1997 Dodge RAM 1500

1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE- NORMAL OPERATION. VEHICLE 9 YEARS OLD. 2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES- STEEL BRAKE TUBE SUPPLYING THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM COMPLETELY DETERIORATED FROM CORROSION AT THE LAST CLAMP STATION PRIOR TO THE CONNECTION TO THE REAR BRAKE HOSE ASSEMBLY. PREMATURE CORROSION OF THE STEEL BRAKE TUBE AT THE LAST CLAMPING STATION RUPTURED THE STEEL BRAKE TUBE RESULTING IN 95% LOSS IN VEHICLE STOPPING POWER WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. BRAKE FAILURE. 3) ACTIONS TAKEN TO CORRECT THE FAILURE- STEEL BRAKE TUBE WILL NEED REPLACED. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK IN A BUSY SHOPPING CENTER, APPROXIMATELY SPEED OF 20 MPH, I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD NO BRAKES AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE CROSSWALK IN FRONT OF A DEPARTMENT STORE. JUST A FEW SECONDS BEFORE, I HAD PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, APPLYING MY BRAKES TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND AGAIN APPLIED MY BRAKES AT THE END OF THE PARKING ROW . EACH TIME, NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM, BRAKED FELT AND WORKED AS NORMAL. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE PEDESTRIAN IN THE CROSSWALK AND NEGOTIATE THE PARKING LOT TO AN AREA WHERE I COULD COME TO A STOP AND INSPECT THE VEHICLE. I FOUND THE FRONT RESERVOIR OF MASTER CYLINDER EMPTY OF BRAKE FLUID. I WENT TO A LOCAL GROCERY STORE AND PURCHASED DOT3 BRAKE FLUID TO FILL THE RESERVOIR AND SEE IF I CAN GET ANY PEDAL BACK. WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTAIN ANY PEDAL PRESSURE. WHEN I CHECKED THE RESERVOIR IT WAS EMPTY AGAIN. I LOCATED THE FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER MY GAS TANK. THE BRAKE LINE ABOVE THE GAS TANK HAD RUSTED THROUGH. I HAD THE VEHICLE DELIVERED TO A GOODYEAR REPAIR SHOP, FOR REPAIRS. THE BRAKE LINE THAT RUNS THE LENGTH OF THE VEHICLE, TO THE REAR END HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE SYSTEM WAS BLED. THE BRAKES ARE WORKING NORMALLY AGAIN. I REQUESTED AND HAVE POSSESSION OF THE VERY RUSTED BRAKE LINE. IT APPEARS TO HAVE A WHITE ID TAG WITH 52055 ON IT. AGAIN, I WANT TO STRESS THAT THE RUST WAS ABOVE THE GAS TANK, NOT VISIBLE WHEN CONDUCTING MY NORMAL VEHICLE MAINTENANCE - INSPECTIONS. VEHICLE HISTORY: I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I DID USE THIS VEHICLE TO TOW A 15 FOOT FIBERGLAS BOAT. THE VEHICLE IS A 1997 1500 RAM WITH 59600 MILES. I WORK FROM HOME FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS AND THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT SEE A LOT OF USE, HENCE THE LOW MILEAGE. WHEN I WAS WORKING AT MY FORMER OFFICE, I HAD AN 11 MILE ROUND TRIP TO WORK PLUS PERSONAL MILEAGE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 DODGE RAM 1500 ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NEAR PHILADELPHIA, PA AT THE 65 MPH SPEED LIMIT, TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT WARNING. PUMPING IT DID NOTHING. I HAD TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO VEHICLES IN THE TWO LANES TO THE RIGHT OF ME, I SWERVED AND GOT THE TRUCK ON THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN VEHICLES TO MY RIGHT, I WOULD HAVE REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, CAUSING A MULTIPLE VEHICLE CHAIN-REACTION TYPE OF CRASH. INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE ALONG THE HIGHWAY SHOWED BRAKE FLUID RUNNING OUT OF THE BRAKE LINE THAT RUNS FROM BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE NEAR THE PROPORTIONING VALVE. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT BRAKE SYSTEMS COULD HAVE A TOTAL, ABRUPT FAILURE AS THIS SYSTEM DID. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY. THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE STEEL BRAKE LINE WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND HAD RUSTED THROUGH. ALL STEEL BRAKE LINES ON THE VEHICLE WERE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY ALL WERE RUST COLORED AND SHOWED CORROSION. THIS TRUCK HAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES ON IT. IT IS USED AS A SECOND VEHICLE AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGE KEPT AND WELL MAINTAINED. THE GARAGE ALONG WITH MYSELF ARE AMAZED THAT THE BRAKE LINES SHOW THIS TYPE AND AMOUNT OF CORROSION. HOW MANY OTHER FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED WITH THESE TRUCKS? THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SEVERE CRASH WITH EXCESSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE AND/OR BODILY INJURY. *JB