2001 Ford F-350 Brakes Problems

I HAVE A 2001 FORD F350 IPDAY I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAUNCH MY BOAT AT A LAKE JUST EAST OF BOISE, ID, WHEN THE BRAKES GAVE OUT AND I ALMOST WENT INTO THE LAKE. I GOT THE VEHICLE BACK TO MY HOUSE AND CHECKED THE WHEELS AND NOTICED AN IN ORDINATE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID ION THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WELL. BEING A RETIRED NTSB INVESTIGATOR, I PULLED THE WHEEL AND FOUND THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TIRE WHICH WORE A HOLE IN THE LINE ALLOWING THE FLUID TO LEAK OUT. *TR

DESIGN FLAW FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS HAVE NO PAD RETENTION DEVICE AND THE THICKNESS OF THE BACKING PLATE IS LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE FROM THE CALIPER CAGE TO THE ROTOR. THIS, COMBINED WITH THE LACK OF WEAR INDICATOR TABS MEANS THAT THE BRAKES FUNCTION PROPERLY RIGHT UP UNTIL THE FRICTION MATERIAL IS ALMOST GONE AT WHICH TIME THERE IS THE SCRAPING NOISE. AT THIS TIME THE PAD CAN AND HAS ON MY TRUCK, SLID RIGHT OUT OF THE CALIPER AND LANDED ON THE GROUND. THIS LEAVES ONE TRYING TO STOP A ONE TON TRUCK WITH THE BRAKE CUP DIRECTLY ON THE ROTOR. WHEN IT HAPPENED I WAS GOING VERY SLOWLY IN A WAREHOUSE SO NO DAMAGE OCCURRED. IT COULD OCCUR ON ANY SUPERDUTY OF THAT APPROXIMATE VINTAGE . *TR

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND VIBRATED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND VEHICLE HAD WORK DONE ON THE BRAKES ON 9 OCCASIONS, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALERSHIP WAS SAYING THAT THEY WILL DO NOTHING ELSE. VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

I HAVE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH MY TRUCK....ALL OF WHICH WERE POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK. FIRST WAS THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE MINE AND MY DAD'S ,BOTH FAILED AT SIMILAR TIMES AT IDENTICAL TRUCKS. -AFTER FORD GAVE US THE RUN AROUND WE TOOK THE TRUCKS TO A REPAIR SHOP AND HAD TRANSMISSIONS FIXED.....NOTE THAT THE FAILURE OF THE COAST CLUTCH IN TRANSMISSIONS PREVENTED THE TRUCKS FROM ENGINE BREAKING. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY SERIOUS WHEN TOWING, WHICH WAS WHAT THIS TRUCK WAS MADE FOR. MY DAD FOUND OUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON HIS WAY DOWN A MOUNTAIN PASS IN COLORADO PULLING A 11,000 POUND FIFTH WHEEL. THE NEXT COMPLAINT WAS REGARDING THE CAM POSITION SENSOR, WHICH FAILED FASTER THAN CAN REPLACED. THE NEXT COMPLAINT WAS ABOUT THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I HAVE DEALT WITH DEALERSHIPS TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, AND THEY COULDN'T DO IT, SO I FIXED IT MYSELF! THE PROBLEM WAS A SEVERE PULL TO THE LEFT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THAT PROGRESSED TO A SEVERE PULL AND SHIMMY. .AGAIN, FORD COULDN'T FIX IT, I DID. ALL OF THESE WERE TREND ITEMS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND RESEARCHING WWW.DIESELSTOP.COM AND BRIANS TRUCK SHOP. EITHER ONE OF THESE SOURCES CAN ACCURATELY REFLECT THE FAILURES IN THESE PARTS ON THESE TRUCKS----THE REASON FORD DIDN'T GET MANY COMPLAINTS-----THEY CANT/WONT FIX IT UNTIL SOMEONE DIED. *AK!

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A MOTORCYCLE. NO INJURIES. THE DRIVER WA ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THEY DID NOT PERFORM AS DESIGNED, AS A RESULT THE BRAKES SEIZED UP AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A HALT AND THE BRAKE PISTON SHATTERED CAUSING BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. *JB BRAKE PADS WERE THE ROOT CAUSE THE PADS FROM THE BRACKING PLATE AND THE CALIPERS RESULTING IN THE CALIPER PISTONS TO GRIND INTO THE ROTOR.*TS

BRAKE ROTORS ON F-350 SUPER CREW WARPED. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN ON 11/07/01, MILEAGE 10256, DEALER TURNED ROTORS. TOOK BACK ON 07/10/02, MILEAGE 13026, SAME OCCURRENCE OF PROBLEM. RETURNED TO DEALER 06/14/04, MILEAGE 23690. VERY HARD TIME STOPPING, STRONG VIBRATION AND CHATTER FROM BRAKES. I WAS TOLD THAT ROTORS WERE WARPED BY ANOTHER SERVICE STATION. I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THEIR OUR OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH ROTORS ON MY TRUCK.*AK

WHILE BRAKING PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THIS CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE BRAKES STARTED PULLING LEFT AROUND JULY OF 2003. THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS WORKED ON THE VEHICLE. INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM, THEY CHANGED THE TOE-IN TO COUNTERACT THE TRUCK PULLING LEFT ON BRAKING. AS A RESULT, THE TRUCK PULLED RIGHT FROM EXCESSIVE ALIGNMENT CHANGE, WHICH CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER INITIALLY CHANGED THE ROTORS, AND CALIPERS, BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE ONLY REASON I KNEW THAT THE DEALER CHANGED THE ALIGNMENT IS BECAUSE I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A GOODYEAR TIRE STORE FOR AN ALIGNMENT BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE DEALER FOR THE BRAKES. AFTER THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER CHANGED THE ALIGNMENT, I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE STORE. THEY MADE THE LAIGNMENT RIGHT, BUT THE TRUCK STILLED PULLED LEFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS WAY OFF CENTERED. GOODYEAR TIRE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DELAER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ONCE I GOT THE TRUCK BACK, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STRAIGHT, BUT THE ALIGNMENT WAS WRONG AND IT DID NOT HANDLE PROPERLY. IN FACT, THE TRUCK WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AFTER THAT I TOOK TI TO A DEALER IN RENO, NEVADA AND IN DIXON CALIFORNIA. ALL DEALERS INSISTED THAT THE PULLING WAS CAUSED BY A TIRE PULL. EACH DEALERSHIP BACKED UP THE OTHER DEALERSHIP 'S STORY, SINCE I TOLD THEM I HAD AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS CAUSED BY THEIR WORK. *AK

BRAKING PRESSURE IS UNBALANCED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK DEFECTIVE BALANCER. *TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKE ROTORS ARE WEARING OUT, AND WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES , VEHICLE WILL HAVE HEAVY VIBRATION AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE BRAKING, VEHICLE WILL PULL TO LEFT, RIGHT & SOMETIMES TO BOTH DIRECTIONS. THIS DEGREE OF PULLING WILL VARY DEPENDING UPON VEHICLE RUN TIME AND TEMPERATURE. SOMETIMES THIS PULLING IS EXTREME OTHER TIMES ONLY MODERATE OR SLIGHT. WHEN PULLING A TRAILER WITH ANY WIEGHT, IT IS GREATLY ACCENTUATED. I HAVE ARGUED WITH THE FORD DEALERSHIP REGARDING THIS COMPLAINT WITHOUT A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION. THE DEALERSHIP BROUGHT IN AN ENGINEER WHO SAID THIS WAS A "NORMAL" CONDITION AND YOUR DEPARTMENT HAD INVESTIGATED THIS COMPLAINT AND FOUND NO FAULT WITH THIS ISSUE. MY VEHICLE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE DAY ONE OF OWNERSHIP. THIS VEHICLE WILL PULL/CHATTER CONSTANTLY FOR DAYS AND OTHER DAYS IT WILL NOT. SINCE 20 DEC 2002, MY FAMILY HAS TRACKED THE ISSUE EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ALL FOR THE PUROPOSES OF ASSISTING THE DIAGNOSTIC REPAIR OF THIS ISSUE. IT APPEARS THE MORE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OR THE WARMER THE VEHICLE GETS, THE MORE IT ACTS UP. IF FOMOCO SAYS THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE, WHY THEN HAVE THEY REPLACED MY FRONT SPRINGS, BALL JOINTS AND INSTALLED SPECIAL EXPENSIVE BRAKE PADS? I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS VEHICLE AND MANY OTHERS HAVE A BRAKING ISSUE FOMOCO REFUSES TO DEAL WITH EITHER BY NOT HAVING PROPER DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING ON MILITARY VEHICLES AND WAS ASE CERTIFIED IN 1987 ON BRAKE SYSTEMS. PLEASE REVIEW THIS COMPLAINT CAREFULLY AS I BELIEVE ACCIDENTS WILL OCCUR WITH MANY SERIOUS INJURIES. AS OF THIS DATE, WE ARE STILL MONITORING THIS VEHICLE IN HOPES YOU CAN AND WILL INVESTIGATE THIS AND CONCLUDE THERE IS A PROBLEM SO FORD WILL FIX IT. THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR REVIEW.

WHILE BREAKING THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES PULLS TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, SOMETIMES TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL, OTHER TIMES WE GET A SERVER VIBRATION WHILE BREAKING AGAIN IT IS ALMOST INPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL,WE ARE GETING ONLY ABOUT 11000 MILES OUT OF A SET OF BREAKS, THIS UNIT IS AN AMBULANCEAND ALTHOUGH FORD HAS REPLACED THE BREAK PADS THREE TIMES AND THE ROTORS TWICE IN 33,000 MILES THIS DOE'S NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, NOW THAT THE WARRANTY WILL SOON END THEY ARE NOW TELLING US THAT IT IS THE AMBULANCE MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. THEY STILL HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM OF WHY ARE WE HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEM THEY JUST KEEP CHANGING PARTS. WE ALL SO HAVE A 1999 THAT IS ALMOST A TWIN TO THIS ONE BUT WE HAVE NO BREAKING PROBLEMS AND ARE GETING ABOUT 35,000 OUT OF A SET OF BREAKS

TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE MASTER CYLINDER TO TRUCK BROKE. ONE OF THE BOLTS SNAPPED IN TWO, CAUSING MASTER CYCLINER TO BE PUSHED AT AN ANGLE AWAY FROM FIREWALL OF TRUCK. THIS RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES.*AK JLG

STEERING BECOME HARD WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. ALSO, VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP PROPERLY WHILE APPLYING BRAKES AND MAKING A FULL TURN. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

ONGOING PROBLEM WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED IN A SUDDEN STOP, IT CAUSES VEHICLE TO PULLTO THE LEFT. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER ON 6 OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WENT TO DEALER IN AM ABOUT CLUTCH PROBLEMS, DEALER LOOKED AT TRUCK, SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. LEFT DEALER WAS COMING UP TO INTERSECTION, WENT TO DOWN SHIFT, CLUTCH WENT OUT AND BRAKES. HAD NO BRAKES OR CLUTCH! WAS TOWED TO DEALER. HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBEMS SINCE WITH EMERG. BRAKE NOT WORKING. WAS TOWED AGAIN 4/19/2002 WAS PULLING FORWARD CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE ALMOST HIT 3 MAIL BOXES AND STONE WALL.*AK

VEHICLE INITIALLY PULLED TO THE RIGHT UPON MODERATE BRAKING. THE PROBLEM WAS "FIXED" AND NOW THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT ON MODERATE BRAKING.*AK

BRAKE CABLE ON LEFT/REAR SIDE OF VEHICLE IS RUBBING AGAINST FRAME AND IS CHAFING THE CABLE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND PLACED A PIECE OF HOSE OVER THE CABLE TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING. HOSE IS SHOWING SIGNS OF CHAFING FROM CONTACT WITH FRAME OF VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION. *AK

THE VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKES. FRONT AND REAR WHEELS SPUN. DEALER FOUND NO DEFECTS.*AK *BF *NM