BRAKE PARTS Complaints

THERE IS A VIBRATION FELT IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR ALIGNED 2 TIMES, REPLACED THE TIRES 3-TIMES, REPLACED THE BRAKES 3-TIMES AND HAD THE TIRES ROTATED AND RE-BALANCED 6 TIMES, IN TWO YEARS. I HAVE HAD ALL OF THE RECALLS COMPLETED. THE VIBRATION STILL EXISTS AND THE DEALER CANNOT FIX IT. THE DEALER JUST KEEPS TELLING ME TO GET THE TIRES RE-BALANCED, OR GET NEW TIRES AGAIN. *NLM

1999 JEEP BRAKE ROTORS- SHAKING WHILE BRAKING. PURCHASED JEEP WITH 45,000 MILE AND THEY RESURFACED THEM BEFORE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. KNOW AT 60000 MILE IT SHAKES AGAIN PULLING LIKE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATED. IT IS VERY SERIOUS SHAKING AND IF NOT PREPARED COULD AND PROBABLY HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS. TOOK JEEP IN FOR UNRELATED SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT JEEP HAS COME OUT WITH NEW ROTORS FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME $407.00 DOUBLE WHAT REGULAR ROTOR WOULD COST?? I WANT TO KNOW IF SOMEONE CAN HELP EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE NOT BACKING THEIR PRODUCT IF THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM? THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THIS OTHER WISE WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO SELL ME ANOTHER PRODUCT TO FIX THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. I HAVE HEARD AND READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT JEEPS AND THE BRAKE ROTOR PROBLEMS KNOW AFTER CHECKING THIS OFFICE'S COMPLAINT FILES. SOME ONE PLEASE POINT ME TO WHOM I SHOULD TALK TO. I AM IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FIELD AND HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE SHAKE WHILE BRAKING LIKE THIS BEFORE IS JEEP NOT BACKING IT'S VEHICLES?? *NLM

DURING FOUR YEARS OF OWNERSHIP OF A 1999 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, I HAVE HAD 5 REPLACEMENTS OF ROTORS. CAUSING SERIOUS VIBRATIONS OF THE WHEELS, STEERING AND THE ENTIRE AUTO. *NLM

EXCESSIVE BRAKE REPAIR:FRONT AND REAR SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 9/12/01 TO 3/31/03: BRAKES SERVICED ON 12/14/01-MACHINE FRONT ROTORS AND REAR DRUMS, 3/14/02-REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS MACHINE REAR DRUMS, 8/12/02 R&R REAR DRUMS & MACHINE R&R REAR BRAKE SHOES & LUBE BACKING PLATE, 3/31/03 FRONT BRAKES NEEDED CLEAN AND ADJUST REAR BRAKES. MILEAGE WAS RESPECTIVELY: 5836, 12450, 21975, 33533. ALL BRAKE WORK DONE BY DEALER. INDEPENDENT BRAKE INSPECTION ON 4/3/03 SHOWS FRONT BRAKES NEEDED AND 20/1000THS LEFT ON REAR DRUMS. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD SET OF BRAKES PUT ON THIS VEHICLE BEFORE THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY EXPIRES. ALSO REAR DRUMS ARE WITHIN 20/1000THS OF DRUM SPEC DISCARD PRIOR TO MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY EXPIRATION.

MONTE CARLO SS 2002. CAR UNDER 12000 MILES NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS, AND ROTORS RESURFACED. PREVIOUSLY HAD MALIBU 2000 THAT WAS BOUGHT BACK BY DEALER AFTER 2 YEARS OF ROTOR AND BRAKE PROBLEMS THAT CAUSED 2 CRASHES. WHEN IS SOMEBODY GOING TO LOOK AT THE DESIGN OF EQUIPMENT IN THESE VEHICLES TO SEE THERE IS A DEFECT. DEALERSHIP EVEN ADMITTED TO FLAW. *NLM

I HAD MY FRONT BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED AT 67,220 MILES - AT THAT TIME THE FRONT BRAKES WERE SHOT, YET THE REAR BRAKES HAD 50% LIFE REMAINING (APPEARS TO BE UNDUE PRESSURE PLACED ON FRONT BRAKES. AFTER ONLY 5,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE PULSATED WHILE BRAKING. SO AT 73,091 MILES AT HAD FRONT BRAKES RESURFACED, AT WHICH TIME THE MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE BRAKES WERE ALREADY SHOWING SIGNS OF OVER HEATING AND WERE ALREADY WARPED. I HAD REAR BRAKES DONE (EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD SUFFICIENT LIFE REMAINING) AT THE SAME TIME IN CASE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE 16,000 MILES ON THE FRONT BRAKES (10,000 MILES AFTER FIRST RESURFACING), THEY AGAIN ARE PULSATING STRONGLY, AND REQUIRE UNDUE PRESSURE FROM MY FOOT TO MAKE THEM WORK APPROPRIATELY....ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND AS A RESULT OF THE ENGINEERING AND/OR MANUFACTURING OF THE BRAKES. *JB

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS ON MY 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. AT 20,000 MILES THEY WARPED AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT RESURFACED THEM. AT 30,000 MILES, I HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. AT 47,000 MILES, AGAIN RESURFACED AND AT AROUND 60,000 MILES, AGAIN I HAD TO REPLACE THEM. THIS IS NOT NEW TO ME. THIS IS MY FOURTH JEEP , AND HAVE HAD SIMILAR RESULTS ON ALL OF THE JEEPS THAT I HAVE OWNED. THIS IS NOT JUST MY EXPERIENCE, I KNOW OF MANY PEOPLE, WHOM I WORK WITH AND FRIENDS, THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD. I BELIEVE THIS IS CAUSE BY A FEW DIFFERENT REASONS FOR THIS AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT ALL COMES BACK TO COST FOR THE CAR MANUFACTURES. THEY ARE MAKING THEIR ROTORS THINNER, AND OF POORER QUALITY MATERIALS. THIS MEANS THAT THEY CAN NOT GET RID OF HEAT PROPERLY AND THEREFORE FOR WARP. *NLM

FRONT ROTORS HAVE FAILED THREE TIMES WITHIN 60,000 AND NISSAN SAYS THAT THIS IS DUE TO DRIVING HABITS, I.E., ROTORS GET HOT AND THEN FAIL. REFERENCE # 4029350 PERJUDY EXT. 3773. DEALER HAS REPLACED ROTORS EACH TIME AND I FIND NO FAULT WITH DEALER WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS; OTHER THAN THE DRIVING HABITS AS EXPRESSED BY THE NISSAN REP. JUDY. THIS CONDITION IS DANGEROUS AND CAUSES THE CAR TO BE BOUNCE WITH LOSS OF CONTROL A VERY REAL POSSIBLITY. FOR THE SECOND REPLACEMENT, A STATEMENT IN THE FOLLOWUP TO NISSAN WAS MADE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS SERIOUS. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN IN THE CITY OR UNDER CITY CONDITIONS WHERE BRAKE PRESSURE OCCURS OFTEN; THE MILES ARE HIGHWAY MILES AS WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY; WE HAVE A PAVED ROAD TO THE HOUSE SO ROAD CONDITIONS ARE NOT A FACTOR. THE RESPONSE BY NISSAN IS A "RUN-AROUND" WITH THE SAME VERBAGE AND REFLECTS THE NISSAN REP'S ATTTEMPT TO DEFUSE ANY COMPLAINT. IN LOOKING AT THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONS, THERE ARE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO ROTOR FAILURE: NISSAN SAID THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS. IN FACT, THE NISSAN DEALER (ANCIRA-SAN ANTONIO, TX) INDICATED THAT I SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN CONCERNING THIS SITUATION. I DID AND AM NOT SATISFIED THE LEAST WITH THEIR RUNAROUND AS I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CONDITION OF AT LEAST THE VEHICLE WHICH WE HAVE.

I STARTED MY CAR TO LEAVE WORK AND WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE THE CAR WOULD NOT BACK UP. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION? I HAD VEHICLE TOWED IN FOR REPAIR TO LOCAL DEALER, THEY REPLACED A SWITCH IN THE ABS SYSTEM THAT WAS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO STICK. AS OF TODAY THE CAR IS BACK AT THE DEALER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IN AUGUST OF 2002 THE SWITCH IN THE BRAKE PEDAL THAT ALLOWS YOU TO PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR HAD WENT OUT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SWITCH AND WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR THE BRAKES WERE GRABING AS I LEFT THE DEALER, I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT IT BACK AND TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT RIGHT. A MECHANIC AND I ROAD TESTED THE CAR AND HE STOPPED AND PHYSICALLY PULLED UP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE THE BRAKES RELEASE. HE STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THAT EVENING THE CAR DID THE SAME THING WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTAE AND CAUSED SUCH A DRAG ON THE WHEELS THAT YOU COULD NOT GO OVER 40MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF AT AN EXIT AND PULLED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE IT RELEASE. THE NEXT DAY ON MY WAY TO WORK I HAD THE CAR IN CRUISE CONTROL AND WHEN I TAPPED THE BRAKE FOR CRUISE TO RELEASE, THE BRAKES LOCKED ON THE CAR AGAIN AND I HAD TO PULL UP ON THE BRAKE WITH MY FOOT TO TRY TO GET THEM TO TURN LOOSE. THE CRUISE DID NOT RELEASE, IT GOT STUCK, I HAD TO TURN IT OFF WITH THE SWITCH ON THE STEERING MECHANISIM. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT I WOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE I FELT THIS PROBLEM WAS DANGEROUS AND THEY HAD IT TOWED FOR SERVICE. THEY STATED THE SWITCH THEY HAD JUST REPLACED THE DAY BEFORE WAS FAULTY. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BEARINGS AND ROTARS FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE DUE TO THE BRAKES STICKING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I FEEL ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE RELATED TO EACH OTHER AND ONE MAY HAVE BEEN PRECLUDED THE OTHERS. AS I STATED PREVIOUSLY THE CAR IS BACK AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND I JUST HAPPEN TO BE 2,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CAR HAS HAD A WARRANTY RECALL FOR A PART IN THE ABS SYSTEM WHICH WAS DONE AT THE DEALER. THIS HAS ALL HAPPENED AFTER THE RECALL.

I HAVE A 2000 FORD FOCUS THAT I HAVE HAD ALLOT OF PROBLEMS WITH. I SPECIALLY ORDERED THIS CAR TO HAVE ALL THE SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDING SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS, AND ANTI LOC BRAKES. WE ORIGINALLY HAD BOUGHT THE CAR IN CA. THE FIRST PROBLEM HAPPENED AT 3000 MILES THE REAR BRAKES STARTED SQUEALING, AND THE SEAT BELT BUZZER WONT GO OFF. WE TOOK IT TO FORD WERE THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. WE MOVED TO NC WERE WE NOW LIVE. TOOK IT BACK TO FORD WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT THIS NOW 30,000 MILES. THEY SAID THEY WERE DEFECTIVE, THEY HAD THE CAR OVER NIGHT FOR THE SEAT BELT BUZZER, STILL NO PROBLEM FOUND. SO THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES. WHEN WE PICKED UP THE CAR THE SEAT BELT BUZZER DID THE JOB OF STAYING ON FOR US. IT STOPPED THE SQUEAL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. 1 1/2 WEEKS LATER WE HAD AN ACCIDENT. WHITCH I MIGHT ADD THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. ALSO IN THE ACCIDENT THE REAR SEAT CAME UNHINGED AND THREW A PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS THE SEATBELT AT THE BACK OF HER HEAD CAUSING A LUMP. MY WIFE SAID THE BRAKES JUST DIDN'T WORK AS THEY DID PREVIOUSLY WITH THE NOISE. I TOOK IT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE FOUND THE BRAKES WERE NOT ACTING RIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP PROPERLY. TOOK IT BACK TO FORD, THEY TOLD US THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. A FRIEND OF OURS WAS A FORD MECHANIC AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP WAS GOING TO LOOK AT IT FOR US, HE WAS KILLED THAT WEEK IN A CAR ACCIDENT UN-RELATED. SO WE LOST OUR INSIDE MECHANIC TO TELL US WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING. NOW AT 50,000 MILES THE NOISE IS BACK, MY WIFE WHO DRIVES THE VEHICLE SAYS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THE BRAKES WILL ACT UP AGAIN. NOW WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME NOR THE PATIENTS TO DEAL WITH THE DEALERSHIPS ONCE AGAIN FOR NOW THE FAN BLOWER ONLY WORKS ON 3 ON THE DIAL AND THE CABLE BROKE TO SELECT DEF, VENTS, ECT. ALONG WITH THE RECALL OF THE WIPER MOTOR, AND THE NEEEDING OF NEW ROTERS ON THE FRONT. THIS CAR TO ME IS A LEMON.