Complete Brake Failure while driving... TWICE! 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor (GCC/ Kuwait)

[borfoo3]

Wanted to share a recent experience with my 2023 Ranger Raptor. It started mid October during a normal drive, possibly after an OTA update, where I got a sudden 'Brake Fail' message with the red brake light coming on. During this 10 second window, applying the brake feels choppy and weaker than normal.
This is then followed by a continuous alarm tone and yellow ABS lights come up, where ALL brake holding power is completely gone! All what's left is a mushy brake pedal and my prayers that no poor soul is in front of me as the vehicle can no longer stop...

I was very lucky to have been near a parking lot where I coasted to safety and called a tow truck to the dealership.. After a few days, they claim it needed a software flash and the car was returned to me (I was out of town for a few weeks).

I started driving it daily again last week, and it behaved completely normal until I faced the EXACT SAME issue once again!!! Same sequence of events leading to the same outcome. Pictures/ video below for reference. I was fortunate once again as I narrowly avoided a crash incident on the road.

Once again, tow truck took to it the dealership and I raised a support case with Ford Middle East HQ. During the past few days, I have been in contact with a few other RR owners, one of them with the exact same issue as mine, and same sequence of failure, and is undergoing a brake booster replacement right now.

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[SubaruRaptor]

Pretty scary. I use to own a jeep Cherokee that would just turn off mid drive and the steering would lock up until I could turn it on again. Keep us posted. What was the weather like both days?

 

[John E Davies]

Did you try engaging the parking brake, and did it do anything? In the old days when that was cable operated, we used to call it the emergency brake, that term may no longer apply if it is useless in such a situation as yours….

Did the other RR owner you reached out to with this problem live near you in Kuwait? Or in another country? Could this be a regional situation?

It makes you worry about driving in the remote back country, a complete system failure would be nearly as distressing as one in a city. But the vehicle recovery cost could be twenty times higher and perhaps not covered by a roadside assistance policy.

John Davies
Spokane Wa USA

 

[borfoo3]

Pretty scary. I use to own a jeep Cherokee that would just turn off mid drive and the steering would lock up until I could turn it on again. Keep us posted. What was the weather like both days?

Weather is warm, not our extreme heat or cooler days.. high 20s Celsius so in the 80ish F temps.

Did you try engaging the parking brake, and did it do anything? In the old days when that was cable operated, we used to call it the emergency brake, that term may no longer apply if it is useless in such a situation as yours….

Did the other RR owner you reached out to with this problem live near you in Kuwait? Or in another country? Could this be a regional situation?

It makes you worry about driving in the remote back country, a complete system failure would be nearly as distressing as one in a city. But the vehicle recovery cost could be twenty times higher and perhaps not covered by a roadside assistance policy.

John Davies
Spokane Wa USA

Yes you are right, the electronic 'parking' brakes replaced the 'emergency' hand brake on newer vehicles so that part is useless in our case. Even if the electronics allows it to engage successfully, the abrupt stop is another risk as well as you can't manually adjust the engagement.

The other RR owner is in Kuwait as well. Spoke to him today and he's getting the entire brake booster assembly replaced as per the dealer response. I spoke to the dealer today about my vehicle and they are most probably doing the same repair for mine but pending part availability. Will update once I confirm this.

Given the sudden and exact nature of both our problems, on two completely different vehicles and mileages, I'm really suspecting this was somehow a consequence from a faulty OTA software update rather than just a pure mechanical failure. The failure timing was almost spot on in 20ish October.

 

[Jason B]

One of the scariest situations to experience is a brake failure.
But when it happens you can use the e-brake in an emergency


Applying the Electric Parking Brake in an Emergency

You can use the electric parking brake to slow or stop your vehicle in an emergency.
Pull the switch up and hold it.
The red warning lamp illuminates, a tone sounds and the stop lamps turn on when you use the electric parking brake in an emergency.
The electric parking brake continues to slow your vehicle down unless you release the switch.
Note: Do not apply the electric parking brake when your vehicle is moving, except in an emergency. If you repeatedly use the electric parking brake to slow or stop your vehicle, you could cause damage to the brake system.

 

[Tpage]

Pretty scary. I use to own a jeep Cherokee that would just turn off mid drive and the steering would lock up until I could turn it on again. Keep us posted. What was the weather like both days?

My recently traded in 2019 Cherokee did that on me a few times shortly after I purchased it. If I was turning, it happened more frequently. The car would lose all power and the low oil pressure alarm would come on alongside low battery. Dealer said it was an issue with the programming creating a fail safe for the engine due to the low oil pressure. Why was the oil pressure low you ask? Because it also was drinking the oil by the quart, due to something to do with the timing of the compression stroke Dealer did some stuff to the ecu and it never happened again after that. It was terrifying to be driving and then just loose all hope as the car died and I’d have to use the previously gained momentum to cruise into a shoulder.

 

[borfoo3]

One of the scariest situations to experience is a brake failure.
But when it happens you can use the e-brake in an emergency


Applying the Electric Parking Brake in an Emergency

You can use the electric parking brake to slow or stop your vehicle in an emergency.
Pull the switch up and hold it.
The red warning lamp illuminates, a tone sounds and the stop lamps turn on when you use the electric parking brake in an emergency.
The electric parking brake continues to slow your vehicle down unless you release the switch.
Note: Do not apply the electric parking brake when your vehicle is moving, except in an emergency. If you repeatedly use the electric parking brake to slow or stop your vehicle, you could cause damage to the brake system.

Good to know this... whether it would still work in a 'brake fail' code scenario is something to be proven.. at least you know that pulling a good old cable-based hand brake will always hold without waiting for an ECU to ask it to do so.

Looking back, I was on a trip in the high mountains in Jazan, KSA only a few weeks prior to the first failure. I would not even dare to imagine had it failed on me back then, as the results would have been absolutely catastrophic.

I have Case Number 137760 open with Ford Middle East and Africa HQ in Dubai. Still no official update from them or the local dealership on the brake booster part availability.

I got word the second RR owner in Kuwait who picked up his vehicle in the last few days with the replaced brake booster. No issues so far.

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