Spongy brakes - they go to the floor before they stop - mechanic said master cylinder and brake pads are fine- brake lines have been bleed and it did not fix the problem. The consumer requested information concerning the vehicle's brake issue. Updated 03/27/2017
2008 Ford Fusion brakes complaints
Page 17 of 19: complaints 461 to 490 of 542, newest first, as owners wrote them.
After noticing braking issues I had a mechanic look at it to investigate what the issue maybe. I was told it was the master cylinder. This part was replaced and then after replacing noticed air going into the line. After noticing the sound of air there was air lines after the flush. It was determined a faulty ABS sensor
Took car in several times because brake pedal went all the way to the floor for it to stop. Dealership stated it was the rear brakes, replaced them. Problem still exist. Took back a couple mos later, dealership stated front brakes & rotors, fixed. Problem still exist. Took car back again, dealership stated master cylinder needs to be replaced. Replaced it. Took back again, now they state it's the hydraulic control unit in the ABS system. Need to press brake pedal to the floor to stop.
When braking hard over a pothole on a city street, brakes are lost and pedal goes to the floor. The brakes returned but has been low and soft ever since. A mechanic suggested there's an issue with hydraulic control unit (hcu) and/or an ABS valve. Also, he recommends replacing the hcu, which is over $550 for the part alone.
I was traveling through colorado on a paved but fairly steep grade road. A car behind me was tailgating so I pulled over to a dirt patch to let them pass. Patch was rough so the ABS activated. Immediately following ABS activation and shutoff, the brake pedal went soft. It required pushing all the way to the floor to get any brake stopping power. Had I let my foot off the brake at any point, or not immediately slammed my foot all the way down when I realized what was happening, I could have slammed into a tree. Pedal still remains soft and requires pushing all the way to the floor to stop. Half way to the floor it feels like it will brake normally but it still goes soft. If I slam on the brakes they work normally for a moment, but then go soft and spongy again. This is the second time this has happened to me. The last time auto-corrected itself after turning my car off and on and pumping the brakes hard, but not this time. This is incredibly dangerous! After research online it seems this is a very common problem, as well. Please investigate and put pressure on ford to issue a recall!
I was driving the vehicle and when coming to a red light the brake pedal when almost to the floor. Since then it had happened several times. I took it to our mechanic and he checked the brakes over and said that everything was fine. We started driving the car again and the pedal was very soft and spongy so we took it back and he diagnosed the problem. He said it was the ABS hydraulic control unit. This was a very expensive fix for us and it was a very dangerous vehicle to drive as you could not tell if the brakes were going to work or not, a very scary situation. We are contacting ford to see if they can help us with the cost as to me this is a part that should last the life of the car. We also could not drive the car for a month or so while it was being diagnosed.
When attempting to brake weather on highway/gravel/city streets or bumps this vehicles brakes are not working properly. They are very soft to push as if there was air in lines,you always have the brake peddel to the floor to stop and pray that you do stop. I have spent $$$ trying to fix this problem... One day im not going to stop in time my kids or myself and anyone kr anuthing involved is going to be hurt. This problem is worse if the road is wet but it is still a constant problem on an every day basis. I have had workers from ford and other shopes tell me I need to get it fixed, as I have tried and spent $400+ and still wont fix it. I have been doing research and seems like it is the ABS module from other complaints.
The brakes on this car are very soft due to a defective ABS stuck valve. The soft and spongy brake pedal is all the time unless their pumped a few times.
I was driving on a major highway. When I attempted to brake for the red light my brake pedal had no pressure. I had to push it hard all the way to the floor to get the car to stop. This has happened to me three times in the last 6 months. It is very scary not knowing if I will make it through the light or stop sign without hitting the car in front of me or being hit myself. I have had no leaks, warning lights or noticeable grinding sounds. I am afraid to drive when the snow comes. In addition, I have received notice that my passenger air bag is defective. I question why it is only the passenger.why would ford use another manufacturer for the other airbags? In closing,what is taking so long to get these parts? This is a serious problem!
Earlier today I filed a complaint regarding a popping sound heard when trying to brake as I drove over a speed bump in the parking lot. After I did, the brakes had to be pressed all the way to the floor, as I lost brake pressure. I came home and parked my car, checking to see if there was a leak or lack of brake fluid. The brake fluid tank is full and despite waiting hours before attempting to drive my vehicle again, there is no evidence of a leak. I assumed perhaps it was a temporary issue and attempted to drive again without any initial problem. The brakes were working fine again, however twenty minutes into my drive, and while traveling at about 50mph along alcoa hwy, I attempted to brake for traffic and my brake pedal again had to be pressed all the way to the floor. This time, I pumped the brakes in a state of panic, as I was afraid I'd hit the car in front of me and the brakes seemed fine again. There was no issue after pumping the brake. I continued driving until I could turn around and return home. At this point, I was terrified I could be in a fatal car accident. Upon returning home, I again attempted to brake for traffic and discovered that while my brakes are working, they seem to only do so after I've pumped them a few times first. They are extremely intermittent in their operation, leaving me to assume that there is something seriously wrong with the brake system. After extensive online research, I am now finding many similar complaints dating back several years where others have had and continue to have identical brake problems, yet there doesn't seem to be anything done about the problem. I don't understand why that is. As a result, I'll be forwarding my concerns to cnn immediately to inquire as to why nothing has come of this issue given the extreme seriousness of this and other complaints like it.
While driving about 5mph over a speed bump in my apartment complex and applying pressure to my brakes, I felt a slight pop feeling and the brake pedal suddenly lost brake pressure. I then had to apply greater pressure to the brake pedal to get the car to come to a complete stop. I proceeded to the stop sign and again applied pressure to the brake pedal, yet the problem had not corrected itself. I was concerned the brake fluid level must be low, so I returned home where I had just left. Upon looking at the brake fluid level, I notice that that the tank is full. I have no leaks. I started the car back up and pumped the brake a few times, yet the brake pedal continues to go to the floor of my car. I am now concerned to drive the vehicle because while the brakes still work, the car takes far too long to come to a complete stop. If I drive it to the dealership to be repaired, approximately 17 miles, there's considerable reason to be concerned that I could fail to stop in time if I need to stop suddenly.
Brake pedal went to floor randomly, causing car to not stop accurately. Took it to shop found valve sticking in ABS module
As I came to an intersection, I was depressing the brake and the pedal went all the way down. Ever since then, I have to press the brake pedal all the way to the floor of the car in order to come to a complete stop. Every time the brake pedal is unpressed their is an "air" noise coming from the hood of the car. I have changed the brake fluid cap, bled the brake lines, changed the calipers, and even replaced the master cylinder and the problem is still the same: brake pedal has to be depressed all the way to come to a complete stop and every time the brake is unpressed it makes an "air' noise. My dashboard never lit up with a warning before this happened.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford fusion. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the brakes failed to engage and there were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hydraulic control unit failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the mechanic advised her not to drive the vehicle due to the brakes being inoperable. The manufacturer was not notified and no repairs were made. The failure mileage was 159,000.
I hit a slick spot on the road and the antilock brakes engaged. Once they engaged, the pedal went to the floor and I had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. Once I got the car to stop, I pumped brakes up and they seemed fine until I got to the next stop sign. Although the ABS didn't engage, I still had no brakes and had to use the emergency brake to stop. I pumped again and got brakes back but they were spongy. This morning, I removed the ABS fuse and the brakes were fine.
Why isn't there a recall on the brakes and transmission, our brake pedal went all the way down to the floor on a few occasions, then it seemed fine, and it would happen again, there have been numerous complaints on this issue, we had to pay $2,700 to have ford fix it, and the transmission jumps, when you step on the gas the car lurches and this is going to cost a lot of money that we don't have.
In winter 2014/2015, cars brakes quit working while driving in snow. I took the car to a mechanic who could not replicate the problem. Drove car for about a year to this past winter 2015/2016, when driving on snow attempted to slow down at traffic light for a left-hand turn doing 45 MPH when breaks quit working again. I could not stop and cars slid through intersection. Finally coasted to a stop on side of road. Took her back to mechanic who replace the master cylinder. On april 20, 2016, I pulled into a convenience store and hit a bump in the parking lot breaks quit working and I almost ran into the building of the store. After sitting in park and pushing the break as I had done previously, they worked fine and I was able to drive home. I may 3,2016, I pulled into that same convenient store with the same bump and lost my brakes again. This time bumping the curb before I stopped. I called ford I may for 2016 after doing some research online and finding that this is a common problem with the 2008 ford fusion yet there is no recall. Ford said unfortunately there is no recall but I could take my car to a ford service center for repair. I feel this is a serious safety problem and I could die or end up killing someone else because I can't stop.
2008 ford fusion faulty brakes "hydraulic control unit". (see links below )my wife and child where on the highway when she switched lanes and attempted to use her brakes at the same time. Like out of a horror film her brakes did not work and pedal went down all the way to the floor. Brakes went super soft and the vehicles emergency brake needed to be used to avoid a collision. After doing research I am not sure why this has not been a recall yet. I found countless people with the same complaint reporting faulty brakes and dealer reported a faulty hydraulic control module (please see links below). With a cost of up to $1000. This is unacceptable please look into this issue. * http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/fusion/2008/brakes/ *http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2008/ford/fusion/service_brakes_hydraulic/problem.aspx * http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2008/ford/fusion/hydraulic+brake * http://m.carcomplaints.com/ford/fusion/2008/brakes/service_brakes.shtml * http://repairpal.com/disgusted-with-the-brakes-532
The problem initially began because I had to brake hard to avoid an accident on the freeway and the brakes failed. After restarting the vehicle the brakes went back to normal. A week later as I was driving down a street, I braked normally to pull in to a business parking lot and the brakes failed almost completely. The pedal went down to the floor and would not stop the vehicle in a safe distance. Also, they had a spongy feel. They would not properly grip until I turned the car off and then on again. Had there been another vehicle in front of me I would have hit them, or if this happened on a local freeway here in houston, tx it could be potentially fatal. After researching the problem, I learned that many other individuals have had the same exact issue. The problem appears to be a faulty ABS modulator.
On three occasions, upon suddenly braking, brake pedal failed. Took it to ford once and they couldnt tell me what was wrong. Ford dealer said, "must've been a freak accident." I ignored the second time brake pedal went to the floor as pressure built up soon after, but the third time, took it back to ford dealer. They quickly said it was the master cylinder. I didn't accept the diagnoses. Did some research and found online that there are so many other 2008 fusion brakes issues like mine! And no recall!?! Research points towards the hydrualic control unit, the mechanical part of the ABS module is bad. And it's a common issue! People can die over this! I have no ABS indication showing on my instrument panel... On all three occasions I was driving on level roads or highways. How can ford not fix this? Is it not common enough just yet!?! Maybe let a few die and have the media have a field day with the deaths before ford responds??? Ford has a responsibility to its vehicles! Where's the pride and good will from ford? God forbid ford take responsibility and make a recall and prevent them from taking away from there profits!!!
I tried to stop a little faster than normal and had to put my brake pedal to the floor. Once I did that, my brakes continued to only work pressing all the way dow or by pumping them to build pressure. This went on about 24 hours before they went back to normal. This has happened a few times in the short month I have had this car. Reading complaints on line for this same problem tells me there is no fix. This is not safe not knowing when your brakes aren't going to work when you need them to. No liservice or and lights come on at all.
While braking and hitting a bump in the road that activated the anti-lock braking system (ABS) system the brake pedal would not engage properly after this. The pedal would have to be depressed almost all the way to the floor to stop. Vehicle was inspected and determined to have a stuck valve on the hydraulic control unit which is an integral part of the ABS system. Repair cost was $100 to bleed all new fluid into the system and $925 to diagnose and repair the faulty ABS hydraulic control unit.
While driving I was required to apply the brake pedal further than normal. To stop the pedal must be applied almost to the floor. Brake pedal feels soft, sponge like, when applied. Vehicle still stops but pumping them repeatedly is required. This is required when stationary, in motion and on city streets and highways. Vehicle has 120k but this issue just started. Stating the obvious that brakes are an important but certainly creates a safety issue even if the brakes stop the vehicle. You have to adjust your speed and timing when applying the brakes. Although this has not occurred yet, sudden or emergency braking may be required so I can't confirm how they would react to this situation.
After engaging the ABS on light snow, my brakes became spongy. Couple of inches of play on the brake pedal before it would engage
I, and many others, have had issues with ford fusion brake problems after an ABS event (as it is referred to). The vehicle is in motion and when braking and hitting a patch of ice, for example, the ABS activate. The problem is that the brakes do not return to normal immediately because the ABS pump valves get stuck and the brake fluid circulates. It takes time to come back to normal which is not a normal thing. We believe it should be a safety issue and that the anti-lock brake pump/control module should be recalled. If you were to google search ford fusion brake problems and or soft brake pedals, etc (regarding the fusion) you will find a lot of information. I am a ford lover and love my fusion but it is disturbing that ford refuses to recognize this as a safety recall after emails and contact with ford. I copied one link to give you an idea of the problem. This has happened multiple times in the past two years. The brakes should return to normal instantly, not after an indefinite period of time. Thank you. Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwflkcxxzty [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'
Ever since I had to slam on the brakes to avoid someone else getting in an accident 6 months ago on the highway, the brakes have been very spongy. I have replaced brake pads and turned the rotors also bled the brakes. I can still press the pedal to the floor. Can't seem to find a fix. I'm a huge ford fan, but this is just embarrassing and extremely dangerous for such a popular car and company. Sack up and make a recall for those of us who are true ford lovers!
My brakes keep failing on my car , even after new brakes. They go all the way to the floor and I have almost been in 6 different accidents, once having to take the shoulder of the road and damaging a rim. It started at 14000 ish off and on and I only have 59000 on it now, and ford needs to take care of this. I have read so many complaints of the same. I mean this is not only dangerous for me and my passengers , but for anyone in front of me. I want my insurance company to know I have reported this issue, and I also have printed a file of all complaints I have found. They not only fail, but they grind..... With new rotors and brakes as everyone else is saying. I cannot drive it if it rains or snows, because you just cannot stop the car. I nearly was in a pile up on the hiway as well. It is scarey. I would challenge them on this. The other day I could not stop again. This is a problem ....so many people are complaining of the same thing.
The first time this happened I was sliding into traffic due to icy conditions. After hitting the brakes hard and engaging the ABS system the brakes became spongey and went to the floor. This happened again after having to hit the brakes hard again and this time we were on an interstate. My mechanic has replaced the master cylinder, brakes, and adjusted them. After this happening several times my mechanic researched it to find the the ABS modules on this model are faulty. This has happened 4 times in the last year. This is a very dangerous and expensive defect on this automobile. After searching online I have read several complaints with this model and the same defect has been noted.
Abs activated when slowing for a right hand turn on wet roads then brake pedal went to the floor and got very soft. Car would not slow down, had to pull out of traffic lanes. Abs indicator came on. After restarting car brakes recovered to normal however ABS indicator comes on intermittently.
Approaching a stop sign on a morning with some ice on the roads, the ABS engaged and the brake pedal went to the floor. All subsequent braking attempts result in the pedal going down to the floor and increased stopping distance. This has happened multiple times over the years with this car. Different components have been replaced but never solved the problem. It typically goes away on its own eventually. Doesn't feel like a safe situation.
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