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 1993 GMC Suburban submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 162 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 162, in the owner's own words
REAR ENDED SOMEONE DUE TO THE INABILITY TO STOP IN TIME DUE TO THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF THE 1993 GMC SUBURBAN BRAKING SYSTEM. BRAKES ARE A VERY BIG PROBLEM ON THIS TRUCK
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY GO DOWN TO THE FLOOR OF VEHICLE AND VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP.*AK
DUE TO SEVERAL PAST ABS INCIDENTS, ONE RESULTING IN A COLLISION, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR COMPLIANCE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01I006000. SUBSEQUENTLY, PANIC STOP MAXIMUM BRAKING IS DELAYED. THERE IS EXCESSIVE RESISTANCE TO INITIAL BRAKE PEDDLE MOVEMENT AS IF THERE IS NO BOOST. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1/2 SECOND, WITH HEAVY PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE PEDDLE, ACTUAL WHEEL BRAKING CAN BE FELT TO PROGRESSIVELY INCREASE AND RESISTANCE TO PEDDLE MOVEMENT REDUCES. AT THIS POINT BRAKING FEELS ABOUT NORMAL. DEALER TECHNICIAN ON TEST DRIVE CONFIRMED THIS DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM. HOWEVER, TECHNICIANS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY MALFUNCTIONING COMPONENTS.*AK
SAILED THROUGH A RED LIGHT WITH BRAKES APPLIED, BOTH ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK
EA95026; POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE: WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH AND APPLYING BRAKES NORMALLY, ABS KICKED IN AND VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD. THIS HAPPENED WHEN WEATHER WAS PERFECT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE FALL OF 1993. WHEN THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM, DEALERSHIP DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER PRESSED BRAKES AND THEY FAILED. VEHICLE ROLLED OVER SOME GRAVELAND. THESE WERE ABS BRAKES.*AK
EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY LOCK UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A SLIDE. THIS CONDITION HAS LED TO TWO REAR END CRASHES. DEALERSHIP IS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR PANEL RATTLED, THE DEALER FOUND THE BEZEL TO BE CRACKED AND BROKEN. CONSUMER FEELS VEHICLE GETS BAD GAS MILEAGE. THE TRANSMISSION COOLER HOSES AND LINE SEALING WERE LEAKING. *SLC
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ML
THE BRAKES FAIL WHEN YOU ARE IN A SITUATION THAT YOU HAVE TO STOP FAST OR HOLD GOING DOWN A HILL,THERE IS A CHATTERING AND THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, YOU HAVE TO RELEASE THE PEDAL THEN REAPPLY PRESSURE AND HOPE IT ENGAGES, WEVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS. WEVE ALSO HAD TO PUT ON NEW BRAKE PADS FREQUENTLY. *AK
WHILE PULLING UP TO A STOP LIGHT, AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, CAR SHOT INTO CRUISE CONTROL/GAS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CAR WAS OUT CONTROL. CONSUMER HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN CAR JUMPED INTO A DITCH, AND LANDED IN A GRAVELED PARKING LOT. CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM INTO PARK WHILE FEET WERE STILL ON THE BRAKES. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID SYNCHRONIZER WAS BAD. CONSUMER FELT THIS COULD HAVE KILLED HIS FAMILY OR INNOCENT BYSTANDERS. *AK *ML
WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED BRAKES CAME ON, AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIDE. THEN BRAKES RELEASED, AND CAME BACK ON, STOPPING VEHICLE AS THE BRAKES WERE SUPPOSE TO WORK. DELAER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND WOULD LIKE TO INSPECT VEHICLE. *AK
ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN STOPPING IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, FRONT BRAKES SEEM TO LOCK UP, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS IS MORE NOTICEABLE ON WET ROAD SURFACES. MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
I HAVE MADE SURE I HAVE DONE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING MAJOR WOULD HAPPEN . HOWEVER, I SPENT $2,600 TO REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERNTIAL IN 1997 AND NOW AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE ON 3/17/00 THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL EXPLODED. NOW THE MECHANICS ARE TELLING ME THAT IT WILL COST 4,000 BECAUSE THERE ARE NO USED IDFFERENTIALS AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL BROKEN. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS FIXING THE ROTARS, EVEN AFTER GETTING REGULAR BRAKE INSPECTIONS. OTHER ITEMS I DID NOT REPORT ARE THE THREE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS THAT BROKE, THE DOOR LOCKS CONSTANTLY GET SUCK AND I HAVE TO USE A SCREW DIRIVER TO UNLOCK THEM, AND IT TAKES TWO HANDS TO TURN THE KEY LOCKS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO HARD TO TURN. WITH ALL THAT SAID, MY MJAOR CONCERN IS WHY THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL JUST EXPLODES, EVEN AFTER GETTING MY BREAKS AND AR FLUIDS INSPECTED.THE SUBURBAN IS A GMC 1500, SLE MODEL K10906. *AK
EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, ON ANY NON-DRY SURFACE, IT TAKES TOO LONG TO STOP. IT FEELS AS THOUGH CONSUME LOSES MOST OF THE BRAKES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
EA 95 026; VEHICLE EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH ABS ENGAGING AT LOW SPEED WHILE RUNNING ON DIFFERENT SURFACES, AND CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE WHEN APPLIED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
ON DRY, SMOOTH PAVEMENT MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF MY WIFE CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT ENTERING A LEFT TURN LANE AND WHIPPED HIS CAR BACK IN FRONT OF MY WIFE. BOTH THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR AND MY WIFE THOUGHT THERE WAS ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN THE VEHICLES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES ONLY TO DISCOVER THE CAR WOULD NOT DE-ACCELERATE QUICK ENOUGH. SHE HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK PEDAL AT THIS TIME. THE DEALER CHECKED THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM AND REPORTED IT WAS "FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED". I PULLED THE FUSE SUPPLYING THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM AND DISCOVERED THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE WAS LOCKING UP SOONER THAN THE OTHERS. A SECOND CONTACT WITH THE DEALER INFORMED ME THE GM SYSTEM BACKS OF THE BRAKE LINE PRESSURE ON ALL BRAKES IF ONE WHEEL LOCKS UP. WITHOUT THE SYSTEM, EVEN WITH ONE WHEEL LOCKED UP, I THINK THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT. *AK
WHEN CROSSING A RAILROAD TRACK BRAKES FAILED THEY WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. AFTER GOING ABOUT 50 FEET ON GRAVEL THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING ON GRAVEL ANTI-LOCK BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK INCORRECTLY. TOOK TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED THAT CAR DRIVES THE WAY IT SHOULD. *AK
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF ABS BRAKE FAILURES WITH THE SUBURBANS. I HOPE NO ONE GETS KILLED WHILE DRIVING ONE OF THEM. *AK
BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE, LOCK UP AND SKID. YH
NO SUMMARY
ANTI-BRAKE SYSTEM WHEN ENGAGED CAUSES THE WHEEL TO MOVE BEFORE THE PULSING ACTION BEGINS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FADE. *YC
VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT LOW RATE OF SPEED, CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD. DIFFERENT PARTS WITHIN ABS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES ON WET PAVEMENT THE PEDAL TRAVELS TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
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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