1996 Chevrolet Lumina Brakes Problems

BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T ALWAYS WORK ON 1996 LUMINA DUE TO FAULTY TURN SIGNAL SWITCH, I'VE NOTICE THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER 1995 -2001 LUMINAS AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10192391

Incident

Jun 1, 2007

Mileage

180,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAS THREE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. THE LOWER TWO LIGHTS FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. WHEN HE CHANGED THE BULBS, THEY ILLUMINATED BRIEFLY AND THEN QUICKLY BURNED OUT AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 135,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

NHTSA ID

10191528

Incident

Apr 1, 2007

Mileage

115,000 mi

1996 CHEVROLET LUMINA, BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING EXCEPT FOR IN THE REAR WINDOW. IF THAT BULB WERE TO BURN OUT, I WOULD HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS AT ALL. I HAVE DISCOVERED, AND I AM SURE, THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN CORRECTED? *JB

NHTSA ID

10165369

Incident

Aug 13, 2006

Mileage

58,000 mi

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1996 CHEVY LUMINA. THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. SOMETIMES THEY WILL WORK AND SOMETIME THEY WILL NOT. SHE HAS ALSO NOTICED THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER LUMINAS. THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT SHE HAS CHANGED THE BULBS ON THE BRAKE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AND SHE STILL NOTICES THIS PROBLEM FROM TIME TO TIME. *JB

NHTSA ID

10121642

Incident

Dec 15, 2004

DT: THE BRAKES LIGHT ONLY WORKED EVERY NOW AND THEN, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER LUMINAS. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE BULBS AND FUSE HAVE BEEN CHECKED. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. *JB

NHTSA ID

10120877

Incident

Mar 12, 2005

UPON DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE LOW TRACK AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON . WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE LOST BRAKE POWER. THIS RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP. THE CONSUMER THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. UPON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES RE-ENGAGED THEMSELVES. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN 14 MILES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10065497

Incident

Apr 3, 2004

Mileage

70,000 mi

ON 7/20/03 THE BATTERY WAS GETTING WEAK SO I BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY COMPATIBLE WITH THE CAR. ON THE FIRST START WITH THE NEW BATTERY THE CAR BEHAVED NORMALLY. HOWEVER, WHEN I STARTED IT THE SECOND TIME AND WAS BACKING UP A SLIGHT SLOPE OF A DRIVEWAY, THE CAR DIED. I PUT THE CAR BACK IN PARK AND RESTARTED THE CAR. WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY FOOT, THE GAS PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE CAR RACED FORWARD WITH THE GEAR SHIFT STILL IN PARK. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. I STEERED THE CAR TRYING TO LOCATE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES BUT THEY WERE TOO FAR AWAY FOR ME TO REACH AND STILL MAINTAIN THE RACING CAR. I THOUGHT TURNING OFF THE ENGINE WOULD STOP THE CAR SINCE THE BRAKES HAS FAILED BUT EVEN TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, IT RACED EVEN FASTER AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW I HAD CRASHED INTO A TREE TOTALLING OUT THE CAR. I CRACKED MY HEAD INTO THE WINDSHIELD BREAKING MY NOSE. LUCKILY, THE VISOR WAS DOWN AND PROTECTED MY FACE. I ALSO SUSTAINED BRUISING AND BACK INJURIES ALONG WITH THE CONCUSSION. ALSO, THE AIR BAG DID NOT ACTIVATE. THANKFULLY, AS I AM SHORT AND IF IT HAD, THEN I WOULD HAVE BEEN DECAPITATED OR KILLED FROM IT. MY INSURANCE ONLY GAVE BLUE BOOK VALUE TO THE CAR AS IT WAS UNREPAIRABLE AND HAD TO BE TOTALLED. I AM WANTING TO SEEK LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER. IS THERE ANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM ON THE LUMINA'S? I FEEL IT WAS COMPUTER PROBLEM THAT SHUT DOWN THE CAR MADE IT BEHAVE LIKE IT WAS POSSESS. NO LIGHTS CAME ON INSIDE THE CAR TO INDICATE THERE WAS A COMPUTER PROBLEM OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO PUT IN A BATTERY SO IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE BATTERY. DEBRA K. OLIVER

NHTSA ID

10069901

Incident

Jul 15, 2003

Mileage

102,000 mi

WHEN YOU START THE CAR IN THE MORNING, AND BACKUP THE BRAKES MAKE A HUMMING SOUND- THEN WORK FINE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10016517

Incident

Apr 25, 2003

Mileage

82,000 mi

TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT SHOWING IN REAR, BUT VEHICLE DASH INDICATES THAT THEY ARE ON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8018183

Incident

Aug 9, 2002

ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED, CONSUMER HIT THE PEDAL AND IT WENT TO THE FLOOR. *SLC

NHTSA ID

557559

Incident

Dec 10, 1999

ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE SYSTEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

733264

Incident

Sep 6, 2000

BRAKES KEEP FAILING PREMATURELY. ROTORS AND CALIPERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED 4 TIMES WITHIN A 1 1/2 YR. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

868892

BRAKES OCCATIONALLY REQUIRE EXCESS DISTANCE FOR STOPPING. BRAKES SQUEAL, LOUDEST AT BEGINING OF DAY AND WHEN DAMP OR HUMID, WORST IN REAR. (MECHANICS SAY 'ALL 4 WHEELS ARE FINE')

NHTSA ID

728019

BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO ROTORS BEING CORRODED WHICH CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ROTORS RESURFACED, BUT PROBLEM STILL REOCURRED. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

865573

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

WHILE DRIVING STEPPED ON BRAKE PEDAL AND BRAKES WIOULD MAKE NOISE. NOISE INCREASED WHEN IT WAS RAINING OR DURING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

NHTSA ID

859904

Incident

Apr 6, 2000

I TOOK CAR BACK SEVERAL TIME WHERE I PURCHASED IT THEY SAID EVERYTHING OK. STILL HAVING PROBLEM I TOOK CAR TO BRAKE CENTERS OF AMERICA IN STFD, CT. I STILL HAVE SAME PROBLEMS PAID ALMOST $600.OO FOR COMPLETE BRAKE JOB AND I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS AND THEY ARE GETTING WORSE. I SENT LETTER TO BRAKE CENTER AND TO BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU BACK IN 12/1999 AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE MEAN WHILE BRAKES ARE GETTING WORSE - THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID

720640

Incident

Aug 8, 1999

SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MAY OF 1997, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT BRAKES REPAIRED OR REPLACED FOUR TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS TWO WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER, BECAUSE THE BRAKE FLUID KEPT LEAKING, AND THE FRONT DISC PULLED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A RECALL PROBLEM, AND THEY CLAIMED TO FIX IT. NINE MONTHS LATER I HAD TO HAVE THE THE FRONT BRAKES REPLACED, AND THE REAR BRAKES ADJUSTED, DUE TO PULLING AND SQUEAKING, (AT SEARS AUTO CENTER). LATER IN OCTOBER OF 1998, I HAD TO REPLACE FRONT DISCS AGAIN. THIS WAS WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR ITS 60000 MILE SERVICE. THE MECHANIC AT KAUFFMAN TIRE IN HIRAM, GA SHOWED ME THE WEAR ON THE PADS AND BRAKES, THEY REPLACED THE PADS AND MACHINED THE ROTORS. IN JUNE OF 1999, THE BRAKES STARTED SQUEAKING AGAIN, AND IT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT. I HAD THE BRAKES FIXED AT MID-STATE MOTORS, IN MANCHESTER, TN, AND THEY WORKED FINE UNTIL ABOUT MID-FEBRUARY 2000. NOW WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT VIBRATED VIOLENTLY. I FEEL THAT THE BRAKES ARE WEARING AND GOING BAD MUCH SOONER THAN THEY SHOULD. *AK

NHTSA ID

719831

WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND, THEN BRAKES RELEASE AND VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

845325

DEALER TOLD CONSUMER TO THROW AWAY FRONT WHEEL ROTORS BECAUSE THE WERE TOO THIN TO GRIND. NLM

NHTSA ID

782569

Incident

May 18, 1999

STATE SAFETY INSPECTION MECHANIC NOTED THAT BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE DEEPLY RUSTED AND/OR PITTED AND SHOULD BE INSPECTED BY A GM SERVICE CENTER. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT DAGLEY CHEVROLET GEO INFORMED THAT BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE RUSTED AND PITTED SO DEEP THAT THEY COULD NOT BE RE-SURFACED, THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THE REPLACEMENT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY GM. I LOOKED AT THE ROTORS MYSELF AND FIND THAT THE INSIDE BRAKE ROTOR FRICTION SURFACES ARE RUSTED OR PITTED AWAY, APROX. 1/3 OR LESS OF THE FRONT INSIDE BRAKE PADS ARE ACTUALY MAKING CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR SURFACE. IN MY OPINION, THIS RESULTS IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF BRAKING EFFICENCY.

NHTSA ID

707501

Incident

Jun 1, 1999

BRAKES SQUEAL WHEN APPLIED.

NHTSA ID

541532

Incident

May 26, 1998

BRAKE PADS WEAR EXCESSIVELY.

NHTSA ID

537979

Incident

Jul 1, 1996

HAVE A KNOCKING OR CLICKING ON BOTH REAR TIRES WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS, LEES THAN 10MPH THE NOISE HAPPENS IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS VERY SPONGY WHILE BRAKING, HOWEVER THE CAR HAS BEEN STOPPING WHEN NEEDED TO. IT JUST SEEMS ODD TO HAVE TO PUSH THE PEDAL SO FAR DOWN TOWARD THE FLOOR, AND STILL FELL MUSHY.

NHTSA ID

537176

BRAKES CONTINUALLY FAILING TO ENGAGE ALMOST RESULTING IN COLLISION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

NHTSA ID

528237

Incident

Aug 5, 1996

SINCE OWNERSHIP CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED BRAKING PROBLEMS, NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID

526930

Incident

Mar 29, 1997