1997 Ford Mustang SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD MUSTANG, COBRA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PARKED IN HIS DRIVEWAY HE APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO COAST DOWN HIS DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED NHTSA RECALL #00V349000 PARKING BRAKE: CONVENTIONAL DID NOT APPLY TO HIS VEHICLES VIN NUMBER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 93000.

WAS INFORMED BY THE GARAGE I TOOK MY CAR TO THAT MY MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER AND HYDROBOOST WERE LEAKING. I WAS TALKING THIS OVER WITH A LAWYER FRIEND OF MINE AND SHE INFORMED ME OF A RECALL ON FEDERAL VEHICLES, POLICE, ETC. BUT THIS WAS NOT A GENERAL RECALL. BUT IF YOU HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES ON YOUR VEHICLE IT WOULD BE FIXED THROUGH FORD. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO SUCH RECALL EVEN AFTER I TOLD THEM I COULD FURNISH THEM WITH CASE LAW NUMBERS IN FLORIDA. I AM NOT SURE WHAT I SHOULD DO AND HOPE YOU CAN HELP. *JB

CAR WILL PULL FROM SIDE TO SIDE UNDER LIGHT BRAKING IF THE ROAD IS ROUGH. MUST FIGHT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP CAR STRAIGHT UNDER BRAKING. ALSO, THE CAR WILL ALSO WANDER THE ROAD IF IT IS UNEVEN OR ROUGH. AGAIN THE DRIVER MUST FIGHT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM.*AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLYING BRAKES ABS WILL TAKE LONGER TO ACTIVATE, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC, AND THERE IS NO FIX. *AK

WE ARE AWARE OF YOU PREVIOUS RELEASE REGARDING THE FORD SVT BRAKE LINES AND WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR INVESTIGATION AND IF IT WAS A THIRD PARTY EVALUATING

BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN RAINING AND/OR ROAD IS WET. DEALERSHIP WHERE SERVICED SAYS "THIS IS NORMAL". *AK

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE DEALER THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED. THEY ADVISED THAT WOULD ON TURN THE ROTORS INSTEAD OF REPLACING. APROX. 7000 MILES LATER THE VIBRATION RETURNED.IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 7 DAYS AND THAT FORD WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR. VEHICLE HAD APPROX. 32000 MILES AT THIS TIME.

PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR CALIPER GOT STUCK AND BURNED THROUGH REAR BRAKE PAD, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK

REPORTED ABS LIGHT CONTINUALLY ON; ABS CONTROL MODULE ORDERED 09/04/1999 (COST TO OWNER FOR PART: $600+). PART WAS RECEIVED AND TO BE INSTALLED 11/11/1999, HOWEVER, NEW PART WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND PART WAS RE-ORDERED. IN CHECKING, THE TECHNICIAN FOUND ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH ABS--PART ESTIMATED AT $800. RECEIVED BOTH PARTS AND INSTALLED ON 11/30/1999. $500 WAS APPLIED UNDER "WARRANTY." OWNER STILL HAD TO PAY TOTAL OF $900+ FOR PARTS AND LABOR FOR A SYSTEM (ABS CONTROL MODULE AND ABS HCU UNIT) THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED IN A CAR THIS NEW! ALSO, IF THE PART ORDERED THE FIRST TIME WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE, IT WOULD SEEM THAT THERE COULD BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE PARTS AT MANUFACTURER'S LEVEL. *AK

ANTI-BRAKE SYSTEM COMPUTER FAILED. *YC

CONSUMER WILL PROVIDE VIN.# UPON RECEIPT. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 85MPH WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINE SEPARATED AT THE CRIMP. CONSUMER HAD A HEAD-ON COLLISION INTO A TIRE BARRIER / CEMENT WALL. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. FORD CAME OUT AND TOOK THE BROKEN BRAKE LINE FROM THE CAR, AND CONSUMER HAS HEARD NOTHING YET. *AK

BRAKE LINE FAILURE.

RUBBER HOSE SEPARATED FROM BRAKE CALIPER CAUSING LOSS OF FLUID.

BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED

BOTH OF THE FRONT BRAKE HOSES FAILED, CAUSING COMPLETE FRONT BRAKE LOSS. DEALER STATES THAT THIS OCCURRED DUE THE BRAKES OVERHEATING. *AK CONSUMER HAD A REPLACEMENT HOSE INSTALLED AND WHILE BLEEDING THE BRAKES, THE LEFT FRONT HOSE FAILED, BOTH FAULTY HOSES APPEARED TO HAVE MELTED OUT OF THE CALIPER FITTING, THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO FAILURE OCCURRING WHILE ON A RACE TRACK. *SLC