Brake Light Problems of Ford F-150 - part 1

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the transmission down shifted inadvertently, and the tires locked up and the vehicle skidded. The contact veered over to the side of the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the brake lights failed to illuminate as designed. The wrench warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and the wrench light disappeared. The contact stated that after driving for a few miles, the transmission downshifted, and the wheels locked up. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and it was determined that the transmission range sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

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Tl the contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while at a stop, a fellow motorist informed him that the passenger's side rear brake light was inoperable. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic were notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

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Tl- the contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that her middle brake light located in the center of the rear window had started to melt due to the bulb overheating inside the brake light. The contact stated that the headliner had been damaged due to the melting brake light. The contact took the vehicle to kenny ross Ford(104 black hill rd, adamsburg, PA 15611) where she was informed that they could only replace the light bulb with the same type of lightbulb that was originally placed inside the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure where they gave her a case number, they offered no further assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000. Jo.

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Vehicle was stationary in parking lot. Truck bed illumination lights on third brake light assembly over heated and melted third brake light assembly. The lights come on when the doors are open, and there is no way to turn them off without closing the doors.

Air bag light on red brake light on.

See all problems of the 2008 Ford F-150 🔎.

Since June 2018 I began to notice a smell inside the cabin of my truck. The smell can be described as a wet gym sock and seemed to come around when I used the a/c. I took the truck into my local Ford dealership to see if they could locate the source of the smell. They thought it was coming from my a/c unit and checked the drain hose and found nothing, but said it was probably mildew in the house. They sprayed the hose with a disinfectant and it seemed to stop the odor. In August the smell returned and I began to notice that the smell was very strong when running the a/c when it was raining or after it had just rained. I contacted my local Ford dealership again and told them was I was noticing and asked if that would help pinpoint the cause. They related they would look into it and eventually called in September and said that they could not diagnose the problem but wanted to vehicle. I again took the truck into Ford who finally located the problem, the third brake light. They explained that the brake light was allowing water to get in and travel into the plastic tube that goes into my vehicle and down to the rear right seat. The plastic tube hold the wiring for the third brake light. The technician related that when he felt underneath the floor my carpet was soaked. They eventually peeled back my carpet and cleaned it up using a dehumidifier and detailing services. They then replaced the third brake. None of the above was covered under warranty and had to pay all costs though it sounds to me that the 2015 Ford has the same third brake light issue as the 2009 Ford. My service manager related that they have been receiving multiple calls regarding same issue being caused by the third brake light or sunroof in f150s.

The "third brake light" is melting due to excess heat put off by the bulbs. Not only is the housing melting but it has allowed large amounts of condensation in when it rains. This problem was first noticed roughly a year ago but continues to get worse. Ford not only wants to charge me for a repair but they plan to use the same part which I have personally seen with the same issue in about a dozen 2015 f150s as well as read about it in various forums online effecting countless 2015 f150 owners. I have photos that date back to over a year ago that show the progression of the issue over time. My fear is that with time it may cause an even bigger issue by allowing water to come in and even be a potential fire hazard.

1. I am not alone in a complaint about the fuel canister being a problem on the f150- I have complained about this twice now- others in the forum are doing the same. The vapor canister in the engine compartment becomes faulty and the engines stall or runs rough- when it stalls, it is impossible to steer. I grew up without power steering- 97$ out of pocket- dealer couldn't figure it out- had another mechanic diagnose and repair. It's a simple fix- yet can be dangerous if someone with strong arm strength cannot turn the vehicle or use the breaks. This has to be looked at. ! I should have been reimbursed! waiting for someone to get killed is inexcusable- happened with just 35k miles on truck. 2. Seems Ford has a mega defect with bad design on their f150 power rear windows with the heat grids going bad- this happened at maybe the same time, and unless I spend 1000 dollars, I have no rear-window defogging- this was nearly a 50k vehicle, and just started to fall apart after the warranty. This is a bad design- if ice and all in the south, many do not have the preparations for this (I grew up in the north). I still can't defrost my rear window), but have a scraper 3. High mount brake light- seems, Ford refuses to fix a bad design for faulty high mount third brake light- cheap gasket will fade, and many of use (myself recently) have problems with water dripping inside the cab- 100 plus bucks for a new one? can't even buy the gasket?? and let's add to the fact the lights are so badly designed, they collect grime/crap and just look like yup. (biggest concern is ruining the interior with water- I had a lot of wet recently- f150 forum is plastered with these problems. The fuel canister making the vesicle stall is dangerous. And I feel Ford should address this. (they don't seem to care about improving the other issues in 2018. Shame- no quality!~.

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3rd brake light lamp leaks and has for the last 3- 4 months. Water leaks around the light and drips down the ceiling of the cab down back wall of the truck into the carpet of my truck. It going to use it to start to smell and mold. I called the local Ford dealer repair shop they told me he has replaced hundreds of these lamps and the new Ford part never leaks while he has seen several of the after market ones always leak. Ford should replace all of these at their expense, as they obviously have a gasket design flaw.

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The contact owns a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact noticed that after severe rain, water leaked into the seal of the third brake light and an accumulation of water leaked into the headliner of the vehicle. A strong mildew odor emitted inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the third brake light would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the brake lights intermittently operated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

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Water leaks through the third brake light lens during hard rain or auto car wash. Enough water comes in to soak the back seat and the floor. Then there is so much moisture inside the cab that the defroster can not clear the windows nor inside the windshield. This is definitely a safety problem as the driver's vision is very effected. Called local Ford dealership and they said there are not a problem - probably just a pinched gasket from changing a light bulb. But that is not the facts. Please check out the many online complaints about this same issue.

The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during a rainstorm, water penetrated the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was found that water was entering the vehicle via the third brake light. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,618. The VIN was not available.

The original center high-mount brake light on the cab of my truck has a faulty gasket and does not form a proper seal against water. Water has leaked into the cab of the truck on numerous occasions, causing damage to the headliner of the vehicle, and unknown damage/rust to the floor of the vehicle due to water running down the interior trim panels and underneath the carpeting. I contacted the local Ford dealerships service department and was told that Ford was aware of the issue, and that the gasket and lamp housing on newer models of trucks was redesigned to form a better seal against water. I was told that I could either buy a new lamp assembly at the cost of approx. $115, or could use silicone sealant around the light. The cost of a replacement headliner was not addressed, however a new headliner for my vehicle will cost approx. $895 (plus labor) bringing a total in parts alone to approx. $1010. 00. This is all due to a faulty designed gasket that was acknowledged and redesigned. There should be a voluntary recall issued by Ford motor CO. As a quality issue, not necessarily a safety issue. I have read several other reports of this same occurrence in your "complaints" section on both 2010 & 2009 model F-150 trucks. In some instances, the dealerships took responsibility and replaced the faulty parts. I have filed a complaint with Ford motor CO. And am awaiting a response, however, there are possibly several hundred, if not several thousands of other truck owners facing the same issue. Ford motor CO. Should take responsibility for their faulty product, or this could result in a class-action lawsuit.

The 3rd brake light doesn't seal properly, allowing water to leak through during rain & car wash. Took the truck to Ford once about a year ago and they caulked and reseated the light, but it started again. We took the raptor back to Ford dealer and they wanted to charge us $215 to put in a new light. #1. Manufacturer/Ford defect & #2. Aftermarket and oem are cheaper online. This is a known issue, that isn't being properly addressed. . Read more...

Tl-the contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the third brake light had a broken seem that allowed water to enter it and leak into the vehicle onto the rear seating. The contact stated that the seats had became molded and needed to be replaced or cleaned. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000. Ap.

Head liner wet, rear seats and rear carpet wet. Took it to dealer and they did not even try to find problem since it was a water leaking problem it was not covered either by the original warranty or the extended warranty I had purchased. Apparently it is a leak in the third brake light located at the top of the roof. With as many of the 2010 f150's experiencing this same problem, this is obviously a manufacturing defect in either design or installation at Ford, and Ford should be held accountable for repairing the problem. ## VIN failed ##.

The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he noticed that water leaked through the brake lights and entered the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the failure was common. The contact was also informed that the necessary parts to perform repairs were on back order. The manufacturer offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 44,000. The VIN was unavailable.

I own a 2004 Ford F-150. In 2012 I had my e-brake light start flashing at me. I brought it into the mechanic and had them look it over, they said they couldn't find anything wrong other then the wiring under the dash was probably bad, so I brought it to a brake specialist and they said the same thing, nothing wrong with cylinder or brakes, that it was the wiring under the dash. I'm truely not safe using my e-brake as I'm not sure if it is working or not. My interior lights started coming on also when I would turn on my headlights, everyone knows you shouldn't have the interior lights on while driving at night anyway. I have read several articles where other Ford F-150 owners are having the same problems. I think this needs to be looked into and a recall should go out.

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The contact owns a 2002 Ford f150. The contact stated that the brake light and directional signals failed. The brake lights would not illuminate when the brakes were applied. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure advised the contact that the vehicle was not recalled. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer nor was it repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 115,000.

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Tl- the contact owns a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact stated the vehicle¿s floor was damp and there was an odor inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that water was seeping in to the vehicle threw the third brake light and collecting underneath the rear seat carpets. The dealer removed the rear brake light and replaced the seal and light. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 11v049000 (structure) however, the failure reoccurred two years after the repair. The contact mentioned that the driver interior door latch spring fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact also mentioned the fuel cap fractured. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage for all failures was 40,000. Djr.

3rd brake light at the top of the cab was leaking. Water against the electronics for the light could cause the light not to function properly resulting in a crash. Ford replaced the 3rd brake light since the vehicle is under warranty.

While driving in a rainstorm a passenger in the right rear seat noticed water pouring in from the headline onto her shoulder. First glance we thought maybe the window seal was leaking. Called the dealership and started explaining the situation and before I could complete my sentence they replied ". . . Oh yes its the third brake light seal, bring it in and we'll replace it. " wow a known issue and I was never informed of the problem. When replacing the seal I had requested that the headliner be removed and inspected for mold and any rust that may have formed, or any damage to electrical components. The service manager assured me that it was done and nothing else was wrong, I suppose only time will tell.

The contact owns a 1997 Ford f150. The contact stated that the brake lights are inoperative. As a consequence, he was unable to notify other drivers when he attempted to stop. An authorized technician replaced the wiring assembly in the brake lamp control at an expense of $115. 11. The manufacturer was notified , but no assistance was provided. The failure and current mileages were 163,000. Updated 10/27/09 the consumer stated the lights only come on with extreme pressure on the brake pedal. Updated 10/28/09.

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The contact owns a 2007 Ford F-150. The contact stated water was entering the vehicle from the third brake light above the cabin. As a result, the interior of the vehicle was beginning to mildew. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure. The dealer inspected the vehicle and replaced the brake light assembly several times, but the repair did not correct the failure and the failure persisted. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 54,000.

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Water has been found building up under the plastic kickplate in the right rear passenger door of my 2009 f150 supercrew model. I have taken it twice to the dealer and both times they have ordered a new third brake light as condensation was forming. They stated the seal wasn't strong enough and wasn't sealing properly. Also said this is common with f150s. They said they have replaced this numerous times on different f150s, and sooner or later Ford would issue a recall. Did not notice the problem until I started smelling mold and mildew and lifted the kickplate to notice the carpet was soaked and water forming in the well.

The contact owns a 1997 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the brake lights would not illuminate when she depressed the brake pedal. As of November 19, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The failure mileage was 262,200 and current mileage was 262,264. Updated 12/12/07.

: the contact stated the rear window leaked when it rained causing the rear seat to become wet. The interior lights and the brake lights failed to turn off when the ignition was turned off. Also, there was a humming noise coming from the rear end as the vehicle traveled 10 mph. The rear end was replaced 1â½ years ago including the suspension, rear axle, chassis, rings, pins and rear differential. The service dealer and manufacturer were notified.

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The 2004 f150 SC has a few problems: first was the water leaking from the third brake light in which I had to apply silicone around the rubber seal of the light. . . Never leaked again. Second issue was far more frustrating, when traveling around 40 to 50 mph when deciding to accelerate quickly the truck would act as if it was being starved of fuel. The best way to describe it was by depressing the accelerator and releasing it very quickly. I took it to the wonderful Ford dealership, sarcastic, and they told me nothing was wrong, and shop manager told me it was because of cold air intake. . . Finally ,after calling Ford customer service and complaining the dealership decided it was my throttle body. . . Naturally all my problems were gone. Now, less than a year later the problem arose again and I will post the outcome once known. The third incidence was the front bucket seats, started noticing shredded foam under the front part of the seats, not knowing what it could be I assumed it was excess foam around the seat straps located under each seat, to my surprise a hole appeared on the driver's seat on the front left corner facing the door and again I went to the wonderful dealership and I showed them there was a piece of metal with a sharp barb that was slowly shredding the foam and was the culprit in creating the hole and the shredded foam. Caution!!!!!! if your truck has this problem be careful!!! I was getting out of the truck and the metal barb caught my pants and tore a huge hole and gave me a pretty deep cut on the inner thigh. None the less the dealership didn't do anything about it. I finally convinced them to replace the seat with me paying for the replacement cost. . . But, before I could get the work done the wonderful dealership went out of business and I haven't hit-up the new owners.

A chatter/ vibration in the rear- clutches in the rear were replaced. Check engine light came on- replaced the fuel vapor management system. Brake light on roof leaking- light was replaced. Roof of truck rusting- nothing done.

Complaint received via e-mail. The turn signals, emergency flashers and the brake lights failed to function. It began as an infrequent problem occurring more and more and lasting longer in duration. I thought the problem only involved the turn signals and emergency flashers. I only found out about the brake light malfunctioned after looking over a wiring diagram of the vehicle. The remedy for the problem, per a car web site, is routed the emergency switch. Depressing the switch numerous times seems to clean the contacts, solving the problem, at least so far.

Contact stated the cruise control on his 1997 Ford f150 went out. Then the brake lights failed. When the consumer took it to the dealer to get the brake lights fixed there was smoke coming from under the hood. It was smoking where the cruise control switch was. This happened on 9-17-04. He disconnected the switch. He bought a new switch and installed it, and never had any more trouble. He wanted to file a complaint so NHTSA would be aware that the 1997 Ford -f150 had a bad cruise control switch . He was not aware of any problems until he had heard it on the news that the 2000 year models had a defective cruise control switch. Updated 03/29/06.

Consumer noticed that while driving turn signals didn't work. Dealership was notified, and they indicated y vehicle was without guaranty. In addition to the signal lights not working the hazard, and brake lights did not work. The consumer found that locking the steering wheel in the upper most position restored operation of the signal lights temorarily. One month later total loss of signal lights occured. The consumer removed the steering column schrouds to reveil that both retaining clips on the wiring harnesss plug assembly were broken allowing the plug assembly to move partly in and out of its counterpart each time that the tilt steering wheel was moved up or down.

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While driving turn signals failed to stay on. Also, brakes lights failed when brake were applied. In addition, windshield wipers turned on and off by themselves.

Horn stopped working, keeps blowing fuses. Trailer tow lights stopped working. Dealer reports the speed control deactivation switch bad and replaced. Also found a short circuit at the steering column.