I got brake fluid around the top of my master cylinder. I called the dealer and the rep. told me is was common and there is nothing they can do about it. This a load of BS! I never heard of this being normal, have any of you?

 

I have what sounds like the exact same thing. I clean the fluid off the top of mine every week (while I'm checking the IC level). I haven't brought it up with the dealer "Sure, bring it in, we can schedule you for next week, can you leave the truck with us all day?" fergetit.
Mine was overfilled from the factory and I siphoned some out which helped a little, but the problem persists.
I just went out to have a closer look to see if I could figure out a solution, and I found there is a tiny slit in the center of the rubber seal. That means as your brake pads wear down, instead of a rubber baffle expanding to fill the space (like a Ch*vy), the fluid will be exposed to outside air and moisture. Swell. I love my Lightning, but I will never be a fan of Ford.

Mark
'00 Lightning
'79+ Corvette

 

Are you guys talking about the brake fluid reservior (small white plastic tank)? If so, it's not a big deal having a little fluid there... if you drive hard - hard accel / braking / lots of powering around turning.

 

It certainly is a big deal. Brake fluid shouldn't be leaking from anywhere. It eats through paint and collects dust and dirt. If it's leaking out, that means air and contaminants are also leaking in. Non-synthetic brake fluid will suck the water right out of the air, and the tiniest bit of water has a huge impact on its performance.
I just added yearly brake system flush to my maintenance schedule.

 

Mark... we're talking about "sweating" and "dribble" amount of fluid right? If you have more than that... enough to get to any painted surface, you definitely have a problem.
I have had some brake fluid "dribble" in all of my track cars (cars experiencing high-G's)...and the corresponding tiny amount of air which may get sucked in... with no brake system issues, no fluid fade, etc... and I use Motul 600 brake fluid, which has horrible hydroscopic properties.

-Dreamin

 

hey mark, That's exactly what I have and its not a good thing. I'm going to the dealer on Monday for all kinds of fun stuff, I'll let you know what they do about it.

 

I've had this on just about every car I've had... get it on my bolt too.

since the bolt is the fourth car to exhibit this, I don't think anything of it.

and the cars were different makes: mitshbushi, dodge, and 2 fords.