2001 Mazda Protege

WHILE ON A 300 MILE TRIP,\ I NOTICED A SLIGHT NOISE COMMING FROM MY REAR END. UPON MY RETURN HOME, THE NOISE GOT WORSE AND I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND THE BRAKE CALIPERS MALFUNCTIONED, AND A COMPLETE REAR END BRAKE JOB COSTING OVER $1,000.00 WAS REQUIRED. SINCE THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 52,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS LESS THAN FOUR YEARS OLD I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER, AND WAS TOLD SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALL THEY COULD DO WAS OFF $175.00 OFF THE BRAKE JOB(STILL OVER $1,000.00). ON A VEHICLE THIS NEW I FEEL THE CALIPERS SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. THE BRAKES STILL HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED AS I AM STILL TRYING TO HAVE MAZDA PAY MORE OF THE COST. REPLACEMENT PARTS NEEDED ARE 2 REAR CALIPERS, 2 ROTORS, 2 SETS OF BRAKE PADS AND 2 BRAKE LINE HOSES.*AK

THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE OCCURRED ON 11/01/2001 IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT. I'M THE PASSENGER WHO WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE SOUTHBOUND ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN SUDDENLY I COULDN'T STOP THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE BRAKES, SO I TRIED TO CHANGE LANES, AND THE CAR VEERED OFF THE ROAD, LANDING IN A DITCH AFTER CRASHING INTO 4 OR 5 TREES. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, AND MY SEAT BELT DETACHED AT SOME POINT DURING THE IMPACT. AS A RESULT CAR WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED, AND DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS SMASHED IN. PASSENGER'S SEAT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE DRIVER WAS PUSHED INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR, AND THE TRUCK SAT IN THE BACK SEAT. THROUGH ALL OF THE IMPACT I COULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN THROWN OUT OF MY SEAT BECAUSE MY SAT BECAME UNATTACHED, THEREBY CAUSING EXTREME DAMAGE TO MY CHEST, AND LEAVING ME WITH FRACTURED RIBS WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE AIR BAGS SIMPLY DEPLOYED. *AKFURTHERMORE, THE WHOLE THING COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD CONTROL OF STOPPING THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY FASHION.

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, CAME UPON A PATCH OF UNEVEN ROAD (SHAVED ROAD SURFACE IN PREPARATION FOR REPAVING) JUST BEFORE A STOPLIGHT. ROAD SURFACE WAS DRY. APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE RAN OVER AN EXPOSED MANHOLE COVER APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES IN HEIGHT AND LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 FT BEFORE THE INTERSECTION AHEAD. ABS BEGAN TO PULSE UPON CONTACT WITH THIS MANHOLE. THE PULSE LASTED A SECOND, AFTER WHICH TIME THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE SLID (APPROXIMATELY 10 FT) INTO THE INTERSECTION. CONSTANT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR THE DURATION OF THE STOP. NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE IN THE INTERSECTION AT THE TIME, AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AFTERWARD WITHOUT INCIDENT. ABS ACTIVATION SEEMED WARRANTED DUE TO THE UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, BUT THE SHORT DURATION OF THE PULSE AND THE SUBSEQUENT BRAKE LOCKUP SEEM OUT OF THE ORDINARY. NO OTHER FAILURES OF THIS TYPE HAVE OCCURRED.*AK