DEFECTIVE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR (NHTSA ID#01V254001) ON MY 2001 MONTERO CAUSED MY BRAKES TO FAIL WHILE STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION WHICH RESULTED WITH ME REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE! THIS HAPPENED OVER 1 YEAR AGO AND THE DEFECTIVE PART HAS BEEN MAKING A TERRIBLE SOUND WHILE BRAKING FOR OVER 2 YEARS. EVERYTIME I PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON MY VEHICLE. NO ONE COULD CONFIRM WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS NOISE. I JUST FOUND OUT TODAY (06/08/2004) WHAT THE PART IS AND THAT IT'S KNOWN TO FAIL, CAUSING CRASHES WHAT HAPPENED ON 03/10/2003. I WAS CITED FOR "FAILURE TO YIELD, BUT CONTESTED THAT MY BRAKES FAILED AT THE POINT OF AVOIDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES AND NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE? THE BRAKES WOULD CONTINUE TO FAIL IF I CAME TO A FAST STOP AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE VERY CAREFULLY SINCE THIS ACCIDENT. LUCKILY I CAME ACCROSS THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND DISCOVERED THAT I HAD A DEFECTIVE PART!!! ACCIDENT CAUSED MY VEHICLE $1,700.00 IN DAMAGES AND THE OTHER VEHICLE DAMAGE. ALSO (NOT SURE $ / COVERED BY INSURANCE) HOW DO I GO ABOUT FILING A CLAIM FOR MY VEHICLES DAMAGE OF $1,700.00 AND GETTING THIS PART EXCHANGED??? THE MITSUBISHI DEALER I PURCHASED MY 2001 MONTERO FROM WENT OUT OF BUSINESS YEARS AGO. *AK