Ford Freestyle Rear Brakes

summewe

I have a '06 Freestyle AWD (26K miles) and took my vehicle in for an oil change and tire rotation. The mechanic noted that the is severe and uneven wear on the rear brake pads. He asked if I accidently did not take off my parking brake, which I never use. I called the dealer and the service technician said that brakes are considered "normal" wear on the car and are not covered, which I understand if I didn't only have 26k miles on it. Has anyone else had problems??? -- Thanks.

farmerswife

I have an '05 Freestyle FWD SEL and just had to have the rear brake pads replaced and rotors cut with 13K on the car. The fronts were fine. The dealership was puzzled and agreed to cover them under warranty. The dealership has performed all services to date and rotated the tires as scheduled and never noticed anything. I had a screw in the rear passenger tire and took it to a tire shop to have it plugged. The kid who fixed it noticed how bad the brakes were. I had just started to feel it when I was driving,but thought it was because the tire was a little low. Otherwise, I'm thrilled with the car and hope this isn't an on-going problem. My mileage averages 28 on the highway and 24 around town. i do notice the glare that others have mentioned, but don't find it to be anything I can't live with. It's so practical for hauling kids, groceries, and all the stuff a family needs to lug around... and yet I don't feel as though I'm driving the "Mom Mobile."

explorerx4

you make a very key point. you have dealer service done on a regular basis. if they don't note any problems, then all of a sudden you have one, it is more likely to be covered.
it gives them a history to work from.

bakerboo

I have an 05 FWD Freestyle with 20k. I started hearing rear brake noise and my regular mechanic discovered (free of charge) that the rear brakes are worn out and the front are like new. This shouldn't happen with such low miles. I am taking it into the dealer next. I as well as my husband have owned several Fords and never had this problem.
Stay tuned.....

summewe

bakerboo - Let me know what your dealer says about your rear brake problems. I've owned many Fords and have NEVER had this problem in the past.

carstenb

Our Freestyle (Limited from June 2005, 14400mls) was at the dealer for the 15000mls service and they discovered that the rear brakes were not safe to use any more. The right rotor and the left and right pads were replaced free of charge. The brakes were overheated and glazed. We did not notice anything obviously wrong but had the impression that acceleration sometimes was slower. Also the mpg got worse but i thought that was due to the ethanol. On the way back from the dealer i had the impression that it drives with less effort but that may be subjective. Curious if the mpg gets better again now. Interestingly, the Ford Mondeo we had in Europe (2001 model) had the same problem, the rear brakes tended to lock up due to overheating. It was fixed with special brake pads that had a rotation mark, i.e. were side specific.

The guy at the service lane mentioned that the rear brakes need to be done at the 20000mls service but then checked with someone else. That tech guy obviously knew about the problem and did not let my wife drive away.

She was brought home and later was picked up by the dealer's shuttle service! Last time the Freestyle was in for service we even got a Lincoln Navigator as loaner free of charge because they couldn't get a spare part in time! We really cannot complain about our Ford dealer and still are more than happy with the Freebie The brake problem shouldn't happen, i agree, but nobody's perfect...

Carsten

nitromax

I'm dropping my Freestyle off for service this Friday. Routine oil change is on the list.
but here's why it's going in.

Water in the right rear tail lights after rain.
Vibration in brakes (rear brakes I believe) under noderate braking. (just noticed it this past weekend)

The car has about 8000 miles on it.

I'll keep you updated on the solutions.

summewe

Carsten - Thank you for sharing your brake experience. I wish my dealer was as responsive as the experience you had with you. Happy Driving...

lanbaba

Does anyone know what is the warrenty for the Brake Rotors? I feed vibration of when hit the brakes and was told the rotor need to be resurfaced, and it is not under warrenty. (got the car April 2005, and has 8500 miles on it now). The warrenty says the brake pads/lining is cover ony for 12 months/18k miles. But is rotor part of the lining? Thanks. :sick: :mad: :confuse:

stevedebi

If the brake pads were covered, they should pay for the rotor resurface.

The rotor wore because the pads wore out. I'm afraid it is the owner's responsibility to ensure that the brake pads are OK. Didn't they check the pads at the 5000 miles checkup?

nitromax

There is an "updated" set of pads available for the Freestyle. I brought mine in for service last week (see earlier post), and was told that the pads need to be replaced with the new updated ones. They ordered them and I will be having them put on this Friday alnog with a right rear tail light assembly that had a leak in it and allowed water into the assembly.

I was getting the same vibration that you described. I questioned the service tech on how a pad can induce vibration, but he just said that it is a known issue and the new pads will alleviate the problem. I will let you know if it works.

nitromax

The rotor wore because the pads wore out. I'm afraid it is the owner's responsibility to ensure that the brake pads are OK. Didn't they check the pads at the 5000 miles checkup?

I'd have to disagree with you here. There is NO way that brakes should wear out on a new car that has only 8500 miles on it. And the owner should NOT be responsible for something like that. Shame on any service dealer for expecting a new owner to foot the bill for something like that.

Having said that, mine is going in on Friday for the same thing and I'm interested in hearing their diagnosis of my brakes. I'll keep everyone updated.

stevedebi

"I'd have to disagree with you here. There is NO way that brakes should wear out on a new car that has only 8500 miles on it. And the owner should NOT be responsible for something like that. Shame on any service dealer for expecting a new owner to foot the bill for something like that."

How about if he/she holds the brake while using the accelerator?

The legal contract for the warranty states that wear items are not covered. I agree that they should not wear that much under normal conditions.

If I were the dealer I would cover the repairs just for good customer relations.

lanbaba

Came back from the dealer and they said they tried to re-surface the rotor and it didn't work, so they have to replace the two rear rotors. :mad:

If I hold the brake while hitting the gas, don't you think the all four rotors need to be worked? :P

And just got off the phone with Ford customer service, and was told rotor is not covered, but the CS just cannot find a complete list of the items covered only for 12 month/12k or 18k miles. :mad: :mad: :mad:

nitromax

How about if he/she holds the brake while using the accelerator?

LOL good one! :-) Those people are few and far between though and not the norm...I hope.


The legal contract for the warranty states that wear items are not covered. I agree that they should not wear that much under normal conditions.

If I were the dealer I would cover the repairs just for good customer relations.

They've already stated that the pads are an issue with the Freestyle and they are aware of it. If the rotors (as another poster stated) are destroyed by the "faulty" pads, then Ford is required to fix the rotors also free of charge.

I'll keep you updated...just dropped it off this morning.

nitromax

Came back from the dealer and they said they tried to re-surface the rotor and it didn't work, so they have to replace the two rear rotors.

see my above post on my brake problem. Have your dealer verify that the pads are faulty...probably a service bulletin on them.

carstenb

check my post 711. pads and right rear rotor were replaced on our 05 fwd limited (14300mls) free of charge because of the pad problem. there was no discussion at all, the dealer just did it because the technician found it unsafe to ride the car. this problem is not wear related but due to a faulty Ford part hence i would insist on a warranty replacement.

Carsten

nitromax

Just got a call from my dealer on the brake work. The pads were replaced and since it's customary now to turn the rotors when the pads are replaced, they tried to do that but were unsuccesful so they gave me a set of new rotors.
No charge.

They were unsuccesful turning them because rotors nowadays are made for one time usage and are not supposed to be turned down...they tried anyways and failed...must have warped them worse.

Anyways....short story...no charge :shades:

passat_2002

Nitro,

Are we talking rear brakes only here?

How many miles on the odometer and what were the symptoms?

My FWD Freestyle is now 14 months old and I continue to see far more brake dust on the rear wheels than on the front. In fact, I never see any on the front.

stevedebi

"If I hold the brake while hitting the gas, don't you think the all four rotors need to be worked?"

Oh, I wasn't talking about your case. I was responding to someone saying that the pads don't wear out that fast.

stevedebi

"How about if he/she holds the brake while using the accelerator?

LOL good one! Those people are few and far between though and not the norm...I hope. "

Call me bigfoot, but I have to be consciously aware of where my right foot is resting. My foot is big enough that I hit the accelerator and brake if I'm not careful.

I don't have a problem with hitting the brake while I'm accelerating, just vice versa.

bobw3

My FWD Freestyle is now 14 months old and I continue to see far more brake dust on the rear wheels than on the front. In fact, I never see any on the front.

Same with mine, but only the rear driver's side. I have 33K miles and no brake problems, other than the dust.

nitromax

Are we talking rear brakes only here?

How many miles on the odometer and what were the symptoms?

Rear brakes only with 8000 miles on the car since last July.

Symptoms were I could feel the brake pedal pulsing when I applied moderate to heavy braking. I knew something was wrong and I suspected the rear brake pad problem that has been talked about here.

nitromax

Call me bigfoot, but I have to be consciously aware of where my right foot is resting. My foot is big enough that I hit the accelerator and brake if I'm not careful.

I don't have a problem with hitting the brake while I'm accelerating, just vice versa.

:-)
I was referring to the people that use the right foot for the gas and the left foot for the brake, and have a tendency to hit both at the same time.

phyllisw

I too have an 05 FWD Freestyle. My rear brake pads were replaced 2 weeks ago at 36,500 miles. A week later my right rear brake got red hot. It hasn't happened again but I wanted the dealership to check it before I make any long road trips. Today, the dealership tells me the emergency brake has been on just a tiny bit. I said it couldn't possibly be. I have never used it because my left leg will not bend to press it down and the emergency brake light was not activated. Then they thought it might be defective pads "but it is hard to prove defects on something like that". So now they have ordered rear pads at their cost ($about $7 less than what I paid the first time and will give me a break on labor. I don't think that is acceptable. If the emergency brake is so sensitive and doesn't activate the warning light, then that sounds like a recall issue. I have really enjoyed the Freestyle until this episode. I am going to talk to the dealer/owner when I go in for the work.

nitromax

It doesn't sound like a recall issue, it sounds like the mechanic that installed the new brakes didn't do it correctly.

summewe

phyllisw - I too have never used my my emergency brake. The mechanic tried to say it was inadvertantly on and wore down the back brakes -- not so. Other than my brake problem I'm happy with the car (so far).

carstenb

there's an issue with the rear brakes, see e.g. my post #711. the brake pads tend to lock up by themselves. i think they have replacement pads which solve the problem, not sure if there is a TSB or so.

Carsten

westham1

I just took my 2005 Freestyle in and had the same problem with the rear brakes. They said my parking brake must have been engaged, but I know for a fact that it wasn't I rarely use the thing anyway. Basically my brake pads are gone and I need to get new ones. I only have 20,000 miles on my vehicle. Did you find out any information that would help me get this problem solved. Thanks for any information.

catmoura

I had new rear brakes at about 19000 miles. It was grinding. Of course it wasn't covered. I noticed now that one back brake has the black dust all over the wheel. Has that happened to anyone.

nibyak

Not sure what year your Freestyle is. On some early 2005's there was problem with the rear pads. The metal in the pads would react with the metal in the rotors, corrode, and cause vibration and noise. I have been told that these defective pads "did not" cause a lot of brake dust. Ford came out with TSB 05-4-7 in March of 2005. This TSB called for replacement of brakes on 2005 models built between 5/17/2004 and 2/9/2005. The new pads, are the ones that coat the rear wheels with dust and last about 20,000 - 25,00 miles. When the rear wheels quit getting covered with brake dust, you probably need new brakes. My 2006 brakes made it until 25,000 before they were gone. My dealer did cover the pads and turning the rotors under my extended warranty.

yoyo123

I just had the same problem. My rear pads lasted until over 30k miles because I do mostly highway driving. I am SOL, but I did find out that the problem with the rear pads wearing quickly is due to the balance of braking between the front brakes and the rear brakes. The engineers were trying to stop the car quickly while keeping "nose dive" to a minimum. This meant a larger proportion of the breaking is done by the rear brakes than in most cars. This is an ongoing complaint that all the dealers are hearing about and Ford is currently observing/evaluating the situation. Basically, that means that Ford is aware of the many customers who are complaining about their rear brakes but they don't know if they are going to do anything about it.

Bottom line, this sucks!!! I have never had any brakes go out before 50k on any Ford I have owned. This is how car companies lose customers. A recognized problem, but they are not willing to help. I even offered a pro rated solution and got turned down by the local rep and the customer relationship center (CRC). The local rep is the one who gave me all this info, so I at least felt like he heard me, but the CRC was worthless. A complete waste of time not too mention, I was waiting for someone to pick up the phone for 20 minutes.

I don't know who I will buy my next car from, but if nothing changes, it won't be a Ford.

From a loyal Ford owner (6 cars in 15 years).

explorerx4

my wife had a saab that needed new pads at 30k. i kind of think it is not so unusual, although aggravating. i wouldn't switch brands based on brake pads.

pnewby

Took my '05 LTD in yesterday and had wheels rotated and balanced, front end alignment and brakes checked. 27k, mostly in town driving, I'm famous for using brakes too hard, and was glad to hear the results- 60% lining left on the front and 40% left on the rear. Build date was in Oct '04 with purchase on 11/29/04.

dgulino

I had essentially the same experience. Took my '05 SE in for its 30K service about two weeks ago (actual mileage 29,500). About 55% left on the brakes both front and rear. I still have about 5,000 miles left on the original Continental tires as well. Interestingly, mine is an early build, too, with a November '04 build date. We didn't buy it, though, until June '05, so it was on the dealer's lot for a while.

yoyo123

I'm glad to hear you didn't have a problem. One of the 2 posts mentioned Continental tires which means it was a 17" wheel and I have the 18" wheel. If you have had your rear brakes checked after 25k miles, can you reply here on whether you have 17 or 18 inch wheels? I am curious if the 18" wheels are causing more of the problem. Also, respond if you have had a hitch installed.

Thanks.

bobw3

On the other hand, I have 38,000 miles on my Freestyle SE FWD with no problems to either brakes or tires. I do mostly highway driving and stop/start gradually. I think it's crazy the people that zoom from red light to red light because at my more gradual pace I end up at the same place at the same time as the zoomers. I occasionally miss a green light, but so what. It's a whole lot easier on the car.

yoyo123

I agree. That is how I drive (75% expressway miles). That is what makes this so wrong. I have read people who have their rear brakes go out around 20k. I have always gotten right around 60k on my previous 5 Ford vehicles' brakes. Getting half that isn't right.

barnstormer64

I went 90k miles on my 96 Taurus before I replaced the brakes. The still had 50% left on them. But by then, the rotors had been warped, and other things necessitated a repair job.

dzdncnfzd

If it is true that they directed more braking to the rears than they should have beefed up the rear brakes. The rotor in the back is about half as thick as the front and the pads are about 1/3 the size.

Obviously another case of poor engineering!

yoyo123

Well, it was either poor engineering or poor communication. I could see one group responsible for the braking electronics and another group being responsible for the braking mechanics. If these 2 groups don't talk then this is what happens.

At any rate, assuming Ford doesn't change their response, I will let my dollars do the talking for me the next time I get a car. Considering my 2000 Focus has over 100k, that may be real soon. Seems a shame because up until now, I planned on getting another Focus; I really like that car.

Oh well. I am sure I can find another car out there that I like. There are plenty to choose from in that price range.

barnstormer64

If you like the Focus, then not getting another one because of some other grievance with Ford seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face . . or something like that.

mandygratton

I just had my 2005 Freestyle in the dealer. Learned the front brakes were nearly new (95%), back brakes at 0%. The car is 15 months old with 13,600 Km on it. Ford said it was my driving habits that caused that. (I've owned two Hondas, which NEVER had to have the brakes replaced.) I went to Speedy for a second opinion. Turns out the rear brakes are half the size of the front... way too small for the size and weight of the vehicle. So, every 10,000Km I will have to replace the rear brake pads. Talk about a monumental design flaw. Not only that, but my car has been in for 5 other repair items, all due to poor construction.

I am thinking of selling this car asap. Previously, I've always owned Hondas, and they never had to have anything other than regular oil changes.

passat_2002

Yes, an outfit called "Speedy" would definitely be the last word in automotive design and engineering.

Take a deep breath mandy. Sounds like your '05 Freestyle is one that was built prior to February 2005, and would have had the original rear brake pads that were used up until that time. There is (I believe) a "service bulletin" from Ford that addresses the problem. Your dealer should be aware of this and will install the newer "improved" pads. They (the dealer) will treat you kindly on the matter if you only give them a chance to.

BTW.. there isn't a Honda on the planet that is the safety cage the Freestyle is.

explorerx4

are you aware that the front brakes do most of the braking? 80% is the number i have in mind. don't remember where i read that. if any vehicle has larger rear brakes the than fronts, i'd like to see it.
it is too bad you are having a brake problem, i just think your post does not address the real problem.

stevedebi

"BTW.. there isn't a Honda on the planet that is the safety cage the Freestyle is."

Actually, all the newer models do have a similar advanced safey design, called ACE. It is on the 2007 CR-V, for example.

Of course, it isn't the same safety cage as the FS, so I suppose your statement is technically correct. But I differ with the factualness of the statement.

yoyo123

Well, explorerx4, before this, I would have completely agreed with you. It is counter intuitive that the rear brakes do more work than the front, but I heard it directly from the Ford rep that this is not necessarily the case with the Freestyle, 500 and Montego. The programming of the brakes is done to keep the front end from dropping during any stops. I don't remember how they balance the brakes, but I was told that on the FS that "the majority" of the braking power is done via the rear brakes.

I think it is crazy that Ford programmed the brakes this way. For a car that sits up higher, it has no front plow to its braking, so I guess that is the positive.

So... unless you were personally involved with programming the brains of the braking system in the Freestyle, you don't know what you are talking about. I don't either, but I know what Ford's regional rep told me. Why did he tell me that if it wasn't true? It certainly didn't make me feel any better about the car. All it told me was that my rear brakes will need to be replaced much more frequently than what I am used to, which certainly didn't make me happy.

catmoura

So it seems that quite a few people who have posted on this rear brake issue have had to replace their FS rear brakes. So my question is how do we get Ford to recognize that this IS a problem and what can we have them do about it. I hate the response that it's the way the driver uses the brakes that wears them out. :confuse:

gigpeb7

I have a 2005 Ford Freestyle SE. When I went in for my 30K oil change and tire rotation, the Ford dealer said I only had 1-2mm left on my rear brake pads. I've had 3 independant car repair shops look at them. They all agree that this is not normal wear and tear as Ford says it is. I contacted Ford and they said they are aware of this problem on the Freestyle and the Five-Hundred.

jalon

People, you need to call your issues in to Ford Canada or Ford USA directly, call the head office customer support and tell them what you guys are seeing out there. IF you don't the dealers are more than happy to keep charging back Ford for faulty brakes while still under warranty.

If the HO gets enough of your complaints they will launch an investigation and implement a recall and correction.

I am a Fusion owner and was considering moving over to a Freestyle, but my honest rep told me to hold out till Ford figured out what was going on with the rear brakes.

Speak out directly to Ford customer service, not the dealer.

Cheers/

mschmal

No other vehicle is built quite like the Five Hund/Montego/Freestyle. These are the only vehicles NHTSA scored a Five Stars in side impact WITHOUT the now standard side impact airbags.

Mark.