I thought I had a winter brake problem--the brakes become spongy, but only happens in the winter. I now believe it is happening after the ABS goes off, then they become spongy. Since it apparently goes off in the winter time due to snow or ice I had thought it was simply temperature related.

Pulling out of the driveway, I heard the abs go off as the car slipped a bit on the snow. Then when I was driving through the subdivision I had to stop and the brakes were very soft, had to take evasive maneuver onto a curb to avoid a collision due to suddenly very soft spongy brakes. After pumping the brakes several times they are a little better, but still not right and become spongy again. However, after driving a long distance on the highway the car warms up and the brakes seem to go back to normal.

My daughter was driving the car last winter at college and complaining about the brakes, but when I took it to the mechanic the problem could not be duplicated. Still, they bled the system and I thought it was cured, until another episode a month later.

Apparently this is very expensive to repair, so it looks like we're done with this vehicle! Thanks a lot Ford motor company-ugh!

My daughter was driving this car out of town at college. When driving on slippery roads the ABS came on to stop the car. But after that the brakes become spongy and unpredictable. Much longer stopping distances, but with pumping the brakes they seem to come back a bit. Never lost them completely, but feared it could happen at any time. Took it to a mechanic who was unable to replicate the problem, but bled the system (assuming water in the lines I guess) and it seemed okay for a month or so, but another abs stop caused it to start happening again. Has never happened in the summer--perhaps the ABS does not engage due to our very conservative driving habits-- except in snowy/icy conditions?? Unknown, but due to comments here it must be the same ABS issue.