Ford Motor Company->ke31 is recalling some 271,000 F-150 pickups->ke242 from the 2013 and 2014 model years due to brake failure. This comes after a three-month investigation and more than 100 complaints to the National Highway Safety Administration from consumers.
The issue lies with the brake master cylinder. Brake fluid has the potential to leak from the master cylinder into the vacuum brake booster, reducing the effectiveness of the front brakes. Only F-150s->ke423 equipped with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 are affected. Ford says it will fix the issue by replacing the master cylinder on the recalled trucks, along with the brake booster if it shows signs of brake fluid.
So far, Ford has received reports of nine crashes related to brake failure. No injuries or deaths were reported in those crashes, though one customer reported injuries during braking, but without being involved in a crash.
Automotive News reports the NHTSA opened an investigation into 33 complaints of brake failure in February of 2016. An additional 74 more complains were left on the U.S. Government agency’s website since then.
Ford’s statement on the situation reports the affected trucks->ke1311 were built at the Dearborn Truck Plant between August 1, 2013 through August 22, 2014, along with the Kansas City Assembly Plant between August 1, 2013 and August 31, 2014. There are 225,012 affected F-150 within the U.S. and its territories, 43,682 in Canada, and another 402 in Mexico.
Like all safety->ke2860 recalls, the issue will be fixed at no cost to the customer at their local Ford dealership. Owners of 2013 and 2014 F-150s with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 should expect to hear from Ford in the coming days. Better yet, customers can input their vehicle’s VIN into the recall look-up section at safercar.gov to see if their F-150 is affected.
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Why It Matters
Problems with braking systems are no joke, and Ford doesn’t appear to be wasting any time attending to the matter. The three-month investigation by federal safety regulators apparently gathered all the information and evidence needed to begin the recall process.
Thankfully no deaths have been reported, but it’s important that customers with potentially affected F-150s perform a VIN look-up or stop by their local Ford dealership. It’s unclear whether the brake failure is a gradual or a sudden event, but there’s no need to take chances either way.
Hopefully Ford can resolve the issue quickly before the problem becomes more serious or someone is killed. But at least from the initial reports, Ford is doing its customers justice by issuing the recall after only four months of the issue’s beginnings.
2013 Ford F-150
Read our full review on the Ford F-150 here.