I recently drove my 90 year old mother in law's 2008 ford fusion. The vehicle only has 20,000 miles. The brake pedal has way too much travel - when applying full braking force the pedal never returns a hard end stop feel and pedal travel stops only an inch or so from the firewall. Once engaged the anti-lock system is not balanced resulting in some of the wheels to lock - and not the same wheels with each test. She indicated that this had been this way since she bought the car. I had the brake fluid completely replaced by ford with no improvement. The dealership is not sure what the issue is and recommends replacing parts on by one until it is fixed - starting with the master cylinder and then the brake control module. Having an issue with this approach I searched on-line and determined that there have been hundreds of complaints on the fusion for this issue and that the federal safety agency has opened a formal investigation. The purpose of this complaint is to be included in whatever rectifications may result from that investigation.
2008 Ford Fusion brakes complaints
Page 12 of 19: complaints 311 to 340 of 542, newest first, as owners wrote them.
(please note that I am a former factory-certified automotive technician, so description may be technical) when approaching a stop, small imperfections in road or slippery conditions results in an ABS event, which is normal (although I would argue sensors are overly sensitive and cause ABS to engage too quickly). However, after the ABS event is over, the pedal will often drop to floor on the next attempt at braking. While now aware of it, the first several times this happened it was unexpected and I nearly either rolled through intersections or hit another vehicle. After vehicle was turned off for a period of time (typically 30 minutes or more), pedal would return to normal. However, the problem has progressed to where the pedal now will never return to full firmness. After extensive research and testing, I have been able to determine that the issue is a malfunctioning hydraulic control unit (a part that should easily last the lifetime of a vehicle). Due to the symptoms, many have mistakenly tried replacing brake boosters and master cylinders, only to find the problem still exists. This is not my video, but this man does an excellent job of illustrating the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwflkcxxzty. This is not a normal type of brake failure and poses a serious safety threat to anyone that is not expecting this behavior. The first few times that it happened to me, it was a matter of chance that I was not involved in an accident as a result of this. Also, if you contact me, my car still exhibits the issue and I can readily reproduce it. Finally, date of event happening is approximately when problem first started, it has been ongoing intermittently for several years (ABS events are not frequent occurrences) but has been getting worse over time, with pedal now not ever returning all the way to normal firmness.
Was not notified of any recalls on this vehicle when I purchased it. I had an accident last month and the brakes locked up and I couldn't control the steering and went careening off the roadway into a stationary sign and tow up the passenger side of my vehicle. The passenger air bag never deployed. Nor the driver air bag.
Instances where braking while going over rough road or bumps causes brake to stop working, pedal goes to floor. Recently applied brake while going over slight uneven pavement. Brake went soft, to floor, traveled approx 75 yards. Wouldn't stop. Able to coast to parking spot w curb. Very scary!!!! Shut off car, came back out hour later still soft too the floor. No brake. Pumped several times and then they seemed to work fine. Took to look local shop nothing wrong that they could find. Researched and it's the same ABS issue and occurrence as reported by others. Luckily there weren't any vehicles., obstacles or pedestrians in front of me or I would have hit them. I shook for over an hour.
No brakes .... My car has been basically yard art for several months .... Have had issues with spongy brakes for years if I had to stop suddenly and the ABS brakes where engaged ...then the brakes would go spongy.. Another time I didn't even know if the car was going to stop I slide instead of stopping ... This past may 2017 I was in traffic and a car pulled out in front of me had to slam my brakes on and I barely got stopped ! Scared me to death .. Brakes were extremely spongy by the time I made it home I didn't have any brakes at all !!! My husband replaced brake pads , calibers, master cylinder , and rotors ! Well over $700 I paid out . Still have no brakes at all . This is a safety issue why is nothing being done ????? I'm the only income my family has and now I have a car almost paid for that just sits !!! It's yard art prett much .... I am spending a fortune to get to work and back and can't afford the $500 for theabs module / pump not to mention the cost to have it put on !!! This is horrible ... I'm already die hard ford girl but after his experience I will never buy another one ....
Multiple times when I would be coming to a stop I have to push the breaks all the way to the floor and it still does not stop right away. Quite a few times I almost rear ended the car in front of me, and another time I drove into on coming traffic as my car was not stopping properly. It just braked slowly before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the lane in front of me. I have a loss of break pressure.
Car was in motion on a city street in traffic. As I drove over a small pothole while I was braking, it began to brake normally then suddenly went almost to the floor and the car did not slow down until the last moment. I barely missed hitting the car in front of me.
Brake peddle goes to floor when stopping. The master brake cylinder was replaced and the brakes were bled but the problem still exists. I hear from others with this same car issue that it is a faulty ABS pump and is very dangerous. Ford needs to do a recall on these units and don't wait until someone dies from not being able to brake.
This vehicle model has a faulty hcu for the ABS brakes that fails consistently. It has failed on me and many people who own the same vehicle. Make ford responsible and have them issue a recall on this now before people are killed by the brake failure resulting in lawsuits against ford and the federal safety agency for failing to do their job
Pressed brake pedal, brakes seemed soft or spongy and were slow to brake vehicle.released brake pedal and attempted again. Brakes finally resumed working but now see softer than before. Automotive repair could not determine cause but advised replacing ABS due to receiving similar complaints.
2008 ford fusion 100,000 miles first of all my car is still in drivable ... I'm on a fixed income and I have already replaced the brakes,rotors,master cylinder ! My brakes have had issues for about a year . Come to a stop just a regular stop ( like a top light ) brakes go clear to the floor . This has been going on for a year . The last event was in jan 2017 went to come to a stop in heavy traffic and I almost re ended the car in front of me . My brakes were all the way to the floor literally no brakes at all . Made it home and my son started replacing everything as mentioned above ..... Now still no brakes at all clear to the floor . The ABS control module is the only thing not replaced ( which should be a [xxx] recall ) I feel the only reason ford hasn't done a recall is because of the cost . I'm already out $1000.00 now another $1000.00 part plus the labor . I'm 68 and fixed income no car since jan this is ridiculous! I won't purchase another ford and that's all I've purchased in my 68 years !!!! Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Problems with the ABS hcu. Abs activated after hitting large bump in the road and then brake pedal has been soft ever since. It has done this twice in the past however it has corrected itself rather quickly. This time it has not corrected itself after 3 days.
In may, my car lost nearly all brake pressure after I had to make an abrupt stop to avoid a collision. I was traveling straight on a paved road when I engaged in the abrupt stop at an approximate speed of 45 MPH. This issue had occurred in the past as well, but within the next 1-2 times I drove my car the brake pressure would return. This time it did not. When I took my car to a local brake mechanic shop,. I was initially told that I needed a new master cylinder. When I took the car in to have the master cylinder replaced the mechanic told me that upon further review he was able to tell that the master cylinder in the brakes is not the issue, and he's restored brake pressure to the system; however, once the ABS system was engaged the "soft" brakes returned. The mechanic further noted that his belief is that the ABS module has failed.
I was driving down the highway at 70pmh, tried to slow entering a curve onto another highway, 271s to 71s, in ohio and had to hit my brakes hard because traffic jammed suddenly. I didn't have brakes at all, my ABS never kicked in. I went off the side of the highway and even then couldn't stop with my foot all the way down.I nearly hit the person in front of me going about 50+. I took it directly to my mechanic who replaced my master cylinder again (2x in 5 months) and after he was done the pedal no longer brakes properly. When attempting to stop the pedal is nearly to the floor. It is akin to not having pedals at all. I have to stand on it to stop and even then its the panic feeling of being unable to stop. This is an issue that could kill and I've read many other stories of people with similar issues with braking. Ford said that happens sometimes when my mechanic called and gave no further reasoning to it. I don't feel safe driving a car I've had a year that's not even a decade old.
Abs engages when braking going over gravel, or other small bumps in the road and does not return to normal. Brake pedal goes to floor, resulting in almost complete loss of brakes. Brakes do not return to normal until the car is restarted. This has happened consistently whenever the ABS engages.
Brakes go to the floor after ABS engagement. Issue is intermittent and mechanics are unable to diagnose it. Vehicle is coming to a stop happens randomly under extreme and regular braking.
While driving on a pot hold or cracked street the brakes seem to shake and either become loose or go to the floor as the car is in motion it's difficult to stop. Also starting to notice that the brakes ehen pushed all the way are not allowing the car to come to a complete stop without hitting any rough streets. I have had the vehicle from jan 2015 till now july 2017 and this issue has happened to me multiple times approximately 8 to 10 times. Most recent brake issue was today 7/7/17 driving 10mph and my mileage is at 127,000 miles
Abs control valve sticks when brake is used hard. After that, loses brake pedal. Apparently this is a common issue for years 07-09.
Brake pedal excessive travel and on a few occasions went to the floor when hard braking on highway nearly causing an accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford fusion. While driving and making a turn, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to operate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the brake pedal was spongy traveled to the floorboard before bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. The contact coasted to the side of the road, waited for a while, and resumed driving slowly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic (carlo auto repair shop) where it was diagnosed that the ABS hydraulic control unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Brake pedal collapsing before brakes engage. Replaced vacuum booster and master cylinder in attempt to repair. Slightly improved but condition still exist, diminishing brake effectiveness. I relied on reputable shop for these repairs and spent $700 for only partial improvement. Google search indicates a failure in the ABS valving. Unknown if ABS works in this condition. Abs was severely engaged within weeks before failure. See the following from google of: "2008 ford fusion soft brake pedal. This video describes all circumstances perfectly, other than on this car, the brake pedal is constantly diminished at any speed whenever driven. Never as good as it was up to this past winter, please watch: ford fusion: low/soft brake pedal at times - youtube video for 2008 ford fusion soft brake pedal▶ 6:41 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r46_unyyk8 note: both myself and my brother [xxx] are on the title and I handle all matters to maintain the car. It is registered at his address: [xxx] as his only vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'
Put in brand new master cylinder sept 2013 with only 28,119 miles on it. Dashboard separated from the passenger side airbag. Sept. 2013. 28, 119 miles driver side door handle replaced sept. 2016. 47,147 miles defroster panel on drivers side of dashboard separated september 2016.
The ABS system engaged while travelling down the road and hit a pot hole. Ever since this situation I have had very soft brakes. You almost have to push the brake pedal to the floor in order to get the brakes to fully engage and stop the vehicle. Brakes have been serviced and we have come to the conclusion the ABS module is the component that needs replaced. The valves are stuck open and fluid is bypassing which is causing the issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford fusion. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the driver slammed on the brakes to avoid rear ending the preceding vehicle. The contact stated that the brakes failed to stop the vehicle promptly and the ABS warning indicator illuminated. On another occasion, while driving approximately 20 MPH, the brakes failed to stop while the vehicle was at a stop sign. The vehicle crashed into a trailer. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was damaged, but not towed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The contact did not receive notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v384000 (air bags). The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
I was driving on a road and went over a pothole. After doing that, the brakes went soft and I had to push the brakes all the way to the floor to get the car to stop and, even then, I felt that the car barely stopped. The car was not braking properly and the stopping distance needed to stop varied each time I pushed the brake after the incident. This is not the first time this has happened. This has occurred with my brakes three times in the past two years and in each instance, I've almost been in accidents because of the varying stopping distance needed. It always seems to happen when I've encountered rough road conditions or had to slam on my brakes. It is extremely dangerous and makes me feel unsafe driving my vehicle. I've had to take the car to be serviced several times and have spent over $1,000 trying to find a solution.
I have experienced dangerous braking issues immediately following engagement of the ABS system. It first happened on wet roads not too long after changing brakes (rotors/pads). A firm braking was being done, but it wasn't enough to kick in ABS until going over a painted rr crossing sign on the road. The paint was slippery and caused the ABS to fire and immediately it felt like the brakes went out entirely. Pushing almost to the floor would stop the car and at that point they brakes felt strong. The problem went away after about 30 minutes. It happened again a second time when making a left turn. I was going a bit to fast into the turn and the road was rough. Same symptoms. It's happened probably 4 or 5 times in total. Once it happened making a right turn into a business. I went over a bump in the road that you normally pay no attention to (raised area where a pipe or something was dug up and replaced, then paved over). The immediate loss of pedal firmness and braking power caused me to overshoot the right side of the entrance. If a car had been exiting, I would have hit it. Most of the time the problem resolves itself in a day or so, but the longest lasted about 5 days. I'm hesitant to get it fixed because the hydraulic control unit is very expensive. Internet research also points out that this very common issue is being diagnosed as a failing master cylinder and many people indicate that doesn't solve the problem. As of now, this is not fixed. I drive much more cautiously, especially in slippery conditions.
Driver hit pothole/bump while driving which activated the ABS brake system. Brake petal went to the floor, remained very soft and is very close to the floor. Brakes work but have to be depressed almost to the floor. Informed ABS control/hydraulic assembly needs go be replaced. The ABS pump/hydraulic assembly failed which is a braking safety hazard.
Brakes were operational w/ normal function/ response. I firmly pressed the pedal, to avoid a pothole, traveling over a railroad crossing. Immediately thereafter, the brakes became/remain 30% effective, w/ no loss of fluid. I've had my mechanic replace the ABS module & master cylinder to no avail/ success. I'll now take to dealer for diagnostics, so I may unload/sell immediately thereafter repairs.
Hit a pothole in road just prior to stop light, brakes did not stop car until after going through intersection, then took a long time to stop even at slow speeds while driving to repair shop. I had to push brake pedal nearly to the floor to get it to stop, even at slow speeds.
Braking system problems. Going to stop with brakes very soft or non existent. Most of the system has been replaced with oem parts to no avail. Problem to be hydraulic control unit for ABS system. Almost caused numerous accidents because the car would not stop when the brake petal went all the way to the floor. Started after ABS system kicked in last winter. The car was in motion and roads were slightly icy. Happened again last night may 18 2017 at 1130 at night. Car failed to stop at intersection at my work in butler pa pulling on to route 8 a major highway. Car finally stopped about an 1/8 th of way threw then light changed to green then proceed in my way home brakes returned to the normal soft petal and made it home safely.
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