# 2013 FORD F-150 — SERVICE BRAKES
> NHTSA complaint `1244584` · 2015-12-11 · Ford Motor Company
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** Yes
## Vehicle
- **Make:** FORD
- **Model:** F-150
- **Year:** 2013
- **Manufacturer:** Ford Motor Company
- **Component:** SERVICE BRAKES
- **Miles at failure:** 18,070
- **Speed:** 10 mph
## Narrative
ON 5/1/15, WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, AS I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR, AND THERE WAS NO STOPPING POWER.  WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUMP THE BRAKE AND USE THE PARKING BRAKE, MY VEHICLE CROSSED THE STREET, WENT UP THE CURB, AND STRUCK MY NEIGHBOR'S LANDSCAPE WALL, DAMAGING IT SEVERELY.  TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED WAS APPROXIMATELY 2.5 TRUCK LENGTHS BEFORE IMPACTING THE NEIGHBOR'S WALL.  UPON INSPECTION BY MYSELF AND LATER MY INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR, THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY, BUT THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF LEAKAGE.  NO PUDDLES OR VISIBLE BRAKE FLUID.      TRUCK WAS TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS 'BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO LEAK FAULTY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER'.  WITHIN A FEW DAYS, THE BRAKES AGAIN DID NOT FEEL RIGHT WITH A STRANGE PEDAL FEEL.  GRADUALLY, THE WORSENING PEDAL FEEL WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A METALLIC SCRAPING OR GRINDING NOISE.  A SECOND TRIP TO A DEALER REVEALED A FAILED BRAKE BOOSTER DUE TO BRAKE FLUID INGESTION, WHICH ALSO EXPLAINED WHY THERE WAS NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF A LEAK AFTER THE CRASH.  THE BRAKE BOOSTER OPERATES AT A VACUUM, SO AS THE MASTER CYLINDER LEAKED CATASTROPHICALLY, THE BOOSTER SUCKED IN THE FLUID, CAUSING IT TO ULTIMATELY FAIL AS WELL.  BOTH THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE BRAKE BOOSTER WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY.    I AM SURPRISED THAT THERE AS BEEN NO ACTION ON THIS ISSUE YET - THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY SYSTEM OF A 2.5+ TON VEHICLE - AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS NEAR
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*