PA_BOW_HUNTER

GM antilock brakes probed

U.S. authorities investigate 1.2M pickup trucks, SUVs in 21 'salt belt' states.
May 3, 2005: 9:27 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Federal authorities have opened an investigation of more than 1.2 million General Motors Corp. pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles in 21 "salt belt" states amid questions about the vehicles' antilock brakes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that it initiated the investigation into an estimated 1,276,000 1999-2002 General Motors (Research) C/K series trucks in Salt Belt states on April 28.

The agency said a buildup of corrosion on the antilock brake system may cause it to activate improperly at low speeds, increasing stopping distances.

Last November, the automaker recalled approximately 150,000 of its vehicles from eastern Canada to fix the same problem. The company said then that the failure rate was 0.32 incident per thousand of the recalled vehicles.

The rate in the United States was a tenth that: 0.03 incidents per thousand vehicles, NHTSA said. That's about one incident for every 30,000 vehicles.

The agency's office of defects investigation said it has received 123 complaints involving 1999-2002 C/K trucks in U.S. salt-belt states.

In 22 cases, a crash is alleged to have occurred, including one that involved six vehicles and four injuries, the agency said.

The vehicles covered are the 1999-2001 GMC Sierra, 1999-2001 Chevrolet Suburban, 1999-2001 Chevrolet Silverado, 2001 Cadillac Escalade, 1999-2000 GMC Tahoe and the 1999 GMC Yukon Denali.

Salt-belt states are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia is also included.

A GM spokesman did not immediately return a call



I have a 99 Sierra, I contacted GM about two years ago about problems I was having with my anti-lock brakes. They told me that I would have to pay for the diagnosis with a GM dealership and it would cost me $60/hour for them to look at my vehicle. Then only IF the GM dealer found a problem would GM then look into it. Needless to say, rather than pay the $60 per hour, I have simply disconnected the Anti's. I am so glad that the Feds are now looking into this.

I've owned my last GM vehicle.

Don K

GM isnt the only one thats had recalls or problems....................

UThunter

no, but no one else makes the owner pay to have it checked.

HighDesertWolf

any vehicle manufacturer will have you pay for a diagnosis if YOU suspect a problem, The only way they cover it is if your vehicle happens to fall under a specified recall. Few years back I had a 1994 Mercury Sable, there was recall for the electric cooling fan, the wires powering the fan could over heat and melt and cause fan failure for 1995's through 1996's. I had this problem with my 94 sable I took the car to a dealer ford wouldnt cover it because it was a 1994 I had to pay over 300 bucks to have it fixed. [:@]

PA_BOW_HUNTER

I wouldn't have been so upset if GM would have offered to reimburse the cost of the diagnosis after they found out it was their problem. Obviously, I am not the only person who had an issue with the Anti-lock brakes since the Fed's have stepped in.

I can't speak for others, maybe they are all this way but I just felt that I had already diagnosed it for them and it was ridiculus for me to pay $60/hour for them to tell me what I already knew. I can only hope when I buy my next truck later this year that whichever company I choose has better customer representation.....