Thursday, April 28, 2011

Failed Brakes + Runaway Boss 302 Mustang = Soiled Pants

Test driving cars may seem like a lot of fun, but it serves a purpose as well. Driving supercars to their limit on a runway or taking a Land Rover through the world’s worst terrain can showcase a vehicle’s abilities, but what happens when standard systems fail?
Most automotive magazines run new cars through a gauntlet of tests in order to determine where they stack up against the competition. These include 0-60mph times, ¼ mile times, slalom, vibration & harshness, and braking. Most of these tests occur with little to no problem and the data is compiled to determine winners and losers. Most of the vehicles being tested are also essentially brand new. The manufacturer sends several models out to a proving site straight from the factory so that the media may drive them, take photographs, and compare them to the competition. Rarely does such a vital system like the brakes completely fail during one of these controlled test drives, but that is exactly what happened to Motor Trend’s crew while testing a Mustang Boss 302.
The brake failure was immediately taking under investigation by Ford and the vehicle was sent back to the factory to be taken apart and inspected. Ford has found no other discrepancies in their manufacturing line and no recall has been issued to the general public.

No comments:

Post a Comment