NHTSA Complaint #749434 — 1972 BMW 2002

I PURCHASED A DISC BRAKE CALIPER SET MANUFACTURED/REMANUFACTURED BY CARDONE ON 7-12-2001. ON 7-16-2001 AT MY LOCAL DEALER. AFTER INSTALLATION THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER FAILED CATASTROPICALLY DURING THE TECHNICIANS TEST DRIVE UPON THE SECOND APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. FORTUNATELY, THE TECHNICIAN WAS DRIVING SLOW AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID COLLISION. UPON RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE TECHNICIAN REINSPECTED THE BRAKE CALIPERS AND FOUND THE REMANUFACTURED LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER FAILED BECAUSE OF CRACK COMPLETELY ACROSS THE CROSS SECTION OF THE METAL CALIPER ITSELF. THE TECHNICIAN REMOVED THE DEFECTIVE CALIPER AND I RETURNED IT TO DISCOUNT AUTO PARTS STORE IN CALLAWAY FL, WHO IN-TURN WAS TO RETURN THE CALIPER TO CARDONE. I CONTACTED, VIA E-MAIL, CARDONE, WHICH HAS ITS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN PHILADELPHIA PA. THEIR WEBSITE TOUTS HOW EXPERT DONE THEIR PRODUCTS ARE AND THEY SITE VARIOUS AWARDS FOR QUALITY. WELL, I AM NOT PLEASED WITH THE QUALITY NOR THE FACT THAT IF THIS BRAKE CALIPER HAD SUCCEEDED IN PASSING MY TECHNICIANS TEST DRIVE AND THEN FAILED ON THE ROAD-- I WOULD HAVE LOST ALL BRAKE HYDRALICS IN MATTER OF SECONDS ON HARD BRAKING AND WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY HAD A COLLISION. CARDONE'S RESPONSE TO DATE HAS NOT SEEMED TO BE ONE OF SERIOUS INTEREST. ONE NOTE ABOUT MY AUTO-- THIS A SHOWROOM CONDITION CLASSIC CAR METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 1972.*AK