NHTSA Complaint #11326649 — 2009 FORD F-150

'09 F150 FX4 W/ 40,900MI. AFTER DRIVING HOME AND GETTING TO MY DRIVEWAY, I HAD TO DRAG MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE INTO THE PARKING SPOT - IT WAS TOTALLY LOCKED AND EXTREMELY HOT/SMOKING. UPON INVESTIGATING, I COULD NOT GET THE BRAKE CALIPER PISTONS TO RETRACT UNLESS I CRACKED THE BLEEDER OPEN. LAST NIGHT I REPLACED EVERYTHING BRAKE RELATED ON THE WHEEL INCLUDING THE RUBBER FLEX LINE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CALIPER WAS FINE. WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS/IS THAT THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE RUBBER FLEX BRAKE LINE WAS OVER CRIMPED AND PARTIALLY RESTRICTING THE BRAKE FLUID. SECONDLY, CORROSION/RUST HAD BUILT UP BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE OF THE RUBBER BRAKE LINE AND THE INSIDE OF THE BRACKET. AS THE RUST CONTINUED TO BUILD, IT COMPRESSED THE BRAKE LINE UNTIL IT WAS COMPLETELY PINCHED. BY ESTIMATE, I'D SAY THE RIGHT ONE WAS 100% RESTRICTED, AND THE LEFT WAS 90% RESTRICTED. UPON SPEAKING WITH A NEIGHBOR WITH AN '08 F150, HE HAD A VERY SIMILAR OCCURRENCE WHERE THE TIRE WAS ROLLED OFF THE RIM WHEN THE TIRE LOCKED. HE HAD HAVE IT TOWED FOR REPAIRS. MY CONCERN IS THIS IS A FLORIDA TRUCK WITH LIMITED EXPOSURE TO THE MIDWEST. THE RESTRICTED BRAKE LINE OVER TIME HAD TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED MY BRAKING CAPACITY OF THE FRONT WHEELS. OBVIOUSLY, AT THE END, IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE BRAKE HAD LOCKED AT SPEED, SIGNIFICANT CONTROLLABILITY ISSUES WOULD HAVE RESULTED. IN THE PICTURES, YOU CAN SEE THE RUST ON THE VICE THAT CAME OUT WHEN WE PRIED THE BRACKET OPEN AND SLIDE THE LINE OUT. THE OTHER PICTURE HAS WHERE THE PAD BURNED INTO THE ROTOR DUE TO EXCESS HEAT AFTER I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RETRACT THE CALIPER AND FREE THE ROTOR. *TR