2019 Ford E350

While driving on the highway, the brakes on my rental truck began to feel mushy, and the pedal eventually went all the way to the floor. I was unable to stop and had to use the emergency brake to avoid a collision. The truck was rented from Budget Truck Rental (Serrato Enterprises Inc., 7680 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX 78238). Upon inspection, I discovered brake fluid leaking from the left rear tire and an empty master cylinder reservoir under the hood. I made my first call to Budget Customer Service at 2:00 PM but was not towed to Abilene until 1:00 AM—leaving my family stranded for nearly two days. The next day, the repair mechanic from Rocky Mountain Truck inspected the braking system and told me this vehicle should never have been on the road due to the severe deterioration of the brake rotor and pads on both sides of the truck (photo attached). He provided me with the damaged rotor and brake pad as physical evidence of neglect and told me the vehicle would not pass any sort of inspection, also warning me to never rent from Budget again if this is how they give customers vehicles. Inside the cab, there is a maintenance log showing no service for over 20,000 miles beyond the last recorded entry at 99,000 miles, even though previous maintenance had been logged every 4,000 miles. This clearly shows a failure in standard maintenance and safety practices. The fact that my wife’s and my safety was jeopardized—and that Budget’s customer service treated this with such disregard—is unacceptable. It is alarming that only a catastrophic accident could have brought attention to such negligence in vehicle maintenance and safety oversight. I am going to these lengths due to the fact that Budget values milking a few extra miles out of a vehicle's lifespan rather than addressing the most common wear-and-tear items on a vehicle. I'm reaching out because of Budget’s failure to acknowledge the importance of vehicle safety. Budget Customer Reference Number: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO

NHTSA ID

11693451

Incident

Oct 9, 2025

On April 22, 2022 we were driving east on Hwy 100 in Henderson, TN. We had stopped to make a left-hand turn. A vehicle claimed his brakes went out and hit us from behind going full-speed. Our driver could see he was not stopping and tried to leave the roadway. A vehicle was traveling west (coming towards us) so he couldn't turn to the left. He stated to pull off the roadway into the grass embankment, but didn't get of the road before being struck. My concern is this: our vehicle (cutaway with wheelchair lift added via state contract by Mid-south Bus in Murfreesboro, TN) immediately caught fire and burned to the ground within minutes. If there had been a wheelchair bound passenger tied down in the back of this vehicle, there would've been no way the driver could've got him/her off before being engulfed in flames. The fuel tank is located about 2.5' from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle has a metal (not fiberglass or plastic) bumper. We have lots of these vehicles. My concern is "what if this happens again an there is a passenger in that wheelchair station?"

NHTSA ID

11462070

Incident

Apr 22, 2022

SEVERE OVERSTEER, SWAYING AND STABILITY AT 55MPH. THIS IS A CLASS C RV ON A FORD E350 CHASSIS. IN SHORT, THE RV IS ABSOLUTELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITHOUT A SUSPENSION UPGRADE.

NHTSA ID

11197160

Incident

Feb 21, 2019

Mileage

1,300 mi

Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool or from the label printed on the body control module (BCM). The Factory Keyless Entry Code application within the diagnostic scan tool will not provide an applicable master code for the accessory wireless keypad. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is not available, the "Wireless RF Keypad Diagnosis Guide" can be referenced and provides direction on how to retrieve the master code. This guide is located under the Workshop Manual tab > Accessories > Installation > Wireless RF Keypad Diagnosis Guide > PPT C > Step C2.<br /><br /> Note: The only available keypad for some vehicles from the assembly plant is the accessory wireless keyless entry keypad. The integrated wired keypad cannot be installed on vehicles not equipped from the factory with a wired keyless entry k

While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.

All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership management can authorize users. The authorized user must go to FMCDealer.com > Parts and Service > Parts Product Line Information > Keys/Entry Devices > Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Follow the instructions on the screen to obtain the master code for the accessory keypad.

During service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the crankshaft pulley bolt is critical. Incorrect torque may allow the bolt to loosen resulting in the timing gear breaking and engine damage. Replacement of the bolt is critical to the repair and accurately following the installation procedure in the Workshop Manual (WSM) Section, 303-01 is extremely important. The bolt torque procedure can be found in the crankshaft front seal removal and installation procedure or in the engine assembly procedure.

Various 2013-2019 vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P264F after powertrain control module (PCM) replacement. This DTC indicates that the engine serial number (ESN) must be programmed into the PCM. The ESN is located on PTS > Diagnostics tab > HVBoM > Features > Engine Serial Number. Once the ESN is obtained from the historical vehicle bill of materials (HvBOM), it can be programmed into the PCM using the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. Navigate to the toolbox tab> powertrain menu> Service Functions> ESN.

Various 2013-2019 vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P264F after powertrain control module (PCM) replacement. This DTC indicates that the engine serial number (ESN) must be programmed into the PCM. The ESN is located on PTS> OASIS> Features> Engine Serial Number. Once the ESN is obtained from the historical vehicle bill of materials (HvBOM), it can be programmed into the PCM using the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. Navigate to the toolbox tab> powertrain menu> Service Functions> ESN.