NHTSA Complaint #750184 — 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, CAME UPON A PATCH OF UNEVEN ROAD (SHAVED ROAD SURFACE IN PREPARATION FOR REPAVING) JUST BEFORE A STOPLIGHT. ROAD SURFACE WAS DRY. APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE RAN OVER AN EXPOSED MANHOLE COVER APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES IN HEIGHT AND LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 FT BEFORE THE INTERSECTION AHEAD. ABS BEGAN TO PULSE UPON CONTACT WITH THIS MANHOLE. THE PULSE LASTED A SECOND, AFTER WHICH TIME THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE SLID (APPROXIMATELY 10 FT) INTO THE INTERSECTION. CONSTANT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR THE DURATION OF THE STOP. NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE IN THE INTERSECTION AT THE TIME, AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AFTERWARD WITHOUT INCIDENT. ABS ACTIVATION SEEMED WARRANTED DUE TO THE UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, BUT THE SHORT DURATION OF THE PULSE AND THE SUBSEQUENT BRAKE LOCKUP SEEM OUT OF THE ORDINARY. NO OTHER FAILURES OF THIS TYPE HAVE OCCURRED.*AK