NHTSA Complaint #10558474 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

TWICE IN SNOW STORMS WHILE CREEPING ALONG AT <5 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES (GENTLY PUMPING) TO NEGOTIATE A HILL THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME EXTREMELY HARD TO PUSH AND SEEMED NON FUNCTIONAL. I BELIEVE THIS IS REPEATABLE AND IS SOMEHOW RELATED TO LOW SPEED ON A DOWN GRADE WHILE PUMPING THE BRAKES. I COULD NOT DISCERN WHETHER THE ENGINE IDLE WAS GAINING BUT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSTOPPABLE UNTIL I REACHED THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE. ONCE REACHING THE BASE OF THE HILL THE PROBLEM MYSTERIOUSLY GOES AWAY. A MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE PHYSICAL BRAKES. I BELIEVE IT IS TRACTION AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKE CONTROL RELATED. *TR