NHTSA Complaint #748588 — 1994 BUICK CENTURY

ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASSIONS THAT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, TWICE WITH ME AND ONCE WITH MY WIFE, THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THEIR HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OTHER OCCASIONS WHERE THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED TO STOP THE THE VEHICLE IN A PANIC OR NEAR PANIC SITUATION. THE ANTI-LOCK WORKS FINE, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE BRAKES WILL NOT BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. IT KEEPS ROLLING MANY FEET FARTHER THAN IS SAFE. THE THREE ACCIDENTS OCURRED AT LES THAN 5 MPH. YOU HIT THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE NOT ONLY WON'T LOCK THE BRAKES IT WON'T STOP THE VEHICLE. I HAVE INSTALLED SEMI-METALLIC AND STANDARD BRAKE PADS WITH NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. THE ROTORS ARE FINE AND THE PADS HAVE NEVER BEEN ALLOWED TO WEAR DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS VEHICLES AND ALSO RACED CARS AND THEY ALL STOP IMMEDIATELY FROM 5 - 10 MPH. THIS VEHICLE WILL USUALLY REQUIRE 30 - 40 FEET TO STOP FROM THE TIME THE PEDAL IS PUSHED. I HAVE NOTED THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALER IN THE PAST WITH NO RESULTS. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BOTH RELAYED THE SITUATION TO OTHERS IN THE PAST AND ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS THE OTHER PARTY HAS SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "OH, I GUESS YOU HAVE A BUICK". SO, THIS PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ISOLATED TO MY VEHICLE. EVEN AT HIGH SPPED THE BRAKES WORK EXCEPTIONALLY WELL TILL THE LAST FEW FEET WHERE THE BRAKES WILL NOT BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP IN A SATISFACTORY DISTANCE. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY OTHER VEHICLES WITH AND WITHOUT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THE OPERATOR APPLIES BRAKES DIFFERENTLY WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. I HAPPENED TO GET INTO THIS WEB-SITE TODAY INQUIRING ABOUT ANY POSSIBLE RECALLS ON MY OTHER VEHICLE (2000 VOYAGER) AND FIGURED I WOULD NOTE THIS PROBLEM WHILE I WAS HERE. *AK