1993 MERCURY VILLAGER — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND AS VEHICLE WAS MOVING AT ABOUT 10 MPH, APPROACHED RED LIGHT AT INTERSECTION. DRIVER COULD FEEL PRESSURE IN BRAKE PEDAL, BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN DESPITE FULL FORCE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BY THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE ENTERED THE ENTERED THE INTERSECTION, AND WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, LEAVING BOTH VEHICLES UNDRIVABLE. THE DRIVER OF THE VILLAGER SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY, AND WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, DRIVER HAD NOTICED THE VILLAGER'S ABS OPERATION WAS INTERMITTANTLY VERY ROUGH, AND TENDED TO INTERRUPT FOR ABNORMALLY LONG INTERVALS DRIVER'S EFFORTS TO BRAKE. WHEN THOSE BRAKING PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED TO THE DEALER, DEALER RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE VILLAGER, AND THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE "ABS WARNING LIGHT" ON THE DASH CAME ON AND STAYED ON. LESS THAN TWO MONTHS (AND ABOUT 2000 MILES) PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE DRIVER HAD BRAKE PADS AND HYDRAULIC SYSTEM (BUT NOT THE ABS CONTROLS) CHECKED BY A LOCAL BRAKE REPAIR SHOP. THE SHOP DECLARED THE SYSTEM TO BE IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION AT THAT TIME. *AK