NHTSA Complaint #10734425 — 2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. SUDDENLY LIGHTS STARTED GOING OFF ON MY DASHBOARD INDICATING THAT MY ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND SATIABILITY CONTROL WERE OUT. NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP ON THE HIGHWAY OR CONTACT SOMEONE TO GIVE ME A LIFT HOME I PROCEEDED TO THE NEAREST BUICK DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. DURING THE JOURNEY THE LIGHTS TURNED OFF, BUT THINKING IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM I STILL HEADED TOWARDS THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR WAS LOOKED AT BY A SERVICE TECH. I WAS TOLD MY BRAKE MODULE COMPUTOR WAS OUT AND I NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. THE COST WAS ROUGHLY $1200, KNOWING I COULDN'T AFFORD IT, I ASKED IF THEIR WAS A SAFELY RECALL. THEIR WAS NOT. I ASKED IF THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE HOME, THE MAN SAID HE DIDN'T SEE WHY NOT. THINKING THIS MEANT MY BRAKES WERE FINE AND NOTING THAT THE LIGHTS WERE NOW OFF, I LEFT AND DROVE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR LESS TOWARDS HOME, I WAS ROUGHLY 9 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME WHEN I REALIZED I WAS VEERING INTO THE OTHER LANE INTO ANOTHER CAR ON MY RIGHT. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND ATTEMPTED TO STEER MY CAR OUT OF THE WAY, BUT BOTH OF OUR MIRRORS HIT, MY CAR THEN PROCEEDED TO SPIN OUT ON CONTROL COUNTERCLOCKWISE. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT AND NO REPORTABLE DAMAGE WAS DONE. BUT IT WAS STILL VERY UNPLEASANT AND COULD'VE BEEN A LOT WORSE. I KNEW I COULDN'T DRIVE IT BACK 65 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP SO I HAD IT SERVICED AT A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP IN MY HOME TOWN. I ASKED HIM WHY I SPUN OUT WHEN DOING THE EMERGENCY MANEUVER. HE TOLD ME AS WELL AS THE COMPUTER POWERING THE TRACTION CONTROL, ABS, AND STABILITY CONTROL, IT WAS NEEDED TO OPERATE THE POWER DISK BRAKES. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS COULD'VE BEEN VERY MUCH PREVENTABLE IF THE DEALERSHIP HAD INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO DRIVE HOME.