What's the latest on the early replacement of Ford Five Hundred rear brakes and rotors

PAUPRINT

MEMBER
2007 FORD FIVE HUNDRED
48,888 MILES

I just purchased a 2007 Ford Five Hundred and found many communications the previous/original owner had with various service centers regarding the premature wear on the rear rotors and brakes, with no resolution of the problem.

The vehicle was repaired at one point using the Ford recommended upgrade and then had the brakes/rotors replaced several times afterward. The replacements occurred approximately every 4,000 - 6,000 miles. Apparently, the final solution was to get rid of the car.

On one Internet site I found an owner that had the pads replaced with the Wagner Thermo Quiet pads and there was no further problems. It was the only positive statement I saw on this issue.

Any other recommendations?

5 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,885 POSTS

On these vehicles there was a technical service bulletin (TSB) that allowed for a one time free replacement of the brake pads. According to the TSB #07N10, there were vehicles that may have received brake pads that could have absorbed moisture and swelled causing the pads to drag and wear early. They allowed for a one time free replacement of the pads. Other than that, there is nothing regarding premature wear. The TSB was issued on September of 2007.

I was able to find one other TSB (ref number 07-5-9 dated March 7, 2007) regarding this problem. Ford recommends that the pads be replaced with updated pads. They also require that the front pads be replaced with updated pads to help with wear issues due to the vehicle's weight. Here are the Ford Part Numbers for the pads:

7F9Z-2200-A Rear pads
8G1Z-2001-A Front Pads

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Saturday, September 17th, 2011 AT 6:43 PM

PAUPRINT

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4 POSTS

As I stated, the original owner had the pads replaced per Ford's direction and the premature wear continued. The current pads were replaced September 2010 and the mechanics that did the Used Car Inspection of the vehicle found the rear pads were worn 75% while the original front pads were only worn 90%. Methinks Ford has a problem they don't want to admit to.

Thanks for the response.

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Sunday, September 18th, 2011 AT 7:31 AM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,885 POSTS

It sounds that way. They have put out the TSB's but no recalls, so there is something going on with the brakes. I can tell you that ceramic brake pads wear much longer than traditional ones. The bad thing about them is they are so hard, they actualy wear the rotors out faster. You may want to try something like that to see if it helps.

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Monday, September 19th, 2011 AT 1:00 AM

PAUPRINT

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Thanks for the recommendation. I think I'll check into those Wagner Thermo Quiet pads and see what that gets me. Twice the price of regular pads but may be worth the extra cost.

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Monday, September 19th, 2011 AT 4:48 AM

RIVERMIKERAT

MECHANIC
6,110 POSTS

Pauprint: Try jacking up the rear end and spinning the wheels. Make a bright mark at the top of the wheel/tire. Grasp the tire at the top and pull down HARD. It should spin at least 5 times before noticeably slowing down. If not, I'd say that either the pads are swelling as stated in the TSB, or the parking brake is adjusted too tight.