NHTSA Complaint #11099106 — 2006 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

I PUT MY 2006 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID INTO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY. I APPLIED A LITTLE GAS AND BEGAN ROLLING DOWN THE INCLINE TOWARDS THE STREET. AS I APPROACHED THE STREET I PUT ON MY BRAKES, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED AND I FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. A CODE DISPLAYED ON MY DASH READING, "REGEN BRAKES" THE LAST WORD WAS EITHER FAILURE OR DISABLED. I CAN'T REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS IN A PANIC ABOUT MY BRAKES NOT WORKING WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS HARD TO PUSH AND THOUGH I TRIED WITH ALL MY STRENGTH, IT DID NOT STOP THE CAR. MY HUSBAND THEN PULLED THE PARKING BRAKE FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF TO COLLECT MYSELF, HOPING THE FAILURE WAS SOME WEIRD FLUKE, AND TURNED THE CAR BACK ON. IT IMMEDIATELY DID THE SAME FAILURE. AT THIS POINT, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND MY HUSBAND OFFERED TO DRIVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK AND BACK INTO THE GARAGE. IT NEVER SHOWED ANOTHER CODE AFTERWARDS. WE LEFT THE CAR FOR A FEW HOURS AND THEN CAUTIOUSLY DROVE IT TO THE GAS STATION. NO MORE CODES OR ISSUES. HOWEVER, WE NO LONGER FEEL WE CAN SAFELY DRIVE THE CAR AS WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE BRAKES COULD GO OUT AGAIN. NEXT TIME WE MAY NOT BE SO FORTUNATE AS TO BE ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH NO OTHER TRAFFIC.