NHTSA Complaint #722999 — 1996 GMC SUBURBAN

WHEN WE FIRST TEST DROVE THIS VEHICLE WE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE "GRABBING" VERY ABNORMALLY AND WE COMMENTED THAT THE BRAKES HAD A BAD PROBLEM TO THE SALESMAN THAT WAS WITH US, ALSO WE HAD NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DID NOT WORK PROPERLY ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE BRAKES WOULD BE FIXED AND THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WOULD BE FIXED. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY HAD TURNED THE ROTORS ON BOTH FRONT AND BACK BRAKES AND HAD REPAIRED THE WIPER. AFTER WE HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES WERE BETTER BUT THEY WERE NOT FIXED. WHEN YOU WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES AT ANY TIME IT WOULD SHIMMY, BUCK AND JUMP. IF YOU HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP IT WOULD JUMP MANY TIMES BEFORE IT WOULD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I DON'T MEAN THAT THE FOOT PEDAL WOULD JUMP, I MEAN THAT THE VEHICLE ITSELF WOULD SHIMMY AND JUMP. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO ANOTHER GMC DEALER - GWATNEY GMC- TO HAVE THEM WORK ON THE BRAKES AND THEY AT FIRST THOUGHT THAT THE ROTORS NEEDED TURNING AGAIN. AFTER THEY TURNED THEM THE VEHICLE STILL RESPONDED IN THE SAME MANNER. THEY NOW SAY THAT THE ANTI-LOCK SENSOR IS BAD ON THE RIGHT SIDE, (A $500.00 COMPONENT). I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE INDICATOR ON THE DASH NEVER GAVE ME A WARNING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY REPORTS SIMILAR TO THIS PROBLEM FOR THE GMC BRAKING SYSTEM, MALFUNCTIONING OF INDICATORS ON THE DASHBOARD OR IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL FOR ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW HAS TOLD ME THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ON GMC LIGHT TRUCKS FOR THE YEARS 1993 THRU 1997. I KNOW SOMEONE IN A 1996 GMC JIMMY THAT WAS IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHERE HER AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND HER BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THIS ACCIDENT. IT'S A MIRACLE THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO KEEP HER LEG WHICH WAS MANGLED, BROKEN IN SEVERAL PLACES AND CUT UP FROM THIS ACCIDENT.THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ABOUT 96% OF THE TIME.