NHTSA Complaint #10143310 — 1999 FORD F-150

ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18,2005, WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH THE ROANOKE, VA AREA, I DESCENDED DOWN A MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY. AS I NEARED THE BOTTOM OF THE STEEP INCLINE, I NOTICED A BACKUP OF TRAFFIC IN BOTH LANES. SLOWING UP AS I NEARED THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME, I NOTICED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME SLOWED ALMOST TO A STOP TO ALLOW TWO VEHICLES FROM THE LEFT LANE TO MERGE IN FRONT OF IT. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP UNEXPECTEDLY THEREBY ALERTING ME TO INSTANTLY STOP MY VEHICLE TO AVOID AN IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AS I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL FULLY (INSTANTLY), THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SLOW UP AND "SHUTTER" OR A "PULSATING" MOTION OF SLOWING DOWN. THE TRUCK CAME CLOSER TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT DID NOT STOP!!!! THIS SHUTTERING OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS THE ABS SYSTEM BECOMING ACTIVATED. BECAUSE OF THIS ACTIVATION, MY VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP IN TIME AND THUS IMPACTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WITH MINOR DAMAGE. AFTER I EVENTUALLY STOPPED, I NOTICED I DID LEAVE SKID MARKS ON THE ASPHALT PAVEMENT. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND NO PRECIPITATION, PAVEMENT WAS DRY. I FEEL THAT UNDER NORMAL HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM, I WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN TIME TO AVOID THIS MISHAP. I DID HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND DISTANCE TO STOP TO AVOID THE MISHAP. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS ABS SYSTEM HAS ENGAGED ITSELF PRIOR TO MY STOPPING DUE TO STOPPED VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE YET TO HAVE AN EVALUATION DONE ON THE TRUCK TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A DEFECT SINCE THE ABS SYSTEM, WITHOUT QUESTION, DOES ENGAGE AS IT SHOULD. MY CONCERN IS THAT ABS DOES NOT LOCK UP THE BRAKES AS IT IS DESIGNED TO DO, HOWEVER, THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE FROM FULLY STOPPING WHEN NECESSARY. I DON'T THINK THIS WAS PART OF IT'S INTENDED DESIGN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DEATHS IN EITHER OF MY MISHAPS, HOWEVER, THESE WERE SLOW SPEEDS. *JB