NHTSA Complaint #10489590 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE HEV

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN THE RED "BRAKE" WORD APPEARED, AND THE RED "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE CAME ON. BRAKES SEEMED FINE, SO I CONTINUED DRIVING ABOUT 3 MILES. STOPPED AT A STORE. WHEN I CAME OUT ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER AND STARTED THE CAR THOSE LIGHT MESSAGES DID NOT COME ON, SO I DROVE TOWARD HOME ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY. AS I WAS ABOUT 3 BLOCKS FROM HOME I DROVE OVER A RECESSED MANHOLE COVER IN THE STREET AND THE RED BRAKE WORD, THE "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN WHEN I HIT THAT BUMP, AND ALSO A WHITE "ABS" WORD. THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY FELT LIKE THEY WERE GOING OUT AS I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN A CORNER AHEAD. I DIDN'T ACCELERATE ANY MORE BECAUSE THE BRAKES FELT UNRESPONSIVE, SO I COASTED THE REST OF THE WAY THROUGH THE TURN AND TRIED TO PULL OVER AND STOP IN A SPACE WHERE THERE WERE NO PARKED CARS, BUT BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AND I REALIZED I WASN'T GOING SLOW ENOUGH TOWARD A PARKED CAR AHEAD. I WAS ABOUT TO SWERVE BACK OUT INTO THE STREET BUT PRESSED THE BRAKE DOWN HARD ALL THE WAY AND FELT IT STOP LIKE A MANUAL BRAKE, AND I STOPPED BEFORE HITTING THE PARKED CAR. *TR