U.S. Investiges 2013-14 Ford F-150s for Brake Failure
The U.S. is investigating dozens of complaints involving 2013-14 Ford F-150s with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine. The probe involves nearly half a million Ford trucks.
This is the release from the U.S. Department of Transportation pasted below.
“The Office of Defects Investigation has received 33 reports alleging master cylinder failures in model year (MY) 2013 through 2014 Ford F-150 full size pickup trucks. All of the reports involve F-150 trucks equipped with 3.5L engines, with an estimated 420,000 units sold in the United States representing approximately 36 percent of MY 2013-2014 F-150 sales. The complaints allege symptoms of brake pedal going to the floor with complete loss of brake effectiveness, brake warning lamp illumination, and/or low or empty master cylinder reservoir fluid level with no visible leakage. Several complaints allege repair facilities diagnosed the problem as brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder to the brake booster. Thirty-one (31) of the reports were received in the last 12 months, including 20 in the last 7 months. Four complaints allege that the alleged defect resulted in collisions.”
Apparently one California owner told the NHTSA he was backing his F-150 out of the driveway last May when the brake pedal went completely to the floor and his brakes failed. His Ford crossed the street and crashed into his neighbor’s wall.
“I am surprised that there has been no action on this issue yet — the complete failure of the most important safety system of a 2.5-ton-plus vehicle,” he told the NHTSA.
Read more from the Associated Press and the Detroit Free Press here.
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