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2011 Ford Fusion: brake failure

40 of the 2,796 complaints about the 2011 Ford Fusion describe brake failure.

owner complaints
40
of this car's complaints
1%
typical mileage
135,000
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 3 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Brake failure by model year

What owners say

Filed Apr 11, 2026 · Brakes · AZ

2011 abs system module it’s supposed to go back to default and it didn’t and the brakes completely stop working my car didn’t want to start and there’s no light nor abs light no check engine light no code comes out to warn that the brakes are not working I have 119000 ABS module failure Brakes stopped working

Filed Jun 11, 2025 · Brakes · IN

There have been only been 3 instances that my ABS has activated in the past 4 years. During all 3 instances of the ABS activating, the ABS motor turned on for less than a second and then the brake pedal went soft and all the way to the floor. After this moment, I had little to no braking power. The pedal remained soft until the very end of the pedal travel. The brakes were very shifty and I had to have a shop bleed the ABS unit and lines. The first instance (2019) I had to swerve around a vehicle that blindly crossed traffic. I slammed on the brakes, ABS motor activated for less than a second and the pedal went to the floor and I did not slow down. I had to drive through someone's yard on the other side of the intersection because I had no brakes. The second time (2022) I was on the highway on a 2,500 mile road trip. In Utah, there was a rain storm (unusual) and the passing lane on the highway began gathering water. I hydroplaned and used the brakes to slow down. Same story - ABS briefly activated and the pedal went to the floor. I was able to slow down eventually by letting off the brake and gas and dealt with soft, ineffective brakes for the remainder of the trip. The third time (2025), I dodged a pothole only to hit another one I didn't see approaching a stop sign, and this activated the ABS very briefly, sending my pedal to the floor and losing braking. I was in the middle of the intersection by the time I stopped. There were no other cars around as it was a rural area. I had a shop nearby evacuate the ABS module both times and they discovered air in the unit. I simply cannot believe there hasn't been a recall on this, especially with all the reports made.

Filed Nov 25, 2024 · Brakes · MN

On multiple occasions after an ABS brake event, the brake pedal will travel all the way to floor with very little braking power. In some instances, the brake pedal returns to normal after a short amount of time and repetitive pumping of the the brake pedal. In other instances, an extended period of time and aggressive pumping and stabbing of the brake pedal is required to regain full brake control. In every case, this condition has occurred immediately following an ABS brake event. However, it does not occur after every ABS brake event, making it very unpredictable. There have been no warning lamps, messages, symptoms, or other indication of a problem prior to each occurrence. This vehicle has been inspected by a Ford Dealer. The dealer was not able to reproduce the problem, but loss of brake pedal with little brake control continues to occur unpredictably. We use this vehicle for commuting to downtown Minneapolis in heavy traffic and ice roads. Despite cautious driving habits, this issue has created multiple close call collisions with other vehicle.

Filed Jan 10, 2024 · Brakes · NJ

The ABS Brake module had an internal failure, per the Lucas Ford Dealership in Burlington New Jersey. The Part I believe is available upon request. - The way my safety / the safety of others was put at risk was that my abs brake system had an internal failure. No car dash indicator lights came up, however my brake peddle became spongy and created a delayed brake time response due to the fact the brake would not engage until nearly fully depressed or engaged into the floor. - Once i noticed the brake issue and this brake concern did not go away I then contacted and brought my car to The lucas ford dealership in Burlington NJ, in which this dealership confirmed my brake issue and told me there was an internal failure in the abs brake module. - The Component has inspected by the Lucas ford dealership, who repaired the issue on 1-7-24 - No warning lamps, messages were emitted concerning this brake failure. The only reason I knew about this issue is due to the fact my brake peddle started to feel like a sponge when engaging the brake peddle to stop the car. - I have documentation of the repair done by Lucas Ford Dealership. - I appreciate the work the federal safety agency does to keep U.S Citizens safe, which is why i am reaching out to explain the issue i had regarding my brake system to keep others out of harms way. After doing some research online, this issue regarding the abs module failure in this particular car model seems to be an issue other U.S Citizens are having. To note, This particular repair costs almost 2,000 dollars. At the time of this this submission was written, the repair report was not in hand, the repair report can be submitted upon request if further review is needed.

Filed Dec 26, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · NJ

While driving on a major highway during rush hour, at the posted speed limit (65MPH) , without any warning the vehicle completely lost any and all braking capability without any prior warning or indication of an issue later on after managing to avoid any type of accident or collision with anything around. I turned the car off, when turning the car back on then and only then I received a dashboard full of lights most important being “service advancetrac” and (!) BRAKE, “Check break system”. By reading many other forums with the same car and the exact issues and notifications it says that there is a glitch in the ABS module with communicates with the hydraulic control unit which caused complete and catastrophic brake failure. Which could have resulted in a major accident, risking my life, the occupants of my vehicle, and any other vehicle around. Lucky I was able to maneuver my way off to the side of the highway, and slowly make my vehicle come to a stop, then putting it in park, which would be the only way to stop the vehicle from moving or rolling back or forward. I believe this is a very serious issue that must be addressed. The car is now being diagnosed at a Ford Dealer at a cost of $200 and probably a repair cost of over $2600 according to others. I’am still waiting after spending $1000 on a car rental to make it to work so I would not risk my job. This is all more money then I even make, these companies need to be held accountable for putting the lives of me and my family and all the other people and families on the road that day. Thank god this did not end differently. The website is not allowing me to upload any photos of the light that appeared on the dashboard only after the incident occurred! I would have liked for people to see incase they experience this same issue

Filed Dec 14, 2023 · Brakes · MI

Abs pump failed resulting in very little brakes which almost caused a accident with my wife and daughter in the car. With no warning lights on and no indication of brake failure until they tried to avoid a car/ group of deer accident. Car had 25% brakes. They cautiously got the car home. Upon inspection no leaks or anything wrong with brake system. After doing research on the problem car is experiencing, I found that previous models of the fusion had been recalled for the same problem. 2011 and 2012 were still having problems with them, but no recall, even tho many owners had the same problem. $850 plus tax for just the part and no labor. I put a new abs pump in and corrected the problem. Ford should recall this as brakes are very important safety issue. This could kill or injure people as there is no warning at all to the failure.

Filed Aug 17, 2023 · Brakes · 193,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while turning into a parking lot, while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull into a parking space, where the vehicle was stopped by the curb. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 193,000.

Filed Jun 1, 2023 · Brakes · 160,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The contact pumped the brake pedal several times and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Filed Apr 24, 2023 · Airbags, Brakes · 250,000 miles · TX · crash

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45-50 MPH, she depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to engage. The ABS warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that she applied pressure to the brake pedal and the pedal went to the floor and failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the contact swerved around another vehicle however, the contact’s front driver’s side crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

Filed Mar 28, 2023 · Brakes · OK

About 6 months ago, while driving, my car hit a bump in the road and the brakes went all the way to the floor when I tried to stop. I pulled to the side of the road, turned car off and restarted and brakes returned to normal. Two days ago for no reason the brakes became non-responsive again. I turned the car off and restarted and they began to work again. Shortly after that incident, on the same day, the warning lights came on and the brakes became unresponsive. After turning the car off, opening the door and restarting the brakes still were unresponsive and the warning lights are still on. I cannot drive the car safely because the brakes are not working and the warning lights are on non-stop.

Filed Jan 2, 2023 · Brakes, Driver assistance · TX

The brakes in my car suddenly went very soft. Took to the mechanic and they initiated diagnosed it as a master cylinder issue. The have changed the Master cylinder about 3 times and still no brakes. The problem is the HCU or the ABS system. My vehicle has been worked for a month and still have not been able to fix. This nearly cause me to crash my vehicle as the brakes nearly failed on me. If I was on a highway, the situation would have been fatal.

Filed Oct 23, 2022 · Brakes · IL

Had a catastrophic brake failure a couple days ago. Had a Christmas tree of lights from traction control, brakes and the wrench. The brakes had about 15% power effectiveness and went down nearly to the floor. Was forced to have a significant car gap when driving, downshift gears and use the emergency brake when slowing down and stopping. This is the worst hazard situation I have had in over 40 years of driving. Brake fluid was full. No leaks on the lines, calipers are fine, brakes were recently replaced(within past 2 months) and are fine. I have a picture of the warning lights documenting problem. I have not had any previous errors or problems like this.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the 2011 Ford Fusion brake failure

Is brake failure a common problem on the 2011 Ford Fusion?

40 of 2,796 owner complaints about the 2011 Ford Fusion (1%) mention brake failure. The model year with the most reports is 2010.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2011 Ford Fusion?

There are 0 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2011 Ford Fusion

Power steering loss 777Loss of power 289Steering lock-up 166Stalling 154Check engine light 135Engine failure 108ABS 98Door locks 79Jerking 70Ball joint 27Won't shift 25Grinding brakes 24Hesitation 20No deployment 17Won't start 16Airbag light 15Fire or smoke 14Shudder 14Fuel leak 13Harsh shifting 13Sudden acceleration 13Adaptive cruise 12Misfire 11Slipping 11Fuel smell 10Spongy pedal 10Pulling 10Headlights 8Warning lights 7Overheating 6Steering noise 6Transmission failure 6Wipers 6

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