Ford F-150s Brakes: Feds Launch Investigation

Oct 05, 2016 04:00 AM EDT | Sounak Mukhopadhyay

Federal specialists have started an investigation into Ford F-150s brakes. The investigation comes after at least 25 Ford F-150 trucks, produced from 2015 and 2016, suffered sudden brake failures.

The Ford F-150s happens to be the top-selling vehicle in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will investigate the "sudden and complete loss" of brakes, as vehicle owners put it.

The 2015 and 2016 models are equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine. It is the same engine used in 2013 and 2014 F-150s, which were under the scanner due to a similar issue.

May 2016 Recall

In May, drivers reported to have suffered a loss of front brake functions as well as longer stopping distances, CNN reported. Drivers got alerts with warning lights, messages and warning chimes during such problems.

This time too, drivers are complaining about a similar problem. However, there is a tiny difference. According to NHTSA, the 2016 vehicles allegedly suffer "a sudden and complete loss of brakes without the brake warning lamp illumination and low brake fluid level."

However, in the 2015 trucks, there are alleged "symptoms of brake pedal going to the floor with sudden and complete loss of brake effectiveness, brake warning lamp illumination, and/or low or empty brake fluid level," USA Today quoted the NHTSA statement.

NHTSA is going to assess the frequency, scope and safety-related magnitudes of the alleged problem in the vehicles.

228K Vehicles Affected

The investigators will also see if the May recall, announced by Ford, ought to be extended so that it may include the 2015 and 2016 vehicles. If that happens, at least 228,000 Ford F-150s could be affected by the recall. Nevertheless, it is not yet clear if the trucks will be included in the recall.

Ford Motor Co. has not made any comment regarding the issue. 

See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?

© 2024 Auto World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Get the Most Popular Autoworld Stories in a Weekly Newsletter

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics