NHTSA Complaint #724728 — 1995 CHEVROLET BLAZER

BRAKE LININGS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 30,000 MILES AND JUST ABOUT EVERY 30,000 MILES AFTER THAT. THE REAR END WENT OUT AT ABOUT 72,000 MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $1800. WE WERE ON A TRIP FROM KENTUCKY TO ALABAMA ON JUNE 23,2000, AND THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER WENT OUT. WE WERE FORCED TO TRAVEL WITH BRAKES THAT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS A HORRIBLE AIR LEAK EVERY TIME YOU APPLIED THEM, AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON IN JUNE, 1999, BUT WE HAD RECENTLY PAID $1800 FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR END, AND WERE TOLD THAT OUR REGULAR BRAKES WOULD DO FINE, SO WE WAITED. WHEN WE HEARD THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN CALLED ON THAT ABS SYSTEM WE CALLED THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY ALWAYS SAID THAT THEY HADN'T RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM GM ABOUT IT YET. WE FINALLY GOT A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, ALMOST A YEAR AFTER IT WAS ANNOUNCED. WHEN THE REAR END WENT OUT, WE HAD BEEN HEARING A STRANGE RUMBLING NOISE THAT GOT PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER. WE TOOK THE CAR TO SEVERRAL LOCAL MECHANICS, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. AFTER A FEW WEEKS WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE REAR END. NOW IT IS BEGINNING TO MAKE THE SAME SOUND, AND THEY WILL CHECK THAT TOMORROW. THEY TOOK MY CAR TODAY TO CHECK THE BRAKES AND SAID THAT THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER WAS BAD AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS BAD. THAT ALONE WILL COST OVER $700. THEY SAID THAT THE WHOLE ABS MODULE WAS BAD, AND IF WE WANT THAT FIXED IT WILL BE ABOUT $1000 DOLLARS MORE. IF THEY DECIDE THAT THE REAR END IS BAD AGAIN, THAT WILL ADD ANOTHER $1800 DOLLARS AGAIN, I GUESS. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN MAINLY BY ME AND MY HUSBAND (51 & 52 YRS OLD)-- AROUND TOWN AND ON THE HIGHWAY TO VISIT OUR KIDS AND PICK UP GRANDKIDS. IT HAS NOT BEEN MISUSED, AND HAS HAD ALL MAINTENANCE WORK DONE. *AK