Complaint Review: Ford

My 2004 Ford F150 pickup truck suffered a total brake failure in 2006 with about 30000 miles on it. As another report here has noted, the calipers rusted out completely and I was left with no braking action when the left front unit broke. Fortunately, I was moving slowly at the time or I doubt that would be alive to write this. The worst part of the experience was that a claim under my extended service plan, which should have covered the cost of replacing the brake parts, was denied on the basis of the exclusion of brakes from the policy even though the failure was certainly not routine wear and tear. Appeals to the Company and complaints to the government were of no avail. The vehicle now has over 60000 miles and the repaired braking system shows no signs of distress. I also note that Consumers Reports shows one big ugly black mark for the 2004 F150: Brakes. To me, it is clear that certain 2004 F150s were either inadequately protected from corrosion or, more likely, used sub-standard materials in the braking system.

Peter
Guelph, Ontario
Canada