This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Failed state inspection (emergency brake), further diagnostics revealed calipers not working for rear disc brakes, similar to the recall of 2015/16 Ford Explorer's brake issues- a detailed picture of report/diagnostics included
07/25- had recall ordered- toe link on both sides, rear. Performed at harrisonburg Ford, va. ; 09/04 driving on route 33 in va, mountain road. Heard grinding noise coming down mountain, noise steadily increased and began to feel like a loss of control. Slowed down and a mile from shop the noise stopped. Went to rice tire in va and had it checked. The bolt holding toe link on right side had dislodged nearly completely. Had it replaced and told to go to Ford to re torque both sides.; 09/05 went to Ford. Was informed that mechanic had hand torqued the bolts, essentially misread instructions. Manager actually stated that they were going to have to call many other customers to re torque their toe links correctly as well. I asked for alignment as well, because this problem would surely affect balance and alignment, this was performed as well. They billed it to recall warranty dept.; 11/6 driving on 25 in Colorado springs 65 mph, traffic stops and as I break heavily I lose control and vehicle hops a lane. No accident.; 11/07 take vehicle to Ford to check toe links, was told both nuts were loose, left and right, the knuckle on one side has snapped the brakes are bad, rotors and back 2 tires are bad..I specifically asked, says that this is all related. The front brakes are worn as well, clearly from compensation of driving with bad toe links. I was told specifically yes this is all related. Ford recall manufacturer refusing to cover toe links as well as all associated damage, totaling over $3K. I have never had any issues with vehicle and perform regular maint on tires brakes and rotars, etc. And within 3 months of recall I have had 2 life threatening incidents and complete ruination of my vehicle safety, and alot of damage incurred. Receipt of recall on 11/25 stating everything related is green. No way this damage is not associated to "new, safer" toe links.
Purchase vehicle 2 21 2019 and the two engine lights warning lights breaking decelerates which is very dangerous driving on the highways. Service light tracking light stays on and the vehicle does all this on it's on. I have contacted by chat the Ford corporation about this serious issue with this make and model. I was told their was no service bulletin so they could not help me. They refuse to address the dangerous matter this make and model has very dangerousand the lights are still on. Also with the engine lights staying on all the time the cruise control does not work.
Multiple times my brakes have had to have repairs because of a failure in the emergency brake system. Twice within the past 6 months I have had the E-brake lock up, get stuck, or fail in a way that required full replacement of my rotors, pads, brake lines, and fluid resulting in thousands of dollars in damages. After the first failure in this, I stopped using the E-brake, however had the problem repeat itself only a few months later. The time earlier this year was noticed when the brakes were pulsating while driving, and the second occurrence this year was noticed when the fluid was drained and a "low brake fluid" light came on, and was further examined after fluid did not stay in the system for very long (matter of an hour or two).
- West Hartford, CT, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
The rear brake calipers were not releasing properly after application of the brakes. This led to accelerated wear of the brake pads, overheating of the pads and rotors, and ultimately, non-repairable damage to the rotors. We believe this is a safety issue related to a design flaw that could lead to brake failure, or overheating to the point of creating a fire or explosion hazard.
While driving on trip, the calipers seized, the brakes almost caught fire. The caliper and rotor both had to be replaced with only 51,000 miles. Also, the rear brake pads and rotors were also replaced at 27,500 miles.
When stepping on the brakes, I could feel and hear a drag. Car has 17,400 miles, right rear pads were metal to metal and cut into the rotor. Rr brake pads were extremely difficult to remove, indicating the pads were seized into the bracket. This wording is taken from the Ford service repair invoice. I have had many cars and never had to replace brakes at a low mileage. This is a safety issue that needs to be looked into.
2012 Ford Explorer rear brakes - vehicle was purchased as a certified pre-owned. Part of certifying the vehicle was to replace the rear pads and rotors at 20K miles. At 32K I found myself having to replace pads and rotors again. This is known issue with Ford Explorer where pads are seizing in the calipers and dragging on the rotors causing premature wear. Ford dealers and Ford customer service are refusing to recognize this as problem, and more importantly as a potential safety issue.
2012 Ford Explorer rear brakes - vehicle was purchased as a cpo. Part of certifying the vehicle was to replace the rear pads and cut rotors at 20K miles. Now at 32K I had to replace rear pads and rotors again due to seized calipers that caused the pads to drag and prematurely wear the pads. This is known issue with Ford Explorer where pads are seizing in the calipers and dragging on the rotors causing premature wear. Ford denies that there is any issue, yet the internet is full of stories of people who have experienced this issue. I feel the NHTSA should look into this as a possible safety issue for someone who may not be aware of the problem and be driving around with brakes that will eventually fail them possibly causing an accident.
The left rear wheel began making a loud squealing sound (break pads) and when vehicle was at a complete stop, a large cloud of smoke was radiating off of the left rear wheel. The wheel was removed and the brake pads were stuck against the rotor. The brake pads are fairly new (replaced in February 2015). The caliper was removed and a retaining bolt was broken off/stuck inside of the caliper mount. The piston was pushed all the way inside of the caliper and would not extend out. The caliper was leaking brake fluid. The caliper could not be set back in place due to the faulty retaining bolt.
Had to have rear both rear calipers, rotors, and brake pads replaced because calipers were hanging up causing the brakes to drag. I also noticed smoke, could feel heat, and smell hot metal coming from right rear wheel on or around 6/14/15. I also noticed the same on 6/26/15. Dealership where I had vehicle repaired said that the left rear brakes pads were worn out, the right rear pads were 2mm from being worn out. Also both rotors were warped and discolored. Vehicle has advancetrac system as standard equipment, because of heat and dragging brakes, the service advancetrac light would come on when the above situation occured. Cost of replacement calipers from Ford was covered under the extended warranty purchased at time of vehicle purchase. The rotors, pads, and installation costs totaled $412.93.
Safety recall notice 14S06/NHTSA recall 14V-286 we received this recall notice in the mail from fmc. Knowing we had a trip coming up, I immediately took the vehicle in to ken garff Ford in Utah for servicing and to have the recall corrected. They supposedly fixed the issue so I went on my way. I drove a single gas tanks worth (appx 400 miles) and then everything went to hell. Power steering failed, traction control failed, terrain management failed. This is the exact problem for which Ford issued the recall in the first place. The Ford dealership is now telling me that they completely fixed the problem and it is my fault that these systems failed. They want me to believe an elaborate tale about how I have driven my Explorer 72000 miles without a problem and suddenly, after the recall gets fixed, I then have that exact problem? that is a sneaky lie that might work on someone more passive. When the vehicle failed we were driving with our family on a vacation and this incident stranded us in meridian, Idaho, where our vehicle currently sits 6 weeks later. It seems to me that when a safety recall is issued and "fixed" it shouldn't create a safety issue for the consumer anymore, which is exactly what this problem caused. It also seems to me that it is awfully convenient for fmc that my car broke immediately after it was "fixed". so now I am liable for the repairs. How nice for fmc. Meanwhile, it took fmc 6 weeks to get the part to the dealership in Idaho so they could "fix" the issue. We'll see how long it holds up this time. I am still waiting to get my car back.
I was on vacation and I started to get a very loud grinding noise from the rear brakes every time I started I had to put the brakes on. I decided to end the vacation early and headed home. Before I got home I had to stop at a Ford dealer about 300 miles from home. The guy at the dealer test drove the car and then inspected the brakes. He told me the rear brakes pads and rotors had to be replaced because they were worn to metal on metal. I had them fix the rear brakes for $324.13. He lubed the calipers and since then I have had no problem. I think the brakes should last longer than 30,550 mile on a $46,000 vehicle.
The vehicle power steering and power brakes shut off while driving making pulling over and stopping very difficult for a mature male driver. I find it difficult I can only imagine how difficult and dangerous this could be for my wife or any smaller or less experienced driver. This happened multiple times during regular driving on fairly smooth surface normal conditions.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle independently engaged the brakes. The vehicle was designed with a unique braking program designed to engage with the cruise control when the vehicle was approaching a second vehicle. The system engaged despite there not being a vehicle in front of the contact?S vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed there was no remedy for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 14,000 and the current mileage was 28,000....updated 12-24-13 the consumer stated the adaptive cruise control worked fine when he was following a vehicle in his lane. However, when he was in a separate lane, passing a large semi with large bright aluminum or light colored sides, on a straight highway without curves, the vehicle occasionally applied the brakes as if he were following in the same lane as the truck. The consumer believed the radar sensors on the vehicle were reflecting from the large bright sides on some trucks.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the ABS brakes suddenly engaged independently, causing the steering wheel to pull to the right and become difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician replaced all the sensors and the wiring in the ABS system. The failure continued after the repair. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 7,500.
I started my vehicle as usual, had just turned left off my street onto a two lane road, and approximately 0.25miles later I lost power steering. As I was accelerating from my turn, going approximately 40mph I felt the brake pedal pulsate and the steering wheel jerk a little. Immediately I had an alert on my dash "power steering fault." I attempted to press the brake pedal with no success and there was no resistance. I put it in neutral and coasted to the safest parking lot (approx. 1 mile). I shut the vehicle down and restarted but I still didn't have power steering however I regained brakes. I drove the dealership (3miles away). They shut the vehicle down then restarted and everything appeared to be operating correctly. Later after several test drives the Ford mechanic had my vehicle re-inact my same events for him.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Virginia Beach, VA, USA