SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
Speed
45 mph
Severity
Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No
Narrative
UPON INSTALLING PERFORMANCE FRICTION BRAKE PADS ON VEHICLE, I FELT THEY WERE WRONG. I CALLED AUTO ZONE FROM WHOM I PURCHASED AFTER MEASURING AND FINDING THEY WERE 0.773 THICK. THEY ASSURED ME THEY WERE THE RIGHT PADS. I INSTALLED AND THOUGHT NOTHING MORE OF IT. UPON DRIVING VEHICLE AROUND A MONTH LATER, I HAD NOT GOTTEN 5 MILES WHEN THE FRICTION CAUSED MY CALIPER SEALS TO CATCH FIRE. WE CONTACTED PERFORMANCE FRICTION THE SAME DAY AND TALKED TO MIKE COCHRANE, WHO ASSURED HE WOULD INVESTIGATE AND GET BACK TO ME. AFTER NOT HEARING ANYTHING FOR OVER A WEEK, WE CONTACTED AGAIN. THIS TIME I TALKED TO JENNIFER RAMSEY, WHOM CONTACTED ME THE FOLLOWING VIA E-MAIL AND SAID THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE AND GET BACK. I DID SOME INVESTIGATING MYSELF AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING : NAPA PADS MEASURED 0.719 ; ALBANY 0.720 ; WAGNER 0.717 ; WAGNER HEAVY DUTY 0.738 AAND MOTORCRAFT 0.738. I REPORTED THESE FINDINGS TO MS. RAMSEY AND ASKED WHY THEIR PADS WERE NEARLY 0.040 THICKER THAN ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER, BUT STILL HAVE NO ANSWER. THE LAST CONTACT I RECEIVED FROM MS. RAMSEY STATED THAT THESE PADS WERE HIGH VOLUME SELLERS AND THEY HAD NO OTHER COMPLAINTS, AND THEY WERE STILL INVESTIGATING DATED 11/07/01. I LAST E-MAILED MS. RAMSEY ON 12/07/01 AND HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THANK YOU. *AK