1988 Chevrolet C35

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:ON SOME 1988 C/K MODEL TRUCKSTHE BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO STAY ON AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS BEENRELEASED.IN A MAJORITY OF CASES, THE STOPLAMP SWITCH BEING MISADJUSTEDHAS BEEN THE CAUSE.OTHER POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE (A) BINDING AT THE EYELET OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER ROD AND ITS ATTACHMENT PIN AND (B) PEDAL MOUNTINGBUSHINGS NOT BEING PROPERLY LUBRICATED.GM BELIEVES THAT IF THE VEHICLEIS EITHER ACCELERATING OR TRAVELING AT A CONSTANT SPEED, AND THE STOP LAMPSREMAIN ON, A FOLLOWING DRIVER WOULD LIKELY FOLLOW AT A GREATER DISTANCEBECAUSE OF UNCERTAINTY OF THE ACTIONS OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM.GMCONCLUDES THAT THIS IS TRUE BECAUSE THERE ARE NO REPORTED ACCIDENTS WHEREIT IS ALLEGED THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON.TO THE CONTRARY, BRAKE LIGHTSWHICH ARE ALWAYS ON APPEAR ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM NORMAL TAILIGHTOPERATION AND THEREFORE FAIL TO SIGNAL BRAKING/DECELERATION WHICH IS THEONLY FUNCTION OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS.APPARENT INFANT MORTALITY SUPPORTS THEPOSITION THAT NO DEFECT TREND IS DEVELOPING.ALTHOUGH THE ALLEGED DEFECTMAY OCCUR AT ANY GIVEN TIME (IT DOES HOWEVER APPEAR TO OCCUR AT ANY GIVENTIME EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE), ONCE THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STUCK INTHE ON POSITION, THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON UNTIL THE BATTERY GOES DEAD OR THECONDITION IS OTHERWISE DETECTED AND CORRECTED.THE ALLEGED DEFECT AFFECTSONLY THE EARLY PRODUCTION 1988 MODEL VEHICLES AND GM HAS ISSUED A SERVICEBULLETIN ADVISING SERVICE PERSONNEL OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ALLEGEDDEFECT AND HOW TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. #======

GOODYEAR, LT24575R16, WRANGLER A/T, SERIAL #270904GRF72W, TIRE SEPERATED THE TREAD AND THEN EXPLODED WHILE IT WAS IN THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER UNDER MY 1988 CHEVY C3500. THIS WAS A MATE TO ANOTHER WRANGLER A/T, PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME, THAT HAD FAILED, WHILE ON THE TRUCK AT 70 MPH. THAT TIRE LOST THE TREAD, BUT NEVER LOST AIR PRESSURE. THE TREAD DAMAGED THE BED OF THE TRUCK, TO THE TUNE OF $780+.WHICH GOODYEAR HAS REIMBURESD ME FOR.THAT TIRE WAS SHIPPED BACK TO GOODYEAR. I SIGNED A RELEASE AT THAT TIME, THAT THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER LITGATION CONCERNIONG THE FIRST TIRE. THIS DOESN'T CONCERN THE FIRST TIRE AS GOODYEAR HANDLED THAT PROBLEM PROMPTLY. BUT DUE TO THE LATEST INCIDENT, I FEEL SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT A LITTLE CLOSER,THIS LATEST INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A WARM,SUNNY DAY. THE TIRE HAD BEEN TAKEN OFF THE TRUCK AND PLACED AS A SPARE THE FIRST INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS A TEARING SOUND FROM UNDER THE TRUCK. I WAS STANDING BEHIND THE TRUCK AND HEARD THE NOISE. I LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK TO SEE WHAT IT WAS, AND SAW THAT THE SPARE TIRE HAD SPLIT THE TREAD OFF THE BELTS. I WALKED 5 FEET AWAY WHEN THE TIRE EXPLODED VIOLENTLY. THE TIRE HAD 65# AIR PRESSURE IN IT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE.THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK. LUCKILY I WASN'T LOOKING AT THE TIRE WHEN IT EXPLODED AND THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO FUEL TANK CLOSE TO THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER. METAL SHARDS FROM THE BELTS WERE SENT ACROSS MY DRIVEWAY, AND FRONT YARD.

NHTSA ID

10041061

Incident

Sep 28, 2003

TRACTION CONTROL FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID

523869

WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

NHTSA ID

806276