Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Chevrolet S10 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 224 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 224, in the owner's own words
I WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION IN WHICH MY BRAKES FAILED TO STOP MY VEHICLE. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES DURING A SUDDEN STOP, THE BRAKES STARTED TO SLOW DOWN MY TRUCK BUT THEN THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR WITH A RUBBING NOISE AND MY TRUCK KEPT TRAVELING UNTIL I HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET S10. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ABS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY, AND PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT. FURTHERMORE, THE VEHICLE LOST BRAKE FUNCTIONALITY COMPLETELY. GILCREST CHEVROLET BUICK GMC IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES HAD BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CITED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 99V193000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,160.
1996 CHEVY S10 ATTEMPTED TO SLOW BUT HAD EQUIPMENT FAILURE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. CONSUMER THEN SWERVED TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR AHEAD, DROVE ONTO THE CEMENT CURB, AND STRUCK A POLE. *NJ UPDATED 05/12/10 *BF THE BRAKE LINES ON THE LEFT FRONT SIDE AND REAR WERE LEAKING. THE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS VERY LOW AND IN FACT WAS EMPTY ON THE HALF DESIGNATED FOR THE REAR BRAKE. THE DRIVER ADMITTED USING THE WRONG TYPE OF BRAKE LINE FITTING WHEN HE DID THE BRAKE SERVICING. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-0433-91 THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACCIDENT WAS A RESULT OF EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON AND AROUND THE REAR AXLE. UPDATED 05/14/10.*JB
STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HAZARD/BRAKE LIGHT FUSE BLOWING OCCASIONALLY ABOUT 2.5 YR AGO... RECENTLY THE FUSE BLOWS ALMOST AS SOON AS YOU TURN THE VEHICLE ON. BULBS ARE GOOD AND LIGHTS WORK UNTIL THE FUSE BLOWS. I'VE REPLACED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE STEERING COLUMN TWICE IN THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME. THE MOST RECENT TIME HAD NO EFFECT ON THE FUSES BLOWING. *TR
AFTER HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD BRAKES FAILED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS PARKING IN THE LOT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A LAMP POST AT A SPEED OF 5 MPH. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK *TC
THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MADE A SLIPPING NOISE WHILE BRAKING. *NM
WHEN TRAVELING ON WET PAVEMENT AND UPON APPLYING FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, NOTICED A LOUD NOISE, PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD, VEHICLE GOT INTO A SKID, RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. NOTE-EVERY TIME IT IS WET.*AK
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEMS FAILURE. *CB
...FOR 3 YEARS CHEVROLET DEALERS TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH ABS. THEN IN 2000, RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE LABELED CAMPAIGN #C99046. ON 03/28/2000 TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP. BILL STATES REPROGRAM PCM FOR NEW ANTILOCK PROGRAM ...CALLED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER TODAY, BECAUSE BRAKES FAILED TODAY THE SAME WAY THEY DID BEFORE REPAIR IN 2000. ...I EXPLAINED THE S10 HAD BEEN BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP ON 03/28/2000, AS SOON AS I RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE, AND THAT IT APPEARED REPLACEMENT WAS DEFECTIVE. ...I WAS ADVISED THAT CAMPAIGN ENDED 12/2002. WHEN I REITERATED THAT I HAD WORK DONE WITHIN PARAMETERS OF CAMPAIGN,BUT NOW SAME PROBLEM HAD REOCCURRED, I WAS ADVISED IT DIDN'T MATTER, THE CAMPAIGN ENDED 12/2002. ...WHEN I SARCASTICALLY SAID, SO IF I KILL SOMEONE ON WAY TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW BECAUSE OF ABS FAILURE, YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE? THE RESPONSE WAS: ONLY IF IT HAPPENED BEFORE 12/2002.
BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE AT 35-40 MPH. BRAKES EMITTED GROANING,GRINDING NOISE.FROM '1996-1999 COMPLAINED TO DEALERS BRAKES NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND THAT THE ANTI-LOCK SEEMED TO BE "LOCKED" IN PLACE; WAS TOLD NOTHING WRONG. ON 03/28/2000 ABS WAS MODIFIED UNDER CAMPAIGN 99V-193,AND BRAKES WORKED. NOW WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, VEHICLE SKIDS AND SEEMS TO GO FASTER.*AK
WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES, THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN IT FEELS LIKE THEY RELEASE! AND I DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP. BECAUSE OF THIS I HAVE NARROWLY MISSED OTHER CARS, AND HAVE HAD TO USE CURBS TO STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MORE OCCASIONS THAN THE ONE LISTED BELOW.*AK
CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL ON THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATING. DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR BECAUSE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK THE VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS BAD, THE RADIATOR LEAKED, THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN AND THE WATER PUMP LEAKED. *PH *NLM
WHILE DRIVING THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD PANEL. *NLM
AFTER DEALER REPLACED SWITCH FOR ABS RECALL 99 V 193 000. ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE WHILE DRIVING.*AK
TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR UPON DEPRESSING PEDAL. AFTER TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, THEY GAVE TRUCK BACK, STATING IT WAS FINE. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH DRIVER LOSING CONTROL, DRIVER WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK
ON A DRY WELL TRAVELED ROAD WITH AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION FROM THE RIGHT, I APPLIED MY BRAKE (NON PANIC) AND AT FIRST BRAKING WAS AS EXPECTED. THEN PEDAL WENT DOWN AND BRAKING ACTION WAS LOST. THE SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 5 TIMES BEFORE OVER THE YEARS. MY DEALERSHIP IN CALIFORNIA HAS ON TWO OCCASIONS ATTEMPTED TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM BUT AT A PROBLEM RATE OF ONCE A YEAR THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS OCCURRENCE IN A 20 MINUTE PERIOD IS POOR. THE DEALERSHIP CAN NOT FIND ANY ABS MALFUNCTION. THE ABS WAS REPROGRAMMED 2 YEARS AGO PER A SERVICE BULLETIN WITHOUT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. GM HAS REFUSED TO TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. GM POINTS OUT THAT MANY CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE THE ABS MODE TO BE ACTIVATED. MY ARGUEMENT IS THAT MY S10 SHOULD NOT REQUIRE 3 TO 4 TIMES THE NORMAL STOPPING DISTANCE TO STOP.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN, CAUSE UNKNOWN. AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON DASH, AND BRAKE BOOSTER MALFUNCTIONED. ALSO, WATER PUMP WENT OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
BRAKES POWER WAS LOST WHILE APPLYING BRAKES, THERE WAS A NOISE. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON A SIDE STREET WAS BLIND BY SUN. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. VEHICLE DID NOT STOP, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
ABS MOTOR COMES ON DURING NORMAL DRIVING AND NORMAL BRAKING RESULTING IN PARTIAL BRAKE FAILURE. BRAKE PEDAL GETS HARD (CANNOT BE PRESSED DOWN) OR SOFT (GOES TO THE FLOOR). *AK
ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT BRAKING SYSTEM IS WIRED WRONGLY, AND AND THAT IS WHY THE LIGHT IS COMING ON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND REMAIN. BRAKES WOULD TOTALLY NON-EXIST. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC REPLACED ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM. *AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION IN THE MAIL REGARDING ABS SYSTEM, CONSUMER DROPPED VEHICLE OFF AT DEALERSHIP AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE VCM WAS REPROGRAMMED, AFTER PROCEEDING TO TAKE THE VEHCILE HOME THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO FIX PROBLEM CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE VCM WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THE CONSUMER WOULD BE RESPONSIBILE FOR THE CAHRGES, AFTER SOME DELIBERATION ON BOTH SIDES GM CUSTOMER SERVICE DECIDED TO APPLY GOODWILL TO CONSUMER'S CLAIM AND COVER THE REPAIRS, CONSUMER WAS ASSURED THAT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VCM WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE ABS LIGHT CAME BACK ON, CONSUMER TOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS BEING THE EBCM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT WAS ADVISED THEY NEEDED TO GO BACK TO DEALERSHIP THAT PERFORMED THE ORIGINAL RECALL REPAIR, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED AGAIN THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBILE FOR REPAIRS AND AGAIN IT WAS BEING DISPUTED, FINALLY THE APPROVAL FOR REPAIRS WERE GIVEN AT NO CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER, HOWEVER THE ABS LIGHT DID CONTINUE TO COME ON AFTER THE REPAIRS, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A SHORTED PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE ABS UNIT WAS REPLACED AGAIN, AFTER ALL THE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO TRY AND REMEDY PROBLEM THE ABS LIGHT STILL CONTINUES TO COME ON. *JB
RECALL 99 V 193 000. AFTER VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE IN MOTION. DEALER STATED THAT SENSOR AND MODULE WERE BAD.*AK THIS ABS LIGHT DID NOT COME ON UNTIL KIT WAS INSTALLED. *YH
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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