I had problems with my rear brakes on my '04 Freestar when it had 29,000 miles on it. I heard grinding in the rear everytime I pressed on the brake pedal. I called the dealer and they insisted that it was a "wear item" and that I would be responsible for the repair charges.
After thinking about this injustice, I flipped and called back to speak to a manager. I let him know that I WAS NOT going to pay for the repair, as it was still under warranty and that if they did wear out at 29,000 miles, it was due to a design flaw and not from normal wear. I then let him know that in my 22 years of driving, I had never seen the rear brakes wear out faster than the front (by the way, my front brakes still looked brand new). He agreed to look at the van and then called me AFTER it was repaired.
The diagnosis? It needed the rear pads replaced and the rotors to be resurfaced. At this time, we have 58,000 miles on it and the brakes have been fine since the repair. I paid nothing for the repair and have to thank both FORD and my dealership for standing behind their product. However, I also feel that if I didn't raise hell, I believe that I would have had to pay.
This is a very common problem with these vans and I've done a lot of research on the rear brake problems. I've found that many people have had the same issues and the dealer's are forcing them to pay. It's unfortunate that a design flaw or a faulty part should cause the consumer to part with their hard earned money.
Last edited by Hissing Cobra; 02-18-2008 at 10:44 AM.
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