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 →
Power Train. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

58 crash reports5 fire reports38 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

126 reports

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35,300 miles · Mar 16, 2017

Service Brakes

THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS GONE SOFT, TO THE FLOOR, SEVERAL TIMES DURING NORMAL BRAKING IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. IT GREATLY INCREASED STOPING DISTANCE. IT SEEMS TO HAVE OCCURRED ON SNOW COVERED OR ROUGH SPOTS ON THE HIGHWAY. ALL OF THE EVENTS OCCURRED ON ASPHALT PAVED ROADS. IT SELF CORRECTS FAIRLY QUICKLY. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THE …

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NHTSA ODI #10966345

98,000 miles · Mar 8, 2017

Service Brakes

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THIS HAD BEEN A REPEAT ISSUE I WOULD HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE WHILE ALSO PRESSING THE BREAK. THERE WOULD BE A BRIEF SOUND OF THE ABS KICKING IN, FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN AND ALARMING LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE. WHILE PRESSING THE BRAKES, THERE WOULD BE A MOMENT WHERE BACK PRESSURE WILL BE FELT, THEN WOULD PASS THAT THRESHOLD AND FULLY PRESSING THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR WOULD BE NECESSARY TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS WOULD CONTINUE TO OCCUR FOR SOME TIME (USUALLY THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE) AND REPEATEDLY PUMPING THE BRAKES WHILE STOPPED MIGHT RETURN IT TO NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. SAME PROBLEM AS OF TODAY 3/2017 CHARLESTON, WV

NHTSA ODI #10959589

125,000 miles · Feb 23, 2017

EngineService BrakesUnknown Or Other

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EITHER IN 2008 OR 2009, SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING A BRAND NEW 2007 FORD FUSION, I WAS GREETED WITH THE FIRST MAJOR ISSUE OF MY BRAKES GOING OUT ON ME WHILE DRIVING. FIND OUT THIS WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDER. THE ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON WITHIN 3-4 YEARS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE, AND WAS FOUND TO BE RELATED TO THE THERMOSTAT, THE ENGINE WOULD ALWAYS RUN TOWARDS THE COOL END, NEVER GOING ABOVE 1/3 OF THE WAY TO THE HALFWAY MARK. THAT WAS FIXED AFTER YEARS OF FAILED ATTEMPT. AND ALL THE WHILE, I NEVER HAD A FUNCTIONING AIR CONDITION UNIT AND WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR YEARLY, AND THEN FOUND TO BE RELATED THE CAR ALWAYS RUNNING TOO COOL. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE GASKET TWICE, BECAUSE OIL WOULD APPEAR IN PLACES IT SHOULD NOT (I ALWAYS MAINTAIN MY CAR BY DOING THE OIL CHANGES, ETC ON TIME). THIS PAST SUNDAY, I WAS DRIVING AND GOING AROUND 70 MPH WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO DECELERATE TO 65, THEN 60, THEN WOULD NOT GO PAST 40 SO I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND DROVE BACK HOME. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS I SMELLED BURNT OIL, AND THE SAME ISSUE WITH OIL BEING WHERE IT SHOULD BE HAPPENED AGAIN. MECHANIC IS TELLING ME IT IS DONE, AND AFTER RESEARCHING, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING UNIQUE TO JUST MY CAR. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED MANY HORRIFYING STORES ON THE SAME ISSUE, WITH SOME PEOPLE'S FUSIONS COMBUSTING AND STALLING THEM ON THE HIGHWAY. I DID NOTIFY THE FORD COMPANY TODAY OF ALL THE SAFETY ISSUES AND OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO MY CAR, JUST SO THEY HAVE IT DOCUMENTED ON THEIR END AS WELL. I AM APPALLED THIS CAR DOES NOT HAVE RECALLS OTHER THAN THE ONE RELATED TO THE AIRBAGS, WHICH THEY CAN NOT FIX YET, POSING MY PASSENGER AT RISK.

NHTSA ODI #10956516

75,000 miles · Feb 21, 2017

Service Brakes

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AS OF FEB 2017, I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 92,000 MILES ON MY CAR. IN WINTER OF 2014 AFTER GOING OVER A PATCH OF ICE AND THE ABS ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. BRAKES STILL APPLIED BUT FELT LIKE MANUAL MODE. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF DIFFICULT BRAKING THE ISSUE RESOLVED ITSELF AND NORMAL BRAKING RESUMED. HOWEVER, EVERY TIME I BRAKED IN A GRAVEL AREA OR SUCH WITH LIMITED TRACTION AND THE ABS WOULD ENGAGE, IT WOULD CREATE A BRAKE ISSUE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. IN OCTOBER 2015, THE ISSUE BECAME PERMANENT, HOWEVER I FOUND I COULD CORRECT IT TEMPORARILY BY PULLING THE FUSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WITH ENGINE OFF, STARTING THE CAR WITH IT OUT AND REINSERTING THE FUSE SEEMED TO RESET THE MODULE AND IT WORKED PROPERLY AGAIN FOR A DAY OR 2 AT BEST BEFORE REVERTING BACK TO THE SOFT PEDAL ISSUE. I ALSO NOTED, PULSING THE PEDAL AND THEN SLAMMING ON THE PEDAL, AS YOU WOULD DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING, WOULD CREATE A NORMAL PEDAL FEEL AT TIMES, BUT THAT IS NOT NEEDED DURING TYPICAL DRIVING AND WOULD IMMEDIATELY REVERT BACK TO POOR PEDAL FEEL. I'VE RECENTLY CALLED MY LOCAL FORD PARTS DEPARTMENT, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PART FOR A 2007 FORD FUSION, PART # 7E5Z 2C215A, IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, AND THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PART FOR THE 2008 FUSION WOULD FIT OR WORK WITH A 2007 ECU. SO I'M LEFT WITH FINDING ONE IN A SCRAP YARD OR TAKING A CHANCE THAT A $1,235 2008 PART MAY WORK WITH MY VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP, AS IF IT WERE NOT THAT I AM A CAUTIOUS DRIVER WITH MY VEHICLE, ACCIDENTS MAY HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #10956122

85,000 miles · Feb 19, 2017

Service Brakes

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I WANT TO ADD MY NAME TO THE BRAKE SOFTENING ISSUE THAT OCCURS ON SOME FUSIONS AFTER THE ABS IS ACTIVATED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND IT TAKES DAYS FOR THE BRAKES TO RECOVER. THE MOST RECENT TIME OCCURRED LAST WEEK AND THE BRAKES ARE STILL SOFT AND THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR BEFORE PROPER BREAKING OCCURS. I AM VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE IF I NEED TO STOP QUICKLY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT OR PEDESTRIAN, I AM AFRAID I WON'T BE ABLE TO. PLEASE CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM, I FEEL THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #10955499

155,000 miles · Feb 16, 2017

Service Brakes

THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES SOFT WHEN I BRAKE ON A ROUGH, OR UNEVEN ROAD. THE PEDAL REMAINS SOFT UNTIL THE CAR IS SHUT OFF, AND NOT USED FOR AN EXTENDED TIME PERIOD OF TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MORE THAN ONCE. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN LATE 2015. I SPENT OVER $500 GETTING A MAJORITY OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM REPLACED. IT JUST HAPPENED AGAI…

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NHTSA ODI #10955122

121,000 miles · Feb 11, 2017

Service Brakes

I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES ON 2 OCCASIONS; BOTH TIMES THE ANTI-LOCK HAS ENGAGED BRIEFLY AND THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT "SOFT", TRAVELING QUITE FAR. THE FIRST TIME I WAS DRIVING OVER A ROUGH SPOT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE SECOND TIME THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGED WHEN I BRAKED ON AN ICY SPOT.

NHTSA ODI #10954039

71,000 miles · Feb 3, 2017

Service Brakes

AFTER HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD THE BRAKES BECAME SOFT, GOING ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. I WAS DRIVING ON A PAVED COUNTY ROAD.

NHTSA ODI #10949320

120,000 miles · Feb 2, 2017

Service Brakes

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WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 FORD FUSION APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES AN HOUR AND APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT, I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND THE CAR PASSED OVER A ROUGH PATCH OF ROAD WITH SEVERAL POTHOLES. THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SOFT AND MOVED DOWN TOWARDS THE FLOORBOARD AND THE CAR COASTED WITHOUT CONTINUING TO SLOW DOWN. AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AGAIN, THE PEDAL WAS STILL SOFT AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO COAST AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP WELL INTO THE INTERSECTION AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS MASHED TO THE FLOOR. THE SOFT BRAKE ISSUE CONTINUED AS I DROVE THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS BEEN ABLE TO REMEDY THE FIX BY BLEEDING THE BRAKE LINES BUT THE ISSUE HAS RECURRED OVER TIME AND THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A PERMANENT FIX MADE AVAILABLE. THIS IS THE FOURTH OCCURRENCE OF THIS "SOFT BRAKE" PROBLEM OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. EACH TIME IT HAS OCCURRED I HAVE AVOIDED A COLLISION BUT WORRY THAT I MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY THE NEXT TIME THIS OCCURS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN JULY 2007 AND HAD NO BRAKE ISSUES UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO. GIVEN THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM, I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND NOTICED THAT OTHERS ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE THAT I AM AND HAVE REPORTED IT. I HOPE THE NHTSA IS ABLE TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND ISSUE A RECALL THAT WILL MAKE THESE VEHICLES SAFER FOR EVERYONE ON THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10949025

149,175 miles · Jan 10, 2017

Service BrakesWheels

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MY 2007 FUSION FREQUENTLY HAS SOFT BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS SQUISHY AND GOES DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND I AM UNABLE TO STOP WITHIN MY DESIRED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS HOWEVER LAST NIGHT IT HAPPENED IN MY GARAGE. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES (JUNE 24, 2016 THROUGH JAN 9, 2017) AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR. I HAVE HAD 2 MASTER CYLINDERS, BRAKES FLUSHED 2 TIMES, 2 NEW FRONT ROTORS, AND PAID FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT THE ONLY CODE DISPLAYED WAS THAT THE CAR NEEDED NEW SPARK PLUGS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10944094

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