Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford expedition. The contact stated that the traction control warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the ABS module was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired.…
2007 Ford Expedition brakes problems
moderate 22 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
22
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 22 brakes complaints filed for the 2007 Ford Expedition, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA brakes complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 13 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2007 Ford Expedition has a significant cluster of brake complaints spanning master cylinder failures, caliper lockup, ABS/traction control malfunction, and sudden loss of braking power at low to moderate speeds. Many owners report dealerships unable to diagnose intermittent failures, and Ford has not issued recalls to address these issues.
Owners describe brake failures across multiple systems and failure modes. The most common complaints involve brake pedal problems: pedals that go soft or to the floor, delayed engagement on initial application, and abnormal pulsation. Several owners experienced complete brake failure while driving at modest speeds (25–65 mph), with some nearly causing collisions; dealerships frequently cannot reproduce these failures or find diagnostic codes.
Master cylinder failure appears repeatedly, with one owner replacing the component three times within 18 months. Another owner encountered an unexplained engine revving while foot was on the brake pedal at low speed, resulting in sudden rear-wheel lockup and spinout. A separate incident involved front caliper locking traced to failed brake-line mounting brackets allowing wheel rotation to collapse the lines.
Traction control and ABS malfunctions frequently accompany brake complaints. Owners report the traction control light illuminating randomly on dry pavement, sometimes disabling brakes during these events. One owner experienced the anti-skid control system activating while cornering, causing the vehicle to shake and accelerate uncontrollably. Several owners report dealerships diagnosing a defective ABS module but finding no error codes present. Front brake dragging causing extreme rotor temperatures—one case exceeding 790°F while towing—also appears in the cluster. Ice buildup in the floorboard during winter months pulled on the emergency brake cable, causing premature rear-pad wear and eventual failure. Owners consistently report that dealerships cannot duplicate intermittent failures and that Ford declines to address issues outside of recalls.
Same Ford Expedition brakes reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006 · 2008
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended engine revving with brake engagement
Engine revs unexpectedly while foot is on brake pedal at low speed, forcing hard braking application and rear wheel lockup/spinout.
When: Under 17,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Engine sound changes and revs up while foot on brake pedal; Rear tires lock, squeal, and spin despite engine shutdown; Occurs in parking lot at low speed approach
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership unable to find cause; vehicle towed twice for investigation with no resolution documented
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford declined to authorize repairs without identified defect; no TSB or recall issued
Front brake dragging and overheating
Brake caliper sticks in partial engagement causing extreme rotor temperature and smoking, creating potential for brake fluid boiling and loss of braking.
When: 35,800 miles, while towing 5,000 lbs total weight
Symptoms owners cite: Smell of hot brakes; Smoke pouring from wheel; Rotor temperature exceeds 790°F (passenger front); Hard wheel rotation when hot, free rotation when cooled; Caliper pistons stuck in extended position
Repairs/costs cited: Owner cleaned brake pad contact areas and caliper pistons; planned replacement of pads and fluid bleed
Brake pulsation with loss of stopping power
Brake pedal pulsates rapidly during application at moderate speeds on downhill sections, resisting pedal pressure and preventing vehicle from stopping. Traction control warning light flashes during events.
When: Early in ownership; 30,000 miles at diagnosis
Symptoms owners cite: Rapid brake pulsation pushing foot back up; Truck will not stop despite brake application; Traction control sliding car icon flashes; Occurs on downhill inclines at 20-45 mph; Repeated occurrences after dealership visit
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership could find no codes or malfunction
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership claimed traction control system (RSC) resets periodically and would repeat; no repair performed
Front caliper locking and brake line collapse
Brake calipers lock intermittently, causing front wheels to lock during braking or acceleration. Root cause identified as failed brake line mounting brackets allowing wheel rotation to damage brake lines and cause intermittent collapse.
When: 180,000 miles; two incidents 3 months apart
Symptoms owners cite: Front wheels lock during normal braking at 45 mph; Vehicle rocks and swerves on roadway during brake lock; Front wheels lock on acceleration from stop; Calipers remain locked for hours, then release spontaneously; Steering becomes impossible during lockup events
Repairs/costs cited: Full brake system rebuild: all brake lines, calipers, tie rods, shock/struts, brakes, rotors, upper control arms, and lower ball joints replaced on both front and rear axles
Grinding noise and brake failure at low speed
Loud grinding sound accompanies brake failure where vehicle cannot stop despite depressing pedal; brake engagement eventually occurs after multiple attempts.
When: 14,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Loud grinding noise when brake pedal depressed; Vehicle fails to stop on first application; Takes several attempts to achieve complete stop; No warning lights illuminated; Failure intermittent; unable to reproduce on demand
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership unable to duplicate failure on multiple attempts; vehicle investigated for over one week
Repeated master cylinder failure
Brake master cylinder fails multiple times within short intervals, causing complete brake failure and creating imminent crash risk.
When: First failure at 90,000 miles (August 2012); second at 90,000+ miles (April 2013); third at similar mileage (March 2014)
Symptoms owners cite: Complete brake failure while driving; No warning prior to failure; Master cylinder unable to hold pressure
Repairs/costs cited: Master cylinder replacement performed three times at two separate Ford dealerships; third replacement on back-order with no known repair date at time of complaint
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford Customer Relations stated no TSB exists for this part; no assistance offered
Wheel locking in wet conditions
Right passenger wheel locks during braking in heavy rain, causing vehicle to slide sideways. Phenomenon occurs only during rainy weather and repeats at lower speeds.
When: 30,000 miles at first occurrence; 35,500 miles at repeat
Symptoms owners cite: Right passenger wheel locks during braking in heavy rain; Vehicle slides sideways; Wheel unlocks when foot removed from brake; Occurs on downhill sections at 25–65 mph; Does not occur in dry conditions
Repairs/costs cited: No repair attempted
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer advised vehicle functioning as designed; no further assistance provided
Grinding/grating noise with brake engagement and bucking
Sporadic grinding or grating noise accompanied by vehicle bucking and jerking, felt in brake pedal and floor. Tapping brakes temporarily releases the condition. Occurs near end of warranty period.
When: 35,000–36,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Grating, grinding, or scraping noise; Bucking and jerking during braking; Sensation in pedals and floor boards; Long-duration events (20+ seconds); Tapping brakes releases the noise and hang-up temporarily
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership unable to pinpoint problem; warranty expiring at 36,001 miles
Steering and brake lock with acceleration surge
Steering wheel and brakes lock simultaneously during right turn, accompanied by brake noise and advanced track light illumination. Vehicle then suddenly accelerates despite brake and accelerator not being engaged.
When: 50,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel locks during right turn at 35 mph; Brakes also lock; Advanced track light illuminates; Noise in brake area; Vehicle accelerates suddenly despite driver removing foot from accelerator; Inability to control steering or brakes
Repairs/costs cited: Mechanic unable to diagnose; no repair performed
Brake pedal soft/goes to floor with delayed engagement
Brake pedal travels abnormally to floorboard and vibrates on initial application, with no warning lights or messages. Subsequent brake applications engage normally.
When: Late production run (delivered 8/28/2007); also reported at 81,600 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal goes to floor and vibrates on first application; No immediate braking response; Second pedal application engages brakes normally; No warning codes or safety messages; Occurs after normal driving without ABS activation
Repairs/costs cited: Brake master cylinder identified as needing replacement by private mechanic; vehicle not repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford notified but no action taken; owner notes 2008 model recall for ABS brakes (November 2007) may have affected late-production 2007 vehicles
Traction control light with ABS module defect
Traction control warning lamp illuminates; dealership diagnosis identifies defective ABS module requiring replacement.
When: 65,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Traction control warning lamp illuminates; ABS module diagnosed as defective
Repairs/costs cited: ABS module replacement needed; vehicle not repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer declined assistance because vehicle not included in recalls
Traction control light with reduced ABS braking
Traction control light illuminates randomly on dry pavement and remains on continuously. Light cannot be manually turned off. When light is active, ABS brakes engage with significantly reduced stopping power.
When: Reported early in ownership, occurring multiple times
Symptoms owners cite: Traction control light illuminates randomly on dry pavement; Light stays on constantly after initial illumination; Manual traction control button ineffective at disabling light; Light reappears after restart; ABS brakes engage with reduced stopping power during events; No error codes present
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership found no error codes in system
Brake pedal remains soft, requires multiple applications
Brake pedal requires multiple rapid taps to slow vehicle; first application produces insufficient braking power.
When: 28,436 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal depressed but vehicle does not slow down; Requires approximately 40 seconds of repeated brake pedal tapping to stop; Occurs once so far but creates safety concern
Brake failure with grinding noise and soft pedal
Loud grinding noise from front end coincides with brake pedal falling to floor and providing minimal braking power. Failure repeats after five months.
When: 60,800 miles; repeated occurrence five months prior
Symptoms owners cite: Loud grinding noise from front end; Brake pedal falls to floor; Very little braking power; Intermittent occurrence
Repairs/costs cited: No diagnosis performed by dealership
Ice buildup causing brake cable tension and rear pad wear
Excessive ice accumulation under driver-side floorboard during winter months releases and pulls on e-brake cable, causing rear brake sliding and premature rear pad wear. Rear brake ultimately fails.
When: 67,000 miles for rear driver-side failure; passengers side at 40% wear, front at 50–60% wear
Symptoms owners cite: Excessive ice buildup under driver-side floorboard in winter; Up to 15 lbs. of ice tension on e-brake cable; Vehicle slides during cornering; Premature rear pad wear; Rear driver-side brake complete failure at 67,000 miles
Repairs/costs cited: Owner has manually knocked ice buildup off numerous times
Anti-skid control activation with unintended acceleration
Anti-skid control light flashes during cornering at low speed. Vehicle shakes and speeds up uncontrollably while engaged in a turn, nearly causing head-on collision.
When: 60,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Anti-skid control light flashes three times; Vehicle begins to shake; Truck speed increases unexpectedly; Vehicle nearly hits oncoming car during turn; No further incidents after 30 miles of driving
Low brake pedal due to brake booster pushrod misadjustment
Brake pedal sits low and feels soft due to brake booster pushrod not being adjusted to correct length.
Symptoms owners cite: Low brake pedal; Soft brakes; Insufficient braking response
Repairs/costs cited: Mechanic must remove master brake cylinder and turn out pushrod 1/2 or 1/4 turn to correct
Brake failure with unintended acceleration on incline
Brakes fail completely while driving on incline, and vehicle suddenly accelerates instead of decelerating.
When: 27,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes fail on incline at 45 mph; Vehicle suddenly accelerates; Loss of steering and braking control
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle has not been diagnosed by dealer
Traction control disabling brakes on dry pavement
Sliding car icon displays randomly on dry pavement, during which brakes do not work. Multiple occurrences nearly resulted in rear-end collision.
When: Multiple occurrences during vehicle ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Sliding car icon displays on dashboard; Brakes do not work while icon is displayed; Occurs on dry pavement; Short duration events; Nearly caused rear-end collision
Continuous brake pedal pulsation
Brake pedal pulses constantly and abnormally during normal braking. Condition has worsened over time and is now extremely dangerous.
When: Present since new; worsens over time
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal pulses continuously during braking; Pulsation present from initial purchase; Condition progressively worsens; Extreme danger at time of complaint
Defective brake booster
Brake booster diagnosed as defective, though specific failure mode not detailed in complaint.
Symptoms owners cite: Brake booster malfunction
Synthesized from 22 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Symptom was low brake pedal or “soft brakes” due to the brake booster pushrod not being turned out to appropriate length requiring to adjust the brake booster pushrod length. In order to correct mechanic has to remove the master brake cylinder and turn out the pushrod 1/2 or 1/4 turn.
Had brakes trouble with your 2007 Ford Expedition?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2007 Ford Expedition?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 22 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $450 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Across the 20 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most brakes failures cluster between 27,000 and 65,000 miles, with the median around 35,800. A quarter of owners report trouble before 27,000; a quarter make it past 65,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2007/Ford/Expedition.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.