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Home›Ford›Ford F-150› brake problems
Owner complaints · Service Brakes · every model year

Ford F-150 brake problems, 2016–2026

748 of the 10,822 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Ford F-150 2016–2026 name the brakes (NHTSA’s “Service Brakes” heading — the hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist). The loudest years: 2016 (341), 2017 (116), 2018 (93). Filed under the same heading across these years: 6 recall campaigns, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

748 complaints, 11 model years 7% of everything filed about the F-150 typically at 30k miles

Ford F-150 brake problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model yearComplaints naming the brakesShare of the year’sTypically atOn file under the heading
2026533%——the year →
20252822%—2 recallsthe year →
2024146%——the year →
20235511%12k—the year →
20220———the year →
2021 in depth776%40k1 recallthe record →
2020193%——the year →
20190———the year →
2018 in depth934%43k2 recallsthe record →
2017 in depth1168%27k3 recallsthe record →
2016 in depth34117%36k2 recalls · 1 investigationthe record →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the brakes. Nothing here is a rate.

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When the brake complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database
748complaints name the brakes, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2016: 84 · 2017: 45 · 2018: 46 · 2019: 72 · 2020: 59 · 2021: 54 · 2022: 45 · 2023: 64 · 2024: 78 · 2025: 84 · 2026: 117

30kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 426 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the brake problem between 9,000 and 60,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the brakes, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

Coming up to a stop light on a secondary road, the brake pedal went to the floor, barely stopping. I had to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid hitting a vehicle stopped in front of me. Pumping the pedal brought up some pressure, but then the pedal would slowly go to the floor
Service Brakes at 8,550 miles Jul 26, 2016 NHTSA owner report
My truck is a 2016 F-150 with 4053 miles. The vehicle has a 5.0 v8 and 7 weeks after purchasing the vehicle new, the master cylinder failed. The vehicle was in motion on a city street and the signal light turned red. I depressed the brake pedal and it went all the way to the floor and was not stopping, only slowing.
Service Brakes at 4,053 miles Jul 23, 2016 NHTSA owner report
There has always been a "brake light" sign turn on inside dashboard, and the brakes do not brake while it is in motion. When I step on the brake pad, the pad goes all the way in but does not stop my vehicle at all. It works sometimes, but my stopping is not guaranteed every time.
Service Brakes at 4,300 miles Sep 19, 2017 NHTSA owner report
The vehicle was bought brand new in corpus christ, tx back in april 2017. August 26, 2017, I was on my way to colorado and realize my break pedal would go all the way to the floor and suddenly lose braking ability simultaneously, which would be a disaster if an emergency brake is necessary in some situation.
Service Brakes at 4,500 miles Sep 10, 2017 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the brakes failed. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The contact heard a pop sound while trying to bring the vehicle to a halt.
Service Brakes at 37,037 miles Jun 26, 2019 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the brakes, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

NHTSA investigation

Other systems with a record on the Ford F-150

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Ford F-150 problems by year →

From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which Ford F-150 years have the most brake complaints?

2016, 341; 2017, 116; 2018, 93. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2026 (33%).

Is there a recall for the brakes on the Ford F-150?

Yes — 6 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 25V823000 (2025), 25V488000 (2025), 25V236000 (2018), 22V150000 (2018). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do brake problems show up on the Ford F-150?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 30,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 9,000 and 60,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Service Brakes" heading cover?

The hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.