NHTSA Complaint #10256356 — 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

INCIDENT OCCURRED AUG 2008. THE OWNERS MANUAL AND DEALER SERVICE MANAGER REPORT BRAKES REVERT BACK TO STANDARD BRAKES AND VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN. THIS IS NOT SO!!! IN MY FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE, WHEN ABS LIGHT COMES ON, VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. I HAD FRONT DISK PADS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. AFTER 2 DAYS, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. OWNERS MANUAL, CONFIRMED BY SERVICE MANAGER REPORTS BRAKES DEFAULT BACK TO STANDARD BRAKES. NOT TRUE. BRAKES WERE SLIGHTLY ENGAGED AND OVERHEATING. I WAS TOLD IT MAY TAKE UP TO 5000 MILES FOR NEW BRAKE PADS TO "BREAK IN" AND NOT TO WORRY. APPLYING MY BRAKES RESULTED IN PEDAL GOING TO FLOOR AND A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THIS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE THE MASTER ABS MODULE. DEALER INSPECTION RESULTED IN A DEFECTIVE ABS SIGNAL SENSOR TO THE REAR LEFT BRAKE. REPLACEMENT CURED ALL OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS. THIS VEHICLE AND PERHAPS ALL OTHERS OF THIS TYPE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN WHEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. *TR