NHTSA Complaint #10968174 — 2000 GMC SAVANA 1500

WHEN COMING TO A FULL STOP IN LIGHT TO MODERATE 35 TO 40 MILE AN HOUR TRAFFIC ZONES , USUALLY WHEN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD OVER TRAVEL ALMOST TO THE FLOOR, THEIR WOULD BE A LOUD SCRUBBING SOUND. THIS HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I TOOK MY VAN TO THREE SEPARATE GM AUTHORIZED DEALERS/ REPAIR SHOPS ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEIR WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BRAKES. THIS WAS VARY FRUSTRATING. SO I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT REAR PARKING BRAKE WAS ACTIVATED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM BY DISCONNECTING THE PARKING BRAKE CONTROL CABLE TO THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE DRUM. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED EXCEPT NOW I HAD NO PARKING BRAKES! SINCE THAT TIME I HAD BECOME DISABLED AND THE VAN SAT ON MY PROPERTY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO TAKE IT FOR A STATE REQUIRED EMISSIONS TEST. I TOOK THE VAN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC THAT WAS ALSO CERTIFIED BY THE STATE TO MAKE THE VAN PASS THE TEST. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD A BRAKE CABLE DISCONNECTED, I TOLD HIM WHY. HE TOLD ME HE COULD FIXED THE PROBLEM, AND HE DID EVERY THING WORKED GUST FINE, AND HERE I AM A YEAR LATER FACING THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE HAS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH EITHER THE CABLE RUSTING AND WHEN SOMEONE APPLIES THE PARKING BRAKE THE RIGHT REAR DRUM WILL NOT RELEASE, OR SOMETHINGS WRONG WITH THE DRUM BRAKES. THE LAST TIME THE VAN WAS USED BY MY DAUGHTER, SHE HAS BEEN TRAINED TO OPERATE BIG BOX AMBULANCES, SHE IS AN EMT, SO I DON'T THINK SHE WOULD DRIVE IMPROPERLY, AND I WOULD ALSO TAKE HER WORK ABOUT THE MALFUNCTIONING BRAKES. ALL I CAN SAY IS HERE I GO AGAIN. BY THE WAY THIS VEHICLE HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE, LOOKS AND FUNCTIONS LIKE A NEW VAN EXCEPT FOR THIS BRAKE PROBLEM THAT KEEPS REOCCURRING. MAKE ME AFRAID TO LET ANY ONE USE IT, EVEN IF THEY BEEN TRAINED TO HANDLE LARGER VEHICLES.