2016 CHEVROLET SPARK EV Service Brakes Problems

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 STABILITRAC" 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...

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...

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 STABILITRAC" 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...

THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. PRECEDING THE BRAKE FAILURE THERE A WARNING FLASHED STATING TO "SERVICE THE STABILITRAC" AND "SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST." IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WE WERE UNABLE TO STOP.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR, SO IT WAS STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. I ALWAYS LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR AHEAD STOPPED SUDDENLY, AND I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES WITH A CAR AND A HALF LENGTH DISTANCE BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS GOING ABOUT 15 MILES PER HOUR AND MY CAR DID NOT STOP - I SLID STRAIGHT INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IT WAS NOT ICY AND THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO STOP. THE BRAKES FAILED. WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, I REMEMBER HITTING THE BRAKES AND SAYING TO MYSELF AND MY FRIEND AT THE TIME, "MAN, IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THIS THING WANTS TO STOP ALL OF THE WAY." WELL, IT DOESN'T STOP ALL OF THE WAY AND IT IS A MAJOR HAZARD.

BRAKING SYSTEM INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCE. TRANSITION FROM REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO MECHANICAL BRAKING IS SLOPPY AND ABRUPT. WHEN THE MECHANICAL BRAKING SYSTEM KICKS IN, IT KICKS IN TOO STRONG CAUSING THE ABS SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE AS THE WHEELS SUDDENLY LOCK UP.