RoadVitals

1989 Ford E350 Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Jun 21, 2004
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
46%
of 26 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Ford E350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Brakes
Filed Jun 21, 2004

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE LOSES BRAKE POWER WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND FAILS TO STOP THE TRUCK. THE EMERGENCY BRAKES HAD TO BE ENGAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITH IN 400 MILES. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER AGAIN, AND BLEED THE BRAKES. HOWEVER, FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN 1500 MILES. THEN, DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURRED BECAUSE THE BRAKE LINE WAS ROUTED BEHIND THE ENGINE , WHICH GET HOT AND BOILED THE FLUID.*AK

NHTSA ID
10079553
Incident
May 21, 2004
Mileage
25,000 mi
BrakesTransmission
Filed Jan 26, 2002

BRAKE CALIPER FAILED TO RELEASE, BOILING THE BRAKE FLUID (UNBEKNOWNST TO ME UNTIL IT CAME TIME TO APPLY THE BRAKES). THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I LET IT UP COMPLETELY AND WHEN DEPRESSED, IT WENT TO THE FLOOR ONCE AGAIN. I USED THE TRANSMISSION (GEARING DOWN) AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT NEVER ILLUMINATED. WHEN REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, THE PRIMARY FAULT WAS IDENTIFIED AS EXTREMELY RUSTY FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS. ONE DID NOT RELEASE COMPLETELY AFTER A BRAKE APPLICATION, CAUSING SUFFICIENT HEAT BUILDUP TO BOIL THE BRAKE FLUID. MECHANIC SAID THE REAR BRAKES WERE BADLY OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, GIVING THE OPINION THAT WAS THE REASON THE MASTER CYLINDER INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. UNTIL THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED, I DID NOT KNOW THAT IT WAS INCUMBENT ON THE VEHICLE OPERATOR TO OCCASIONALLY MAKE REVERSE MOVES WITH AGGRESSIVE BRAKE APPLICATIONS (DONE SEVERAL TIMES) TO CINCH UP THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT. THUS, OVER TIME, THE FRONT BRAKES WERE BASICALLY DOING ALMOST ALL THE BRAKING EFFORT. IF I HAD HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY, I PERHAPS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE REAR BRAKES TO ENGAGE, AND BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP WITHOUT DOWNGEARING AND USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE.*AK

NHTSA ID
757383
Incident
Jun 24, 2001
Brakes
Filed Jul 28, 2000

WROTE AN EXPLANATION OF WHOLE PROBLEM BUT WON'T FIT HERE. PLANNING TRIP TO MOUNTAINS, BUT SCARED TO GO WITHOUT RESOLUTION TO PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED WITHIN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID
726170
Incident
Oct 6, 1995
Brakes
Filed Jul 27, 1997

BRAKE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
521934
Incident
Mar 1, 1990
Brakes
Filed Apr 1, 1997

LOST BRAKING POWER WHILE DRIVING DOWN STEEP GRADE, NO PRESSURE IN PEDAL. WAS TOLD BY A DEALER THAT CALIPERS/PADS OVERHEATED. *AK

NHTSA ID
809883
Incident
Sep 15, 1996
BrakesInterior & seatsTires & wheels
Filed Dec 16, 1996

BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA ID
512637
Brakes
Filed Oct 9, 1996

BRAKES EXPERIENCING OVERHEATING, REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS DID NOT RECTIFY OVERHEATING.

NHTSA ID
509676
Incident
Sep 18, 1996
Brakes
Filed Sep 4, 1996

COMING TO A STOP WHILE GOING DOWN HILL THE BRAKES FAILED/REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS, ROTORS AND BRAKE HOSES. *AK

NHTSA ID
801807
Incident
Jun 21, 1996
Brakes
Filed Aug 20, 1996

BRAKE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
507732
Incident
Aug 6, 1996
Brakes
Filed Jun 26, 1996

BRAKE FLUID OVERHEATED, CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE. *DH

NHTSA ID
505852
Incident
Apr 15, 1996
Brakes
Filed Jun 16, 1995
Fire reported

THE FRONT BRAKE FAILURE(CALIPER OVER HEAT) THE BRAKE FLUID CAUGHT ON FIRE. TT

NHTSA ID
967139
Incident
Jun 1, 1992
Brakes
Filed Jun 14, 1995

AFTER SUSTAINED AND FREQUENT USE OF BRAKES THEY APPARENTLY OVERHEAT AND PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID
966891
Incident
May 29, 1995

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .