NHTSA Complaint #767380 — 1996 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITH MY WIFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW AND 2 DAUGHTERS, MORGAN 9 YEARS OLD AND MADISON, 5 YEARS OLD, WERE PASSENGERS. THEY WERE TRAVELING WEST ON INTERSTATE 78 IN NEW JERSEY JUST PAST EXIT 11 WHEN THEY SMELLED A SLIGHT UNUSUAL ODOR. AT THIS LOCATION ON THE INTERSTATE IS A MOUNTAIN, KNOWN AS "JUGTOWN MOUNTAIN." MY WIFE PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, CONCERNED ABOUT THE ODOR AND FOUND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD. TRAVELING DOWNHILL AND GAINING SPEED SHE PANICKED BRIEFLY, BUT MANAGED TO GET TO THE RIGHT LANE AND USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND LOWER GEARS TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. AS THE INTERSTATE LEVELED OUT SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND CONTACTED MYSELF AND AAA FOR TOWING SERVICE. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO CLINTON CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE IN CLINTON, NJ. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT THIS HAPPENS OFTEN TO MANY VEHICLES. HE WAS VERY COURTEOUS AND HELPFUL, BUT I QUESTIONED HIS RESPONSE AS I THOUGHT IT WAS UNUSUAL THAT A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE VEHICLES BRAKE SYSTEM THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION WAS SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED "OFTEN TO MANY VEHICLES." HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT MATERIAL CAN BUILD UP IN THE CALIPERS AND HEAT THE BRAKES UP, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN BRAKE FLUID EVAPORATING. HE ASKED HOW LONG IT WAS SINCE MY LAST BRAKE WORK AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM THE TWO PREVIOUS ROUTINE BRAKE JOBS AND WHEN THE OCCURRED. HE STATED THAT MORE THAN LIKELY I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BRAKE PADS AND/OR SHOES AGAIN AND THEY WOULD CHECK THE MASTER CYLINDER. WITH THIS BEING THE EXTENT OF MY KNOWLEDGE OF BRAKES I ASKED FOR A PRICE QUOTE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE.*AK