NHTSA Complaint #769687 — 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE

REAR BRAKES LOCKED ON AT LEAST 25 OCCASIONS. USUALLY HAPPENS IN FIRST FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING, AND WHEN WET. BRAKES WERE REPAIRED BY DODGE/JEEP DEALER 2 MONTHS AGO STILL LOCKED. CHECKED BY CERTIFIED MECHANIC LAST WEEK, COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. YESTERDAY MORNING AT ABOUT 9:00 A.M. DURING STEADY RAIN, APPLIED BRAKES AT 55 MILES PER HOUR TO SLOW VEHICLE FOR CAR IN FRONT THAT HAD APPLIED BRAKES. BRAKES LOCKED AND VEHICLE FISH TAILED TO RIGHT, SPUN AT LEAST TWICE, TIPPED OVER AND HIT GUARD RAIL AT LEAST TWICE. I WAS EXTRACTED FROM VEHICLE WITH ONLY MINOR CUT TO HAND AND GLASS IN NOSTRIL. VEHICLE IS TOTALED. EARLIER LAST YEAR OUR 25 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED, WHERE SHE CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. SUBSEQUENT TO ACCIDENT YESTERDAY, I TALKED WITH TWO OTHER OWNERS OF SAME TYPE VEHICLE WHO EXPERIENCE SAME PROBLEM ON A REGULAR BASIS. REAR BRAKES LOCK, ESPECIALLY FIRST THING IN MORNING AND WHEN THEY ARE WET. CERTIFIED AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC SUGGESTED A COMPONENT THAT CONTROLS HYDRAULIC FLUID TO ALL BRAKES EQUALLY COULD BE THE PROBLEM. WOULD APPRECIATE STATISTICS ON THIS PROBLEM IF AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY OCCURANCES WHERE ACCIDENTS RESULTED. DT