NHTSA Complaint #713719 — 1989 FORD B700

THE BRAKE LINE TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND THE LINE TO THE REAR BRAKES WENT THROUGH A COMMON BRACKET ALONG THE FRAME. INSIDE THIS BRACKET, COMPLETELY UNDETECTABLE, THE 2 LINES HAD RUSTED... BOTH FAILED AT THE SAME TIME. I SAW THE FLUID LEAK, BUT KNEW I HAD LOST BOTH BRAKING SYSTEMS, FRONT AND REAR, SO I CONTINUED LOOKING FOR ANOTHER LEAK. TO MY SURPRISE, BOTH LINES MADE CONTACT INSIDE THIS BOLT-ON STRAP CONNECTOR AND HAD RUSTED SIMULTANEOUSLY. ALL WARNING LIGHTS AND BUZZERS WORKED PROPERLY. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL HIT THE FLOOR, THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH RESERVE PRESSURE TO ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE TURNING. HEADING DOWNHILL AND MAKING A HARD LEFT TURN WITH VERY LITTLE CLEARANCE FROM MY HOUSE, I NEARLY HIT MY HOUSE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. MANY YEARS OF DOUBLE-BOTTOM 160K LB. GASOLINE TANKER DRIVING AND A SOUND MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE HASTENED MY REACTION TIME AND I FLIPPED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER AND RELEAVED THE PRESSURE FROM THE REAR SPRING BRAKES, WHICH BROUGHT ME TO A STOP. WITH BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES GONE AT THE SAME TIME, AND WITH ALL BUZZERS AND LIGHTS SENDING ME WARNINGS, STILL THE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED TO APPLY THE REAR BRAKES WITHOUT MANUALLY MOVING THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER. THIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEM I HAVE EVER INCURRED! A BUS LOAD OF CHILDREN WOULD BE IN DESPARATE DANGER IF THIS HAPPENED TO ONE OF THE MANY SIMULAR BUSES STILL TRANSPORTING CHILDREN TODAY. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE LINES WOULD NOT SHOW THIS PROBLEM. THE BRACKET WOULD NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY REMOVED IN ORDER TO INSPECT FOR RUST. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN! I AM REPLACING ALL LINES ON MY BUS... I NO LONGER TRUST ANY CONNECTOR UNDERNEATH THIS OTHERWISE VERY SOLID VEHICLE.