NHTSA Complaint #755494 — 1999 CHEVROLET TAHOE

PROBLEM: BATTERY ACID IS LEAKING FROM THE POSITIVE TERMINAL. THE ACID RELEASED FALLS ON PRESSURIZED A/C LINES AND THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINES AND FITTING CONNECTING THE BRAKE HOSE. THIS IS THE SECOND BATTERY TO BE REPLACED IN MY VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM WAS FOUND IN WHEN DISCONNECTING THE FIRST BATTERY (3/2001) FOR CHARGING. ACID RELEASED FROM THE ORGINAL BATTERY WAS CONTAINED AND NEUTRALIZED IMMEDIATELY. THIS SECOND INSTANCE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL, ACID WAS FOUND ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. EXTENSIVE CORROSION HAS OCCURED ON ALL METAL PARTS BELOW THE BATTERY. DEALERS HAS STATED THIS PROBLEM IS PRELAVENT IN ALL 1999 CHEVROLET WITH CONTINUOUS HEAD LIGHT OPERATION. TWO GM DEALERS HAVE STATED THEY ARE SEEING LEAKING BATTERIES IN ONE OR TWO VEHICLES PER DAY. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT HALLOWELL CHEVROLET IN CLOVIS, CA, STATED THAT GM HAS BEEN WORKING ON A NEW BATTERY DESIGN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM FOR 8 TO 10 MONTHS. THE UNCONTROLLED RELEASE TOXIC SUBSTANCES POSES BOTH AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY HAZARD. ONE FAILED BATTERY MAY BE AN EXPECTED PROBABILITY, ALTHOUGH THE PREVALENCE OF THE NUMBERS SCENE AT TWO DEALERS AND TWO INSTANCES IN MY VEHICLE, WARRANT AND REQUIRE GOVERNMENTAL ACTION AND OVERSIGHT. THE LEAKING ACID IS AFFECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM (NOT A SEAFETY PROBLEM, ULNESS THE ESCAPING R-134/