Why would the emergency brake not work in a 2002 Chevy Tahoe with 36K miles?

Answer 1

The emergency brakes on a 2002 Chevy Tahoe mostly fail due to the horseshoe shaped brake pads which are located inside both of the drums on the rear rotors. These pads are in continuous contact with the drums and where out quickly. This is a new design, and has not worked according to plan. My emergency brake failed at 37,000 miles. It is just a poor design. This is a chronic issue for suburbans, tahoes and full size pickups in the 2001-2003 range of vehicles. If you look on the internet, there appear to be a lot of complaints about the same thing with little or no help from GM. There is a technical bulletin from GM and the new replacement parts for this include a redesigned clip. I am looking for an answer on how to replace this on my 2001 Suburban so I can get it past inspection. Good luck!