RoadVitals

1999 GMC Savana Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Dec 12, 2003
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
27%
of 49 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

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 1999 GMC Savana submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Brakes
Filed Dec 12, 2003
Crash reported

I HAD TO MAKE A "PANIC STOP". I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. FELT THE VEHICLE SHUDDER SEVERAL TIMES AND FELT WHAT I ASSUMED WAS THE ABS BRAKES CYCLING, THEN THE VEHICLE JUST ROLLED FORWARD...NO BRAKING AT ALL WAS FELT, RESULTING IN A REAR-END COLLISION. I KNOW THAT IF I HAD PROPERLY FUNCTIONING BRAKES, I WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN A SAFE DISTANCE. WHEN I FELT THE DECELERATION STOP, I PUSHED EVEN HARDER ON THE PEDAL, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGE IN VELOCITY AND NO MORE ROOM FOR THE PEDAL TO MOVE. THERE WAS AT LEAST 15 BETWEEN VEHICLESAT THIS POINT,&..I COULD /SHOULD HAVE STOPPED SAFELY, WITH NO COLLISION IF THE BRAKES HAD WORKED PROPERLY! *AK

NHTSA ID
10049621
Incident
Dec 9, 2003
Mileage
25,200 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 23, 2001

CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD NOT GO OFF AND THE VAN HAD A VERY HARD BRAKE PEDAL LIKE THERE WAS NO POWER BOOST, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS AN EQUALIZER, HOWEVER WHEN IT WAS INSTALLED IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, THEN THEY DISCOVERED IT WAS THE SWITCH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THAT WAS BAD OR NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE HARD BRAKE PEDAL WAS NORMAL FOR GMC'S, CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING HE EXPERIENCED HARD BRAKING AND THE WHEELS LOCKED UP, CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO ABS CONTROL EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS SUPPOSE TO HAVE IT, CONSUMER BELIVES HE ONLY HAS FRONT WHEEL BRAKING.*YD

NHTSA ID
562198
Incident
Aug 10, 1999
Brakes
Filed Jun 12, 2001
Crash reported

WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED UNDER NORMAL STOPPING CONDITIONS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND RESULTING IN A COLLISION. PRIOR TO INCIDENT DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
890165
Incident
Jun 6, 2001
Brakes
Filed Feb 8, 2001

PREMATURE WEAR OF BRAKE PADS. DEALER HAS REPLACED THREE SETS OF PADS.*AK

NHTSA ID
880142
BrakesSteering
Filed Dec 28, 2000

BRAKES AND ROTORS HAVE DETERIORATED AND CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE WITHIN UNREASONABLY SHORT MILEAGE PERIODS, THE BRAKES SMOKE DURING SHORT INTERVALS OF DRIVING AND STICK TO ROTORS CAUSING A LOUD POPPING SOUND WHEN RELEASED AND FAIL TO ADEQUATELY STOP THE VEHICLE, THE ROTORS BEGIN CRACKING AND WARPING PREMATURELY CAUSING SHIMMYING AND VIBRATION. NLM

NHTSA ID
558372
Brakes
Filed Aug 4, 2000

THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED 5 TIMES AFTER THE MENTIONED DATE. 11/13/99 @ 26,920 MILES, 12/23/1999 @ 29,524, 3/8/2000 @ 35,692 MI., 5/2/2000 @ 43,000 MI., 6/10/2000 @ 47,761 MIL, 7/31/2000 @ 51,136MI. *AK

NHTSA ID
726688
Incident
Jul 10, 1999
Brakes
Filed Jul 28, 2000

DRUM AND BRAKES ARE FAILING EVERY 13,000 MILES WITHOUT NOTICE. SERVICE STATION ADVISES THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL RELATED PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID
726156
Incident
Jul 26, 2000
Brakes
Filed Apr 26, 2000

WHEN MAKING A NORMAL STOP VEHICLE WAS VERY HARD TO STOP, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE OIL LEAKING ONTO THE BRAKES. ALSO, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE DRUMS AND PUT NEW OIL SEALS IN AXLES. *AK.ET.

NHTSA ID
861023
Brakes
Filed Apr 4, 2000

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 20MPH IN GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS AND PRESSED ON BRAKES & THE ABS BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. LEFT FRONT & RIGHT REAR LOCKED UP. GMC WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM AND WILL INVESTIGATE MORE. *AK

NHTSA ID
859648
Incident
Mar 9, 2000
BrakesSuspension
Filed Mar 30, 2000

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS FAILURE CAUSED THE BRAKE NOISY. YH

NHTSA ID
551676
Incident
Dec 29, 1999
Brakes
Filed Feb 16, 2000

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP ABS RELEASES TOO MUCH, AND WILL NOT STOP VEHICLE. ALSO, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP BRAKES TEND TO STAY LOCKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THEN RELEASE. VAN HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN FIXING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE LIST OTHER VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS. *AK

NHTSA ID
857034
Incident
Nov 15, 1999
BrakesTransmission
Filed Jan 26, 2000

11/16/99 - OIL COOLER LINE FAILURE(198 MI), 11/16/99 - CHECK GAUGES LITE. 11/17/99 - FRONT BRAKE FAILURE (200MI.) , 11/17/99 - CHECK GAUGES LIGHT (CONTINUES TO COME ON - OFF / NO PATTERN), 11/17/99 - OIL GAUGE PRESSURE SWING - >20# -60+#, 11/18/99 - PURCHASING DEALER "REPAIRS" OIL LEAK, BRAKE PROBLEM,GAUGE LIGHT PROBLEM, 11/18/99 , GAUGE LIGHT AFTER "REPAIR". 11/26 /99 - LOCAL DEALER TO REPAIR LIGHT/BRAKES PROBLEM - "CAN'T FIND PROB'S." - I PROD THEM TO USE OLD METHODS TO FIND PROBLEMS- I.E. -ROAD TEST FOR BRAKES , ACTUAL GAUGE ATTACHED TO ENGINE FOR OIL LIGHT- AMAZING "WE FOUND PROBLEMS"-ORDER PARTS "2WEEKS"-01/14 /2000 - "WE GOT PARTS"(2 WKS.-HA!)-01/19/2000 -REPLACED GAUGE CLUSTER, NOTIFIED ME OF BRAKE SERVICE BULLETIN, "WILL ORDER PARTS"- 01/19/2000-NOTICE SIGNIF. CHANGES IN GAUGE READINGS.- 01/24/2000 - SPEEDOMETER STOPS AT 25MPH- MOVING OR STOPPED- CALL DEALER TO REPORT THIS, SPEED READ CONTINUES TO GO DOWN(WHILE DRIVING) , SETTLING AT 20 FOR A FEW MILES, THEN 10,THEN 0 FOR A FEW MORE,THEN RETURNS TO "?NORMAL?"- 01/26/2000- RETURN TO DEALER FOR BRAKE WORK("PARTS ARE IN") , AFTER ALL DAY, CALL TO PICK UP - BRAKES GRIND -PULL TO RIGHT 1/2 MILE AWAY. PAST CLOSING TIME- HEAD HOME -20 MILES LATER BRAKES REALLY GRINDING- ABLE TO MAKE SHARP CORNER RIGHT TURN BY JUST APPLYING BRAKES-01/26/2000 -THERE'S PART OF MY JOURNAL/ADVENTURE - ???WHAT NOW??????????. *AK *TR

NHTSA ID
717931
Incident
Jan 26, 2000
Brakes
Filed Sep 13, 1999

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, LEFT WHEEL STARTED TO GRAB AFTER APPLYING ABS BRAKES. WOULD MAKE CLUNKING SOUNDS. STOPPING DISTANCE IS EFFECTIVE BY ABS BRAKE PROBLEM. IS INTERMITTENT. BEEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES & PROBLEM WITH ABS BRAKES NOT CORRECTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
847540
Incident
May 4, 1999

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .