NHTSA Complaint #11321804 — 2015 FORD MUSTANG

THE BRAKE STOP PAD SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED ON MY '15 FORD MUSTANG V6 WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR LOST POWER: WOULD NOT EXCEED APPROX 1500 RPM, THROTTLE UNRESPONSIVE, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (MIL). I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO WAY ROAD AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER AS I WAS APPROACHING THE 75MPH SECTION FROM 55MPH. THE TRACTOR TRAILER BEHIND ME COULD HAVE REAR ENDED ME IF THEY WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION. FORTUNATELY, WHEN THE PAD BROKE, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DESPITE NOT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. OTHER DRIVERS WERE AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. WITH THE PAD BROKEN, THE TAIL LIGHTS WILL NOT TURN OFF EVEN AFTER ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND THE BUTTON-START IGNITION BYPASSED THE NEED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES TO START THE ENGINE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO BE ABLE TO START THE ENGINE WITHOUT NEEDING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES. MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO TROUBLESHOOT SINCE THERE'S NO MIL OR DTC CODES. THIRD PARTY REPLACEMENT PAD COST $2, BUT FORD, APPARENTLY, ONLY SELLS THE WHOLE BRAKE ASSEMBLY FOR $200 AND COSTS UP TO $900 TO HAVE IT DONE. PEOPLE HAVE OPTED TO USE ZIP-TIES OR DISC MAGNETS INSTEAD. VEHICLES WITH THIS BRITTLE BRAKE PAD NEED TO HAVE THEM REPLACED ASAP. IT SEEMS '15 VEHICLES ARE FAILING AFTER 3-4 YEARS. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND BYPASSING THE BUTTON-START IGNITION SAFETY FEATURES MAKES THIS A SERIOUS ISSUE. OWNERS WITH THIS ISSUE SEEM TO LIVE IN HOTTER REGIONS LIKE TEXAS OR FLORIDA.