Help, Need Guidance. 5.3L engine failure with no brakes

[NT1978]

Hi,

I am in need of some guidance of options available to me. I purchased my first ever GM product in January, 2024...a Tahoe LT. I currently have 23,000 miles on it and have had 2 catastrophic episodes where the Tahoe was not drivable and had to be towed away.

1. The first happened in November, 2024 where the engine stopped working while in the middle of an intersection. I had to have the entire engine replaced which took a month to happen.

2. Two weeks ago I was leaving a parking lot and several error messages popped up and my brakes and steering wheel did not work. The diagnosis was a batter discharge, but had on been on a major road I would have been in a serious accident.

I have also had repeated issues with the infotainment sound not working but I can live with that. I do not feel safe, however, living with the brakes and steering wheel not working randomly. I have a case opened with GM who told me to try to work out a deal with the dealership for a trade. GM has added in $4500 in assistance, but the deal is still ridiculous given I just bought the Tahoe last year for over $67K. I am trying to understand what other options I have at this point pursuing another GM. Will they offer additional assistance? Are there lemon laws or recommended legal avenues available that anyone knows about?

 

[Fless]

Lemon laws vary by State, so either do research about your State's Lemon Law or consult a Lemon Law lawyer.

 

[NT1978]

Lemon laws vary by State, so either do research about your State's Lemon Law or consult a Lemon Law lawyer.

Yes I understand that and typically lemon laws require the same issue repeating over and over. I am just looking at all possible options.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

An attorney may be your best bet. That usually incentivizes the Dealership to work harder at offering you an acceptable deal.

 

[Doubeleive]

Hi,

I am in need of some guidance of options available to me. I purchased my first ever GM product in January, 2024...a Tahoe LT. I currently have 23,000 miles on it and have had 2 catastrophic episodes where the Tahoe was not drivable and had to be towed away.

1. The first happened in November, 2024 where the engine stopped working while in the middle of an intersection. I had to have the entire engine replaced which took a month to happen.

2. Two weeks ago I was leaving a parking lot and several error messages popped up and my brakes and steering wheel did not work. The diagnosis was a batter discharge, but had on been on a major road I would have been in a serious accident.

I have also had repeated issues with the infotainment sound not working but I can live with that. I do not feel safe, however, living with the brakes and steering wheel not working randomly. I have a case opened with GM who told me to try to work out a deal with the dealership for a trade. GM has added in $4500 in assistance, but the deal is still ridiculous given I just bought the Tahoe last year for over $67K. I am trying to understand what other options I have at this point pursuing another GM. Will they offer additional assistance? Are there lemon laws or recommended legal avenues available that anyone knows about?

brakes & steering should work unless the engine died, so when this happened did the engine shut down?

 

[NT1978]

An attorney may be your best bet. That usually incentivizes the Dealership to work harder at offering you an acceptable deal.

Thanks. I am actually in the process of finding the right attorney as we speak.

 

[KMeloney]

Two weeks ago I was leaving a parking lot and several error messages popped up and my brakes and steering wheel did not work. The diagnosis was a batter discharge, but had on been on a major road I would have been in a serious accident.

What do you mean when you say your steering wheel and brakes "did not work"? You couldn't steer, or it was just difficult? And pressing the brake pedal didn't stop the car? Did the car shut off completely (engine and all)?

The engine crapping out and needing to be replaced isn't a "new" issue -- but losing steering and braking without losing the engine sounds new to me.

 

[Antonm]

If the engine shuts off the power assist of the brakes and steering stop working, but both systems will still function,,, you've just gotta put A LOT more effort turning the steering wheel and pressing the brake pedal.

Many people alive today (even some old people) have never driven a vehicle without power steering and power brakes, so I can see how the sudden loss of the power assist could make people think those systems just stopped working. Like I don't think my 84 year old mother-in-law would physically be able to turn her steering wheel if she lost power steering.
...

 

[NT1978]

What do you mean when you say your steering wheel and brakes "did not work"? You couldn't steer, or it was just difficult? And pressing the brake pedal didn't stop the car? Did the car shut off completely (engine and all)?

The engine crapping out and needing to be replaced isn't a "new" issue -- but losing steering and braking without losing the engine sounds new to me.

So the diagnosis of the issue is that the battery discharged which caused multiple electrical components to fail. I was at the gym and leaving the parking lot and was only going around 10 mph and when I pushed all the way down on the brakes it would not stop the car. It simply kept going. Thankfully I was not going too fast and cruised a bit further in the parking lot and shifted the car into park to fully stop the car. The engine still worked but many core electrical components were not working.

Had I been going at a higher rate of speed on the highway or busy roads I would have been in a serious accident which is what is scary. Thankfully my kids were not in the car with me.

 

[KMeloney]

So the diagnosis of the issue is that the battery discharged which caused multiple electrical components to fail. I was at the gym and leaving the parking lot and was only going around 10 mph and when I pushed all the way down on the brakes it would not stop the car. It simply kept going. Thankfully I was not going too fast and cruised a bit further in the parking lot and shifted the car into park to fully stop the car. The engine still worked but many core electrical components were not working.

Had I been going at a higher rate of speed on the highway or busy roads I would have been in a serious accident which is what is scary. Thankfully my kids were not in the car with me.

The pedal went to the floor and didn't slow the truck at all?

What about the steering?

 

[NT1978]

The pedal went to the floor and didn't slow the truck at all?

What about the steering?

Correct I had it pushed down and it was not coming to a stop. The steering wheel could move but not easily.

 

[KMeloney]

Correct I had it pushed down and it was not coming to a stop.

Well, that's a new one to me.

 

[NT1978]

Well, that's a new one to me.

Hence why I am not wanting to drive the vehicle again. The dealer indicated they could not determine what caused this all to happen.

 

[Antonm]

Correct I had it pushed down and it was not coming to a stop. The steering wheel could move but not easily.

With the power assist being gone, you just hit the hydraulic resistance of the master cylinder piston.

Assuming the brake lines hadn't broken and all the fluid hadn't leaked out, the brakes would've worked if you'd have pressed them hard enough. The brakes requires a lot more pressure with the power assist gone than most people realize, and perhaps more than some drivers can actually create with their legs (like elderly drivers).
...

 

[Doubeleive]

So the diagnosis of the issue is that the battery discharged which caused multiple electrical components to fail. I was at the gym and leaving the parking lot and was only going around 10 mph and when I pushed all the way down on the brakes it would not stop the car. It simply kept going. Thankfully I was not going too fast and cruised a bit further in the parking lot and shifted the car into park to fully stop the car. The engine still worked but many core electrical components were not working.

Had I been going at a higher rate of speed on the highway or busy roads I would have been in a serious accident which is what is scary. Thankfully my kids were not in the car with me.

you must be a youngster, unless the brake lines popped or you wore the brake pads down to nothing and even if the brake line broke the proportioning valve would kick in then all you had to do in this case was pump the brakes.
The hydraulic brakes are 100% going to work (federal law, requires it), steering will also work even if the battery was disconnected. you just have to use some muscle.
the fluid controlled brakes by law must be a split system, in this case front/rear (reason for the prop valve) so if one fails the other is redundancy
so even if every electronic failed and then engine was off you still have brakes and steering
the proportioning valve works by mechanically closing off the front or rear section that is loosing fluid (if that was the case)
so if you even want to accidentally on purpose desire to disable someones brakes you have to cut both the front & rear lines. (not like in the movies where they just cut one line)
if you look under the hood by your brake fluid tank under it is the front/rear splitter and inside of that is the prop valve, if the rear line broke the valve would slide over and stop the fluid loss so you would still have front brakes (or vica-versa), there is also a sensor that monitors the prop valve, if the valve is activated for any reason you would get a service brakes message on the cluster

 

[homesick]

Lemon laws vary by State, so either do research about your State's Lemon Law or consult a Lemon Law lawyer.

You mean a Lemon Law-yer?

joe

 

[KMeloney]

With the power assist being gone, you just hit the hydraulic resistance of the master cylinder piston.

Assuming the brake lines hadn't broken and all the fluid hadn't leaked out, the brakes would've worked if you'd have pressed them hard enough. The brakes requires a lot more pressure with the power assist gone than most people realize, and perhaps more than some drivers can actually create with their legs (like elderly drivers).
...

Yeah, this is something completely new IF in fact the brakes stopped working altogether. That's why I'm questioning what really happened here.

 

[NT1978]

Yeah, this is something completely new IF in fact the brakes stopped working altogether. That's why I'm questioning what really happened here.

All I know is that I pushed the brake down all the way and the car did not stop. I did not try to pump the brakes but can confirm the brake was pushed all the way down and the car was still moving forward. Also, it was snowy/icy out the day too which is why I am thankful I was not on a main road going at a higher speed.

 

[Antonm]

All I know is that I pushed the brake down all the way and the car did not stop. I did not try to pump the brakes but can confirm the brake was pushed all the way down and the car was still moving forward. Also, it was snowy/icy out the day too which is why I am thankful I was not on a main road going at a higher speed.

I get what you're saying, and that may very well be the way you remember it (panic and stress can cause some weird things to happen and result in your mind playing tricks on you).

Unless the brake system was physically compromised in some way such that the fluid was gone, what you're saying is just not possible. The brake system is a very simple hydraulic system, a piston in the master cylinder (connected to the pedal) pushes fluid on one end of the brake line, which forces that fluid out the other end, moving the caliper piston. Yeah there are ABS pumps and portioning valves in between, but they don't provide some magical place for the displaced the fluid to go.

This same concept of eye witness accounts being proven wrong is widely known in legal /justice systems, with eye witness testimony usually being wrong about 30% of the time (which is kinda scary if you think about it). Also, plenty of people have reported seeing impossible things like the Lock Ness monster, and genuinely believing they did, but their genuine believe doesn't mean that Nessie is real.
...

 

[NT1978]

I get what you're saying, and that may very well be the way you remember it (panic and stress can cause some weird things to happen and result in your mind playing tricks on you).

Unless the brake system was physically compromised in some way such that the fluid was gone, what you're saying is just not possible. The brake system is a very simple hydraulic system, a piston in the master cylinder (connected to the pedal) pushes fluid on one end of the brake line, which forces that fluid out the other end, moving the caliper piston. Yeah there are ABS pumps and portioning valves in between, but they don't provide some magical place for the displaced the fluid to go.

This same concept of eye witness accounts being proven wrong is widely known in legal /justice systems, with eye witness testimony usually being wrong about 30% of the time (which is kinda scary if you think about it). Also, plenty of people have reported seeing impossible things like the Lock Ness monster, and genuinely believing they did, but their genuine believe doesn't mean that Nessie is real.
...

Dude-I am not looking for some speculative analysis. At the end of the day, my Tahoe in the middle of a winter storm was not braking and steering as its supposed to and the dealer indicated they have no idea what could have caused that to happen. I have had the entire engine go out and numerous other repeated issues where the entire infotainment system has gone out. Either I have a really bad individual Tahoe or this is what to expect with GM products in general. I am on here seeking guidance on how prevalent this most recent issue is and if others have had a particular Tahoe that seems to have continuous catastrophic events which requires the vehicle being towed away. I do not trust driving this current vehicle anymore and either need to work with the dealer to try to get a new Tahoe at hopefully a discounted price, or purchase a non-GM SUV and be done with GM forever.