NHTSA Complaint #10691722 — 2006 FORD MUSTANG

WHILE TRAVELING TO WORK I UNKNOWINGLY APPROACHED A PATCH OF BLACK ICE AT SPEED OF 35MPH. UPON REALIZING THE ROAD CONDITION I LIFTED THROTTLE TO COAST OVER THE ICE IN AN ATTEMPT TO SAFELY DECELERATE. THE REAR WHEELS LOCKED CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLABLE SLIDE. THE CAR ROTATED 90 DEGREES RIGHT BEFORE STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I MANEUVERED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO INSPECT FOR DAMAGE AND FIND THE CAUSE. THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE DISC WAS GLOWING RED. IT HAD UNKNOWINGLY BEEN DRAGGING. WHEN I LIFTED THROTTLE, THE ICY CONDITION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DRAGGING PASSENGER REAR BRAKE CAUSED THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE TO LOCK UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CAR HAS A POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT DIFFERENTIAL, THIS CAUSED THE OPPOSITE WHEEL TO LOCK. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO BE UNCONTROLLABLE WHEN THROTTLE WAS NOT APPLIED ON ICY PATCHES OF ROAD, AT ANY SPEED. I SLOWLY NAVIGATED THE CAR TO A NEAR BY GAS STATION AND CALLED OFF FROM WORK. AFTER BECOMING AWARE OF THE CONDITION, I WAS ABLE TO VERY SLOWLY DRIVE THE CAR HOME. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THE SAME CONDITION THAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN FORD TSB 06-5-4 "PARK BRAKE CABLES THAT FREEZE IN COLD WEATHER DUE TO WATER INTRUSION, AND SUBSEQUENTLY LEAD TO DRAGGING REAR BRAKES" ARE ALSO CONDITIONS THAT IF UNKNOWINGLY DRIVEN IN, COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL WITH FATAL CONSEQUENCES TO THE DRIVER, OTHER DRIVERS, AND PEDESTRIANS. *TR