9.1

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,460
Average Mileage:
51,450 miles
Total Complaints:
26 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace master cylinder (9 reports)
  2. replace booster pump (7 reports)
  3. not sure (6 reports)
  4. replace brakes (2 reports)
  5. replace vacuum pump, booster and 4 wheel drive solenoids (2 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Ford dealer.

problem #26

Dec 112019

F-150 XL 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 240,000 miles

I went to apply brakes at a red light and suddenly the brake pedal is very hard. If pedal is forced harder there is a creaking noise, and a lot of extra effort is needed to stop vehicle but it will come to a stop with both feet and a lot of pressure on pedal. This is extremely dangerous in the event of emergency braking. If I pump the brakes multiple times, I get a message displayed that says check brake system and the red brake light comes on. It will go away if the key is turned off then back on.

The brakes have felt and acted this way for the last few weeks (don't drive it much). After extensive research I found the vacuum pump (non electronic) had oil residue leaking from it. I replaced it last night and the brakes are still the same. This seems to be happening to a lot of people's vehicles but I've not found a fix for the issue. How can this not be a recall? Ford is going to KILL people, the NHTSA and government should be involved and declaring this a safety recall that has no expiration date. I have 240k on the truck but it's only 6 years old.

- Wilder I., Adrian, MI, US

problem #25

Jun 242020

F-150 STX 5.0L V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 168,001 miles

This is a clear lack of judgement by Ford. Other trucks, within the same year range had the exact same issue and was recalled. This should be expanded to the remaining vehicles within this range asap before more accidents, injuries or deaths occur.

- Gerald C., Tucker, US

problem #24

Jul 052019

F-150 XLT V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 27,630 miles

Less then 1 minute warning low master brake fluid. Tow truck to Ford and denied recall consideration on same parts under recall. Missed cutoff date and engine style on recall. This is a program truck (low mileage same as new) from Ford dealership in 9/2016. Ford knew by this time they had more defects and the FORD DEALERSHIP KNEW they sold a truck with a hazard and knew it ……. shame on Ford and the Ford dealership. Truck was built at the same factory as the recall but missed the recall by 2 months …. this recall should be expanded , Ford knows and rather ignore shame on them.

NHTSA ins # 11229745

- lrobert, Fort Mohave, US

problem #23

Mar 272019

F-150 XLT 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,380 miles

Loss of power assist brakes during rain. I think it's electrical but Ford says there's nothing wrong. Worried for when we're hauling trailer or when wife is driving. Brake pedal goes hard. Takes everything you have to stop it. Usually resets when restarted but comes back until roads get dry.

- Brian E., Bradford, ON, Canada

problem #22

Dec 012018

F-150 FX4 5.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 64,000 miles

Front rotors replaced July 2018 with 60k miles. Now outside pads only on front have worn and are metal on metal.

3rd party mechanic states master cylinder is leaking into the brake booster. Ford claims they have found no such leak, brakes are working properly and the only explanation would be from the driver holding their foot on the pad and dragging the brakes while driving. I am the only driver of this vehicle and know that I do not ride the brakes.

Still in resolution. Ford has suggested new brakes and rotors, but that does not explain what caused the problem and what will keep if from brakes wearing inappropriately again.

- jons03, Raleigh, US

problem #21

Aug 102018

F-150 STX 5.0L V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 39,000 miles

This is the 3rd time the brake master cylinder has been replaced in my truck. It seems the problem is not covered by the drive train warranty so I had to pay for the first one, after that it was covered since it has occurred within the last 4 months. Somebody is going to be killed or seriously injured. It is a dangerous problem that needs to be addressed by Ford. They keep fixing the problem with the same faulty part.

I have had Ford products for a very long time and this is the first time I've felt my life has been put in danger from the manufacture. Brakes are an essential part of the vehicle. It's a sinking feeling when you go to stop and there are no brakes to do so. This last time it happened I had to drive the truck for almost 3 weeks with the brake issue, till the dealer could get my truck into the shop to fix the problem.

- Stephen H., miton, PA, US

problem #20

Sep 012017

F-150 FX Ecoboost 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,200 miles

Ford really screwing over the customers by not covering their known problems with the 2013 Master Brake cylinder leaking into the Brake Booster.

- dq, Niceville, US

problem #19

Sep 012017

F-150 Platinum 3.5L V6 Ecoboost

  • Automatic transmission
  • 59,054 miles

At 32,000 miles 2013 f150 platinum 4x4 front and rear rotors warped and had to be turned and replace front brake pads. Unbelievable!! Far last 3 or 4 months Brake system light comes on the dash. I hit ok and it disappears for a day or so. I've had it to my local shop several times. They can't find anything wrong. Yesterday Sep 1, 2017 I'm driving through local mall parking lot and coming up to 4 way stop and brake pedal goes to the floor. Thank god there wasn't someone walking in front of me or a car stopped. I called Ford and they said this truck is not covered in the recall for Master cylinder and brake booster replacement. What a crock!!

- Matt A., Lakeway, US

problem #18

Aug 302017

F-150 STX 5.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 29,741 miles

I started the truck and the "LOW BRAKE FLUID" light came on. I drove to the nearest repair facility (about 4.7 miles) upon arrival the brakes went to the floor, after pumping the h$ll out of them I barely stopped before crashing into a group of cars.

Come to find out the master cylinder is blowing fluid into the Brake Power Booster on each press of the brakes. This happened all of the sudden and could have been very deadly if not for the fact that I was going very slow to begin with due to traffic.

Now why, after not even 30K miles would this catastrophic failure happen?

- Jim D., Queen Creek, AZ, US

problem #17

Aug 072017

F-150 FX4 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

click to see larger images

brake failure

I am writing to inform you of my 2013 F150 FX4 Ecoboost BRAKE ISSUE that cost me $8,847.24 to fix from Wayne Akers Ford Service Dept.

2013 Ford F150 FX4 Ecoboost Mileage 80,907 VIN 1FTFW1ET5DKF34994

Aug 7th I was driving from my home in Atlanta, Ga to visit my mother in Florida. A trip that I make 2 -3 times a year in this vehicle. While driving on interstate I-95 in South Florida my Check Brake System light came on and I noticed that the brakes were not working. The brake pedal was VERY hard to push and made a horrible noise when I could them to stop. I immediately called and made an appointment to drop the vehicle off at 7:30am the next morning at Wayne Akers Ford in Lake Worth, FL.

I was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer very slowly due to the brakes not working, but made it there at 7:30am on Aug 8th. Johnny was the service person that I was assigned.

I received a call from Johnny two days later, Aug. 10th , that there was a “major issue and that I may need a new motor”. I did not understand what he was saying due to the fact it was the brakes that I brought the vehicle in to them for, not the motor. I drive to Wayne Akers to talk with Johnny in person and see what was going on.

When I arrived, they the top off the motor and said that the vacuum pump was broken and caused the cam to lock up. This was the time that they also said that the engine had sludge in in and ask if I have ever changed the oil. I did not know why they were asking that, but I did provide them that day with the last oil change information that was performed on this vehicle (2600 miles before this). The service manager than asked that I provide every oil change receipt since buying the truck in 2013. Please remember that i do not live here and all my paperwork and files are at my home in Atlanta, over 600 miles away.

At this point they gave me 3 options. Used Engine $8301.01 1-2 week Reman Engine $7645.16 4-6 weeks New Engine $9,845.73 1 week

We I explained to them that I can’t be away from my current job for 4-6 weeks, Johnny offered to have Enterprise Car Rental work on a monthly rate for me.

The only option I had was to replace with new engine, even though it was NOT the engine that was to issue when I bought it in, it was the brakes.

On Aug 21st at 3pm, Johnny calls me to tell me the vehicle is ready. I go back to Wayne Akers pay a bill for $8,847.24 for a new engine so I can drive back home.

This whole experience was very troubling from the brakes not working on a busy interstate, to having to pay almost $9K to just go home.

- Barry B., Acworth, GA, US

problem #16

Jun 012017

F-150 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 103,832 miles

Brakes went completely out while driving, had to use emergency brake to finally stop truck. Found out there is a recall for 2013-2014 Ford F-150 for this problem, however, Ford did take a report today, but, they said this truck not under the recall because it was made on 9-19-2012 and the ones under the recall were built in 2013. Funny that this is the EXACT problem yet not considered part of this recall. We have reported it and waiting on the investigation. The repair involved replacing the master brake cylinder and the brake booster which cost $1193.25. We were lucky no one was injured or worse. Just hope they do a very good investigation and hope this does not happen to anyone else. The other note is, the oil did not leak out onto the ground, so no visible problem was seen, the oil went into the booster.

- Sharon H., Homosassa, US

problem #15

Feb 032017

F-150 Lariat 3.5L Eco

  • Automatic transmission
  • 34,000 miles

i get a surprise update during an oil change at the dealership, going from all OK at 29000 miles to 'hey you have critical wear on an inner brake pad and you need to replace your brakes and rotors right away!

I have not yet replace them, however at a cost of at least $450 - potentially more this is a crock. for the minimal use this type of wear so early in the mileage is a frikin' rip off. when you spend over $50K on a vehicle you would expect general parts last at least as long as all that cheap crap out there. i thought Ford was quality? what a rip off.

- Dick M., Oregon, WI, US

problem #14

Jun 282016

F-150 Lariat 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 11,000 miles

I had NO warning that this was going to happen other than a message popping up on my gauge that said BRAKE FLUID IS LOW and then my brakes went completely out. I hit the "ok" button to acknowledge the message and then tried my brakes and the pedal went straight to the floor with no resistance. I frantically pumped the brakes and was able to get the vehicle to stop. Fortunately, I was in a parking lot at the time and not driving as I usually would have been at the time this occurred. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership for repair and they NEVER told me there was supposed to be a recall issued for this problem.

My master cylinder broke and was leaking fluid into the brake booster, and I found that Ford finally issued a recall notice for this in May 2016. The dealership never said a word about this, I found out from doing my own research on the internet this afternoon. This is a serious issue that could have turned into a deadly issue had I been driving on the street at the time and hit someone else because I was unable to stop my vehicle. I have 11000 miles on this vehicle, I am severely disappointed that Ford has allowed this to happen without issuing an immediate recall.

- Sandra Y., Las Vegas, NV, US

problem #13

Mar 132016

F-150 Lariat Ecoboost

  • Automatic transmission
  • 42,967 miles

brake pedal to the floor, no brakes, dash e lights on

Ford will never fix this or any problem. They are the worst company in the world at standing behind there failures that many have brought forward. They had field engineers working on my truck at 4000 miles new, admitted they had a problem and said they would keep working on fix for the vibration problem it has. 42K miles later they still don't have a fix. Every year this truck has had major failure since bought new. Most times dealers just say they cannot find or fix the problem because there is no code. Probably another cover up in the code programming by Ford. Ford needs to step up and fix this and many other problems they have.

Update from Mar 19, 2016: Truck health report taken on the truck same day of no brake incident showed no problems with the brake system. The truck just had a major brake fault, lights on the dash flashing and not being able to brake. Ford is not even sending fault codes to the trucks data log system. This has got to be illegal and another way they get away with saying nothing is wrong when you take it to the dealership and they say nothing is wrong, which I have had with other issues. Fortunately in this case the dealership did find the vacuum pump had failed, causing damage to the boost pump and the hydraulic solenoids for the 4 wheel drive. All components had to be replaced, 4 days in the shop. It was covered under the 60K mile power train warranty. Got luck no one was killed running through a stop sign when brakes didn't work.

- Steve B., New Holstein, WI, US

problem #12

Dec 242015

F-150

  • Automatic transmission
  • 24,088 miles

Driving home from shopping, Brake fluid low light came on. Checked for leaks and saw none. Stopped at auto parts store and purchased a can of DOT3 brake fluid and filled the empty reservoir. Drove home., Next day reservoir was empty again, limped to it in to Ford dealer (with pedal going to floor) and dropped key in the Night drop. Took a couple of days to get parts and was repaired, Warranty ticket says they replaced both brake booster and master cylinder. Their cost on the ticket $524.93. I hope the NTSB can investigate before someone is killed for a faulty design on the braking system.

- Dan N., Orlando, FL, US

problem #11

Jul 122015

F-150 XLT Crewcab 3.6L V6 Ecoboost

  • Automatic transmission
  • 21,500 miles

My family and I were driving down I-75 from Atlanta to Marietta, brake warning lights came on displaying low fluid. Made it to next exit, filled the reservoir. Drove less than two miles and the same thing happened. Pull into a Bridgestone, they checked and could not identify the issue, recommended it be taken to a dealer. The truck is at the dealership now, being evaluated. This issue could have resulted in causalities. This appears to be a know issue to Ford and they are not actively recalling these vehicles. I am a truly disappointed Ford Owner. I will most likely get rid of this vehicle. Not SAFE.

- Ray W., Marietta, GA, US

problem #10

Aug 182015

F-150 Eco Boost V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 36,402 miles

2013 F150 with just over 36,000 miles (out of warranty), brake pedal goes right to the floor. Checked for leaks.. there were none. Brake fluid reservoir was empty. Towed to Ford dealership, they said the brake booster and master cylinder were bad. $800 fix! Oh, and the parts were on a Nationwide backorder. It would be 5 weeks before the parts com in. Are you kidding me! This is my work truck for my small business! No truck = No work.

- Darren M., Hemet, US

problem #9

Aug 092015

F-150 V69

  • Automatic transmission
  • 9,000 miles

I purchased a 2013 Ford F150 May 1, 2014, brand new. I only have 9000 on the vehicle. On Sunday August 9, 2015 I went to leave my house and discovered I had no brakes coming up to a major intersection. If a car had been coming it would have hit me or could have killed me.

I am getting the run around from the dealership a different story every day. I do not and will never feel safe in this vehicle again. The fear that I felt that day is indescribable. I thought this is it, I'm going to be hit and or killed.

I think that Ford should buy back my vehicle I do not want to be put in another Ford truck or to have this one repaired and given back to me. Upon looking on-line, this has happened to several people and the parts master cylinder and brake booster are on back order. So this means it has happened alot. This is very dangerous and could kill some one. I am going to get the advice of an attorney.

- machellet, LaGrange, GA, US

problem #8

Jul 142015

F-150 Xltcrewcab 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,700 miles

STARTED TRUCK TO GO HOME, NO BRAKES! PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CALLED FOR THE HOOK. PARTS AND REPAIR TOOK 9 DAYS. SCARED THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN? WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT. 10,700 MILES FORD F150 XLT 4X2 SUPER CREW BOUGHT NEW. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.

- parnold, Orlando, FL, US

problem #7

Jun 092015

F-150 XLT 3.6L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,100 miles

Started truck to back up, NO BRAKES! Pedal went o the floor. Dash said "Warning! Low brake fluid". Was perfect 2 minutes before. Limped it to Ford place I bought the vehicle, and the master cylinder was empty, but no indication of leaks anywhere.They put two cans of brake fluid in, put the truck on the lift and told me the fluid had gone into the big unit in front of the master cylinder.

Had to order parts and would take a couple of days to come in. Issued me a rental. That was great......BUT, reading of this problem here makes me wonder if this will happen again! I could be coming down a hill and this master cylinder goes again. Now to they assure me they have fixed my problem? Another of the same MC COULD REPEAT THIS ISSUE. There could be life threatening consequences the next time.

Ford needs to really address this problem. This not like engine power or the windshield wiper motor went out. This truly dangerous!

- Bj F., Oxford, AL, US

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