NHTSA Complaint #751224 — 1999 DODGE INTREPID

WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY NEAR TRACY, CA VEHICLE DROVE OVER SMOOTHLY PART IN FREEWAY THAT SLIGHTLY WENT UPWARD THEN SLIGHTLY DOWNWARD CAUSING VEHICLE SPRINGS OR STRUTS TO LIFT UP OR HOP FAR TOO MUCH CREATING VERY POOR VEHICLE TRACTION, TRAFFIC THEN ABRUPTLY HALTED, HAD TO BRAKE HARD TO STOP VEHICLE, VEHICLE HAD POOR TRACTION AND JUST SLID MAKING A LOUD TIRE SCREECHING NOISE, HAD TO VERY QUICKLY RELEASE THE BRAKE SINCE VEHICLE WAS SKIDDING, SHIFTED INTO AUTOSTICK AND DOWNSHIFTED QUICKLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH QUICKLY USING BRAKE GET VEHICLE TO STOP PROPERLY. I AM USING STOCK GOODYEAR TIRES WITH GOOD TREAD, SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME TIRES ARE OK, I AM SUPPOSED TO HAVE ABS (ANTI-LOCK BRAKES) SO THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. I BELEIVE THAT THE ABS FAILED DUE TO THE SPRINGS OR STRUTS BOUNCING ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO LIFT UP TOO MUCH THUS LOOSING TRACTION CAUSING ABS TO FAIL. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH ABS HOWEVER BRAKES ARE STARTING TO SOMETIMES FEEL FUNNY, ALMOST A LITTLE ROUGH WHEN APPLIED LATELY. I TALKED TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE SKIDDED AS IT DID AND MY SPRINGS COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXCESSIVE UPLIFT THAT OCCURED. VEHICLE DOES SEEM TO HOP OR BOUNCE A LITTLE MUCH ALSO AT TIMES CAUSING THE FRONT WHEELS TO LOOSE TRACTION OR SLIDE ON SLIGHT TURNS. NEW SPRINGS OR WHATEVER WITH ONLY 32,000? I HAVE NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN IN MY OLD 1995 DODGE INTREPID ALTHOUGH IT HAD IT'S PROBLEMS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AND IS DANGEROUS, I ALMOST SMASHED INTO THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU.*AK