— Ford and Lincoln brake fluid leaks from ruptured brake hoses have caused a recall of 500,000 model year 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2015-2018 Ford Edge vehicles.
A brake fluid leak can decrease brake performance and increase the chance of a crash.
A driver should watch for a red brake warning light in case too much brake fluid leaks.
Ford is still working on why the brake hoses fail and leak.
"The root cause of rear brake hose leaks has not been fully determined to date. Ford observed a significantly reduced rate of repair after the introduction of a robustness improvement change to the hose’s inner and outer braid material from Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) to Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) in December 2017." — Ford
The recalled brake hoses were first installed in the vehicles in November 2014 and taken out of production in December 2017.
In March 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contacted Ford about rear brake jounce hose leaks on 2016-2017 Edge vehicles. Owners reported red brake warning lights in the instrument panels and/or a long brake pedal travel, and one allegation of reduced brake performance.
But Ford says it didn't find any evidence of a trend.
In July 2024, NHTSA again contacted Ford about 37 complaints alleging rear brake hose leaks in 2015-2017 Edge SUVs. Then in September 2024 Ford decided there was no "unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety" and closed its internal investigation based on findings that:
- Customers would receive a red brake warning light before experiencing a reduction in rate of deceleration.
- The braking system contains two isolated circuits so in the event of loss of brake fluid in one circuit the vehicle could be stopped with two of four brakes.
- Current and projected occurrence rates were not interpreted as indicative of a defect trend.
Apparently federal safety regulators didn't see things the same way because NHTSA opened a federal investigation into brake failures in 2015-2017 Ford Edge SUVs.
Ford is aware of at least "64 warranty claims, 3 field reports, and 16 customer complaints related to rear brake jounce hose leaks." However, there have been no crash or injury reports.
Ford estimates about 1% of the recalled vehicles have defective brake hoses.
Ford and Lincoln brake hose recall letters will be mailed between September 8 and September 12, 2025, but those are just interim notices while Ford develops a repair. Second brake hose recall letters should be mailed between April 1 and April 3, 2026.
Lincoln MKX and Ford Edge owners may contact Ford at 866-436-7332 and ask about brake jounce hose recall number 25S87.