NHTSA Complaint #10452042 — 2009 LOTUS ELISE

MOMENTARY BRAKE FAILURE YESTERDAY. THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE. SHE'S COMMUTED WITH THE CAR TO WORK 3 TIMES A WEEK, 90 MILES ROUND TRIP FOR 7+ MONTHS, LOGGING MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES, AND MUCH MORE THAN I HAVE. ALSO SHE HAS BEEN DRIVING STICK FOR 17 YEARS, AND ROUTINELY DRIVES SPORTS CARS (MINI COOPER S, Z3). 70 MPH (IN 70 ZONE) CRUISING IN #2 LANE REASONABLE FOLLOWING DISTANCE. TRAFFIC AHEAD BEGINS TO SLOW QUICKLY. APPLIED BRAKE. NOTHING. BELIEVE PEDAL DID NOT TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR. CHANGED TO #3 LANE TO AVOID COLLISION WITH CAR IN FRONT. REAPPLIED BRAKE. NOTHING. CHANGED TO #4 LANE. TRIED MOVING FOOT OVER IN CASE WRONG PEDAL WAS BEING PUSHED, AND THROTTLE REVVED CONFIRMING SHE HAD BEEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL. APPLIED BRAKE A THIRD TIME, AND IT WORKED CORRECTLY, AS IF THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM. I CHECKED FLUID IN RESERVOIR (FULL, COLOR VERY CLEAR, LAST CHANGED 9 MONTHS AGO WITH MOTUL 5.1 SYNTHETIC FLUID(NOT 5, NOT SILICON)). FRONT PADS WERE CHANGED 1 MONTH ~800+ MILES AGO. SHE CAN'T BE POSITIVE THAT THERE WAS ZERO BRAKING EFFECT, BUT SHE WAS VERY SURE THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING IN THEIR NORMAL FASHION. AT NO TIME DURING HER HARD BRAKE PRESSURE DID THE ABS GIVE THE PULSING SENSATION IN THE PEDAL. NO IDIOT LIGHTS FOR BRAKES OR ABS CAME ON. DEALERSHIP TOOK THE REPORT SERIOUSLY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE OR FIND ANY FAILED COMPONENT OR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. *TR