Squeaking / Squealing Brakes

[FordService]

...If you are not happy with the dealer's opinion, send a PM to Crystal to see what she may be able to do for you. See post 132 above...

Hey, folks!

As Peter suggested, don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you need my assistance after receiving a dealership diagnosis. PM me the info listed above and I'll start working on some ways to help.

Crystal

 

[2015 Xplorer]

Squeaky Breaks

Has anyone else has squeaky break issues. I had bought a '15 explorer xlt back in February. I had taken it back since and they "cleaned" the breaks and now it seems to be getting worse. I only have 2100 miles on it. I have called Ford and filed a claim and now 8 days later I still haven't had the service manager call back. Any thoughts? Ford is saying this is a maintenance issue and is not covered under warranty.

 

[peterk9]

A 'Search' brought up this existing thread on squeaking brakes and I merged yours with it. It would also be helpful if you added the model of your Explorer to your profile so it appears in the margin when you post.

Peter

 

[360]

I have a 2015 XLT with around 6000 miles. The brakes squeak horribly. I just returned from a weeklong road trip, and it's embarrassing when trying to stop. I called the dealer and they said it was just a Ford thing and it would eventually go away. Not what I want to hear when I pay $40K cash for a vehicle. There is no pattern necessarily, but it seems worse when the air is damp. I've tried bedding the brakes, and it goes away temporarily, but always returns not long after.

 

[2015 Xplorer]

Tomorrow makes eleven days trying to get ahold of the service manager. Third time is a charm maybe. I wonder if he even exists.

 

[pup5581]

my 14 breaks squeak when pressed on about 40% or more..light breaking it doesn't do it..heavy it does

 

[jmr061]

I have a 2015 XLT with around 6000 miles. The brakes squeak horribly. I just returned from a weeklong road trip, and it's embarrassing when trying to stop. I called the dealer and they said it was just a Ford thing and it would eventually go away. Not what I want to hear when I pay $40K cash for a vehicle. There is no pattern necessarily, but it seems worse when the air is damp. I've tried bedding the brakes, and it goes away temporarily, but always returns not long after.

For a dealer to give an answer like that over the phone without looking at the vehicle is RIDICULOUS! If you have a concern they should be telling you to bring it in.

 

[jmr061]

Has anyone else has squeaky break issues. I had bought a '15 explorer xlt back in February. I had taken it back since and they "cleaned" the breaks and now it seems to be getting worse. I only have 2100 miles on it. I have called Ford and filed a claim and now 8 days later I still haven't had the service manager call back. Any thoughts? Ford is saying this is a maintenance issue and is not covered under warranty.

At 2100 miles it would be ridiculous to say it is a maintenance issue. Take it in, have them verify the concern and FIX it.

 

[schneid32]

My 2014 with 16K on it is experiencing the dreaded squeal/squeak. The noise goes away when I apply the brakes but then comes back in full force once I let off the brakes. Very embarrassing issue to have. Driving through a parking lot is starting to get on my nerves now. I have an appointment this Thursday @ the dealer but I have a feeling that they're going to try and charge me for a brake job. Has anyone had their work performed under warranty without having to foot the bill?

 

[batwood13]

Finally got the brakes fixed on my Explorer. Took 3-4 trips to dealer. Got new brakes front and back. Rotors were turned. Thanks to my regional manager who put the pressure on the dealer to get it done.

 

[2015 Xplorer]

I dropped my Xplorer off tonight. I hope they can replicate my issue. It only happens from 40-20mph medium compression when it's not raining. I have always heard turning rotors can warp easier due to heat dissipation since there is less metal. I maybe wrong here.

 

[schneid32]

Just got a call from my dealer. I was told that they couldn't replicate the issue/sound. Sounds like bologna because I've experienced this sound everyday for the past 2-3 weeks. The dealer claimed that the sound probably isn't happening due to the rain/snow mix that we're getting in the area. I countered that statement by saying I pressure washed the wheel in the rim to hit the caliper/bracket area to clear out any debris just two days ago. The sound came back on my way home from the self service car wash place (only a couple mile drive). I have video/sound proof of the issue and they don't seem too interested. Well, they want to keep my truck overnight and try to test it out again in the morning. Just hoping that I don't get the typical dealer run around here. I seem to always turn into a pessimist whenever my vehicle makes its way to the service department...

 

[FordService]

Just got a call from my dealer. I was told that they couldn't replicate the issue/sound...

Can you make the sound happen regularly, schneid32? If so, you might want to take your tech on a test drive so you can demonstrate it for them. Come back and tell us what the dealership finds in the morning.

Crystal

 

[2015 Xplorer]

I picked mine up today. What the service department did was remove the break pads cleaned them and shaved the sharp edges and greased the slide pins. Think of a new piece of chalk against a chalk board when it's squared off at 90 degrees. It will squeak. Round off the edges and squeak goes away. I'll see the next couple of days of this fixes the problem.

 

[Rachel GA]

Does anyone know if Ford has put out a TSB for this issue. My squeking has come back with a vengeance.

 

[peterk9]

Does anyone know if Ford has put out a TSB for this issue. My squeking has come back with a vengeance.

It seems that the only TSB open on the 2015 Explorer is the same one that is open on the 2011 - 2014 models. That has to do with 'the smell' on acceleration.
https://www.automd.com/tsb/ford_m/explorer_mm/

Peter

 

[Rachel GA]

Thank you Peter

 

[Halwg]

This is typical of Ford brakes. I have been driving Fords exclusively since 1994, (and renewing under lease every 2 - 3 years) so I've had quite a few vehicles in that time, including 5 Explorers. All but 2 of them have had the squealing brake issue. They also have a problem with rotors warping. This generally starts around 15,000 miles. And depending if I had a 2 year or 3 year lease, I might just ignore the problem.

My current EX has 12,500 miles on it, so I will see if this issue rears it's head in the coming months. What I have found is it takes replacing the stock pads and rotors to get rid of the squealing. Turning the rotors and resurfacing the pads helps for a while, but then it comes back in about 5,000 miles.

So, have them do the replacement. But not with OEM parts.

BTW, my dealer is aware of this by now and when I show up with the problem, they do the brake job.

 

[ExCrystal]

Oh God. I don't know if this has been mentioned, but this drove me CRAZY when I had my Camaro. My right rear brake would constantly squeak when applying the brake lightly, etc. Even after getting the brake pads replaced and rotors resurfaced it still was there.

My Camaro is gone now, but one mechanic did say that if the brake clamp is not aligned -even by a little bit- it will cause the brake to squeak because one side will grab the rotor first (hence squeak under light braking). Not sure how much truth is in that, but it sounds logical. After a while, the noise came and went. If the issue still happens after changing your brake pads, etc, I'm not sure if the warranty covers the brake clamp alignment because GM's didn't.

 

[Rio28]

I am new to this forum but share this common problem with my 2014 Ford Explorer Sport. I have been to the dealer on 2 occasions to specifically fix my brake squeak issue. I have read numerous posts in this thread and am understanding this is a much bigger issue than we are being led on to believe. It is annoying, embarrassing,and frustrating driving around town and having the squeak occur every time I slow down or stop. It occurs at all times of the day on hot or cold starts. I started having this issue at 4,000 miles and now at 18,000 miles the squeak is just getting louder and more frequent. There is plenty of pad on the brake shoes according to the dealer. Can anyone assist me in escalating this issue to someone at a higher level than the dealer. I see Crystal from Ford Service post on this thread. Can I have her contact info to push this higher up.