271K Ford F150 EcoBoost Pickups Recalled for Leaky Braking Systems

The Ford F150 is the bestselling vehicle in America and it has been for decades. Unfortunately for Ford Motor Company, that sales success makes this newest F150 recall a big one, with more than 271,000 trucks being recalled to replace the master cylinder component of the braking system. Should the master cylinder fail and allow the brake fluid to leak out, the affected F150s could lose a major portion of the braking abilities.

The Newest F150 Recall
This new Ford F150 recall pertains to trucks from the 2013 and 2014 model years, specifically those with the top of the line 3.5L EcoBoost V6 built between August 2013 and August 2014 at both the Kansas City and Dearborn production facilities. In total, 270,873 trucks are affected with 225,012 in the US, 43,682 in Canada and 402 in Mexico.

It seems that those 2013-2014 F150 pickups with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 may have been equipped with master cylinders with a problematic seal and as a result, the master cylinder may allow the brake fluid to leak out. As the brake fluid drops below the required level, the truck will begin to lose braking force – although it should be noted that this will only affect the front wheels. The rear braking system is not affected, but losing your front brakes in a full truck will make a massive difference in your ability to stop or slow down.

The way the F150 braking system works is that when you depress the brake pedal, the master cylinder push brake fluid through the brake lines and into the braking assemblies. This fluid force causes the pads to clamp down on the brake rotor, but when the brake fluid runs out, there is no way for the master cylinder to compress the brakes. This will only cause the front brakes to fail, but that is enough to cause a major reduction in braking abilities – especially in sudden, hard-braking situations.

Ford is aware of 9 accidents caused by the braking problem with the 2013-2014 F150, but there were no injuries in any of those accidents. However, the Motor Company also reports that there was “one alleged injury involving interaction with the vehicle’s brakes but not associated with an accident” – whatever that means. Brake fluid is flammable and very corrosive, so if someone got it in their eye or something while working on their truck, it could cause an injury without an accident…but that is purely, 100% speculation.

To fix the problem forcing the F150 recall, your local Ford dealership will replace the master cylinder and, if necessary, they will replace the power brake booster as well.

If you have a 2013-2014 Ford F150 and you have some mechanical knowledge, this is the kind of issue that you can check for yourself simply by looking for moisture around the master cylinder or a low condition in the brake fluid reservoir. If you don’t have any mechanical knowledge and you have a 2013-2014 EcoBoost F150 that might be subject to this recall, it is best to call your dealership for more information.