RoadVitals

1988 Ford F-150 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.
8
Latest Aug 1, 1999
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.
6%
of 139 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.
0
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 1988 Ford F-150 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 Aug 1, 1999

THE REAR BRAKES WHEN APPLIED IN POOR TRACTION CONDITIONS, OR WHEN TOWING A TRAILER, LOCK UP. THEN THE ABS LETS THE REAR WHEELS GO FREE WITHOUT REAPPLYING THE BRAKES. ALL BRAKING IS NOW ON THE FRONT WHEELS ONLY. THIS IS NO PROBLEM WHEN IN GOOD TRACTRION CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, IN POOR TRACTION CONDITION AS SOON AS ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS BEGINS TO LOCK ALL BRAKING IS WITH ONE FRONT WHEEL ONLY. THE TRUCK GOES TOTALLY OUT OF BRAKING CONTROL AS THE TRUCK IS NOW SKIDDING ON ONE FRONT WHEEL AND NO REAR WHEELS. IT TOOK ME YEARS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY COULD SEE NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLENM TO THE NHTSA SEVERAL YEARS AGO WITH NO HELP. BUT REMEMBER, IT WASNT UTIL AFTER OWNING THE TRUCK FOR MANY YEARS AND SEEING THIS PROBLEM OCCUR WHEN TOWING MY BOAT IN THE RAIN THAT I BEGAN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND WHY IT WAS

NHTSA ID
709441
Incident
Jul 10, 1999
Brakes
Filed Apr 7, 1999

THIS IS THE SECOND FORD PICKUP I HAVE SEEN WHER E THE REAR BRAKE LINE RUSTED THROUGH. BOTH TIMES THE LINE RUSTED THROUGH WHERE IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE FLEXIBLE METAL SHEATH COVERING IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
705374
Incident
Nov 1, 1998
Brakes
Filed Oct 30, 1998

CONSUMER SAYS BEFORE SHE HAD THE ABS SYSTEM DISCONNECTED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ABS SYSTEM. VEHICLE WOULD JUST SLIDE AND KEEP GOING. SINCE SYSTEM HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED, THE BRAKES WORK FINE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK MASTER CYLINDER FAILIED. *YH

NHTSA ID
829807
Incident
Oct 18, 1997
Brakes
Filed Mar 22, 1996

EXPERIENCING ABS LOCKUP INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
981120
Brakes
Filed Sep 29, 1995

THE TRUCK HAS ABS. THE FRONT BRAKES DO NOT WORK WHEN THE STREET IS WET. THE BACK BRAKES LOCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA ID
972711
Incident
Sep 18, 1995
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 14, 1995

DIFFERENTIAL REPLACED DUE TO OIL LEAK.

NHTSA ID
485133
Incident
Mar 24, 1994
Brakes
Filed Jun 5, 1995

THE BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT . TT

NHTSA ID
966410
Brakes
Filed Apr 7, 1995

MASTER CYLINDER HAD TO REPLACE ABOUT FIVE IN ELEVEN MONTH. TT

NHTSA ID
963359
Incident
May 7, 1994

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Electrical42Fuel system28Engine11Seat belts10Body & structure9Visibility8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .