Ford Recalls 300K F-150s, Navigators, Expeditions To Fix Brake Cylinder Problem

In the world of vehicles, there is are very few surprises. For example, if you were to look underneath the body of a Chevy Suburban, you would find the chassis of a Chevy Silverado pickup. The same is true of Ford. If you were to peel away the body panels of a Ford Expedition or a Lincoln Navigator, you would find a Ford F-150 pickup chassis.

Body-On-Frame Pickup Chassis Used

If you think about it, using the chassis of a body-on-frame pickup makes a lot of sense. Instead of building several specialty models to serve as the specialty model, the automaker saves tons of money by using the same basic chassis for several models.

As noted, there's a pickup underneath the Silverado, the Expedition, and the Navigator. If you look at the SUVs, you can tell that there is a pickup chassis underneath just by judging the length. Indeed, if you were to superimpose the F-150 over either the Expedition or the Navigator, you would see that the F-150 fits the basic dimensions of the SUVs that also use the chassis as the base.

Therefore, if there is a significant problem with the pickups on which the SUVs are based, you can be sure, and a recall is declared, you can be sure that the pickup and the SUVs based it the same chassis be recalled. That's the case with the 2016-2018 Ford F-150. Not only has Ford recalled the F-150, but it has also recalled the Lincoln Navigator and the Ford Expedition. The Navigator and the Expedition are both full-sized, three-row SUVs.

Specifically, Ford has recalled about 200,000 2016-2018 F-150 pickups, equipped with the 3.6-liter EcoBoost V-6. According to today's Ford Authority online newsletter, the problem is with the brake master cylinder. The seal at the rear of the master cylinder may be compromised. The compromised seal will let brake fluid leak into the brake booster.

Braking Action Up Front Lessened

The leaking brake booster can cut the braking action of the front brakes. In turn, this problem can extend the stopping distance of the F-150. This can increase the risk of a crash. Ford has not had any reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem. It applies to F-150 pickups built at the Dearborn Truck Plant and the Ford Kansas City Assembly plant from Aug. 2, 2016, to Jan. 31, 2017.

To repair the problem, dealers will replace the master cylinder for free. If the technician determines that the booster is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced.

Ford will begin notifying F-150 owners affected by this recall at the end of April.

For more information, owners can contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332 and ask about recall 22S14. Or, owners can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. They can also contact the agency through its website at www.nhtsa.gov.

Lincoln Navigators, Ford Expeditions Affected

In the second related recall of 2016-2017 Lincoln Navigators, the automaker has recalled about 15,000 vehicles for the same brake master cylinder issue. Ford built the Navigators at the automaker's Kentucky Truck Plant between July 20, 2015, and Jan. 31, 2017.

And, in the third related recall of 2016-2017 Ford Expeditions, the automaker has recalled 90,000 Expeditions for the same brake master cylinder issue. The Expeditions are equipped with Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. Ford built the Expeditions at the automaker's Kentucky Truck Plant between July 20, 2015, and Jan. 31, 2017.

Ford will notify the owners of the Lincoln Navigators and the Ford Expeditions beginning at the end of April. For more information, owners can contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332. Or, owners can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. They can also contact the agency through its website at www.nhtsa.gov.

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971 when an otherwise normal news editor said, "You're our new car editor," and dumped about 27 pounds of auto stuff on my desk. I was in heaven as I have been a gearhead from my early days. As a teen, I spent the usual number of misspent hours hanging out at gas stations Shell and Texaco (a big thing in my youth) and working on cars. From there on, it was a straight line to my first column for the paper, "You Auto Know," an enterprise that I handled faithfully for 32 years. Not many people know that I also handled computer documentation for a good part of my living while writing YAN. My best writing, though, was always in cars. My work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, etc. You can follow me on: Twitter or Facebook.