NHTSA Complaint #10560585 — 2002 FORD F-150

FRONT BRAKE CALIPER MOUNTING BRACKET SEIZED ON THE SLIDE BOLTS THAT ALLOW THE BRAKES TO MOVE IN AND OUT WHEN PRESSED AND RELEASED. THE SLIDE BOLTS THAT ALLOW THE CALIPER TO MOVE HAVE SEIZED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL VERY HARD TO ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IN MY CASE I WAS TOWING A 20' COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH DUAL AXLE TRAILER BRAKES. I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN GOING A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MPH WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE DURING THE TURN THE TRUCK PULLED EXTREMELY HARD TO THE LEFT RESULTING IN MY TRAILER JACK KNIFING INTO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TRUCK CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO MY BED AND REAR WHEEL ON MY TRUCK. LATER AFTER INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE SUDDEN PULL FOUND THAT THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER MOUNTING BRACKET HAD ONE OF THE BOLTS SEIZED WHILE THE OTHER WAS MOVING PROPERLY ALLOWING THE BRAKE TO MOVE A LITTLE BUT NOT PROPERLY CAUSING THE BRAKE TO DRAG AGAINST THE ROTOR ON THE INNER BRAKE PAD. WHEN THE BRAKE IS PRESSED THE PRESSURE PULLS THE TRUCK TO THE LEFT EXTREMELY HARD. REPLACING THE SLIDE BOLTS AND THE BRAKE CALIPER MOUNTING BRACKET FIXED THIS ISSUE AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES AFTER REPLACEMENT. I KNOW THIS MAY BE A LITTLE HARD TO UNDERSTAND AS MY DESCRIPTION MAY NOT BE THE BEST, BUT THE UPPER BRAKE CALIPER BOLT WAS SEIZED WHILE THE LOWER BOLT WAS MOVING FREELY, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDDLE WAS PRESSED CAUSED THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER TO GRAB HARDER THAN THE RIGHT SIDE CAUSING THE TRUCK TO PULL EXTREMELY HARD TO THE LEFT. THE TRAILER BRAKE WAS SET ON 7 AT THE TIME AND WORKED PROPERLY. THE TRUCK PULLED SO HARD TO THE LEFT CAUSED THE TRAILER TO BE AT SUCH A TIGHT ANGLE IT BEGAN TO SLIDE AND WHEN I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING IT WAS TO LATE TO CORRECT IT. THE BED IS STILL DAMAGED FROM THIS. BTW I BOUGHT MY FORD IN 2002 BRAND NEW WITH 5.4 V8 AND I AM AT 271,000 MILES AND IT RUNS LIKE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT! I LOVE IT! *TR