The inability to engage, or the inadvertent release of, the parking brake lever may allow your vehicle to roll while it is parked and may result in a crash.
On certain sport utility vehicles, the parking brake lever ratchet pawl was not properly manufactured and my damage the teeth of the parking brake lever ratchet. Damaged parking brake lever ratchet teeth may prevent the parking brake from engaging or may allow the parking brake to release after it has been engaged.