# 2003 SUBARU BAJA — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
> NHTSA complaint `619825` · 2007-04-09 · Subaru of America, Inc.
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 3
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** SUBARU
- **Model:** BAJA
- **Year:** 2003
- **Manufacturer:** Subaru of America, Inc.
- **Component:** SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
- **Miles at failure:** 40,000
- **Speed:** 15 mph
## Narrative
I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT LAST APRIL 28, 200) AND WENT TO APPLY MY BRAKES, ONLY TO FIND THAT THEY  WEREN'T GOING TO WORK. I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AND  GRAVITY SLOWED ME DOWN  TO BELOW 18 MPH BECAUSE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY,  ONLY TO BE STOPPED BY A CAR MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ONTO A HIGHWAY VIA ROAD-RAMP. 3 PEOPLE WERE INJURED, AND MY DRIVING RECORD SEVERELY SCORCHED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO FIX  THE DEFECTIVE  BRAKES TICKET.  THERE WERE NO SUBARU DEALERS IN TOWN. THEY DID A VISUAL INSPECTION AND FOUND NOTHING TO BE THE MATTER. AS SOON AS I GOT BACK HOME, A WEEK LATER, I TOOK MY CAR INTO SUBARU, WHO RAN DIAGNOSTICS ON THE ABS ONLY TO CONCLUDE THAT I WAS A CRAZY PERSON. I DECIDED I RATHER NEEDED A SECOND, AND THIRD OPINION. NOW SUBARU HAD MY CAR FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS, GAVE IT BACK, TOOK ME BEHIND THE STORE TO TEST THE BRAKES, AND THE 20 FEET ON GRAVEL IT TOOK TO STOP WAS NORMAL, NOT TO MENTION, I HAD  I QUOTE  STATING 100% FUNCTIONAL AND NEW BRAKES. SO MY MAIN MECHANIC TOOK THE TIRES OFF TO LOOK  THE  BRAKES ,AND SAID OH MY GOD YOU CAN'T DRIVE THIS CAR, THERE WERE NO BRAKES! NONE, IT WAS NOT MEASURABLE, THAT' WAS  HOW LITTLE THERE WERE.. SO I GOT A THIRD OPINION, AGREEING WITH THE SECOND OF MY MECHANIC,  I CONCEDED, AND GOT MY BRAKES  CHANGED. I ASKED TO KEEP THE BRAKE PADS TO TAKE TO SUBARU TO SHOW THEM THEIR GRAVE ERROR. I GAVE THE PADS TO THEM, THEY SWORE UP AND DOWN TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT, AND THAT WAS JULY 3, 2006, T
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*