Brake Disc Caliper problems of the 2012 Ford Flex

Both right and left front brake calipers stuck simultaneously. The vehicle was in motion, going down a residential road, when there was a thump from the drivers side (front) wheel. It sounded like the brake pads wanted to fall out. There were no obstructions, debris, potholes and I was not braking at the time. Took the vehicle in for evaluation, where the mechanics advised both calipers were bad. I had to have both the right and left front brake calipers, rotors and pads replaced. Vehicle only has 30,000 miles on it. It is not driven hard or through harsh conditions. Similar event occurred almost a year ago on the rear brake assembly. That "event" also required replacement of rotors, calipers and pads.

My Ford Flex has a total of 82000 miles on it. I live in upstate new york. I have had three instances where the rear brake calipers stick and severely require both pad and rotor replacement. At 60 years old I can't hear the high pitched squealing but on two occasions my son has notice and upon stopping to check for the noise, the rear wheel is too hot to even touch. In one instance the pad was completely worn to the metal no doubt resulting in lose of braking power. The frequency of this problem is disturbing. The only documentation I have is the receipts for the parts and labor.

While driving at highway speed there was a sudden metal on metal sound. Shortly after this noise started there was a burning smell and then visible smoke from the wheel. I pulled over to evaluate the noise and smoke. The radiant heat from the wheel caused the fiberglass panel on the side of the car to heat up. This heat caused a 3rd degree burn to the tip of a finger. The vehicle went to the dealership. The dealership evaluated it and stated the drivers side rear caliper froze. The day after the Flex was returned "fixed", the passenger side caliper froze. It did the same thing as the drivers side (made the sudden metal on metal sound, smoked and heated up). The Flex was towed back to the dealership, where the other caliper was replaced. The Flex was returned later that day "fixed". Upon driving home, both the right and left rear caliper re-froze. After multiple visits to the dealership, I decided to take my Flex to a trusted brake shop for a second opinion. The shop stated both right and left rear calipers were seized. They advised the parts were incorrectly installed. They were able to make the necessary repairs and corrections to fix the right and left rear caliper. I have had no issues since the shop did the repairs.