NHTSA complaint: 2000 FORD F-350 — PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
ON 1/28/2000, THE OPERATOR OF THIS VEHICLE PARKED IT OUTSIDE A BUSINESS AND PUT THE TRUCK IN LOW GEAR, APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND EXITED AND LOCKED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS PARKED ON A SMALL DOWNWARD SLOPE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL AND CROSSED 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC, MADE A SHARP LEFT HAND TURNED, LOOPED AROUND AND RAN THROUGH A WALL OF A BUSINESS. THE OWNER OF THIS BUSINESS WAS PRESENT AND WITNESSED THE INCIDENT AND WHEN OUR DRIVER CAME OUT OF THE BUILDING HE WAS IN, THE PROPERTY OWNER AND OUR DRIVER AND ANOTHER WITNESS WALKED TO THE TRUCK AND WATCHED WHILE OUR DRIVER UNLOCKED THE VEHICLE AT WHICH TIME IT BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. FOUR PEOPLE WITNESSED THAT THE TRUCK WAS TURNED OFF AND ALSO WITNESSED THE TRUCK BEING UNLOCKED BY OUR OPERATOR AND VERIFIED THE TRUCK WAS IN LOW GEAR AND THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS WE HAVE 2 ADDITIONAL F350'S (A 1999 AND ANOTHER 2000) IN WHICH CASE THE OPERATORS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR BRAKING PROBLEMS ALTHOUGH ACCIDENTS HAVEN'T OCCURED IN THE OTHER TWO. I WILL ALSO REPORT THOSE SEPARATELY AS COMPLAINTS. COULD YOU ESTIMATE A TIME FRAME FOR INVESTIGATING THIS COMPLAINT? THANK YOU, TAMMY GILES/OFFICE MANAGER. *AK
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation