NHTSA complaint: 2006 MERCURY MILAN — SERVICE BRAKES
IN MORE THAN ONE INSTANCE THE BRAKES HAVE SUDDENLY GONE "SOFT", MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BREAK. ONE TIME THE DRIVER WENT OVER A BUMPY AREA IN THE ROAD AND TWO OTHER TIMES IT OCCURRED WHEN THE ROADS WERE WET. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT RESULTED IN REAR-ENDING ANOTHER CAR. IN THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, THE DRIVER WAS HEADING NORTH ON GOVERNOR'S SQUARE BOULEVARD TOWARDS E. MAGNOLIA DRIVE IN TALLAHASSEE, FL. IT WAS RAINING LIGHTLY AND THE ROADS WERE WET. THE DRIVER WAS WITHIN THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 35 MPH. AS THE DRIVER APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION, THE LIGHT WAS RED. WHEN THE DRIVER HIT THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT "SOFT" AND SHE HAD TO PUSH IT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO CONTINUING BRAKING. THOUGH THE CAR WAS SLOWING, IT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP BEFORE THE REACHING OTHER CARS AT THE INTERSECTION. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE CAR REAR-ENDED ANOTHER CAR WHICH THEN PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT. THE DRIVERS OF THE 2 OTHER VEHICLES STOPPED, POLICE CAME, AND A CRASH REPORT WAS ISSUED. WE DETERMINED IT WOULD BE BEST TO LEAVE THE CAR PARKED UNTIL IT COULD BE DETERMINED IF THE BRAKES WOULD RECOVER. WHEN WE RETURNED THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE BRAKES APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, BUT IN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, THE DRIVER IS NOT DRIVING THE CAR. IN THE PREVIOUS 2 OCCURRENCES OF THE BRAKE PROBLEMS, WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THE FIRST TIME, NO PROBLEMS COULD BE FOUND (DATE COULD BE PROVIDED WITH AUTO RECORDS). THE SECOND TIME (AROUND MAY 2017), IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation