2006 LR3 SE7 Would Not Brake..... Looking for answers

[hummer28]

Hello All,

I purchased a 2006 LR3 SE7 on April 1st. To date I have 2800 miles on the vehicle. Today I experienced something really scary. I was backing out of my barbershop parking lot this morning (up a gradual incline). I put the vehicle into drive and put my foot on the brake. As soon as my foot hit the brake the car kept rolling and jerking (going down a gradual decline...nothing steep). I literally had the brake to the floor and the LR3 would not stop. I was almost hit by an oncoming 18-wheeler, but was able to cut the wheel hard right to get parallel to the street I was turning onto. This is my first Land Rover purchase and up to this point I've enjoyed the truck tremendously. However, I can only imagine what would have happened if I had a wife and kids or didn't have the reaction response time I had this morning. Service is closed for today, but I wanted to solicit feedback for similar experiences or stories. I simply can't drive a vehicle with those types of glitches. I've also noticed a snatching between applying the brake and pressing the accelerator. I thought at first it was me imagining things, but it's been happening more and more. I hope I haven't gotten a bad apple. God knows I can't take another one like I had with my 2003 Lincoln Navigator. Any feedback would be great.

(I didn't mean to post this twice. The first time I thought I had started a new thread ... thanks)

Lewis

 

[Michael]

I think we need some more information to help.

You say you put it in Drive, and then put your foot on the brake. I thought you had to have your foot on the brake in order to put the transmission in gear.

Also did the pedal actually to the floor, or did it just take a lot of pressure to try to stop the vehicle?

Did you feel any pulsating in the brake pedal?

What was the engine speed while backing up, high or at an idle?

Did you get a brake malfunction light on the dash?

Michael

 

[nwoods]

And what happened afterward? Did brake pedal pressure resume? Where did you leave the vehicle...is it still there on the side of the road where you coasted to a stop? Is your emergency brake functional at all?

I have quite literally put my life in the braking system on countless occassions, and have been quite pleased with the results. I don't think there is a design fault, but perhaps a mechanical fault of some type, or pilot error.

 

[hummer28]

I should have been more clear. Baiscally, I put the car in reverse and stopped. I then put the car in drive and tried to come to a stop to make a left hand turn onto the main road. The car was braking, but the brakes would then release. The brakes would come back and then release. It felt like a quick pulsating. I would liken the brake application and release to something like a woodpecker pecking a tree. It wasn't that fast, but I could feel it. I was able to cut the wheel hard right to get parallel to the street I was about to turn on. As the 18-wheeler went by I saw an opportunity to get back on the road and cut the wheel back left to make my turn. The vehicle never stopped moving during any of this. As I got back on the road I went a bit down the street and tested the brakes. They worked fine the remaining three miles to my home. I've owned four SUV'sin 12 years (I'm 28) and this was my first experience like this. I can say definitively that there was no pilot error involved. I went to apply the brakes and they malfunctioned. My dealership can't get me in until Thursday, but the service tech's intial thoughts involved a Hill Descent Control inspired braking error. I'll report back when I get the vehicle out of the shop. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[nwoods]

Well, the "good" news if it is HDC is that it looks like a plug and play module under the 3rd row seats (just above the differiental)... and it's under warranty.

I don't think your age or having any number of vehicles has anything to do with it. It sounds like a bizarre event, and that you're Guardian Angel still likes you.

You definately should contact the LRNA Customer Service phone number or email LRNA and relate your experiences in great detail (much more than you've provided here). They need to hear of this ASAP.

 

[hummer28]

Thanks for the feedback. I will be contacting LRNA Customer Service tomorrow to relay the events as they transpired. Hopefully it was a fluke system error that can be straightened out at the dealership. This is a first for me and I'm sure the problem is more about the vehicle than my ability to properly apply the brake. It's still a great vehicle. This is a great arena to get the issues out in the open and get some feedback from knowledgable and informed individuals. Thanks again.

 

[grommet]

Also remember that in case of an emergency -- like not being able to stop -- you can use the electronic emergency brake. It even allows you to retain control.

 

[Michael]

My initial reaction to your description is the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), rather than the Hill Decent Control. What you described is what would happen if you were on ice, and couldn't get traction. For some reason, the system thought you were losing traction (you weren't obviously), and it the pulsating you felt was the ABS system releasing the brakes. I would have this checked out thoroughly. I would make it very clear to the dealer how dangerous this was, and that they should replace anything they think may have caused the problem (ABS controller for instance), rather than ending up in ligation later after someone gets hurt. This problem is obviously intermittent, and the odds of them catching it happening are slim. I would print out your description that you wrote here, and hand it to the service manager, in addition to their normal writeup, so there are no mis-understandings. I would also write a letter send certified with return receipt to Land Rover, and to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (both addresses are in your owners manual), so there is a record that you notified them of the problem.

This is NOT something to take lightly.

Michael

 

[Houm_WA]

I was going to mention as well that it sounded like the ABS, but Michael beat me to the punch. I drove in some really light snow, in fact it was more like slush, a while back and I was surprised at how quickly the ABS takes over the braking. This is my first vehicle with ABS.

Is it possible that there was in fact a reason for the ABS to engage? maybe a small oil slick on the road or even some loose gravel? Perhaps in engaged and you were not used to that. If the vehicle wouldn't have stopped in time that would still be a problem, but it may've been a traction problem and not a mechanical failure type.

...not discounting your issue or trying to make it look like "pilot error" or anything, I'm just throwing out possible reasons for that to have occured....just trouble-shooting I guess.

 

[hummer28]

I appreciate the feedback Houm WA. I'm hoping it was just one of those things that happens when unusual circumstances combine to form an unexplainable/impossible scenario. I dropped the car off at the dealership this morning. The service manager set down with me and I walked him through the entire event. I was a bit dissapointed that I didn't get a loaner LR3 (got a Malibu from Enterprise which is fine if you aren't 6'7 like me). That's the least of my worries though. As long as the vehicle is checked thoroughly and repaired to my expectations I'm a happy man!