1994 GMC Suburban Brakes Problems

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THAT HE OWNS A 1994 GMC SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES. THEY ARE PERFORMING POORLY. THERE ARE ABS BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THIS VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS EVER SINCE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. HE HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT IT WOULDN'T LAST VERY LONG. THE PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUE TO COME BACK. ALSO, THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10121704

Incident

Apr 1, 1996

DIESEL K2500 SUBURBAN. INJECTION PUMP SUFFERED A PROBLEM WITH INTERMITTENT FUEL CUTOUT. SOLUTION WAS REPLACEMENT OF INJECTION PUMP. REPEATED DEALER ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE EXACT PROBLEM WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. SEAT MOUNT FAILED. THIS CAUSED SEAT TO TILT ON BASE & TORQUE REMAINING MOUNTS. THE WIPER MOTOR CUT OUT AT RANDOM. GM ACKNOWLEDGES THIS PROBLEM FOR OTHER MODELS, BUT NOT FOR MINE. THIS WOULD CAUSE FAILURE OF MOTOR FUNCTIONS (IN MY CASE, THE WIPER WOULD NOT START IF PARKED, BUT WOULD START IF PULLED OUT OF PARK POSITION). BRAKES ARE THE MOST INTERESTING PROBLEM. WHILE THERE MAY INDEED BE A PROBLEM WITH PEDAL SUDDENLY GOING TO THE FLOOR I THINK THE ACTUAL SITUATION IN MOST OF THOSE CASES MAY ACTUALLY BE AS FOLLOWS. I HAD TO BRAKE FAIRLY HARD IN UNEXPECTED TRAFFIC, AND THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FIRED. I WAS MOVING NOT FASTER THAN ABOUT 50 MPH AT THE TIME, BUT IT TOOK (MEASURED) 642 FEET TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AT NO TIME DID I RELEASE THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. DURING THIS TIME, I WAS ABLE TO STEER QUITE SUCCESSFULLY AROUND TWO STOPPED VEHICLES, AND TO RUN UP ON A GRASSY SHOULDER AND BACK ONTO THE PAVEMENT. I HAD THE FRONT BRAKES RELINED AND TRUED, AND THE FLUID FLUSHED AND REPLACED, AT A LOCAL SHOP SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE USED (WITH ABOUT 56,000 MILES). APPARENTLY, GM KNOWS THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO CYCLE THE ANTILOCK MOTOR SO THAT ALL THE PISTONS ARE AT THE RIGHT POSITION BEFORE BLEEDING THE BRAKES. IF THE BRAKES ARE BLED WITH THE MOTOR NOT CENTERED, THE EFFECT IS THAT FULL MODULATION OF THE BRAKES DOES NOT OCCUR, FOR SOME OR ALL WHEELS, WHEN THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM FIRES. HOWEVER, THE DUMP-VALVE FUNCTION RELIEVES ALL BRAKE PRESSURE WHILE THE MOTOR IS RUNNING. THE RESULT IS THAT ONLY PARTIAL BRAKE APPLICATION IS EFFECTIVELY BEING MADE -- THIS MIGHT BE ALMOST ANY ARBITRARY PERCENTAGE OF A 'NORMAL' FULL BRAKE APPLICATION -- AND THIS MAY GREATLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF DECELERATION SEEN IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS.

NHTSA ID

10070325

Incident

Sep 15, 2003

HAD FAILURE OF BOTH REAR BRAKE LINES AND FUEL DELIVERY LINES/SENDING UNIT DUE TO HEAVILY RUSTED/RUPTURED METAL LINES. FORTUNATELY, THE FAILURES WERE OBSERVED IN MY DRIVEWAY, LEAKING BRAKE FLUID AND GASOLINE. THE VEHICLE REQUIRED TOWING TO THE LOCAL MECHANICS GARAGE.TOTAL COST OF REPAIR (ALL RUSTED LINES AND FUEL SENDING UNIT) AT LOCAL GARAGE WAS $875.00.*AK

NHTSA ID

10045570

Incident

Oct 7, 2003

Mileage

98,500 mi

TRUCK PULLS MOST OFTEN TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING SOMETIMES TO THE RIGHT SOMETIMES GOES FINE. DT

NHTSA ID

768600

Incident

Oct 18, 2002

THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ON MY 1994 GMC SUBURBAN PERFORM VERY POORLY ON WET PAVEMENT. THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS INCREASED GREATLY AND HAS LED TO ONE ACCIDENT. SEVERAL OTHER TIMES INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES HAS LED TO NEAR ACCIDENTS. THIS HAS CAUSED US TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE VERY CAUTIOUSLY IN WET WEATHER. THE ACCIDENT WAS ON WET PAVEMENT. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE PEDAL BEGAN TO PULSATE AND THEN WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR, YET THE VEHICLE ACTED AS THOUGH THE BRAKES HAD RELEASED. BRAKING ACTION WAS ALMOST GONE CAUSING US TO SLIDE INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER UNIT. THERE WAS SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO STOP HAD THE BRAKES NOT RELEASE THE BRAKING ACTION.

NHTSA ID

755929

FRONT DISC BRAKES DO NOT RELEASE, CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT IN ROTORS,HUBS, AND WHEELS. *AK

NHTSA ID

752548

Incident

Jul 15, 2001

ORIGINAL PROBLEM BRAKING CAUSED ME TO GO INTO A CEMETERY (LUCKILY TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE ONLY THING THAT I HIT WAS A CURB WHICH I WENT OVER ON A DIAGONAL) THRU ONGOING TRAFFIC LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED THE 2 WHEELS BY CENTERLINE TO FRACTURE WHICH LATER BECAME APPARENT AT DIFFERENT TIMES. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE 2 WHEELS WERE SIMPLY DEFECTIVE TO START AND DECIDED TO LET GO AT DIFFERENT TIMES. I SURLEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE WHEELS WERE DEFECTIVE FROM THE GET GO.*AK

NHTSA ID

751735

Incident

May 10, 2001

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT A VEHICLE TRAVELING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TURNED IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES IN A PANIC STOP, PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW. THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY RELEASED AND I COASTED INTO THE INTERSECTION. I SWERVED TO MISS THE ONCOMING VEHICLE AND DID JUST MISS IT. SINCE THIS INCIDENT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN STEADY ON. I HAVE DISCONNECTED THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE MODULE. A GENERAL MOTORS MECHANIC HAS PULLED THE CODES AND SAYS THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM HAS COMPLETELY FAILED. I PLAN TO GO TO A GMC DEALER THIS MONTH AND COMPLAIN UNTIL I GET SOME SATISFACTION. THE FIRST TIME I NEEDED MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES TO FUNCTION THEY FAILED. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACEPTABLE. I SEE FROM THIS WEB SITE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BRAKES ON SUBURBANS AND WONDER WHY THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

746527

Incident

Aug 20, 2000

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND NOTICED THAT ABS BRAKING LIGHT WAS ON, AND THERE WAS A NOISE WHEN ABS BRAKING SYSTEM KICKED IN. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

889214

Incident

May 25, 2001

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 25MPH ON HIGHWAY AND BRAKES DIDN'T GRAB AT ALL. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

881485

Incident

Feb 25, 2001

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY/SUDDEN STOP ON ROUGH OR WET SURFACE ABS WILL NOT ENGAGE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

880553

Incident

Aug 27, 1997

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL GOES PARTIALLY TO FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK BECAUSE OF FAULTY BRAKES, CONSUMER HAS HAD 2 ACCIDENTS, WHERE ONE PERSON WAS INJURED AND SEVERAL RUNNING OF STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. *SLC

NHTSA ID

878299

WHEN DRIVING ON A BUMPY ROAD OR HITTING A BUMP WHILE BRAKING AT SAME TIME, BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. CONSUMER HAD REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

876838

Incident

Dec 20, 1994

WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED THERE IS A DELAYED RESPONSE. BRAKES WILL GRAB/ RELEASE, AND, GRAB AGAIN. DEAELER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

874811

WHEN APPYLING ABS BRAKES PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CAUSE UNKNOWN, DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. *AK FRONT BRAKES ARE SHUDDERING BECAUSE FRONT BRAKES ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE VEHICLE. *YH

NHTSA ID

870644

ON TWO(2) SEPARATE OCCASSIONS, EMERGENCY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, FAILED TO SLOW VEHICLE. IN BOTH CASES, THE PEDAL DID GO "HARD" BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL AS IF THE BRAKES HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE THAT OCCURRED IN 1997, I WAS ABLE TO STEER AROUND A CAR THAT HAD STOPPED SUDDENLY IN THE LANE IN FRONT OF ME AND AVOIDED A COLLISON. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, I WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AFTER REPEATED TRIES. THE SECOND OCCASION OCCURED IN FEB. 1999 WHEN MY WIFE TRAVELLING AT 45 MPH WAS UNABLE TO STOP FOR A VEHICLE THAT TURNED IN FRONT OF HER AT AN INNERSECTION STRIKING THE CROSSING VEHICLE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. ALTHOUGH THE OTHER DRIVER WAS CITED FOR THE ACCIDENT, MY WIFE REPORTED TO ME THE SAME CONDITIONS THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED PREVIOUSLY AND HAD NOT TOLD HER ABOUT. SHE REFUSED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND ONLY AFTER I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE BEEN A LICENSED DRIVER FOR OVER 35 YEARS AND HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN MANY VEHICLES WITH AND WITHOUT ANTILOCK BRAKES. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES I HAVE SPOKEN TO OVER THE YEARS.

NHTSA ID

727403

ROADS WERE WET, TOWING 600 POUNDS, CONSUMER TRIED TO STOP AND VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. ANOTHER TIME WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, CONSUMER NEED TO STOP AT A VERY BUSY ROAD, VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSUMER FEELS LUCKY THERE WERE NO CARS COMING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY DAID IT WAS THE WHEELS.*AK

NHTSA ID

864765

Incident

Jul 16, 1999

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AGGRESSIVELY ON DRY PAVEMENT ABS SYSTEM HESITATED BEFORE ACTIVATING, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

864417

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

I FEEL THAT MY ABS TAKE A VERY LONG DISTANCE TO STOP MY VEHICLE EVEN AT 25 MPH, AT WHICH SPEED I HAD TO SWERVED TO AVOID THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I E-MAILED TO GMC WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY WHERE SORRY ABOUT MY PROBLEM AND TO BRING MY TRUCK TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED.I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT MY ABS ARE WORKING, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOME OTHER VEHICLE FROM GMC THAT DESCRIBE EXACTELY WHAT I AM FEELING WITH MY SUBURBAN.DO YOU HAVE ANY COMPLAINT FROM OTHER OWNERS OF SUBURBAN? I TALKED TO A FEW OF THEM IN MY AREA AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT NONE OF THEM LIKE THE WAY THEIR ABS WORK. *AK

NHTSA ID

724658

EA-95026: POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE: VEHICLE EXPERIECED PROBLEM WHENEVER IT ROLLED OVER ON ROUGH SURFACE, CAUSING BRAKE PEDAL TO PULSATE, AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE BEEN INSPECTED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. *AK

NHTSA ID

862389

Incident

Jan 15, 1994

ABS FAILURE CAUSED ACCIDENT. YH

NHTSA ID

552320

Incident

Apr 19, 2000

I DROVE A GM PRODUCT FOR OVER 20 YEARS, BEFORE OWNING THIS MACHINE, THAT WEIGHED THE SAME AS THIS ONE, HAD THE SAME SIZE TIRES AND TYPE(FACTORY RECCOMMENDED) AS MY SUBURBAN AND I NEVER FREEWHEELED THROUGH ANY RED LIGHTS OR HIT ANYONE! IT IS VERY SCARY DRIVING THIS MACHINE. IF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE SO GOOD THEN WHY ARE THEY AUTOMATICALLY DISCONNECTED WHEN IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE? I THOUGHT OFF ROAD CONDITIONS AND SNOW AND ICE(WHERE 4 WHEEL DRIVE IS NECESSARY) IS WHERE YOU WOULD WANT THE SUPERIOR BRAKES?*AK

NHTSA ID

722576

Incident

Apr 20, 2000

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY, BRAKES GRABBED AND COMPLETELY LET GO, CAUSING DRIVER TO CRASH INTO VEHICLE AHEAD. THIS HAPPENED ON A SMOOTH ROAD SURFACE, AND NO INCLEMENT WEATHER. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE WERE REPAIRED. NOTHING WAS DONE TO THE ABS. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

861718

Incident

Oct 28, 1999

CONSUMER WAITING AT THE INTERSECTION FOR LIGHT TO CHANGE SHE APPLIED BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DIDN'T HOLD, AND RAN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER STATED ABS SYSTEM WASN'T OPERABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

860512

Incident

Apr 14, 2000

THIS CONDITION IS VERY SERIOUS WHEN YOU ARE IN NEED OF YOUR BRAKES THE MOST THEY COMPLETLY FAIL WITH NO INDICATION UNDER NORMAL BRAKE USE. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR ANY USEFULL DISCRIPTION ON WHAT HAPPENED. I AM A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SERVICE . *AK

NHTSA ID

711112

Incident

Aug 7, 1999