NHTSA Complaint #10560919 — 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

I WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON THE MAINE TURNPIKE AT 55-60 MPH DUE TO SOME BLACK ICE IN AREAS. TEMP WAS 35, CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR, VISIBILITY GOOD. AFTER PASSING EXIT 75, WITHOUT WARNING MY VW PASSAT ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE ENGAGING, CAUSING MY BRAKES TO LOCK UP AND CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, SWERVING SIDE TO SIDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS. DURING THIS TIME, THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT WAS FLASHING AS WELL AS A PARKING BRAKE FAULT MESSAGE ON THE DASH WAS DISPLAYED. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, REFERRED TO MY MANUAL, WHICH WAS NO HELP. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, LOOKED AROUND IT AND THEN CALLED A FEW PEOPLE TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM. NO ONE HAD EVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE AND I SAW NO OBVIOUS SIGN OF ERROR. THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE BUTTON ON THE DASH. I BELIEVE ITS ELECTRONIC MALFUNCTION AND A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN VEHICLES NEAR MINE, WE WOULD OF COLLIDED. I HAD MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND WE WERE ALL VERY SCARED DURING THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT. AFTER 10 MIN OF SHUT OFF, I RESTARTED, THE DASH STILL DISPLAY PARKING BRAKE FAULT. I WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY DISENGAGE THE BRAKING BRAKE. BUT THE "FAULT" ERROR ON DASH WOULD NOT GO AWAY. I THEN OPERATED THE VEHICLE AT 30-35 MPH WITH HAZARDS ON TO EXIT GRAY. I PARKED THE VEHICLE AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 30 MINUTES. WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON THE "FAULT" LIGHT HAD GONE OFF AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE RUNNING OK. BUT I WAS UNSURE IF I SHOULD VENTURE FURTHER AND TOOK ROUTE 100 BACK TO MY HOME IN LEW. THE NEXT DAY I DID NOT USE THE VEHICLE AND CALLED VW ON MON AFTER NOTING NUMEROUS VW FORUMS WITH COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE. CASE #[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR