This report concerns the failure of the parking brake assembly on mid 2000S Volvo sedans and specifically, a 2006 Volvo S60, 2.5T. Specifically, a de-lamination of the parking brake shoe assembly, which results in a tendency for a metal component of the shoe assembly to dislodge and jam between the brake pad and rotor, resulting in the brake suddenly locking up with no warning. While the event giving rise to this report occurred at approximately 20mph, at high speeds, a brake jam event of this nature could result in serious injury or death. The onset of the de-lamination of the parking brake shoe assembly occurs with no warning, other than a mild bumping noise when the vehicle is placed into reverse or drive at low speeds. Upon inquiry to several Volvo-specific repair shops, as well as multiple reports on online Volvo-specific forums, this problem is known to be a relatively common issue after approximately 4-8 years of normal wear and/or 50,000-100,000 miles of use on the emergency brake shoes. However there is no service bulletin issued by Volvo as to this problem.

- Columbus, OH, USA