Brake Disc Caliper problems of the 2006 Ford F-350

Was driving my 2006 f350 sd lariat dually with only 7,858 miles, hauling a gooseneck trailer with a horse inside and steering started to shimmy once I got up to highway speed (55 mph) on I-85n enroute to a horse show. Placed my foot on the brake and got no response. I could not stop the 15,000# of truck, trailer and horse but was able to get off the road and cruise into a large empty parking lot and slow down enough where I could safely apply the emergency brake without going through the windshield or injuring my horse. Tires were fine but there was a distinctive smell of burning pad against red hot metal and tremendous smoke was billowing out from behind the passenger side right front wheel where the rotor is seated. Brake caliper seized onto the rotor, warping it and destroying the brake pad. Post police escort, had it towed to the dealership and $2,400 later (which included new batteries and 2 new front tires), all the offending items were replaced. I specifically asked that the rear calipers and brake mechanism be checked and they assured me they did and nothing was wrong. However, coming directly home from the dealership, my driver side rear wheel brake seized with the same exact problem. Again, had to be towed to the dealership and another $1,600 later (this amount includes 4 more tires), replacing everything having to do with the rear brakes. In my research on this matter, I have discovered that this is not an isolated but a common problem possibly due to faulty hcu (hydraulic control unit) equipment. Could have easily been a tragic accident on a very busy interstate. This is most definitely a safety issue. A fire also could have easily started as the brake fluid pumped back into the main engine area of the truck. Though I have replaced both front and rear brakes there is no assurance that this danger will not recur.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the front passenger wheel seized. The failure occurred because the caliper seized. The contact also stated that the wheel was extremely hot after the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the caliper was repaired. The failure had since recurred on an intermittent basis. The vehicle was either taken back to the dealer for repair or the contact performed the repairs himself. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford f350. The contact stated that the brakes will lock and cause the calipers to burn. A small fire occurred during one of the failures. The brakes and calipers have been replaced four times, most recently on April 22, 2007. The dealer stated that the cause of the frequent failures could be due to several reasons; however, they were unable to diagnose the exact cause of the failures. The manufacturer assisted with the first four failures, but would not assist with the current one. The vehicle is currently at the dealer being repaired. The current mileage was 66,672 and failure mileage was 800. Updated 10/14/08 the consumer also stated he has had a problem with the steering wheel. Updated 10/16/08.