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2002 SUBARU WRX — SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK

crash · 488489 · 2004-08-04

Vehicle

Make
SUBARU
Model
WRX
Year
2002
Manufacturer
Subaru of America, Inc.
Component
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
Miles at failure
34,000
Speed
35 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGES ON DRY PAVEMENT WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS BUMPS, PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKING FORCE IS SEVERELY REDUCED. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY CARS WITH ABS AND NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME. I HAVE SORT OF LEARNED TO "DRIVE AROUND" THE PROBLEM, BUT ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS WHERE EMERGENCY BRAKING WAS CALLED FOR IT HAS NEARLY CAUSED ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT - ONCE FORCING ME TO DRIVE UP ONTO AND OVER A CURB AND INTO A DITCH. DESTROYING ONE OF MY WHEELS IN THE PROCESS. SOMEONE RAN A RED LIGHT AND I COULDNT STOP FROM 30 MPH IN WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF ROOM WITH A NORMAL BRAKING SYSTEM. PROBLEM HAS BEEN THERE SINCE CAR WAS NEW, WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT IT WITH MY DEALER I WAS INFORMED THAT "ALL WRXS DO THAT, ITS NORMAL" BUT AFTER TALKING WITH SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALTHOUGH WE ALL MIGHT EXPERIENCE IT, ITS NOT NORMAL AT ALL AND QUITE SCARY. AS AN EXPERIMENT I FOUND A PARKING LOT WITH SOME BUMPS ON IT THAT WOULD CAUSE THE ABS TO GO NUTTY, I THEN PULLED THE ABS FUSE AND WENT OVER THE SAME PART OF THE PARKING LOT AT THE SAME SPEED AND I COULD GET TONS MORE BRAKING FORCE WITHOUT LOCKING UP THE WHEELS THAN I COULD WITH THE ABS ON, SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY SCREWY HERE. *AK

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10086171
Machine
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