NHTSA complaint: 2018 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE — SERVICE BRAKES
WHEN HAVING TO BRAKE WITH ANY SUDDENNESS AT ALL, I MET TWO EXTREMES. THEY EITHER ENGAGED SO ABRUPTLY EVERYTHING WAS THROWN FORWARD, OR THEY FAILED TO ENGAGE ENOUGH. SUDDEN- I DESCRIBE THIS TYPE OF BRAKING AS WHEN BEING CUT IN FRONT OF. THE NECESSITY TO BRAKE IN THIS MANNER WOULD THROW MY DOGS AND BELONGINGS INTO THE FLOOR. IT HAPPENED FREQUENTLY ENOUGH TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION. IT SEEMED IRREGULAR TO ME. EXTREME- #1: I ENCOUNTERED A PILE-UP OF TRAFFIC UNEXPECTEDLY AND OUTSIDE OF THE USUAL SLOWING AREAS FOR THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW SUFFICIENTLY. THE DOGS WERE NOT THROWN TO THE FLOOR. I AVOIDED COLLISION BY MOVING TO ANOTHER LANE. A TERRIFYING MOMENT, BUT THE BRAKES RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTIONS UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. #2- AS I DROVE AROUND A MOUNTAINOUS BEND AND NEGOTIATED SOME TRAFFIC, I WAS FACED WITH A CAR AT A FULL STOP AT A PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK A SHORT DISTANCE AHEAD OF ME. I SLAMMED MY BRAKES. THE CAR DIDN'T SLOW ENOUGH. NOTHING WAS THROWN FORWARD UNTIL THE COLLISION. AS MY FOOT WAS FULLY PRESSING DOWN ON THEM, I QUESTION IF THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED UNDER EXTREME BRAKING AGAIN. NORMAL- (2000 MILES ON THE CAR)I APPROACHED A STOPLIGHT AT THE END OF A STEEP ROAD. THE BRAKES MADE A GRINDING SOUND AND A MECHANICAL POP-LIKE SOUND. I LET OFF OF THEM THEN REAPPLIED SLOWLY SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL THE CAR STOPPED. THE SOUND REPEATED EVERY TIME I BRAKED. IT SOUNDED AS IF I CONTINUED TO BRAKE, THEY WOULD BREAK. THE NOISES DISSIPATED AFTER I CONTINUED.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation