# Brakes failed on 2010 Nisan Frontier/Navara resulted in rollover



## skand (Jul 11, 2017)

That's really scary. I live on top of the hill with gravel road going around 50 meters downhill with good slope at the top. Not a big deal if you own Nissan pick-up truck. Until it speeded down with no brakes and rolled over two times.

My wife was driving and she was really lucky to survive and only have a couple of bruises.

He is what happened:
1. She parked on a steep downhill nose forward using parking brake and engine off
2. Started the engine
3. Depressed brake pedal
4. Disengaged parking brake
5. Switched transmission from P to D

And suddenly the car started accelerating down the steep hill for around 50 meters until she hit a three on the side and rolled over the truck two times. She told afterwards that the brake pedal was very soft, she tried to pump it, but it didn't help. Obviously she panicked and did not tried engaging parking brake or switching transmission to lower gear. Also she said that it was hard to move transmission into D which usually happens when there is tension there.

I have to admit that I've noticed red brakes warning light a couple of times when climbing the hill but didn't paid attention thinking it might be hand brake indicator malfunctioning due to steep incline. 

The strange thing is that a dealer here don't see any problems with the brakes: brake fluid level is normal, etc.


























What do can be done here to identify the problem?


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## BRubble (Jun 22, 2014)

Hope Your Wife is doing ok.

Could have been vandal that put Grease or WD 40 on the Rotor's. Any enemie's? Any slippery substance like Brake Fluid that get's on the Rotor's can easily cause the Brake's to Fade and not hold, especially going down hill. If the Truck was driven through deep water that may have gotten a film on the rotor's that caused the Brake's to Fade and not hold as well.

Observe if she uses left foot for brake and right foot for gas. Alway's use Right Foot for Brake and Gas pedal. Is she short and somewhat difficult for her to use and operate the Foot Pedal's? Is it possible that when she panicked that her left foot was brakeing and her right foot was pushing the gas pedal?

Is it possible for a malfunction in the ABS Brakeing System? Have that checked out.


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## skand (Jul 11, 2017)

Thanks, BRubble!

She is fine, just a couple of small bruises. Really lucky. 

She was driving an really old car with manual transmission a couple of years before, and I'm sure that she knows how to use pedals. Enemies or water is unlikely because she parked on this hill just 10 minutes before she tried to start going again and crashed. Also she would not be able to put transmission into D unless she stepped on the brake pedal. 

There is one more thing: I've noticed the red brake warning light going on a couple of times for a couple of seconds when climbing the hill. But I thought that it was malfunctioning or badly designed parking brake sensor which does not understand hills. Now I know it could be an indication of brakes malfunction (as it says in the manual). But Nissan keep saying that the brakes are fine.

Brake fluid level is also fine (I've seen it) and they say they were not adding any fluid. But I don't really trust this dealership (the only one in my area) because one time they returned my the vehicle after maintenance with not enough pressure in one tire, when I asked if it looks flat, said "it's fine, sir", accepted that it was not fine when I measured it, failed to provide a maintenance checklist and, as I figured out, assigned the new guy who hadn't even passed Nissan training (the guy honestly told me later that he just move from Kia and did not know how things work at Nissan).

And the worst thing is that I don't really think that Nissan cares. Hundreds of owners can be at risk, but Nissan can't even do the proper check of the brake system (while we know it should have problems - the red light does not come on it's own).


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Glad your wife is ok. To me it sounds like a defective master brake cylinder. Not sure why Nissan cannot tell you the problem. Sounds like they are more concerned with avoiding admitting any liability, than they are with the truth and your safety.


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