Parking brake failure

An NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation into Chevrolet vehicles. Closed 9 April 2004.

Investigation
PE03057
Type
Preliminary Evaluation
Opened
8 December 2003
Closed
9 April 2004

What NHTSA investigated

Odi opened PE03-057 to assess parking brake ineffectiveness in the subject vehicles.these vehicles are equipped with four wheel disc brakes that incorporate a single-shoe drum-in-hat parking brake independent of the service brakes.complaint and warranty data indicate that the parking brake linings tend to wear out early in the life of the vehicle (at an average of 24 months in service), reducing the parking brake system's torque below that needed to immobilize the vehicle.gm has attributed this accelerated wear to foreign material intrusion and a failure of the brake shoe to properly self-center within its brake drum.effective with the start of my 2003 production, a newer reduced force hold-down clip was introduced to facilitate brake shoe disengagement from the drum surface.this part is also available at the service level for the my 1999-2002 vehicles.gm has indicated that the paking brake is intended to operate in conjunction with the transmission to immobilze parked vehicles, and that in many cases, accelerated parking brake lining wear is caused by rough use, vehicle modifications, and driving with the parking engaged. Odi has upgraded the preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis to gather further information concerning parking brake usage factors and the circumstances surrounding the seventeen reported vehicle crashes.

Vehicles covered

MakeModelModel years
ChevroletC101999–2001
ChevroletC/K PICKUPS1999–2002
ChevroletC/K SERIES1999–2003
ChevroletC SERIES1999–2002
ChevroletGMT 8002001–2002
ChevroletK11999–2000
ChevroletK101999–2000
ChevroletK PICKUP1999–2000
ChevroletK SERIES1999–2002
ChevroletSIERRA1999–2003
ChevroletSILVERADO1999–2003
ChevroletSILVERADO 15001999–2003
ChevroletZ712002
GMCC11999
GMCC/K PICKUP1999–2002
GMCC/K SERIES1999–2003
GMCC PICKUP2000
GMCC SERIES1999–2002
GMCC SERIES (LIGHT)1999
GMCGMT 8001999–2002
GMCK11999–2000
GMCK PICKUP1999–2000
GMCK SERIES1999–2002
GMCSIERRA1999–2003
GMCSIERRA 15001999–2002
GMCSILVERADO1999–2002
GMCZ-712000

Source

From NHTSA’s investigation file, rebuilt daily. To report a problem with your own vehicle, go to nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem. All open investigations.