SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
Miles at failure
19,000
Speed
5 mph
Severity
Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No
Narrative
I PURCHASED MY NEW 2003 HONDA ACCORD LX COUPE IN APR 2003. IN DEC 2003, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE BECAUSE OF THE BRAKES. THEY REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. LESS THAN 4 MONTHS LATER, WHILE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE BRAKES FAILED AS MY FOOT NEARLY WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. I SHIFTED THE GEARS DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR THAT WAY, NO ACCIDENT. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT (IT WAS A THURSDAY). THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I INSISTED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR, I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE REPAIR PERSON THAT THE MECHANIC DECIDED TO PROBE FURTHER DUE TO MY INSISTANCE AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND AIR BUBBLES IN THE BRAKE FLUID. THEY BLED MY BRAKES. THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY, SOMETHING ELSE WENT WRONG. AT THE TIME I BELIEVED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE BRAKES, BUT NOW I AM NOT SO SURE. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY APARTMENT, IT FELT AS THOUGH THE BRAKES SLIPPED. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT DID NOT STOP; IT ALMOST SEEMED AS THOUGH THE CAR SPED UP A LITTLE, WHILE MY FOOT WENT TO THE FLOOR. IN A PANIC, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND PRESSED IT AGAIN. I HEARD THE TIRES SQUEAL, BUT BY THAT POINT IT WAS TOO LATE. I ENDED UP HITTING A POLE. STATE FARM HAD MY CAR EVALUATED TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP SHOP, BUT ONLY UNDER THE CO