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Call from NHTSA - Parking Brake

3K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  bigb 
#1 ·
FYI, I got an interesting call from NHTSA this morning about a safety complaint I made 10 years ago on my parking brake not holding. I was told someone finally died, and they re-opened all the complaints. The lady on the phone was quite nice, and she explained things very well.

Ford bought back my truck (early '99 - manufactured 3/98) for a number of safety reasons, including the fact the parking brake would not hold, especially at GVWR. Apparantly there were a lot of similar complaints. Adjustment didn't help. Ford did immediately come out with a recall to "burnish" the parking brakes, but it didn't work much (for mine). I also remember measuring the force required to set the brake (because my wife complained how difficult it was to push down enough to get it to hold). It did not meet the force required under federal law. My '01 holds a little better and the pedal is easier to push, but in my opinion it's still weak.

Anyway it is too bad a death has occurred. The reason I filed a complaint was to help prevent that. But on a positive note it is nice to know that even after 10 years, NHSTA is still willing to make things safer. I did appreciate the phone call. Cheers. Gooch.
 
#4 ·
It's a numbers game. They figure out the odds of them being sued and how much money they stand to lose vs how much it costs them to do the recall. Whichever side wins, they go with that side.
 
#6 ·
That is one reason i love toyota's. I was a toyota tech for a couple years and i learned that they waste no time putting out recalls, especially for saftey item. While working there I saw campains (recalls) for items that they had only seen fail once or twice. We had a pile of ball joints in the back from tundras but i had never seen one fail. They campained them because there was a "chance" they could have been damaged when manufactured. They had a campain on the old 3.0's for head gaskets. We warrentied one that came in and it did'nt even have the original engine in it. It was a remaned. That tells you something. Its a company that stands behind its work.
 
#7 ·
Not to hijack my own thread, but I don't think it's going to get any better....With the government slowly taking control of the auto industry (GM, etc.), one has to ask who the industry will have to answer to on these issues now...themselves?

Anyway, I always thought the tight radius and small surface area on the rear rotor for the parking brake was questionable. It takes a lot of force and a near perfect fit for them to work effectively. I hope Ford and NHTSA can work it out.
 
#8 ·
I have thought the same thing for years, most of the time even with the peddle to the floor the brake will still not hold.

Good deal, maybe they can fix it!
 
#11 ·
The real question is, how can the brake be improved? What do other big trucks use? I had an Explorer that used the same design as the F250 and it wasn't that good either.
 
#12 ·
If you have an auto for your tranny, when do you really need a parking brake?
 
#13 ·
UMMM,,, do you KNOW what is inside that trans that is the "PARK" gear?


IT is a piece of plastic! :doh: I cringe every time I park on any hill, and I KNOW the truck is going to push against the trans park mechanism EVEN with the park brake applied. Then you get ready to leave, and you hear that gawd awful CLUNK when you take it out of park. Heck, I carry a wheel chalk, and if I am parked on any kind of severe hill, I'll chalk the rear wheel, and let the truck run up against that after I have parked.
 
#14 ·
The parking pawl is made of plastic???:confused:
 
#15 ·
I park every day on an uphill driveway. I use my parking brake religiously. I set the brake before I put it in park. Broke the cable right where it attaches to the pedal two days ago. It is a priority to get fixed.
 
#16 ·
I have to use my parking brake when the truck is running or in nuetral! It doesn't hold worth crap on a hill or with any weight behind the truck on the slightest off level ground. I wished it was setup like the big trucks with the air brakes, pull the switch and it locks all brakes.

To bad there isn't a way to use the brakes as the parking brake.
 
#22 ·
You could install a line lock used on drag cars. I know they say you don't want to leave it on all the time because the pressure can do something to the caliper seal. But it would be something good for just getting in and out of the truck for moving things around
 
#17 ·
So, I am not the only one that carriers a wheel chock. I have one in back seat. My parking brake needs to be mashed down.
 
#19 ·
i know this is an old post. yea the p brake is hard to push in, i have to use all my weight to get the sucker all the way down and then when i park on a grade it doesnt hold for shiot. what i have noticed was if you just go down probably less than halfway it holds like a champ. i only go down to where it starts to get hard to keep pressing. anyways im sure you guys had figured that out just thought id mention incase someone didnt
 
#20 ·
With all new parts my parking brake still is crap on my o2.y
 
#21 ·
It is truly amazing. It can't even hold my truck from rolling into small dips made by the tires on a flat driveway. If I want any use of it, I have to keep it adjusted tight. THen it is good on a flat driveway. It will NEVER hold on hill in neurtral. With a 6 speed, you must carry a wheel chock or shut it off every time you get out of the truck with the engine on when there is any kind of grade. I have no idea how this never got recalled.
 
#23 ·
I went through mine and replaced the shoes and sanded the drums

I did his because I blew a wheel seal and they were contaminated

anyway I left a rough finish on the drum and in a different direction than the shoes ride
since I never use it while it's rolling I wasn't worried about wear .

mine holds great and I also use it as an anti theft since I can lock the pedal down
with a disc lock the truck takes a lot of throttle to try and bet it moving


I think Wee all have a common style so it may be worth a go since I doubt Ford is going to be forced to do anything anytime soon
 
#24 ·
Actually my 02 holds great, at only 1/2 way down. On the boat ramp I mash it as hard as I can before putting in park and it holds the truck fine.

Now on my 05 Chevy Express it's a whole different story, the parking brake never worked from day one. All the way to the floor, couldn't even tell it was on. I finally got it worked on a few months ago and it held for two weeks before something gave out and now, nothing again. The cable didn't break, but I think the part it fits onto came loose at the pedal, still need to try and figure it out.
 
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