NHTSA Complaint #10563783 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON

I WAS DRIVING UP SOMEWHAT OF A HILL AND HAD TO SLOW DOWN DUE TO A BIT OF TRAFFIC FLOW. I HAD REALIZED I WAS A LITTLE CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT SO I BRAKED A LITTLE HARDER THAN USUAL. MY BRAKES WERE GRABBING ON TIGHTLY TO THE GROUND LIKE THEY SHOULD BUT THEN SEEMED TO HAVE GIVEN OUT AT THE LAST COUPLE SECONDS. MY CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, RESULTING IN BOTH MY FRONT AIRBAGS GOING OFF. THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SWUNG OUT AND HIT MY RIGHT HAND, RESULTING IN SOME MINOR BURNS AND SCRAPES. I THEN STARTED GOING BACKWARDS AFTER THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS HIT. I HIT MY BRAKES TO STOP MY CAR FROM ROLLING AND THERE WAS NOTHING. MY CAR WOULD NOT LET ME BRAKE. SO I WENT TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT PARK. FINALLY THE CAR STOPPED ROLLING BACKWARDS AND WE WENT TO GO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER. THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE AT THIS POINT, SO I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. THE BRAKES ARE WORKING FINE NOW FOR THE MOST PART AND THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS BRAKE PROBLEMS. THERE WAS NEVER A LIGHT INDICATOR THAT SAID THAT MY BRAKES NEEDED TO BE CHECKED NOR HAD THEY FELT DIFFERENT. *TR