NHTSA Complaint #10935162 — 2008 BUICK LUCERNE

MY FATHER-IN-LAW HAD THE COMPLAINT THAT HIS CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. I CHECKED THE CAR OVER AND IT WAS WORKING FINE. ON HIS WAY HOME IT QUIT WORKING AFTER ABOUT 75 MILES. ANOTHER CHECK AND ALL WAS FINE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I JUST HAPPENED TO BE FOLLOWING HIM AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND NEVER WENT OFF. I CONFIRMED WITH HIM THAT HIS FOOT WAS NOT ON THE PEDAL. I PUT TOGETHER THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AND SHUTTING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. HE TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY ADDED BRAKE FLUID. THE CRUISE CONTROL KEPT KICKING OUT. I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS EITHER OUT OF ADJUSTMENT OR DEFECTIVE AND WROTE IT DOWN FOR HIS DEALER. IT TURNED OUT THE SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND IT WAS REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 68,000 AND GARAGED. AS A DRIVER YOU WON'T KNOW THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON WITHOUT LOOKING OR FIND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS PERMANENTLY ON, OTHER DRIVERS CAN'T TELL WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY SLOWING DOWN OR STOPPING, AND THAT IS A POTENTIAL RISK FOR BEING REAR ENDED. MY FATHER-IN-LAW TRIED TO BE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION BY ENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN POSSIBLE. AS LONG AS IT WAS WORKING, HE KNEW HIS BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OPERATING AS THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO. HAPPENED ON HIGHWAY AND CITY, MOVING. BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ON AFTER STOPPING. EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL AFTER AWHILE, I SUSPECT INSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS AT PLAY SOMEWHAT ALSO.