NHTSA Complaint #10956167 — 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE,AFTER A HARD RAIN, I CAME OVER A HILL AND NOTICED THAT TRAFFIC HAD STOPPED DUE TO AN ACCIDENT AHEAD. I HIT THE BRAKES AND NOTICED THAT MY SPEED WAS NOT IMPEDING AS NORMAL.I DIDN'T WANT TO COLLIDE WITH THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME IN MY LANE WHICH WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED ABOUT 40 YARDS AHEAD,SO, I TRIED TO GO TO THE LEFT. I FIGURED THAT IF I DIDN'T STOP IN THAT DISTANCE I 'D STOP IN 5 OR 10 MORE FEET WITHOUT COLLIDING WITH THE VEHICLE AHEAD. THE INSIDE SHOULDER WAS NOT WIDE ENOUGH TO SAFELY HARBOR BOTH FRONT WHEELS OF MY CAR AND MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL SKIDDED OFF THE SHOULDER CAUSING THE ENTIRE REAR END TO SKID OFF THE INTERSTATE WHILE THE FRONT AXLE REMAINED ON THE SHOULDER. LUCKILY THE RAVINE WAS SHALLOW AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENTIRE CAR OFF THE SHOULDER INTO THE RAVINE AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAVINE, WHICH HAD NO INCLINE AND GET BACK ON THE ROAD ALBEIT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I THOUGHT I NEEDED BRAKES SO I HAD THEM CHECKED OUT.I WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKES WERE IN GOOD SHAPE. THE REAR WERE NEARLY BRAND NEW AND THE FRONT HAD QUITE A BIT OF WEAR. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOT SELF ADJUSTING. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE DEPLOYED TO ADJUST THE REAR PADS. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN ENGINEERING DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION. THIS IS MY FOURTH CAR AND I'VE NEVER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ON EITHER VEHICLE UNLESS I PARKED ON AN INCLINE. SINCE THEN I NOTICED THE FRONT OF THE CAR AROUND THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE PART OF THE TRIM WAS LEFT OFF. I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM ENTERPRISE RENTALS AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD IF IT HAD EXTENSIVE OR ANY BODY WORK.