During a panic stop the brakes failed and the pedal went to the floor resulting in a rear end collision. The vehicle is currently with the mechanic but he believes it a failed brake booster. When I checked for related problems it seems the same brake booster (EL3Z-2140-E) in my 2014 F150 V8 5.0L was used in the same year 3.5L but yet the recalls (16S24 and 20S31) didn't include my vehicle
2014 Ford F-150: brake failure
125 of the 1,541 complaints about the 2014 Ford F-150 describe brake failure.
- owner complaints
- 125
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 45,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below
Brake failure by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard but failed to respond as intended. The contact enabled the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle had experienced catastrophic brake failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a leak in the brake master cylinder. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder, brake booster, and brake vacuum sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
On July 30, 2026, while operating my 2014 F-150 under normal driving conditions, the dash cluster information screen displayed a "Brake Fluid Level Low" warning. Moments later, the brake system experienced a sudden/catastrophic loss of front braking performance. The brake pedal became severely spongy and traveled completely to the floorboard, requiring drastically increased distance to bring the vehicle to a stop. Due to ineffective braking, I missed the driveway of the parking lot I chose to inspect/determine what the issue was and subsequently could not stop the truck within the confines of the parking space. This brake failure put me, my family as well as oncoming traffic and pedestrians in jeopardy of injury or death due to collision. A mechanical inspection of the vehicle revealed the rear cup seal inside the brake master cylinder had failed. This internal seal failure allowed hydraulic brake fluid to bypass the cylinder and leak directly into the vacuum brake booster, completely contaminating the booster assembly. Without effective braking, the truck was deemed too dangerous to drive so it was parked and unused until replacement parts could be installed. This specific component failure, internal seal degradation, and resultant fluid contamination of the booster is identical to the safety defect detailed in the federal safety agency Campaign #16V345000 (Ford Recall #16S24). However, this specific vehicle was excluded from that safety campaign solely because it is equipped with the 6.2L V8 engine, rather than the recalled 3.5L engine, this despite using the identical Hitachi master cylinder. The Ford Corporate Consumer Relations was unwilling to assist with the purchase of replacement of the master cylinder, booster but did offer to record my complaint and issue a case number for engineering review. The defective master cylinder and contaminated booster assembly have been retained for inspection if required or requested.
I was driving and my brakes gave out a bit and my brake pedal was hard to press down and when I pressed down there was a grinding sound. Also a red warning message said check braking system. Has been confirmed for 3.5L EcoBoost engines, which is what I have.
My truck’s brakes failed unexpectedly. I know there’s been a recall on similar year and engine models for brake issues. Even though my VIN isn’t showing an open recall, I’d like this inspected because the failure feels identical to the recall problem.
Driving at highway speed when the low brake fluid warning light came up on dash. I managed to get the truck and trailer I was pulling to a safe location and checked brake fluid. I had little braking power. I had brake fluid brought to my location and refilled the reservoir. I inspected the brake system for leaks and there were none. I tested brakes and they appeared to function properly. I returned to the highway and within two minutes I completely lost all braking. The internet reports that there are recalls on some trucks for this problem but my search using my VIN does not show one, but I have the same brake failure described to those reports.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard before the vehicle came to a complete stop. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer; however, the dealer offered a diagnosis over the phone and believed that the brake master cylinder was leaking brake fluid into the brake booster. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V332000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 144,000.
While driving the brakes failed and pedal was to the floor. No warning light before this happened. Warning light eventually came on after the failure. This was a very scary situation. Vehicle was taken to auto repair shop who confirmed it is a failure of the master cylinder and brake booster.
On September 7, 2024 at around 8 AM I was driving my 2014 Ford F150 3.5 L eco-boost and suddenly my brakes failed on me. I was driving and noticed that the low brake fluid light turned on and when I was coming to a stop, it was very difficult to stop the vehicle because I had to press my foot all the way down to the floor since I didn't feel any pressure when I pressed down on the brake. I made it to a parking lot where I put in a bottle of brake fluid, but then noticed that the fluid level went down after a few minutes. My vehicle would not retain the brake fluid and remained extremely difficult to come to a stop without putting myself and others at risk on the public roads. I entered my vehicles symptoms online and found vehicle recall "20S31", but on the Ford website, it says that my Vin is not covered by this recall. I believe that my vehicle should be covered by this recall because it has the exact same symptoms as others within the same years of production and also has the same engine type as the others that are covered by this recall.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop. The message "Brake Fluid Low" was displayed. The contact applied the parking brake and pulled over to the shoulder. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the brake master cylinder and brake booster were replaced. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V345000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150 The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, she became a failure with the parking brake. The contact stated that the parking brake failed to function properly, and the vehicle stalled with the brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a failure with the front brake calipers and the two front brake holders, which needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to reach out to NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds and depressing the brake pedal several times, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired by an independent mechanic for the same brake failure; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact was able to pull the vehicle to the side of the road and called the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The contact stated that while fully depressing the brake pedal, the low brake fluid warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2017 F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may leak brake fluid into the brake booster.
- Risk
- A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel and feel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, possibly requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and inspect the brake booster, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Ford issued owners an interim notification on June 30, 2020. The recall began on October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S31.
Recall number 20V332000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: fluid
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 F-150 vehicles manufactured August 1, 2013, to August 31, 2014 equipped with 3.5L engines. The master cylinder rear cup seal may roll, resulting in brake fluid leakage from the primary reservoir into the brake booster.
- Risk
- Loss of brake fluid from the primary reservoir results in a complete loss of front brake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and, if necessary, the brake booster, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S24.
Recall number 16V345000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2014 Ford F-150 brake failure
Is brake failure a common problem on the 2014 Ford F-150?
125 of 1,541 owner complaints about the 2014 Ford F-150 (8%) mention brake failure. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
How much does it cost to fix brake failure on the 2014 Ford F-150?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2014 Ford F-150?
There are 2 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2014 Ford F-150
Check engine light 97Loss of power 79Power steering loss 67Won't shift 64Stalling 42Jerking 36Overheating 26Backup camera 25Fuel pump 25Engine failure 21Fire or smoke 20Transmission failure 20Airbag light 19Won't start 19Grinding brakes 18Door locks 17Steering lock-up 17ABS 16Harsh shifting 16Hesitation 16Misfire 13Adaptive cruise 11Shudder 10Spongy pedal 10Wipers 9No deployment 8Slipping 8Knocking 7Whining noise 7Screen failure 5Sudden acceleration 5Tire blowout 5Warning lights 5
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