1997 Pontiac Firebird Brakes Problems

AT 118,000 MILES I HAD MY FRONT BRAKES CHANGED FOR THE THIRD TIME. I ASKED THE PERSON CHANGING THE BRAKES TO CHECK THE REAR BRAKES SINCE THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN CHANGED. I HAD ASKED PREVIOUS PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THEM WHEN INSPECTING BRAKES AND I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THEY WERE FINE. THIS TIME THE PERSON REALLY LOOKED AT THEM AND INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKES HAD NEVER TOUCHED THE DRUMS (EVER). MY REAR BRAKES WERE SHOWROOM NEW AND SO WERE THE REAR DRUMS. I HAD HAD AN SCCIDENT A FEW YEARS AGO AND HAD THOSE BRAKES BEEN WORKING I GUARANTEE I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN STOPPED IN TIME TO HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT AND MY INJURIES. THE DAT OF INCIDEN WILL BE THE DATE OF THIS DISCOVERY.*AK

NHTSA ID

10111934

Incident

Jan 19, 2005

Mileage

118,000 mi

THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10017243

ABS FAILED WHILE APPLYING BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY / SUDDEN STOP, WHICH LED TO A VEHICLE CRASH. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK *JLG

NHTSA ID

8018300

Incident

Sep 4, 2002

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 20 MPH AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE DURING THE ACCIDENT. *YH

NHTSA ID

8018290

Incident

Sep 4, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

747458

Incident

Jun 5, 2001

UPON PICKING UP MY VEHICLE FROM PENN PONTIAC AFTER HAVING TO HAVE THE RIGHT FRONT ROTOR PREMATURELY REPLACED AND HAVING THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED, I TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON WET ROADS DUE TO RAIN WHEN HAVING TO STOP FOR A RED TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE. AT THE TIME OF HITTING THE BRAKES, I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT GO INTO EFFECT FOR AT LEAST 5 SECONDS. I HAD TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS. THEY ADVISED ME TO CALL AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED OUT IN ADDITION TO THE RATTLING NOISES THAT I HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT FOR SEVERALS PRIOR VISITS. I THEN HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND WAS ADVISED THAT A MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND THAT A BAFFLE WAS BROKEN ON THE MUFFLER AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE MUFFLER AND WAS ASSURED THAT THE MUFFLER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RATTLING. THIS DID CORRECT THE BRAKE PROBLEM; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT CORRECT THE RATTLING NOISE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AFTER SERVICE, THE VEHICLE WAS RATTLING WORSE THEN WHEN DROPPED OFF, DESPITE THE DEALERSHIP'S ASSURANCES THAT THE MUFFLER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THEY HAD CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 4TH TIME. I WILL SUBMIT A DIFFERENT REPORT AS WILL BE OUTLINED IN THE NEXT REPORT. *AK

NHTSA ID

717702

Incident

Nov 24, 1999

UPON TAKING VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE BRAKE JOB, DUE TO TOWN & COUNTRY PONTIAC ADVISING THAT BRAKES NEEDED TO BE MAINTAINED, I WAS ADVISED (NOT BY THE DEALERSHIP, BY ANOTHER MECHANIC'S SHOP) THAT THE RIGHT FRONT ROTAR WAS WORN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS REQUIRED BY MD. LAW. UPON LEARNING THIS, I THEN TOOK VEHICLE TO PENN PONTIAC, AS TOWN & COUNTRY LOOKED AT MY BRAKES AND DID NOT INFORM ME OF THE UNSAFE CONDITIONS, AND PENN PONTIAC CONFIRMED THAT ONLY THE RIGHT SIDE ROTAR HAD BEEN CHEWED UP. THEY FURTHER ADVISED ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE NOT WORN UNEVENLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY POSSIBLE THAT THIS OCCURRED FROM NORMAL WEAR. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT ROTAR HAD TO HAVE BEEN MACHINED AT SOME POINT BECAUSE THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS WORKING PROPERLY AND THE BRAKE PADS WERE NORMAL. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO HAVE THE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED, THE BRAKES HAD NEVER BEEN REPAIRED OR MAINTAINED, AS THE SENSOR HAD JUST BEGAN MAKING NOISE WHICH INDICATED THAT IT WAS JUST THEN TIME FOR THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE. THEREFORE, THERE HAD TO HAVE BEEN A DEFECT IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM OR TOWN & COUNTY PONTIAC HAD TO HAVE MACHINED THAT ROTAR PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE OF SAID VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH 3000 MILES, AS IT WAS A DEMO. TOWN & COUNTRY NEVER DISCLOSED ANY INFORMATION OF PRIOR REPAIRS REQUIRED PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF SAME. I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS FAIR TO EXPECT A BUYER TO ASSUME THAT REPAIRS WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON A NEW VEHICLE WITH ONLY 3000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

717701

Incident

Nov 24, 1999

I HAVE HAD THREE SERIOUS OIL LEAKS WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH STARTED WHEN IT ONLY HAD 8,000 MILES. IN ADDITION, THE PARKING BRAKE FAILED AND THE POWER WINDOWS BROKE. THE REAR BUMPER RUSTS AFTER IT RAINS BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE DUST. YOU HAVE TO USE RUBBING COMPOUND ONCE A WEEK. OVERALL, THE AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXHORBINANT AND NOT WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A $28,000 VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

713939

WAS TRAVELING 30MPH & APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN FOR A STOP, VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. VEHICLE SPED UP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. OWNER EXPERIENCED BRAKE PROBLEMS EVERYDAY. PROBLEM IS NOT INTERMITTENT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THE COMPUTER MODULE HAD BROKEN FOR ABS BRAKES. IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

851077

Incident

Jul 6, 1997

BRAKES SLIP AND DO NOT CATCH WHEN IT IS RAINING OUTSIDE,HAVE TO REALLY NAIL THE BRAKES TO THE FLOOR AND PRAY.

NHTSA ID

706417

Incident

May 8, 1999

WHEN BRAKES GET WET THEY BECOME HARD, CAUSING, THE BRAKES TO GRADUALLY STOP, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

NHTSA ID

828353

CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING BRAKE FAILURE WHEN BRAKES ARE WET. VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP PROPERLY. IT TAKES A LOT LONGER FOR VEHICLE TO STOP WHEN BRAKES ARE WET. DEALER NOTIFIED, BUT CONDITION STILL OCCURS AND UNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM AT THIS TIME.*AK

NHTSA ID

824857

Incident

Jun 19, 1998

ABS SYSTEM FAILED.

NHTSA ID

534608

GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDALARE POORLY PLACED. WHEN DRIVER MOVES FOOT FROM GAS PEDAL TO BRAKE PEDAL, THE TOP PART OF THE FOOT HITS THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK

NHTSA ID

518151