2016 CHEVROLET SPARK EV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND HIT A POT HOLE WHICH RESULTED IN THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG CURTAINS DEPLOYING. THERE IS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO TIRE OR CAR

I WAS DRIVING A 2016 CHEVROLET SPARK EV ON A CITY ROADWAY WHEN I HAD A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE AND ALMOST WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. AT THE START OF MY COMMUTE, I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON WHICH WAS PARKED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GARAGE. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT PORTION OF THE VEHICLE AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PULSATING. AS I PULLED OUT ONTO THE ROADWAY THE PULSATING AND THE LOUD SOUND CONTINUED AS A SET OF WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON. THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE (ABS WARNING, STABILITRAK AND SERVICE BRAKES). I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN TO APPROX. 30 MPH IN A 50 MPH ZONE AS I CAME TO AN INTERSECTION. AS I CAME TO A BUSY INTERSECTION I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING. I FORCEFULLY PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MAXIMUM FORCE POSSIBLE AS THE VEHICLE BARELY SLOWED DOWN. I ALSO HAD TO PUT THE SELECTOR TO "L" WHICH HELPED THE VEHICLE SLOW AS I STOPPED APPROX. 3 FEET PAST THE LIMIT LINE. IF I WERE GOING 10MPH FASTER AND IF THERE WAS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AT THE RED LIGHT I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION DUE TO THE COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. AFTER, I DROVE THE VEHICLE (5MPH) INTO A PARKING LOT AS THE LIGHTS AND BRAKES WERE STILL NOT OPERATING. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF FOR 5 MINUTES THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON. WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AS THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS AND THE BRAKES WORKED LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. CONDITIONS DURING THIS TIME WAS A TYPICAL CALIFORNIA SUNNY DAY AND THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL CONDITIONS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME EXPERIENCING A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE, HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME TAKING THE CHEVY SPARK IN FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. ON 10/3/2016 THE BRAKE MODULES WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE PULSATING PROBLEMS HOWEVER THE BRAKES DID NOT FAIL THE FIRST TIME. MY VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER AS OF THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT.

THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND WAS HIT FROM THE REAR ON A CITY STREET. THE IMPACT SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 15MPH (ESTIMATED). THE DRIVER SEAT SLID BACK UPON IMPACT AND APPEARED TO DERAIL AND WAS STOPPED BY THE REAR SEAT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE SEAT WOULD NOT SLIDE FORWARD. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A MAJOR VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED..

SUDDEN AND STRONG BRAKE PEDAL APPLICATIONS OCCASIONALLY RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PEDAL TRAVEL, SIGNIFICANTLY LESS BRAKING FORCE, AND SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER STOPPING DISTANCES THAN TYPICALLY EXPERIENCED DURING SIMILAR BRAKE PEDAL APPLICATIONS. EACH EVENT OCCURRED ON WARM, DRY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STREETS DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, TRAVELING BETWEEN 30-40 MPH. ON EACH OCCASION, THE BRAKES -- INCLUDING REGENERATION -- FUNCTIONED AS EXPECTED JUST PRIOR TO AND JUST AFTER THE EVENT, AND THE BATTERY WAS IN A STATE OF PARTIAL DISCHARGE, BUT DURING EACH EVENT THE PEDAL FEEL WAS SIMILAR TO THE FEEL EXPERIENCED JUST AFTER CHARGING TO 100% (WHEN REGENERATIVE BRAKING IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.) I SUSPECT THAT ON EACH OF THESE OCCASIONS, THE CAR'S REGENERATIVE BRAKING WAS UNEXPECTEDLY DEACTIVATED FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, AND THE SUBSEQUENT MECHANICAL-ONLY BRAKE APPLICATION (ON COLD PADS) RESULTED IN THE PEDAL FEEL/BRAKING FORCE/STOPPING DISTANCE CHANGES. NOTE THAT I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS IN TWO YEARS OF DRIVING A FIAT 500E ON THE SAME ROUTE, IN THE SAME WAY, YET THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH MY CHEVROLET SPARK EV ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS AS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST 2017.

4 TIMES WHILE DRIVING, 1 TIME WHILE STATIONARY, THE CAR'S BRAKE ASSIST (POWER BRAKING SYSTEM) HAS GONE OUT. EACH TIME, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND BRING IT TO A STOP. THERE WAS A "SERVICE STABILITRAK" WARNING FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A "SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST" WARNING. CONCURRENTLY, THE ABILITY TO BRAKE IS EXTREMELY DIMINISHED. THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES MOST OF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH VERY LITTLE BRAKING CAPACITY. IT FEELS LIKE THERE ARE NO POWER BRAKES, ONLY MANUAL BRAKES THAT REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT. EACH OF THE FIRST THREE TIMES IT WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME THEY FULLY REPLACED THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY. AS OF THE FOURTH TIME IT WENT IN (JAN 13), WHERE IT STILL IS NOW (JAN 23), THEY WERE STILL UNSURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR HOW TO FIX IT. #1: OCT 23, 2016 ~7:51PM LIGHT RAIN, ~50+ DEGREES, MAIN BOULEVARD BUT NOT DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC TIME, CAR IN MOTION, ESTIMATED SPEED ~10-15MPH #2: DEC 9, 2016 ~7:51PM LIGHT RAIN, ~50+ DEGREES, MAIN BOULEVARD BUT NOT DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC TIME, CAR IN MOTION, ESTIMATED SPEED ~10-15MPH #3: DEC 21, 2016 ~11:37AM LIGHT SPRINKLING, ~50+ DEGREES, HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, CAR IN MOTION, ESTIMATED SPEED ~25-30MPH #4: JAN 12, 2016 ~2:50PM SUNNY AFTER RAIN EARLIER IN THE DAY, ~60 DEGREES, MAIN BOULEVARD COMING TO STOP AT INTERSECTION TO TURN LEFT AT GREEN LIGHT, CAR IN MOTION, ESTIMATED SPEED ~5-10 MPH #5: JAN 12, 2016 ~3:07PM SUNNY AFTER RAIN EARLIER IN THE DAY, ~60 DEGREES, MAIN BOULEVARD. THIS IS THE MOST DIFFERENT, AS THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. AFTER MANEUVERING THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED, I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON. THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF, AND SO I MOVED THE CAR INTO DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. AT THIS POINT, THE ALARMS TURNED ON AGAIN, AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD UNTIL I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR BRINGING THE CAR TO A STOP. *TR