what triggers a manufacturer re-call - brake failures

[weeds]

first time I ever come across a new car that has had a brake failure, actually two failures within a month......

the company car at my wife's work has had a front brake line fail twice......a ford ranger which is just 12 months old, owner has it service by an independent garage.


I don't know the details about the first failure apart from the indie replaced the brake line with an OEM part.........if it was me I would have had it sent to ford but the girls didn't think of that and there is just the one car and they are on the road everyday


fast forward four weeks, both girls in car and they were braking for a red light when the boss foot went to the floor, amongst the screams, pumping the pedal they managed to turn left rolling through the red light (missing the cars pulled up at lights) only to discover the side street was slightly down hill.........my wife grabbed the handbrake and pulled the car up. I could just imagine the scene inside the car although it would have had me on the hop as well. I believe they were only doing `20-40km/hr but when your brake pedal goes to the floor approaching parked cars i'm its would be a heart starter for most of us


crazy I know but no roadside assist......so they ring me for advice, my wife confirm there was fluid everywhere underneath and a puddle on the ground, I said sign up with RACQ and send it straight to ford. They choose to send it to the independent. when he had a look at the failed driver side and checked the brake line he had replaced recently, it was about to fail as well. the girls rang me and I convinced them to not touch it and send it to ford.


they rang ford and ford arranged pickup.......when it was collected, ford offered to pay for hire car and the bill from the first failure before they even asked. all they got from ford was they checked everything, replace components and were aware of another case...............

pretty major I thought, the girls have little confidence in the car given it scared the **** out of them, business owner is considering off loading the car.........

I assume its up to to manufactures to initiate re-calls? or is there somewhere owner can lodge there concerns.

[goingbush]

Not with Iveco, most dangerous brakes ever, don't comply with ADR's , falsely advertised as Vented rotors , when solid , Documentation falsified at RVCS & no recall, in fact not a single **** given.

I know of one instance for fact where Iveco paid a customer to have a vented aftermarket retrofit & sign a gag order, suspect a few more have been gagged. But no official acknowledgement that the brakes are an issue.

I had a meeting with head honcho at Dandenong responsible for introducing the Daily 4x4 to Aust in 2014 and he unoficially conceded they were a problem and apologised & said he would do what he could. Soon thereafter he was no longer employed there.

Going Bush (http://goingbush.com/iveco5.html)

[malsgoing130]

I had a brake failure on 2011 defender 2.4, Land Rover very quickly and quietly did the repairs, but never mentioned a thing after. It did give me a lot of muscle when other minor things went wrong and they-Land Rover aus- thought they might not want to repair them!! Mine was a master cylinder bypassing. Cheers Mal

[Homestar]

Ford also know the Rangers can catch fire if driven through dry grass but they won’t do anything about that either. Head in the sand...

[scarry]

Ford also know the Rangers can catch fire if driven through dry grass but they won’t do anything about that either. Head in the sand...

The work BT50 has now had a big sheetmetal guard placed under part of the engine/trans.

They did it at the last service and didn't tell anyone.

Looks like the dead dry grass could sit on top of,or get tangled around it,and be very close to the DPF.[bighmmm]

[weeds]

Un-believability it happen again today....

Wife’s boss pulls up, left car in drive, foot on brake, slight down hill. wife open the door, halfway into the car boss screams **** and car starts rolling forward........pedal went straight to the floor. She reefed the handbrake on, once they settle there nerves they look under the car and brake fluid everywhere, drivers side had failed again.

Scared the **** out of both of them.......

Three times and now neither want to drive the car again....I’d be the same.

Ford arrange a tow truck and a car to use while they sort it out.

If the boss hadn’t of used the brakes while wife got in the next time they would have been braking was a busy T intersection

They are in the process of drafting some letters up to Ford.....

[weeds]

I feel this is going to drag out......

After the service manager still didn’t take the issue seriously the girls went higher, some at state level maybe with Ford itself....

Ford have now swapped the hire car for a hire triton dual cab Ute

No work has been done on the car, in fact they ask the owner if she could pick up the car and store it at her house. One she lives on a block of units which means no space and secondly it has a burst from brake line.

Ford have agreed to store the car at the dealership.

The dealership have started the process to request Ford either replace the Ute or give 100% refund.

I suspect ford will do neither.......

I am surprised that they haven’t investigated the issue, or if they have one would think there is a faulty component and would be done under warranty........not sure I would hop in the drivers seat after three complete brake failures.

[JDNSW]

You know, I have now been driving for over sixty years, most of it in cars with single circuit hydraulic brakes - and I have never had a brake failure. Seems car design and manufacture has come a long way?

But there definitely seems to be an issue with Ford not wanting to treat the issue seriously. I suspect it is about time for the owner of the vehicle to start seeking legal advice, or perhaps talking to the government authority - no sure which one, either consumer protection or vehicle standards.

[weeds]

You know, I have now been driving for over sixty years, most of it in cars with single circuit hydraulic brakes - and I have never had a brake failure. Seems car design and manufacture has come a long way?

But there definitely seems to be an issue with Ford not wanting to treat the issue seriously. I suspect it is about time for the owner of the vehicle to start seeking legal advice, or perhaps talking to the government authority - no sure which one, either consumer protection or vehicle standards.

Thanks John, three complete failures is probably unheard off

She has been communicating with the consumer mob and they’ve given advice.

She is holding off on legal.

[weeds]

Good outcome

Car was a little older than I thought...

It was 2016 plated purchased in 2017.

The brand new 2019 car is in the driveway and has way more packed into it compared to the 2016.

[JDNSW]

Good outcome - but is the brake system design the same? And how about everyone else who owns one?

[weeds]

Good outcome - but is the brake system design the same? And how about everyone else who owns one?

Dunno, I’d assume there would be too many differences.

Maybe it was a Monday car

The girls were a little apprehensive driving it off the showroom floor.