NHTSA Complaint #10116880 — 1996 FORD E-150

1. I WAS TRAVELING A 35 MPH ON A STRAIGHT ROAD DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE ROAD WAS DRY. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY, AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC IN A TWO LANE ROAD. AS I APPROACHED STANDING TRAFFIC AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT I BEGAN TO SLOW GRADUALLY WITH ENGINE BRAKING. AS I APPOACHED THE STOPPED CAR I BEGAN TO TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED NO BRAKING EFFECT. I THAN PRESSED THE PEDAL A COUPLE MORE INCHES, AND STILL THERE WAS LITTLE BRAKING EFFECT. I THEN PRESSED AS HARD AS I COULD, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW GRADUALLY, BUT NOT IN TIME TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE DONE TO THE STANDING VEHICLE, BUT ONLY BECAUSE I WAS TRAVELING SO SLOWLY AND HAD BEGUN TO ANTICIPATE THE STOP IN PLENTY OF TIME. HAVING BEEN AN AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC IN YEARS PAST, I DETERMINED THAT THE FAULT WAS IN THE VACUUM BOOSTER OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AND HAD THE BRAKE SYSTEM EVALUATED. THEY EXAMINED THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM AND COULD FIND NO REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THEY SAID THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MOMENTARY FAILURE OF THE ABS OR VACUUM BOOSTER SYSTEMS, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE FAULT UNLESS IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE THEY WERE TESTING THE VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS.*AK