Latest news with #brakefailure
Motor 1
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘I Legit Have Nightmares:' Customer Buys Chevy Suburban From Dealership. Then She Runs Into This Issue 3 Weeks Later
A mom shared scary footage of her Chevy Suburban's brakes allegedly failing while she was on the road, just three weeks after buying it. Tiffany Maillet (@upholsterygirl239) uploaded the viral clip on TikTok, where it accrued over 5.9 million views. In it, her evident panic was captured in the moment, along with how she worked with an officer to get her car to stop. The mother of five writes in a text overlay that's visible from the onset of her video, 'Just got a Chevy Suburban from the Chevy Dealership and experienced something out of my nightmares. I'm a mom of 5 kids and I HAVE to have my car. I just paid for summer camp for Monday. Today is my son's birthday. This is so awful.' Her TikTok shows dashcam footage recorded while she's on the road. Next, she suddenly makes an exclamation that would make any driver's heart sink and stomach churn: 'My, my, my car's not braking! My car's not braking!' The vehicle in front of her appears to come to a stop, its red brake lights engaged. Suburban Brake Failure On the TikToker's dashcam, she can be seen lurching ahead, nearing the stopped vehicle. On the opposite side of the road, a white SUV with flashing emergency lights is parked. The car on the road in front of her slowly moves up, creating enough room for her to veer into the far left lane. It's separated by a concrete curb divider, which the TikToker careens toward as she honks her horn several times. 'It's not braking!' she says with a cracked, fearful voice. Following this, she drives up on the curb, stopping right beside the white SUV, which has the word 'Sheriff' written on the side. Once she's adjacent to the police officer's vehicle, she shouts out to the officer. 'My car won't brake! I'm pushing so hard on the pedal!' she says. Quickly, the law enforcement official informs her to 'put on the emergency brake.' She hesitates and then quickly asks, 'Where's the emergency brake?' He repeats again, 'emergency brake.' She states, 'I'm pushing so hard on my brake!' and as she does so, a radio can be heard going off in the background of the clip. Emergency Brake Engaged Next, it seems she's managed to locate the emergency braking mechanism while the officer exits his vehicle to assist her. 'This thing?' she asks, sniffling. 'Yes, push that down,' he says. The mom then tearfully says to her husband on the phone, 'I'm next to the cop right now,' before explaining what happened to her vehicle. 'I was stopped back at that stop sign, and ... I was holding the brake down, and it kind of felt like it crunched for a second.' The officer replies, 'Yeah.' She continues, 'And it just started sliding and it wouldn't stop going, and I'm like holding it down as hard as I could.' Then, she addresses her husband on the phone, 'Can you call your mom because she's behind me and I want her to know. All right, bye.' At the end of her video, she tells the officer that she just recently purchased the car 'three weeks ago.' What Should You Do If Your Brakes Fail? Ideally, no driver would ever have to deal with brake failure. However, there are methods folks can adhere to in order to safely bring their car to a stop in the event their brakes give out. First, commuters should attempt to pump their brakes in case they've locked up. In some cases, repeatedly engaging the brakes can 'unlock' them, bringing vehicles to a stop. If that doesn't work, defensive driving school iDriveSafely recommends immediately putting on one's hazard lights. This will alert others on the road to steer clear of your car. Following this, place your vehicle into a lower gear. Doing so will 'slow down your car.' Conversely, the outlet cautions against immediately placing the car in neutral. That's because it 'will take away the engine braking effect.' Consequently, one's car won't start to decelerate. Furthermore, instantly shutting off one's car will also disable power steering, making it harder to control. Once your car is slowing down, slowly guide it to an area away from regular traffic flow. This can be a shoulder, outlet, or slightly raised curve, or even on the outskirts of the left or right-most lane. Next, iDriveSafely recommends engaging the emergency brake. Often, this brake's engagement system is in the form of a lever located near the car's center console. Many vehicles place it in the form of a small pedal left of the standard brake, so be cognizant of where it is and how to activate your e-brake. Chevy Dealership Admits Fault Following her harrowing road incident, Maillet posted other videos pertaining to her experience. In this particular TikTok commenting on the situation, she shared the outcome of her correspondence with the dealership. According to her, the reason she wasn't able to stop was due to aftermarket brakes. Additionally, she says a service tech informed the sales team that the brakes would need to be swapped out prior to the sale for safety reasons. However, she says the sales manager didn't want to eat the cost of a brake swap. Ultimately, Maillet added that upon escalating the issue, the dealership admitted fault. At the end of her clip, Maillet speculated just how much more dangerous a situation she could've found herself in. 'I MEAN I COULD HAVE BEEN GOING 80 DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MY FAMILY WAS AT RISK. complete negligence,' she writes in a text overlay. More on Dealerships 'This Is Why No One Wants to Work at Dealerships:' Mechanic Works on Audi With Nail in Tire. Then He Turns on the Computer Dealership Worker Is Oh-So-Close To Closing Car Sale. Then a Receptionist Ruins It In 1 Minute What Maillet found even more troubling was the fact that her five children were with her when she bought the car, meaning the sales team had no qualms with putting all of them in a vehicle that had potentially faulty brakes. 'I legit went to the dealership with my 5 kids and he still thought it was a good idea to stick me in the Suburban absolute shame on @chevrolet,' she writes in the caption. When Dealerships Give You a Dud Unfortunately, used car sales isn't exactly known to be the most scrupulous of vocations. But just because a car is previously owned doesn't mean buyers aren't legally protected by what Lemon Car Law refers to as 'implied warranties.' This effectively means 'the dealer guarantees the vehicle will function as it is supposed to,' the outlet states. However, there is some nomenclature to consider. If you purchase a vehicle 'as is' from a dealer, then you are assuming all liability for any repairs to the vehicle. This doesn't seem to be the case with Maillet's purchase, as she explained the Chevy dealership took responsibility for not swapping the brakes. But not everyone is so fortunate as to have purchased a car from a dealership that's willing to own up to its mistakes. And if you didn't enter an 'as-is' agreement and the dealership lies about any damage incurred to the vehicle, you could have a claim against it. Furthermore, as Lemon Car Law states, if integral components are compromised, then drivers could take legal action. There are several steps involved in this process. First, Lemon Car Law recommends contacting your state's consumer protection office. This will allow you to start a record of lodging a formal complaint against the dealership that sold you the vehicle. Moreover, lodging a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) may also help garner more attention to your claim. While possessing no legal authority, many companies take BBB ratings seriously. So, bad marks against the company could incentivize it to take action. Additionally, should your vehicle still fall under the manufacturer's base warranty, Lemon Car Law also suggests filing with the National Center for Dispute Settlement. Commenters React Maillet also narrated in the video, 'Just talked to the general manager of Chevy, and they told me they never should have sold me that car, and that they were in the wrong, and they're sorry.' Several folks who replied to her video concurred with the general manager's statement that the dealership was in the wrong. One user penned, 'You have a lawsuit!' urging Maillet to take legal action against the business. Another echoed this sentiment, stating their admittance of fault may ultimately assist with her claim: 'Call a lawyer - IMMEDIATELY! They just admitted fault and incompetence. Go get your coin.' 'Huge huge lawsuit. You cannot release a car with compromised brakes,' someone else wrote. Others on TikTok shared experiences working in auto sales that were similar to Maillet's close call. 'I hated doing used cars because of stuff like this. Sales only want to do enough to get it to roll off the lot. Who cares about customer safety right?' According to this user, refusal to perform component swaps is a common occurrence. 'Happens all the time. And the service department always gets the blame.' However, there was someone else who appeared confused about the hate directed toward third-party vehicle options. 'What's wrong with aftermarket Brakes? There are millions of cars/trucks on the road with non oem brakes on them and have no issues.' Motor1 has reached out to Maillet via TikTok comment for further information. The story will be updated should she respond. Now Trending 'I've Got a Scat, I Love It:' Dealership Customer Asks About a 'Shelby' They Spotted on the Lot. Then They Found Out the Price 'How Bad Is This?' Woman Hears a Clink While She's Driving. Then She Pulls Over and IDs the Real Source of the Problem Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Five taken to hospital after bus crashes into river in ‘scene like movie Speed'
A college bus which crashed off a road into a river 'like a scene out of the movie Speed' had suffered 'brake failure and a jammed accelerator', according to one of the first witnesses to reach the scene. Police have praised the bravery of members of the public and emergency services who helped rescue some of the students and the driver who were trapped on board the Bluestar bus following the accident in Bishopstoke Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire. Emergency services were alerted following the crash just before 10am on Thursday, with 20 people including the driver on board and five people being taken to hospital. The passengers were all students on their way to Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, according to Hampshire Constabulary. A force spokesman confirmed two people – the driver and a passenger – had suffered serious injuries but their injuries were not 'life-threatening'. Eyewitness Kelly West, who lives nearby, said the driver had told her the bus had suffered mechanical failure prior to the crash. She said: 'I heard some noise, I looked out of the window and he just came careening into the river. 'It felt like he was doing about 60 miles an hour, it felt very fast and obviously he just went straight through the barriers and into the river.' Ms West said she rushed to the scene and could hear people shouting, and she found the driver who she said was trapped and 'panicking'. She said: 'I told him to stop panicking, help was on its way and he said the brakes failed and the accelerator was jammed and that he was trying to avoid cars.' Ms West said the students were 'shocked' and concerned for the driver. She said some of them were stuck on the bus because a person had been injured on the stairs and she believed one of the students had suffered a broken arm. She said: 'We got about 10 of them off of the bus and into the garden and just got them drinks and got them sat down. 'They were really shocked, bless them, really, wanting their parents, obviously, then the parents started to arrive.' She added: ' One of the young adults said the bus was just getting faster and faster as it came down the road and they didn't know what he was going to do. 'So I can well imagine they were all thinking they were going to die, quite frankly. It was a bit like Speed, the Sandra Bullock film, it felt like that, to be honest.' Ms West said one of the students told her the bus had started to take a different route which she believed was because it could not be slowed down enough to take a turn. She said: 'I'm guessing because he knew that there was a problem, he decided to carry on down the main road because he'd have ended up in a house otherwise. 'I spoke to him. He was completely compos mentis and, unless he had had a black-out and came round, he was very with it and he was very concerned as to what was happening. 'It does appear that what he was saying was that the brakes didn't work and the accelerator was jammed because it was horrifically fast, it was speeding massively. 'We get heavy traffic along this road all the time and it bounces and it makes a house rumble, but this was just on another level.' Barton Peveril student Freddie Sampson described the 'manic' scene on board the bus as the driver 'lost control'. He told the BBC: 'We ran into a lamppost and the whole windscreen shattered. 'It was like we couldn't stop and had to weave through traffic trying not to hit any cars and then the bus driver lost control – we went flying into the river. 'It was all a bit manic. No-one really knew what was going on. I looked out the front to see people moving out of the way, like cars out the front… I looked round… they were all confused and scared.' Inspector Andy Tester, of Hampshire Constabulary, said: 'It must have been terrifying and my thoughts are very much with the children and the driver on the bus, who must have had a terrifying experience.' He said several people including the driver were trapped on board when emergency services arrived. He said: 'There was a lot of bravery shown by many people who were first on scene, who didn't have training to work in water and weren't equipped, but quickly backed up by our fire and ambulance colleagues who did have the right training to make it safe and make it a safe working environment.' Mr Tester added that it will be a 'complex' operation to remove the bus, which has suffered severe damage to the front and ended up in the water below the level of the road. A South Central Ambulance Service spokesman said it scrambled five ambulances, two helicopters, and specialist response units to the scene, while Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service sent crews from Eastleigh, St Mary's, Redbridge, Hightown and Portchester. Richard Tyldsley, Bluestar general manager, said: 'Our thoughts are with everybody involved, and we wish those who were injured a full and speedy recovery. 'At this time, we do not know the circumstances behind this incident and are carrying out an immediate investigation. We are also assisting the police as they carry out their own inquiries.' In a video of the incident, a student on board the bus can be heard saying: 'Oh my god, we are going to die, we're actually going to die' before screaming can be heard and the footage ends.
Motor Trend
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Ford F-Series Super Dutys Recalled for Possible Brake Failure, Owners Told Not to Drive Them
Ford's latest safety recall filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) focuses on a few thousand F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks—specifically to fix a retaining spring on the brake booster pushrod, which can fail. If that were to happen, the affected Super Duty truck would lose all brake function, as the brake pedal would no longer be, in effect, connected to the brake booster that operates the hydraulic brake system. Ford is recalling 2,345 F-Series Super Duty trucks (2025 models) due to a potentially faulty brake booster pushrod issue. Affected owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until inspected and fixed given that it could result in brake failure. This is part of a series of recent Ford recalls. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next You can see how that might be a problem. So, too, does Ford. And NHTSA. So the recall (NHTSA campaign no. 25V401000) comes with a DO NOT DRIVE warning. Owners of affected Ford trucks should park their vehicles and not drive them for any reason until their dealership can inspect and, if necessary, repair the brake pedal pushrod retaining spring in question. The issue is limited to 2,345 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickups, all from the 2025 model year. Letters alerting owners to the issue were sent out starting June 18, 2025. The inspection and repair of the trucks will, of course, be free of charge to owners. Ford has had a busy period of recalls of late, with 1 million of its products recalled for a backup camera issue, while our very own Maverick pickup truck has been hit with several recalls in the short period of time we've owned it.
Malay Mail
10-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Gerik crash: Bus driver apologises, denies speeding after viral video claims, says brakes failed
TAIPING, June 10 — The driver of the ill-fated bus that crashed and killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students yesterday has apologised and denied claims he was speeding. Mohd Amirul Fadhil Zulkifle said the incident was caused by sudden brake failure while descending a hilly stretch on the East-West Highway, near the elephant crossing bridge in Gerik, Harian Metro reported today. 'I apologise to all the victims' families and the students involved in the accident yesterday morning. What happened was because the bus brakes suddenly failed,' he was quoted as saying from his hospital bed at Taiping Hospital, Perak. He said the bus – which departed from Terengganu for the main UPSI campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak – was functioning well, until the brakes failed without warning. 'At that moment, I tried everything I could, but since the bus had no air pressure left, nothing worked — not even the handbrake or the gear shift,' he was quoted as saying. Amirul claimed he did his best to avoid crashing into other vehicles as the bus sped downhill uncontrollably. 'What I did then was try to avoid hitting other vehicles. As far as I remember, I managed to avoid four vehicles, including a lorry, before the accident happened. 'The last vehicle I overtook was a car with a dashcam, and by then I was doing everything I could to prevent a worse situation.' A video clip of the bus overtaking vehicles on the highway has been circulating on the internet since yesterday, prompting questions about its speed. 'People saw me speeding and overtaking, but the truth is I was trying to avoid crashing into them. Unfortunately, it was a winding road and I couldn't do anything more,' Amirul was quoted as saying. The 39-year-old who has been driving buses since 2016 claimed he shouted to warn the students aboard the bus once the brakes failed. 'Those sitting at the front may have heard me, but most at the back were asleep and thought I was just yelling. 'I estimate the bus travelled for over a kilometre without brakes. I truly did my best as a driver to prevent the accident. 'I wasn't speeding as claimed. I know the Jeli-Gerik route well, and we were going downhill at the time,' he was quoted as saying. When the bus overturned, Amirul said he briefly lost consciousness. Upon waking up, he urged the UPSI students to crawl out through the broken windscreen. He related that he did the same and cried when he saw the students' condition. 'In all my years of driving, this is the first accident involving fatalities. As a bus driver, I feel deeply guilty. 'But there's no turning back time. All I can do is apologise, and I leave the investigation to the police,' the Besut native added. Amirul is currently awaiting surgery for a broken left arm. Yesterday, police said preliminary investigations found the bus had hit the rear of a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) before overturning. The MPV carried a family of four who survived the crash after veering into a ditch. The driver and his toddler son have since been discharged while his wife and six-year-old daughter remain warded for medical treatment at Baling Hospital in Kedah. Police have yet to formally question the bus driver and have indicated they will apply for a remand order after he is discharged.
Malay Mail
10-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Gerik crash: Bus driver apologises, denies speeding after viral video, says brakes failed
TAIPING, June 10 — The driver of the ill-fated bus that crashed and killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students yesterday has apologised and denied claims he was speeding. Mohd Amirul Fadhil Zulkifle said the incident was caused by sudden brake failure while descending a hilly stretch on the East-West Highway, near the elephant crossing bridge in Gerik, Harian Metro reported today. 'I apologise to all the victims' families and the students involved in the accident yesterday morning. What happened was because the bus brakes suddenly failed,' he was quoted as saying from his hospital bed at Taiping Hospital, Perak. He said the bus – which departed from Terengganu for the main UPSI campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak – was functioning well, until the brakes failed without warning. 'At that moment, I tried everything I could, but since the bus had no air pressure left, nothing worked — not even the handbrake or the gear shift,' he was quoted as saying. Amirul claimed he did his best to avoid crashing into other vehicles as the bus sped downhill uncontrollably. 'What I did then was try to avoid hitting other vehicles. As far as I remember, I managed to avoid four vehicles, including a lorry, before the accident happened. 'The last vehicle I overtook was a car with a dashcam, and by then I was doing everything I could to prevent a worse situation.' A video clip of the bus overtaking vehicles on the highway has been circulating on the internet since yesterday, prompting questions about its speed. 'People saw me speeding and overtaking, but the truth is I was trying to avoid crashing into them. Unfortunately, it was a winding road and I couldn't do anything more,' Amirul was quoted as saying. The 39-year-old who has been driving buses since 2016 claimed he shouted to warn the students aboard the bus once the brakes failed. 'Those sitting at the front may have heard me, but most at the back were asleep and thought I was just yelling. 'I estimate the bus travelled for over a kilometre without brakes. I truly did my best as a driver to prevent the accident. 'I wasn't speeding as claimed. I know the Jeli-Gerik route well, and we were going downhill at the time,' he was quoted as saying. When the bus overturned, Amirul said he briefly lost consciousness. Upon waking up, he urged the UPSI students to crawl out through the broken windscreen. He related that he did the same and cried when he saw the students' condition. 'In all my years of driving, this is the first accident involving fatalities. As a bus driver, I feel deeply guilty. 'But there's no turning back time. All I can do is apologise, and I leave the investigation to the police,' the Besut native added. Amirul is currently awaiting surgery for a broken left arm. Yesterday, police said preliminary investigations found the bus had hit the rear of a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) before overturning. The MPV carried a family of four who survived the crash after veering into a ditch. The driver and his toddler son have since been discharged while his wife and six-year-old daughter remain warded for medical treatment at Baling Hospital in Kedah. Police have yet to formally question the bus driver and have indicated they will apply for a remand order after he is discharged.
