Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
My dealer said the parts and labor were covered under the 3 yr 36k warranty. He presented himself as knowledgeable about the rear brake issue when I spoke to him on the phone. I also printed a copy of the tsb, TSB 06-22-17 that specifies the replacement procedure and part number of the replacement pads. I found a link to the TSB from a post on this forum, I believe its #64 in the rear brake problems list. I guess I was just lucky to find an honorable business. Living in Fairfield County, CT there must be a dozen Ford dealerships within a 20 mile radius of my house. I just kept calling until I found one that wanted to do the right thing. The dealership where I bought the car gave the company line that they wouldn't replace the brakes free of charge because "Ford won't do it if its over 18,000 mi."
Good Luck
When you say that, "Yours isn't working right," do you know whether an adjustment can be made either to the software or to the CVT to provide more deceleration?
Not talking about grades - flat terrain, and slowing from 35-40 MPH; the FS simply likes to keep going. It does slow down, but much more gradually than other cars I have owned.
What type of Freestyle do you have?
A moonlighting Ford mechanic installed everything - my total cost (parts and labor) was $265.
Service dept. told me pads were shot and both pads and rotors needed to be replaced to a tune of $500+
Raised a bit of a stink and dealership agreed to pay all but $150.
Feb 2007 - only 10,000 km later and the pads have to be changed AGAIN! I can understand that the dealership can only do so much. They report what they see and do what needs to be done, but worn pads after 10,000 km is crazy. And the front pads are still fine!
I called Ford customer service, not expecting much, but just needing to vent a bit.
(I also haven't mentioned having to have the CD player changed twice, the gas guage once, and the transmission completely replaced).
This is most definitely my last Ford vehicule.
>
Because of all the reports on this forum, I had my mechanic check my brakes today when I had my oil changed.
After 2 years and 15k miles, the fronts still have 80% wear left on them, and the rears still have 90% wear left on them.
Granted, I think I drive/brake a lot differently than a lot of people. When I ride with other people, they scare the heck out of me. For example, at highway speeds, they'll approach a atack of obviously completely stopped traffic ahead at full speed, then put on the brakes (heavily) at the last possible moment. If I were driving, I would've let off the gas and started coasting long before, so that I could ease into the brakes gently and come to a nice smooth sotp.
Cars have BRAKES to stop them.
Windshields in your car BREAK after a stone has hit them or you hit a wall when your cars BRAKES fail.
Work with me already...
Do you have an comments on the Freestyle brakes?
tidester, host
Mark.
it is not nice but pads may not last longer than 25k miles these days (i am used to that from the pads we had over in Europe) but they should not go from "plenty of pad left" to damaging the rotors within 5k miles.
i regluarly check the pads because i am aware now and i dont want to ruin the rotors. the pads and the right rotor on our FS were replaced free of charge at the 15k service. currently at 22k and no obvious wear.
Carsten
Mark
Were they hard to replace? Did you have to get special pads with wires running from them to ensure that the brake pad warning light doesn't remain on all the time?
I've replaced disk pads in my old Escort and Cougar and it was simply a matter of taking out two screws, removing the old pads, using a C clamp to push in the piston, put in the new pads and screw them in. It was easy to do, but with my Cougar, the replacement pads didn't come with the wire, so the brake pad warning light remained on all the time, although the pads were fine. I'd rather not have that same problem with the Freestyle.
With the Freestyle do you need a special tool to push and turn in the piston?
Printable View (51 KB)
TSB
07-5-9 REAR BRAKE DRAG, NOISE, DUST, AND/OR PREMATURE PAD WEAR
Publication Date: February 28, 2007
FORD: 2005-2007 Five Hundred, Freestyle
MERCURY: 2005-2007 Montego
This article supersedes TSB 06-22-17 to update the Service Parts and include a production fix date for some vehicles. The production fix date excludes Freestyle AWD vehicles.
ISSUE:
Some 2005-2007 Freestyle FWD, Five Hundred, and Montego vehicles built before 11/29/2006 may exhibit rear brake drag after being parked for an extended period of time, brake noise, excessive brake dust and/or premature pad wear on one or both wheels.
ACTION:
Follow the tsb Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
Replace rear brake pads with revised parts following a revised service procedure in the online Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 206-04.
WARNING: WHEN INSTALLING REVISED REAR BRAKE PADS ON FREESTYLE AWD VEHICLES, IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO INSTALL REVISED FRONT PADS TO MAINTAIN PROPER BRAKE PERFORMANCE DUE TO THE VEHICLE'S WEIGHT.
NOTE: THE LH CALIPER PISTON TURNS CLOCKWISE TO MOVE THE PISTON BACK INTO THE CALIPER AND THE RH CALIPER PISTON TURNS COUNTERCLOCKWISE TO MOVE THE PISTON BACK INTO THE CALIPER. USING THE SPECIAL TOOL, COMPRESS THE BRAKE CALIPER PISTON INTO ITS CYLINDER. WHILE ROTATING THE PISTON IN THE APPROPRIATE DIRECTION, A FORCE TOWARD THE PISTON MUST ALSO BE APPLIED WITH THE TOOL, OTHERWISE THE TOOL WILL SLIP OFF THE PISTON FACE AND PISTON WILL NOT SCREW INTO THE CYLINDER.
Tip: If the piston is unintentionally rotated in the wrong direction and the internal threads lose contact, the piston can be screwed back into the cylinder. If the Piston boot seal loses contact around the piston, replace the caliper because contamination may have entered. It may take a couple full turns before the threads engage. Be sure that the piston is aligned with the cylinder and a force toward the piston is applied while rotating.
NOTE: IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO MACHINE THE REAR ROTORS USING THE ROTUNDA ON-CAR BRAKE LATHE UNLESS ROTOR RUNOUT AND/OR RUST ARE EXCESSIVE. MACHINE THE REAR BRAKE DISCS IF THE DIAGNOSIS HAS REVEALED REAR THUMPING OR GRINDING NOISE WHILE BRAKING. HEAVILY SCORED BRAKE DISCS, SIMILAR TO THAT CAUSED BY PADS WORN DOWN TO THE BACKING PLATE, SHOULD ALSO BE MACHINED. IN ORDER TO MACHINE, DISCS MUST BE ABOVE THE MINIMUM THICKNESS TO MACHINE SPECIFICATION. REFER TO WSM SECTION 206-00 FOR DISC MACHINING INFORMATION.
PART NUMBER PART NAME
7F9Z-2200-A Rear Brake Pads
8G1Z-2001-A Front Brake Pads
WARRANTY STATUS:
Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage
IMPORTANT: Warranty coverage limits/policies are not altered by a TSB. Warranty coverage limits are determined by the identified causal part.
OPERATION DESCRIPTION TIME
070509A Use SLTS Operations If Available; Claim Additional Diagnosis Or Labor Performed As Actual Time Actual Time
DEALER CODING
BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE
2200 42
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: The information in Technical Service Bulletins is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge, tools, and equipment to do the job properly and safely. It informs these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or provides information that could assist in proper vehicle service. The procedures should not be performed by "do-it-yourselfers". Do not assume that a condition described affects your car or truck. Contact a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury dealership to determine whether the Bulletin applies to your vehicle. Warranty Policy and Extended Service Plan documentation determine Warranty and/or Extended Service Plan coverage unless stated otherwise in the TSB article. The information in this Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) was current at the time of printing. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to supercede this information with updates. The most recent information is available through Ford Motor Company's on-line technical resources.
Copyright © 2007 Ford Motor Company
"This article supersedes TSB 06-22-17 to update the Service Parts and include a production fix date for some vehicles. The production fix date EXCLUDES Freestyle AWD vehicles. "
But in the following lines:
"WARNING: WHEN INSTALLING REVISED REAR BRAKE PADS ON FREESTYLE AWD VEHICLES, IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO INSTALL REVISED FRONT PADS TO MAINTAIN PROPER BRAKE PERFORMANCE DUE TO THE VEHICLE'S WEIGHT. "
Why the heck it mentions AWD if this tsb is only for FWD? I want my AWD's repair cost for the rear brake back! :lemon: :sick: :confuse: :mad:
Whats this all about.... The tech told me it's because of a bad Design.... Duhhhh... Do we have any recourse in this?
To think I have stock in Ford, not much thank goodness.
BTW - Make sure you don't buy one of those zoomy Mazda's either as they are under the Ford umbrella as well.
Trust me, I really do not have sour grapes, I just wish that Ford had slapped some brake pads on my Freestyle when I had initially brought my car to them. I can not afford to replace brake pads yearly! My car before this, which was a Taurus, I kept for 10 years and loved it! I had hoped to have the same feeling for my Freestyle.
Also, sorry i misspelled caliper, this whole time I have said "caliber", to Ford technicians and my mechanic, no one corrected me!
Not much on e-mail lingo, what does "BTW" mean??
Hyundai makes up for lack of engineering and manufactoring abilty by sliping gizmos and gadgits on a car. This method is similar to trying to makea silk purse out of a sows ear.
I hear for instance from people that the Azera has a harsh ride especially for the price range/catagory that it is in.
When you have a weak vehicle frame, you cannot control NVH as well. Also you have to tune the suspension to conpensate for the weak frame which compromises ride and handling.
Proof of a weak unibody is as close as the crash test results at www.highwaysafety.org. The Azera was rated M or Marginal (2nd LOWEST rating) in the Structure aspect of the side impact test. This was after Hyundai beefed up the Roof, floor and side airbags.
Mark.
J.D. Power: Initial Quality Numbers Show Huge Increases for Hyundai (Inside Line)
The same study showed big strides for Ford too, btw. :shades:
Everyone else getting better braking getting the TSBs done?