I agree with everyone else who has complained about this problem. We bought the 2007 model about a year and a half ago (2008-2009, I can't remember) when it was about 1 year or so old and had around 7,000 miles. I remember feeling something unusual when I put on the brake, not long after we bought the car, as if the brakes weren't applying pressure evenly. It was odd, and I told my spouse, who didn't notice it. He said the brakes shouldn't be worn yet, and elected not to check them out. He works on the theory that something isn't a big deal if it doesn't cause a big problem. That hasn't been a good working theory in our past, and unfortunately wasn't this time. Yesterday, the brakes started grinding, and now we have rotor damage. Note to self: Do pay attention to little problems because they can be signs of big problems to come and, next time, get it checked, no matter what anyone else says!

Our mileage is now 31,000. I called Ford Customer Relations (thanks to phone number on this site) and customer service first told me there was no recall (and I guess there isn't an official recall) but eventually he told me (after I kept telling him what I saw on the internet) that there is an "extended coverage" in place for up to 36,000 miles or 3 years. We have about a month left, so we can get our repair for free. The customer service rep told me the crazy story (that someone else mentioned here) that the brake pads had been exposed to moisture before installation which MAY have caused them to swell, which MAY have been the reason for the failure, but they couldn't say for certain.

Based on another person's very useful comments on this site, I assume that Ford can't afford to do a recall, and they prefer to soften the blow by the extended warranty and the silly excuse, but ultimately the brakes will continue to wear out prematurely, and everyone will need to replace their brakes yearly or so, depending on yearly mileage. OK, it could be worse. At least that is not as expensive as other things and can be done yourself if you're up for it. I'm just glad someone on this site explained it and what to do about it, as Ford seems too busy protecting itself to offer any useful advice.

Based on what one backyard mechanic on this site thinks, the brake pads are sized too small for the vehicle, and the rotors are not very thick, so the pads will continue to wear out sooner than normal. If the rotors are damaged, they will probably need to be replaced rather than turned. I still don't know why I felt the UNEVEN braking before the pad wore out (I am not a backyard mechanic). I don't know if this is normal for thin pads or if it means that there is an additional problem with our brakes. I guess eventually we'll find out one way or another....

Other than that, we have had no problems with the 2007 Freestyle and we enjoy it for it's comfort, well thought out interior with lots of seats, and generally ride. We both wish it had manual transmission, but that's hard to find anymore.

Thanks for the internet and sites like this, where people help each other and make each other's lives a little easier.

Update from Apr 30, 2010: Our Ford dealership fixed our brakes for free due to the extended warranty. The service manager and the mechanic both said that they had an excessive amount of cars coming in for premature brake pad wear on the first set of brake pads on the 2007 Freestyle, but have not had any cars come in with premature wear on the second set of pads. Perhaps it is too soon for this to occur...perhaps the car hasn't been around long enough yet to have two sets of pads wear prematurely. Or perhaps they are right and we won't have anymore problems. The service manager and mechanic also said that the first set of pads were faulty, as the Ford Customer Service hotline said, only not from water, as Ford said, but from something else that made them too thin (unsure what he said).

I also don't know if the 2007 model is different from the 2005. I find it odd that people have posted the same problem for more than one year of the vehicle if it is only from faulty brake pads. Could all 3 years of vehicles gotten the same faulty brake pads, or are the problems in each year of car similar but different, or is there truly a more serious problem than faulty brake pads in all the cars? I will try to post a follow-up when we check our brakes in about 12000 miles to let you know the answer to that. After repair, our brakes finally work normally, without giving me the odd sensation that the brakes aren't applying pressure evenly . I don't know if the uneven sensation was due to the rotors or something to do with the brake pads, but the service technician said that the calipers were not sticking. I'm just glad to feel normal brakes, as I don't think they felt normal from the beginning when we bought the car used.

OK here we go again! Had rear brakes-pads and rotors-changed at 18,700. NOW 35,398 on the odometer did it all again!!

Wife was driving and all of a sudden I heard the grinding. Got out and the rear drivers side had a Gouge on the rotor a half inch wide. Thought to myself this can not be they only have 16 to 17 thousand miles on them. Wife took to dealer and our service rep said out of warranty. I talked to him over the phone and said,"Is there some kind of defect or bad part causing this?" He told me that the wheels rotated freely and could not find a problem. Iasked to have the best pads put on and he said "We had the best pads on the last time." I was not a happy camper!

He told me if I paid for parts he would take care of the labor so it cost me $60.10. My wife told me that a mechanic at the shop told her that Ford had a problem with the freestyles rear brakes and this is common. This should not be happening. I asked about the front pads and was told they were about 50%. I did a search and found out this problem has been going on since the introduction of the freestyle in 2005. In fact at one time Ford even had a notice out saying they would cover all cost under warranty for the 36,000 mile duration or until 12-31-07. Well guess what! 12 of 07 is when I bought mine but no mention of prior problems

Not to mention Ford has known about this for years now and apparently does not care about a remedy to the problem. This is definitely a manufacturers defect in some fashion but the consumer is being stuck with the bill.

I will now have to check the wear on the rear pads by 12,000 miles or so and change pads before they ruin the rotors. Basically I get to do a break job once a year ThanksFord!

Oh, on the letter Ford sent you years ago they were blaming it on bad pads. Said they had some that got wet and swollen. Must still be using the same ones! Funny though that I drive my vehicles in the rain and it doesn't hurt. The other ones must wear rain coats!!!

Hi everyone, Well it seems Ford had a better idea, it's just that they haven't used it yet. Were they trying to save money? OK, I bought a 2007 Freestyle and honestly I haven't had any problems with it until now. At about 25k miles the rear brakes started making this horrible grinding noise. I could not understand how they could wear out so fast and especially before the front brakes. I looked up the problem online and realized that this is an on going issue with these vehicles. Ford definitely has a problem that they need to address now before it gets really expensive for them to do so later. And therein lies the answer. It's an engineering issue. They will have to completely re-design a way to retrofit all these cars with brakes that will not wear out prematurely. I have owned a lot of vehicles over the years. I have worked on every single one of them myself so I would like to think that even if I am a backyard mechanic I do know a thing or three about brake systems. The fact of the matter is these brakes are just way too undersized for the weight of these vehicles. And it's not just the brake pads either. The rotors are also too thin and can't be turned if they get gouged into. They will need to be replaced if this happens. I have an F350 that I use for construction work and believe when I say I make that truck earn its keep. I changed the brakes at just less than 100k miles and the back brakes were still in good shape. So there is no way you will tell me that it is normal for brakes to wear out at 20-30k miles. Any mechanic will tell you that the most wear is on the front brakes of any vehicle and they will usually fail first. So here's the fix-You can whine and cry all you want but Ford is not going to care unless it starts hitting them in the wallet and the public opinion. Get your brakes fixed at whatever shop you trust. Don't put it off waiting for Ford to do something about it. Safety is more important and you will have the receipts to take with you when you are pressing the issue later on. Also, the longer you wait to fix them the more damage will occur. Don't go with cheap pads-they aren't worth the money and you will be right back where you started in no time flat. Go with at least mid-grade or better and preferably ceramic pads as these will wear a lot longer although the rotors may suffer for it. If you have the brakes done in a shop it will run you anywhere from $200-400 depending on how far the damage goes and how much the mechanics wife spends on jewelry. Heres how to DIY: If you are mechanically inclined and are planning on doing the fix yourself, they are not that difficult to change as long as you know how to do it. I did mine and the first one was a pain but the other side went pretty quick once I had it figured out. It should take about 15-20 minutes per side. Premium pads with lifetime replacement ran me $63.00 for the set. You will also need to get the tool for screwing the caliper piston back in. This will run about $10 at just about any parts store. It is basically a square looking thing with some cam shaped bumps sticking out of it. It will fit a 3/8" drive ratchet with an extension. Once you get the tire off you will need to remove the flange bolts holding the caliper in place. The old pads should pop right off by hand, if not then a flat screwdriver will do the trick. Put the new pads in place after you put on the silencer goop (if they gave you some). To put the caliper back on you will need to use that fancy new, (weird looking) tool you just spent $10 on. Pay attention here! The driver's side piston screws in clockwise and the passenger's side goes counterclockwise. If you turn them the wrong way they will come off. If it seems like the piston is just spinning without going back in just apply a bit more pressure to it. Open the bleed valve on each side to relieve the pressure before doing this. When you get everything put back together make sure and bleed the brakes before you put the tires back on. And that's it!