225 of the
1,361 complaints filed about the Ford E-350
are about the braking system —
17% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1995.
While driving on the highway, the brakes on my rental truck began to feel mushy, and the pedal eventually went all the way to the floor. I was unable to stop and had to use the emergency brake to avoid a collision. The truck was rented from Budget Truck Rental (Serrato Enterprises Inc., 7680 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX 78238). Upon inspection, I discovered brake fluid leaking from the left rear tire and an empty master cylinder reservoir under the hood. I made my first call to Budget Customer Service at 2:00 PM but was not towed to Abilene until 1:00 AM—leaving my family stranded for nearly two days. The next day, the repair mechanic from Rocky Mountain Truck inspected the braking system and told me this vehicle should never have been on the road due to the severe deterioration of the brake rotor and pads on both sides of the truck (photo attached). He provided me with the damaged rotor and brake pad as physical evidence of neglect and told me the vehicle would not pass any sort of inspection, also warning me to never rent from Budget again if this is how they give customers vehicles. Inside the cab, there is a maintenance log showing no service for over 20,000 miles beyond the last recorded entry at 99,000 miles, even though previous maintenance had been logged every 4,000 miles. This clearly shows a failure in standard maintenance and safety practices. The fact that my wife’s and my safety was jeopardized—and that Budget’s customer service treated this with such disregard—is unacceptable. It is alarming that only a catastrophic accident could have brought attention to such negligence in vehicle maintenance and safety oversight. I am going to these lengths due to the fact that Budget values milking a few extra miles out of a vehicle's lifespan rather than addressing the most common wear-and-tear items on a vehicle. I'm reaching out because of Budget’s failure to acknowledge the importance of vehicle safety. Budget Customer Reference Number: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO
NHTSA complaint #11693451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When there is any dew or moisture of any kind on the road the truck wont stop without the front breaks locking up and wont stop, Also the spark plugs have blown out of the motor prior to this it starts to develop A misfire, And The rear sustention is so weak the rear of the truck drags the ground when there is A low spot or dup in the road and has worn the metal off the bottom of the tow hitch making it unsafe and useless
NHTSA complaint #11668112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After hitting a very rough patch of interstate, our steering became very difficult. The driver thought that maybe we had a low tire, so looked for a place to pull over. We crested a hill, and there was an exit with a truck stop. As we attempted to slow for the exit, the driver discovered we had no brakes or power steering. Driver used the brakes on the trailer we were towing to slow us and bring us to a stop. Checked the brake fluid reservoir. It was empty. Bought more, but as soon as the pedal was pushed, it was gone. We were towed to a repair shop, and they discovered the high pressure line on the Hydroboost brake system had separated. The repair shop was able to find a replacement from Ford Motor Co., and repaired our motorhome. We had this exact component inspected 2 years ago when Ford issued an inspection report. We passed. This incident happened 2500 miles from home. When we arrived home, there was a letter from Ford (24N03) stating they were extending the "warranty" period on the high pressure line.
NHTSA complaint #11609275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford E-350. The stated while driving into the driveway, the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the brake pedal became spongy. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a trail of fluid in the driveway. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, he noticed that the brake line had fractured, and brake fluid was leaking inside the engine compartment. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer; however, the dealer could not accommodate the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle at the contact's residence. The dealer determined that unknown hoses needed to be replaced and the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer and the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered under the recall as the recall was previously marked as complete. The contact stated that the dealer had not completed the recall repair on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11530672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford E-350. The stated while driving into the driveway, the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the brake pedal became spongy. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a trail of fluid in the driveway. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, he noticed that the brake line had fractured, and brake fluid was leaking inside the engine compartment. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer; however, the dealer could not accommodate the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle at the contact's residence. The dealer determined that unknown hoses needed to be replaced and the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer and the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered under the recall as the recall was previously marked as complete. The contact stated that the dealer had not completed the recall repair on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11530672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford E-350. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact desperately depressed on the brake pedal and the vehicle eventually came to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the mechanic stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced, and that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 12,361.
NHTSA complaint #11521237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford E-350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff and the vehicle would pull in either direction. Additionally, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact then noticed that the brake pedal had to be pressed very hard in order to stop the vehicle. After stopping to inspect under the hood, the contact discovered a power steering fluid leak in the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the power steering pressure line had detached. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was 6,300.
NHTSA complaint #11483429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford E-350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff and the vehicle would pull in either direction. Additionally, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact then noticed that the brake pedal had to be pressed very hard in order to stop the vehicle. After stopping to inspect under the hood, the contact discovered a power steering fluid leak in the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the power steering pressure line had detached. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was 6,300.
NHTSA complaint #11483429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford E-350. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the power steering and brakes became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with loosened brake line fittings and an unknown fluid leak. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V013000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 13,667.
NHTSA complaint #11472024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford E-350. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and the vehicle was inspected. During the inspection, there were no leaks found. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH after the inspection, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact coasted the vehicle off the highway. The contact stated that while driving afterward and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as designed. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer where the recall repair was completed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,800.
NHTSA complaint #11471820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford E-350. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and the vehicle was inspected. During the inspection, there were no leaks found. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH after the inspection, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact coasted the vehicle off the highway. The contact stated that while driving afterward and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as designed. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer where the recall repair was completed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,800.
NHTSA complaint #11471820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I've had trailer brakes and lights not working off and on with my 2022 F350. They're aware of it and sent a recall. I went to have the recall performed this morning and the dealer told me that the "fix" for the recall also doesn't work and that they'll call me when the "new fix" is ready. Meanwhile, I'm getting into towing season and I'll be towing a large trailer across the country repeatedly with trailer brakes that might work or might not.
NHTSA complaint #11465411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford E-350. The contact's wife was driving into a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH when the power steering and the brakes failed. The contact's wife was able to safely stop the vehicle. The contact stated that his wife had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact's wife examined the vehicle and noticed that there was red fluid puddling on the ground and a hissing sound coming from the driver’s side under the engine. The vehicle had not been towed to a dealer and had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V089000 (Steering, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. Consumer purchased the unit in Las Vegas on March 13th with 21,477 miles on the odometer and it failed on April 1st, with 22,018 miles on the odometer.
NHTSA complaint #11459276 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Without warning my brakes and steering failed on a Freedom Elite RV on a Ford Motor chassis. The vehicle only had 2396 miles on it at the time of occurrence. It turned out to be a pressure hose that broke. Luckily I was in a residential neighborhood with no traffic and driving very slowly when it happened. I shudder to think what would have happened on a hill or in traffic.
NHTSA complaint #11445045 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle is not as described by VIN #, correctly. Vin describes as: 2011 Forest River Limited Edition Value Hauler. My vehicle is 2011 - E350 Ford Van, 12 passenger. The problem is with the brakes. Have had the brakes repaired 3 occasions, but the results is always the same. The brakes go completely end and have to be pumped to stop. I believe this is a manufacturing problem. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #11424341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brakes are faulty. Have tried to have them repaired 3 times and it ends with the same problem. The brakes go all the way in and have to be pumped to stop.
NHTSA complaint #11424351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.