHAT WOULD BE ATTAINED WITH JUST THE WHEELS LOCKING UP AND SLIDING OR SKIDDING. ON DRY PAVEMENT, STOPPING POWER OF THIS TRUCK IS FANTASTIC UP TO THE POINT WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE, THEN ITS AS IF THE BRAKES ALMOST COMPLETELY RELEASE THE WHEEL THEN REACTIVATE THE BRAKE TO THE POINT IT STARTS TO SKID THEN RELEASES IT COMPLETELY AND SO ON AND SO ON. THIS ACTION OF COURSE HAPPENS VERY QUICKLY, BUT SEEMS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER ANTI LOCK VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED. BECAUSE OF THIS CYCLE OF COMPLETELY RELEASING THE BRAKES THEN HITTING THEM SO HARD THEY INSTANTLY LOCK UP THEN RELEASING THEM AGAIN, THE STOPPING DISTANCE SEEMS GREATLY EXAGGERATED. ON A REDUCED TRACTION SITUATION SUCH AS SNOW, ICE, OR DIRT, ITS AS IF THE BRAKES DON'T WORK AT ALL. AS I STATED IN THE OPENING STATEMENT, THIS TRUCK HAS WONDERFUL BRAKES UP TO AND UNTIL THE POINT OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, SO WHEN THIS OCCURS IT IS QUITE SHOCKING. AS FOR MY BRAKING TECHNIQUE, I'VE BEEN TOLD AND HAVE FOLLOWED THE ADVICE THAT ONCE THAT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE, YOU KEEP FIRM STEADY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I'VE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE RECENT ICE AND SNOW IN OUR AREA TO TEST AND CONFIRM THAT I AM USING PROPER TECHNIQUE IN USING THE BRAKES AND I'M MORE CONVINCED THAT THIS SYSTEM IS CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES. I WOULD RATHER HAVE STANDARD BRAKES THAN THIS. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST IF THIS SYSTEM WERE CHECKED BY SOMEONE WITH THE ABILITY TO CONFIRM THAT THESE BRAKES MEET THE SAFETY STANDARD EXPECTED BY SAFETY REGULATORS OVER SEEING THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT TAKING THIS VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO SOLVE ANYTHING, IN THAT I EXPECT THEY ARE GOING TO TELL ME THAT THEY ARE WORKING FINE.