1992 Ford Aerostar

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL, PEDAL TRAVELED TO FLOORBOARD. CONSUMER NOTICED LOSS OF BRAKING POWER . VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME WHEN CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BRAKE HOSE WAS BROKEN.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE FRONT FLEXIBLE BRAKE HOSE HAS A HEAVY RUBBER BOOT COVERING THE UPPER SWAGGED FITTING, THIS BOOT ENTRAPS SALT AND WATER CAUSING THE FITTING TO CORRODE SEVERELY AND IS HIDDEN UNDER THE BOOT, CONSUMER REPLACED THE OPPOSITE LINE BECAUSE IT WAS RUSTED ON THE SAME FITTING. *SLC

ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2001, I WAS COMING HOME ON THE 101 FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY A TRUCK CUT IN FRONT OF ME. ALL I COULD DO WAS SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND I COULD FEEL SOMETHING WAS PULLING THE CAR BACK, WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR HAD A HARD TIME ACCELERATING. THIS REALLY SCARED ME BECAUSE I WAS ON THE 101 AND 23 INTERSECTION. I HAD NO WAY OF PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I COULD SMELL SOMETHING WAS BURNING REALLY BAD BECAUSE I HAD TO ROLL DOWN MY WINDOWS. I LOOKED AT THE DASH BOARD AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. WHEN I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE SMELLED THE BRAKES RIGHT AWAY. WHEN HE TOUCHED THE BACK TIRES IT WAS REALLY HOT. HE DROVE IT HOME ABOUT ONE MILES FROM OUR HOUSE AND HE ONLY USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES. BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE REAR BRAKES. AT HOME ALL THE BRAKE FLUID DRAINED OUT FROM THE REAR CYLINDERS. THE NEXT DAY WE TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE CYLINDERS AND THE BRAKE SHOES. BUT HE THOUGHT SINCE I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND FORGOT TO RELEASE IT THAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO THE REAR BRAKE. ON THE SAME DAY MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VAN AND HE HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND IT STAYED LOCKED, HE TOUCHED THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN AND THE BRAKE WAS FINE AGAIN. WE WENT BACK TO THE GARAGE AND CHECK EVERYTHING OUT BUT THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG BECAUSE ALL THE LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. SO MY HUSBAND DECIDED TO TAKE THE FUSE OUT FROM THE ABS BRAKE. THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARD. WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WHEN THE ABS DO THE SELF-DIAGNOSTICS, IT DOESN'T DETECT A FAULT IN THE SYSTEM AND COULD NOT TURN OFF THE SYSTEM SO THE REGULAR BRAKE SHOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY. I TOOK IT TO FORD ON MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2001 AND THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM IN THE ABS SYSTEM. THEY REPLACED THE RABS VALVE. THE BRAKE IS GOOD AGAIN. WHEN I ASKED WHY RABS LIGHTS DON'T GIVE ME ANY WARNING AND SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN, HE SAID SOMETIMES THE LIGHT GOES ON SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. *AK

RIGHT SIDE FRONT CONNECTOR TO BRAKE FLEXIBLE LINE BROKE OFF. DEALER SAID LEFT SIDE WAS READY TO GO AND BOTH WERE REPLACED. THE MAJOR PROBLEM I SEE WAS THAT I HAD NO BRAKING SAVE FOR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE REAR BRAKES FAILED ALSO AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE ONLY LOST THE FRONT BRAKES DUE TO THE REDUNDANT BRAKE CYLINDER SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THE FORD SERVICE MANAGER SAID THIS WAS NORMAL IF YOU LOST ONE LINE. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. FOR TECHNICAL ADVICE AND TO REPORT A POSSIBLE FLAW. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD EVEN SAID THAT THE PROTECTION FOR THE BRAKE FITTINGS HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED UPON THE VEHICLE AT THE FACTORY. *AK