NHTSA Complaint #10787178 — 2000 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

I WAS LEAVING TO GO TO WORK AND WAS IDLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT TO THE STOP SIGN BEFORE I PULLED OUT ONTO A VERY BUSY AND DANGEROUS STREET. THE STOP SIGN WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF A SMALL HILL, SO NO NEED FOR GAS BECAUSE IDLING AND GRAVITY WOULD GET ME TO THE STOP SIGN. I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL! MY BRAKES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION AND NOT DUE FOR ANY MAINTENANCE PREVIOUS TO THIS EVENT. I ROLLED RIGHT OUT ONTO THE BUSY STREET WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO STOP. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE NEXT STREET OFF THE BUSY ROAD AND CRASHED INTO SOME SHRUBBERY TO STOP MY CAR. I CALLED AAA AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT I LITERALLY HAD NO BRAKES. HE ALMOST HIT THE WALL OF HIS REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T STOP. HE EMPHATICALLY STATED THAT, "NO MATTER WHAT, YOUR MECHANICAL BRAKES SHOULD HAVE WORKED, EVEN IF THE ABS WAS MALFUNCTIONING." HE TOOK THE FUSES OUT AND MY MECHANICAL BRAKES STARTED WORKING AGAIN. HE TOOK A QUICK LOOK AND LET ME KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT THE ABS MODULE HAD FRIED. HE SAID IT WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM AND TAKE IT FROM THERE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE BOB STALL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN LA MESA, CALIFORNIA. THEY VERIFIED THAT THE MODULE WAS FRIED BUT THEY WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE BRAKE SITUATION. THEY JUST KEPT INSISTING THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THE BRAKES WORKED FINE WHEN THE CAR CAME IN. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AND THEN FINALLY TOLD ME THAT THE PART THAT I NEEDED WAS NO LONGER MADE AND THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REPAIR MY CAR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN AND NEITHER DOES ANYONE ELSE THAT I TALK TO, BUT I DO HAVE A WITNESS WHO DROVE THE CAR RIGHT AFTERWARDS AND WHO CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL.