Are any of you Ford Explorer owners out there experiencing pre-mature brake wear?? My 1999 Explorer front brakes & rotors were replaced Dec. 2001 at 63188 km's at a cost of $497.00. It has 77100 on it right now and the front brakes and rotors need to be replaced again. That's 14,000 kms and 18 months (but I knew for about 2-3 months that the brakes were going agian). I did own Toyota trucks up until recently and it was years between brake jobs. My driving style has not changed. If this is normal wear and tear for Ford, time to trade for a GM.

No, it is not normal.....there is something wrong. Wearing way too fast for "normal" driving.

It could be lots of things. (Is it a four wheel disc version?) The front calipers/slides could be binding.Also have seen a lot of Fords with seized rear wheel cylinders, thus not letting the rear brakes function properly and causing the fronts to wear prematurely.Where ever you take it make sure they don't just repair/replace the fronts but also go over the rears thoroughly. Best of luck. RPM Or take a road trip and bring it to my shop with some good Canadian Beer and I'll fix you right up..

Blackcat
Here's a question only you can answer. If you got 63,000km out of the first set of brakes and only 14,000km out of the second set then you have to seriously question the quality of the replacement parts.
Curious; have you noticed a decrease in fuel economy? Won't coast downhill freely? Excessive brake noise? Signs of brake drag/problems.
If not, perhaps your replacement parts were sub-par and a return to the service centre is in order. Unacceptable !!!

if it went 63 km the first time and now only 14 km then you have a problem. the entire auto indusrty has been in a brake dilemma ever since the asbestos pads were discontinued and steal brake linings have been used. but now the rims are larger to fit larger brake rotors for larger surface so rotors do not heat up as fast.

Good point Paul, but by 99 they were already past the asbestos phase. Why rotors again after such a short time? Pads after 14km?
I'd be returning to the place of repair, bill in hand. If it's a major chain(re; Canadian Tire, Midas, Sears etc...) and I don't get satisfaction then a call to head office is in order.
Blackcat, fill us in on the details.

yea who did you have put on the ones that only lasted 14 k ? Definatly something wrong with your brakes or parts, my wifes explorer had brakes put on 3.5 years ago and 75,000k later they are still going but I suspect by fall I might need to replace them .

I bought it in March of 2000 and it had 39000 on it then. At 63000 the front brakes were replaced. The brakes were grinding at that time. It was the Ford dealership here in Arnprior that did the work. I'm wondering if in fact new parts were even put on???? Lately, I've been hearing that this place does not have a good reputation.
I will be going back to them and asking them about this.

2MANYRPMS, thanks for the offer, if you were closer, I would be there with beer in hand, about 24 of them. I'm from the Ottawa Valley eh!

Thanks for all your help. I sure there's something very wrong. The truck runs fine up hill, down hill and in the straights. Gas mileage has not changed. The brake pedal is pulsating when you appy brakes and it has now for 2 or 3 months. Because of the pulsating, I am assuming that the rotors are warped.

Just a note, I'm blackcat by day (at work) and catrax by night/weekends (home).

Did you go for the el'cheapo ford brake job or the more expensive brake job? I work at a ford dealer and ford is really trying to push the $89.00 brake jobs. I can tell you one thing they are lousy parts. I won't even do a brake job on someones car that request the $89.00 job. They come right back complaining and I the tech have to do the job free including resurfacing the rotors (which is not incuded in this deal) too many headaches and inferior parts. Ford has two different brakes pads el'cheapo and the factory replacements. el'cheapo is enough to get you over the 12/12 warranty. Kevin

I'm looking at my bill right now. This is what it says:

Brake Inspection = $20.

Replace front rotors = $110 for rotors
$ 35 labour

Replace front pads = $82 for pads
$71 labour
$36 labour to clean and lube slides??
$6 brake cleaner

Rear brake service = $65 (not sure what they did here)
$5 caliper lube

Total = $496

Sleddinfool, does that look normal to you?? $35 labour for rotors and $106 labour for installing the pads and clean and lube slides. What slides are they talking about?? That part must be quite hard to do because they say it takes almost 2 hours to do?????



Ya know, the more I look at this bill, the more I think I got ripped.....

Blackcat/catrax
Most dealers perform work based on a flat rate manual, with set times avaliable for your inspection if requested. Here in Ontario it is the LAW that they post in the Service area which Flat Rate Manual they use, as well as the shop labour rate.
I also am curious what Sledinfool has to say, as a Ford tech, about your bill.
Here's the first thing I noticed. The charge for brake inspection. It should have been waived if you had the repairs done at the time of inspection!
The rear brake service-seems excessive if you have rear shoes? Or do you have rear Discs?(re:caliper lube)
Keep us informed, this is interesting!
P.S. Being a dealer you have the 1-800 customer service number if the dealer gives you no satisfaction.

When my shop does a brake job front or rear we just charge a flat 2 hours. We do not beak it down like that. the slides are the part that the pad actually rides on top and bottom, if they did not take the anti rattle clip off and take the rust off of that, that would cause the pad too stick in the slide. We genarlly only charge the inspection fee if the customer declines any work. caliper lube is used front and rear regardless if it has disc or drum in the rear yours by the way has disc 95 up explorers all had rear disc. The only explorer I can remember having premature wear is a guy who is a mail carrier and that should be obvious why his brakes only last 10-15,000 miles. I know ford did have some econoline vans that had premature brake wear from the time the went out the door lasting only 18-22,000 miles. I would go back to the dealer and be nice and tell them "look I know I am over time and milage but this is redicilous 14,000 miles on a set of brakes. The normally last anywhere from 35,000 to 60,000 miles. if they have any heart they will cover something for you. As far as the $65.00 rear brake service?? not sure I usually do that as part of the brake job. Kevin.

Sleddinfool
You make some good points. I also don't understand the brakedown in the labour charge.
As for the rear brake service, we always recommended a full brake service once a year. Here in Ontario the climate changes combined with the huge quantities of sand and road salt play havoc on caliper pins and rotors. The normal charge is one hour labour front and rear.
If front brakes are replaced then half an hour for the rears.
Enjoy your input.
Good luck catrax :D