I have a 2008 Tahoe Hybrid. The brakes failed the first time causing us to rear-ended another vehicle. It was at low speed and there was no damage so no report was written. We thought it was a one-time thing until we started to drive off and the brakes failed again, sending us over a curb and into a nearby parking lot.

I took it to Coggin Chevy in Jacksonville, FL where they looked at it and found nothing wrong. They blamed it on wet roads...although it was not raining when the incident occurred.

A few days later after they found "nothing wrong", I was slowing for a red light and the brakes failed again. I almost hit another vehicle but was able to swerve at the last second...it scared the cr*p out of me. I pulled over, turned the car off and back on again and decided to try and make it home (about 2 miles). As I neared my home, the brakes failed again causing me to take a corner at approximately 40 mph.

Coggin Chevy took my vehicle back in and kept it for a few weeks. They replaced every brake part possible. After the repairs, one of the employees drove it home to test it and the brakes failed on him. I think they had my car in for about 3 - 4 weeks total.

So, here I am a month later and the brakes failed AGAIN! This time exiting from the interstate, slowing on an off-ramp...nearly crashing into another vehicle. This is madness. I will have it at the dealership tomorrow.
Oh, and when the brakes failed the last two times, I took pictures of the dash lights and readout for evidence. "Service Stabilitrak" seems to be the recurring theme. My email is Trock55@hotmail.com if anyone wants to see the pics.

 

Why are driving at 40mph when the brakes had just failed and you only had 2 miles to go? You could have got home on electric with the flashers on.

Thanks for the warning, I guess.

 

....good luck on your goal of having GM buy back your car....and good luck with your next one.

 

Again, same braking system, redundant, cross-plumbed, dual-master cylinder, that has been in use since the 1960s. It is not "failing", that is not possible. Any mechanic will tell you that. Maybe, if you are being honest, you experienced a loss of power-assist. But I doubt your sincerity, as only a complete fool would continue to drive a vehicle that has (in your mind) lost its brakes, without servicing it.
Good luck to you.

 

Dude, you supposedly own a hybrid Tahoe; have you ever looked under the hood? There's no conventional master cylinder there, these are completely electric-assist brakes.

The man is having a real issue. Dealer shouldn't be blaming this on "wet roads." That's the worst excuse ever. It COULD be the dealer updated the brake software and didn't do a proper required relearn. Since these brakes are all electric assist, and have to blend regen braking with friction braking, they must be setup correctly. If the dealer can't help the customer, they should be elevating this issue to tech support and get someone competent on the line.

 

Here are my thoughts. The Service Stabilitrack I have seen before in my other GM vehicals with no brake failures. Please do not get me wrong i believe that you have had the failure. On the tahoe hybrid we have a Stabilitrack Off Button I believe it is on the lower center consule were are gas and brake pedal adjustment swith is located. Maybe the next time you have a brake failure select the Stabilitrack off. This should take it out of the system, I believe what this system does is modulate brake pressure through a computer or module. This maybe the failure componnent.What I do not know is that if our trucks have several computers for each system or one. If we have one then maybe stray voltage is getting accross. The GM dealer should be able to answere this for you. Also my understanding is like every other truck we have a brake master cylinder with standard brakes, AS WELL AS Regenerate braking. I do not believe that the two are conected but are separte systems. Some where in here I read that we have electric assist brakes which to my understanding is not true. The GM dealer can answere this for sure. Another test would be to drive for a while with the Stabilitrack selected off and see if you have another failure. I ALSO AGREE WITH JET 1 be nice at the dealership tell them you are very concerned and that this maybe some kind of intermittent issue that requires a service bulletin to correct, use honey let them be the heros and find the problem, this will help us all. When I had a Stabilitrack service light in my Equinox my AWD was affected as well. The problem was there for a long time and the dealership worked hard and was very fustrated at times, rainy days made a differance and the problem was finally found to be a chaffed wire. They were great and i used a lot of honey. If the computer or logic board or whatever component is the problem you may want to get the part number and serial number along with the vender or vender code. I am sure that GM has this component built for them and the vendor maybe happy to hear from you in a nice way that they may have a problem. Unlike Textron, Cessna Citation who have a six sigma group for looking at components and helpping the vendors correct the problem, GM has a lot of red tape right now and a long chain of comannd and it my take sometime to correct the problem for all of us and this is why if you have a component failure letting the vendor know may hel. Companies like magna International are very responsible for this. Sorry about the run on it is late and I cannot sleep. Just thought I would put forward some ideas. This is a great truck and if we all share our experiences good and bad we will make it a better one. We are still a small group of owners when it comes to this truck.I am sure yu are frustrated but keep plugging away you will get this problem resoloved.

 

NEVER start a fight on the internet with the words DUDE it just points out your inferior stance. also arguing on the internet is like finishing in first place in the special Olympics.
now on to the meat of the issue:
you are VERY CONFUSED.
look at this picture and NOTICE THE HYDRAULIC reservoir for the HYDRAULIC brake system.

http://image.motortrend.com/f/922598...rid+engine.jpg

The hybrid brake system is a standard HYDRAULIC system...the difference is that it DOES NOT have a vacuum power assist. the POWER ASSIST is electric in nature. if you shut off your conventional engine you lose POWER ASSIST regardless of HOW it is assisted. that means YOU are the power assist and you really have to MASH down on the brakes, but THEY STILL WORK.
just in case you didn't notice the HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDER RESOVOIR here is another pic of it.

http://assets.clickmotive.com/ail/st...st0640_050.jpg

and another...

http://www.hibredsuvs.com/yukon-2009-engine-01.jpg

in the military we have a saying "an inferior soldier always blames his weapons system"

 

I think Jet1 clarified how you should hold a technical discussion, in-general.
Specifically, yes I looked under the hood even before I bought it, as I helped the dealer learn how to jump start the demo unit.
Secondly, I do all of my own brake work, and I have been through the technical data on this vehicle as a subscriber to All Data's service.
Third, the only vehicle I have ever heard of using "brake by wire" is the Mercedes S-class of several years ago, and that end very poorly for Merz. For the foreseeable future, all vehicles will be shipping with a hydraulic system for braking, even if a large portion is normally done with electric motors, as on the Tahoe Hybrid.
Lastly, in my opinion the original poster was, at best, disingenuous, if not just a fraud.

 

Great job Jet 1! Keeping us on track is important. First Class Job!
FLY NAVY
We only have the F18 in the AirForce here, My Dad was a Navy Man WWII. I would have liked to fly the F14, I had some great conversations with rocky Rockwell.
Thanks Ken

 

Ken,
I bet the CA gov't could get some great deals on slightly used F15 and F16s from our Air Force. We have the F22 now...
Jet1, I guess I wasn't paying attention. You're a Navy man? I didn't think you would treat aircraft so badly as to take them out to sea.