Air Bags. Review the 615 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes. Review the 126 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
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NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

58 crash reports5 fire reports38 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

126 reports

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85,000 miles · Oct 10, 2019

Service Brakes

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IN DECEMBER OF 2018 THE VEHICLE HIT A ROUGH SURFACE OF ROAD AS I WAS STOPPING NEAR AN INTERSECTION. THE BRAKE PEDAL IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I WENT INTO THE INTERSECTION. THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO CARS PASSING THROUGH. JUST AFTER THE INCIDENT THE BRAKES FIRMED UP AND WORKED AS NORMAL. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NO ISSUES WERE FOUND. I ASKED ABOUT TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NONE. DEALERSHIP THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS A BRIEF LOSS OF VACUUM IN THE BOOSTER. TOLD TO KEEP DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN THEY WILL REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER. NOW ON 10/9/19 IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. VEHICLE WENT OVER A BUMP AND THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. LOOKING ONLINE, I QUICKLY FOUND A YOUTUBE VIDEO BACK IN 2014 WITH A FULL EXPLANATION ON HOW THE HCU IS MALFUNCTIONING ON SOME OF THESE CARS. AFTER THE ABS EVENT IS OVER, THE ABS VALVE IS STICKING AND NOT RECLOSING RESULTING IN THE SOFT PEDAL. YET NOT LONG AFTER, THE PEDAL FIRMS UP AND THE BRAKES WORK AS NORMAL. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS. PLEASE LOOK INTO AT LEAST HAVING A TSB PUT OUT. I WOULD HAVE REPLACED IT LAST DECEMBER IF I HAD KNOWN, AS THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS TIME AND I'M JUST THANKFUL SHE WAS IN A SITUATION WHERE SHE HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP. PLEASE, PLEASE ISSUE THE TSB NOW. THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED AS IT'S UNSAFE, BUT AT LEAST A TSB GIVES THE OWNER/DEALER THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO GET THE CAR FIXED. HAVE RECORD OF VISIT TO DEALERSHIP IN 2018 IF NEEDED. IT SHOWS THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOSES TO THE BOOSTER. NOTHING ABOUT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT.

NHTSA ODI #11267782

147,000 miles · Sep 25, 2019

Service Brakes

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH IN DRY CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ABS ONLY WORKED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN IN DRY CONDITIONS AND NOT WHEN THE PAVEMENT WAS WET. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED, THE ABS WORKED. WHEN THE INDICATOR WAS OFF, IT DID NOT WORK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000. *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI #11257966

135,000 miles · Aug 29, 2019

Service Brakes

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WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY (15-25 MPH) OVER A ROUGH STRETCH OF RAILROAD TRACKS IN THE CITY, I APPLIED MY BRAKES ONLY FOR THE PEDAL TO HIT THE FLOOR TO HEAR A GRINDING SOUND WHEN I HIT THE BUMP. I HAD NO ABILITY TO STOP MY CAR FOR 10-20 FEET UNTIL I PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL ENOUGH TO REGAIN PRESSURE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS AND FOUR TIMES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS. THE PEDAL EVENTUALLY REGAINS PRESSURE, BUT NEVER HOLDS FIRM WHEN BRAKING OVER A BUMP. THIS HAS ALSO OCCURRED WHILE TURNING AND APPLYING THE BRAKE SIMULTANEOUSLY.

NHTSA ODI #11252290

122,000 miles · Aug 17, 2019

Service Brakes

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I OWN A 2007 FORD FUSION WITH 122,000 MILES. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED DURING A 'PANIC' STOP WHEN I WAS CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. THE ABS ACTIVATED, THEN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELING MUCH FURTHER DOWN THAN NORMAL. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE BRANDON FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN FLORIDA. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY HYDRAULIC BRAKE CONTROLLER, WHICH IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE THROUGH FORD AS THE PART HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. THERE ARE ALSO NO AFTERMARKET COMPANIES THAT MANUFACTURER THIS PART. THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO FIND A REPLACEMENT FROM A SALVAGE YARD, EBAY OR SIMILAR PLACE. NOT LONG AFTER THIS SERVICE VISIT, THE BRAKE PEDAL MIRACULOUSLY RETURNED TO NORMAL PRESSURE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NEARLY 300-TROUBLE FREE MILES BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS RAINING AND AS I WAS SLOWING AGAIN, I MUST HAVE HIT A BUMP OR SLIPPERY SURFACE CAUSING THE ABS TO KICK IN AGAIN. THIS IMMEDIATELY CAUSED THE PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR AGAIN. AS OF LAST NIGHT, THE PEDAL PRESSURE IS STILL LOW AND IT HAS NOT RETURNED TO NORMAL. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION. I CANT BELIEVE THAT FORD HAS NOT COME UP WITH A 'FIX', OR A RE-ENGINEERED REPLACEMENT PART. CAN YOU IMAGINE SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS THE BRAKING SYSTEM BEING COMPROMISED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO REPAIR IT. I REALLY HOPE FORD STANDS BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES, DOES RIGHT BY THEIR CUSTOMERS AND COMES UP WITH A SOLUTION.

NHTSA ODI #11244649

80,000 miles · Aug 13, 2019

Service Brakes

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MY FATHER OWNS A 2007 FORD FUSION FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, HE BEGAN EXPERIENCING SOFT BRAKE PEDAL ISSUES. THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT HAVE PRESSURE AND GO ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FLOOR. THE BRAKING DISTANCE IS ALSO POOR. THE CAR TRAVELS SIGNIFICANTLY FARTHER AND TAKES LONGER BEFORE IT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. MY FATHER TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL LICENSED MECHANIC FOR A ROUTINE BRAKES SERVICE. THE BRAKE PADS AND BRAKE FLUID WERE REPLACED BUT THE SOFT BRAKE PEDAL AND POOR BRAKING STILL PERSISTED. THE MECHANIC DID RESEARCH ON THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT OUR ISSUE IS CONSISTENT TO A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE 2007 FORD FUSION ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT (HCU) BRAKES SYSTEM. MY FATHER SAID THE BRAKE ISSUES OCCURRED AFTER THE ABS CAME ON AFTER BRAKING ON AN UN-EVEN SURFACE. THE MECHANIC SAID HE DOES NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO PERFORM THE TASKS AND RECOMMEND US TO FILE A COMPLAINT.

NHTSA ODI #11243796

160,000 miles · Jul 21, 2019

Service Brakes

DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL HILLY AREA, I DROVE OVER A SMALL BUMP HEADING TOWARDS A RED LIGHT. MY BREAKS IMMEDIATELY WENT SOFT AND TOOK EXCESSIVE FORCE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP WITH THE BREAK PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. WE WENT ABOUT 15 FEET BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. BREAKS ARE NOW SOFT…

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NHTSA ODI #11233673

98,000 miles · Jul 4, 2019

Service BrakesCrash

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TWO INCIDENTS WHILE TRYING TO STOP ON A WET ROAD. ONE INVOLVED HITTING A DEER AT ABOUT 50 MPH. ONE INVOLVED HITTING A TREE ABOUT 45 MPH. TRIED TO STOP BUT THE BRAKE PELAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE AND ZERO BRAKING. THESE BRAKES ARE FAULTY. IF THE BRAKES WERE WORKING CORRECTLY NEITHER INCIDENT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THESE CARS ARE POTENTIAL DEATH TRAPS. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORTS MADE BECAUSE THEY WERE NO REQUIRED. BUT NOW THE INSURANCE CO. MIGHT BE TOTALLING THE CAR...SO WE ARE OUT THE VALUE OF THIS BECAUSE OF A BAD DESIGN BY FORD. WHY SHOULD WE BE OUT THIS ? PERHAPS ITS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE. I HAVE NOTICED A LOT OF OTHER COMPLAINTS AND YOU ARE INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED BEFORE WITH NO INCIDENTS. ONCE WHILE COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN. TRIED TO STOP AND WENT RIGHT THROUGH A INTERSECTION WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 55 MPH. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR COMING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE ABOUT MAKING FORD RESPONSIBLE ?

NHTSA ODI #11229426

118,910 miles · May 18, 2019

Service Brakes

MY CAR JUST ROLLED OFF MY DRIVEWAY LAST NIGHT AND TOOK DOWN MY NEIGHBORS FENCE. I'M JUST GLAD IT DIDN'T HIT THE HOUSE AND ANYONE GOT HURT. MY CAR WAS LOCKED AND EBREAK WAS ENGAGED.

NHTSA ODI #11208410

85,000 miles · Apr 22, 2019

Service Brakes

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BRAKES ARE EXTREMELY SPONGY STARTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE THAT I HAD TO VEER TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A CURB SO THAT I WOULDN'T HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TOOK A HUGE CHUNK OUT OF MY RIM. I HAD 2 OF MY GRANDDAUGHTERS IN THE CAR WITH ME ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY AND WE WERE ALL TERRIFIED. AFTER THAT THEY STARTED WORKING FINE AGAIN AND NOW FOR THE PAST YEAR THEY HAVE BEEN SPONGY AND WE HAVE REPLACED EVERY PART OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM WITH NO CHANGE, THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO BE SPONGY. THIS HAS COST MY HUSBAND AND I A LOT OF MONEY, HEADACHE AND TIME. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW NOT KNOWING IF IT COULD COMPLETELY FAIL AT ANY MOMENT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS, I SEE THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND FORD SHOULD BE MADE TO FIX THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT THAT SO MANY OF THESE CARS IF NOT ALL OF THEM ARE FAILING. AND TO TOP IT OFF I READ THAT FORD NO LONGER MAKES THE ABS SYSTEM FOR THE FUSIONS WITH AWD, WHICH IS WHAT I HAVE. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO. WE'VE DONE OUR PART KEEPING UP ON THE MAINTENANCE, EVEN REPLACING EVERY PART OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE ABS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKE THIS RIGHT. I OFTEN HAVE MY GRANDCHILDREN BUT I DON'T FEEL SAFE HAVING THEM IN MY CAR ANYMORE. IT'S REALLY MESSED UP THAT I SHELLED OUT ALL THIS MONEY FOR A SAFE CAR JUST TO HAVE THEM SAY IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM WHEN THE EXACT SAME ISSUE IS OCCURRING YEAR AFTER YEAR IN THE FORD FUSIONS. I CAN'T AFFORD TO JUST GO OUT AND BUY ANOTHER CAR AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SAME PART IN ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS IS THE PROBLEM. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ACCOUNTABILITY.

NHTSA ODI #11202780

Mileage unknown · Mar 19, 2019

Service Brakes

BRAKES ARE VERY SOFT AFTER GOING OVER A ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD AND TRIED TO BRAKE TO CONTROL VEHICLE. BRAKES WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO CONTROL. SINCE THEN, BRAKES WILL FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE PRESSURE BUT WHEN I HAVE TO APPLY BRAKES THE PEDAL GOES DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I HAVE HAD 2 MASTER CYLINDERS REPLACED A…

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NHTSA ODI #11189941

Official recalls

21V158000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Mar 10, 2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

19V904000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Dec 18, 2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.

17V024000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jan 10, 2017

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

16V384000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

May 31, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA18002 · Extended Braking Distance

Opened Apr 18, 2018 · Closed Jan 15, 2021

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Air:antilock:control Unit/module

On April 18, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) 18-002 to investigate reports of braking concerns in model year (MY) 2006-12 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, and MY 2006-11 Mercury Milan vehicles manufactured with Continental Automotive System?s ABS hydraulic control units (HCUs). Complainants report that after an ABS braking event (initiated by slippery or uneven surfaces) the brake pedal moved towards the floor and the vehicle stopping distance increased beyond driver expectations.Inside the HCU are four hydraulic normally closed (NC) valves with zinc-coated moving armatures that control the flow of brake fluid. Unstable brake fluid can degrade over time, allow the brake fluid to gel, and corrosion to form on the armatures. The high-viscosity gelation and corrosion can cause the armatures to become stuck (open). In some cases, braking returns to normal when the armature(s) subsequently become unstuck. The intermittent condition proves difficult to diagnose with complainants reporting having (non-HCU) repairs conducted only to have the condition return.During the investigation, 14 HCUs from complaint vehicles were recovered, including seven from reported crashes. NHTSA?s Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) disassembled the HCUs, removed the four NC valves in each, and confirmed 22 of the 56 NC valves contained stuck armatures. On seven of the 14 HCUs, both front wheel armatures were stuck, on nine of the 14 HCUs two or three armatures were stuck. And 52 of the 56 NC armatures exhibited corrosion of the zinc coating. Forces required to extract stuck armatures from the valve sleeve were measured to range from 1.1 to 18.0 lbs. VRTC also conducted ABS braking tests on a variety of test surfaces that showed HCU failures cause increases in pedal travel and braking distances. Testing also showed that if the driver was able to apply four times the brake pedal force and two times the brake pedal travel, then high-vehicle decelerations could be achieved, however, single or multiple wheel lockups were also occurring.Based on Ford?s response to ODI?s July 20, 2018 information request letter, and complainants' reports to NHTSA, ODI identified a population of vehicles with an elevated level of field failure compared to vehicles produced both before and after.Further evaluation of Ford?s response identified that the brake fluid used to produce these vehicles, a specific formulation of a DOT3 fluid provided by CCI Corporation between February 2006 and July 2009, differed from the brake fluid used in other vehicle populations. ODI used the correlation of fluid specification and elevated field failures to identify a vehicle population exhibiting a defect trend. The complaints, crashes and injuries cited above, and the 14 recovered HCUs involve vehicles from this population.On December 18, 2019, Ford submitted safety recall (19V-904) to remedy HCU failures on the MY 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, and Mercury Milan vehicles manufactured with the suspect CCI brake fluid formulation. Ford will function test the HCU and replace the DOT 3 brake fluid with an improved DOT 4 brake fluid. If the HCU fails the function test, Ford will install an HCU with a different armature coating (black oxide). HCUs with black oxide coating were fully phased into Ford?s new vehicle production by MY 2016; these HCUs do not appear to be experiencing armature corrosion. ODI notes that the non-recalled EA18-002 subject vehicles, which were manufactured with a different specification brake fluid, did not display an elevated level of field failures like the recalled vehicles.Based on available information, Ford?s rec

PE16017 · Extended Braking Distance

Opened Dec 20, 2016 · Closed May 4, 2018

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

On December 20, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 16-017 to investigate reports of braking concerns in model year 2007 through 2009 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles.Complainants report that after an ABS braking event (caused by braking on a slippery or uneven surface) the brake pedal moved towards the floor and the distance in which the vehicle stopped increased beyond what was expected by the driver.The cause of the problem appears to be the Antilock Braking System (ABS) Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU), a component manufactured for Ford by Continental Automotive Systems.Hydraulic control valves within the HCU can experience corrosion and become stuck.In some cases, braking returns to normal when the valve(s) subsequently become unstuck.The intermittent condition proves difficult to diagnose and complainants report having several brake system components replaced only to have the condition return.ODI has identified 544 reports submitted to the agency that relate to this issue in model year 2006-2012 Ford Fusion/MKZ and MY 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, the subject vehicles.Complainants report an increase in pedal travel which in some cases resulted in going past expected stopping points or having to steer to avoid contacting another vehicle; twenty six report a crash with 3 injuries alleged.The Ford reports shown above, which are from PE16-017 and involved the scope discussed above, were similar in content and identified 7 crashes without injury.During PE16-017, ODI was able to recover HCUs from some complaint vehicles, including some from the reported crashes.The recovered HCUs were sent to NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) in East Liberty, Ohio for evaluation.VRTC was able to confirm stuck valves and corrosion of the zinc coated control valves, and it's testing indicates that HCU failures cause increases in pedal travel that may affect braking distance.According to Ford, newer version HCUs have a different coating on the affected valves that do not currently appear to be experiencing corrosion.In it's response to ODI's information request letter, Ford described analysis of two failed HCUs removed from complainant vehicles.In both cases, a gelatinous material found inside the HCU prevented control valves from properly returning to the closed position after actuation.Ford found that an interaction between the valve coating and brake fluid was the likely source of the gelatinous material.It acknowledged that stuck valves can result in increased pedal travel but maintains the affected brake circuit will develop pressure and respond if the brake pedal is pressed sufficiently.While it has not identified an unreasonable risk to safety due to this issue, Ford states that it continues to investigate the possible causal and contributory factors including additional engineering evaluations and testing.An Engineering Analysis has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequence of the alleged defect.Based on information received during PE16-017, the scope of the investigation has been increased to include another model, the Lincoln MKZ, and to expand the model years of the subject vehicles.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Service Brakes

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

EA12009 · Floor Mat Interference With Accelerator

Opened Dec 12, 2012 · Closed Jun 12, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control; Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

On May 27, 2014, Ford Motor Company submitted recall 14E-028 (Ford recall #14S07) to correct a safety-related problem with certain driver's side Ford optional all-weather floor mats sold for use in model year 2006 through 2011 model year Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr, and Lincoln MKZ vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant (HAP) from November 9, 2007, to October 31 ,2010.NHTSA testing determined that the original accessory all-weather mat with a single retention clip (Figure 1), may interfere with accelerator pedal return to idle with the mat retained by the clip and rotated clockwise.Both the single- and double-clip (Figure 2) all-weather floor mats may interfere with the accelerator pedal return to idle when the mats are not secured by the retention clip(s).Testing showed that this can occur if the mats are moved forward from the clipped position approximately two inches into a position in which the rear edge of the mats will abut the retention clip(s) when installed singly and align with the clip(s) when stacked on another floor mat.The pedal interference incidents reviewed by the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) include 1 crash and 9 incidents with allegations of brake friction materials smoking and/or requiring repair for heat related damage.The crash incident occurred after the parking brake was applied at speed, resulting in loss-of-control vehicle yaw event caused by lock-up of the rear tires.The spin-out resulted in a side impact collision with an oncoming vehicle in an opposing lane of traffic. For the 29 incidents with sufficient information available to make an assessment; 23 (79%) were controlled by the driver either shifting to neutral, turning the engine off, or both; 4 (14%) were ended by the driver either kicking the pedal free (2) or pulling the mat away from the pedal (2); and 2 (7%) were ended by the pedal freeing itself from the mat with no apparent driver action.None of the drivers who reacted to the incident by shifting to neutral or turning the engine off reported any difficulties with either action.The subject mats were sold by Ford and Lincoln dealers directly to customers as an optional accessory equipment item or, beginning in November 2007, the mats were also available as a factory installed accessory if ordered with a new vehicle.Ford estimates that approximately 82,579 affected driver's side all weather floor mats were sold worldwide; either over the counter through Ford dealerships or as original equipment.Owners that purchased the subject all-weather floor mats as a factory installed accessory with their new vehicle will be notified to return their all weather floor mats to their Ford or Lincoln Dealership in exchange for replacement mats.Owners of all other potentially affected vehicles will be notified that, if they have an affected Ford driver's side all weather floor mat, they should return their mats to the dealership in exchange for replacement mats.The VOQs associated with the closing of this investigation are: 10327597, 10332233, 10334211, 10335336, 10339330, 10348772 (and duplicate 10342572), 10372674, 10379562, 10415911, 10426255, 10434107, 10521053, 10554966.This investigation is hereby closed.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

Vehicle Speed Control

PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking

Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve

ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO