DEARBORN, Michigan — Ford said Thursday it will update the software of the regenerative braking system on some 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrids that are already in customers' hands. Ford's action comes on the heels of a similar issue with the 2010 Toyota Prius that is expected to prompt a recall.
"We have received reports that some drivers have experienced a different brake feel when the hybrid's unique regenerative brakes switch to conventional hydraulic braking," said Ford in a statement regarding the two hybrid vehicles. "While the vehicles maintain full braking capability, customers may initially perceive the condition as loss of brakes.
"To be clear, the Fusion and Milan Hybrids' brake system maintains full conventional brakes and full ABS function even as the customer sees visual indicators and hears a chime. The software threshold to transition from regenerative brakes to conventional brakes can cause the system to transition to conventional brakes unnecessarily."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did not list a recall for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid or 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid as of Friday morning. It also has not opened a defects investigation into the two vehicles.
However, one Fusion Hybrid owner filed a formal complaint with the federal watchdog. That owner reported that the "brakes failed" in late October. "Pedal goes to floor & warning dash lights lit," the owner wrote. "Slowed with parking brake. Brakes okay after engine turn off and restart. Dealer found nothing." After the third incident, the customer reports that "the factory showed the dealer how to look for codes in a different manner. Brakes are continuing to work fine since the dealer fixed them. This is not really a complaint, but I see others on the Internet who are having this problem and the dealers appear to be having trouble like mind [sic] did."
Consumer Reports said it "recently experienced a perceived brake failure with our 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.
"As one of our senior engineers slowed for a stop sign at the turnoff to our test facility in East Haddam, Connecticut, the brake pedal went unexpectedly further down than normal but the car barely slowed," said Consumer Reports on Thursday. "He zoomed through the turn, with brake-system warning lights illuminated on the dash. The car more or less coasted to a stop, with what our engineer described as minimal brake feel.
"After switching off the engine and then restarting it, everything returned to normal — no warning lights and full braking capability. We then took the car to our local Ford dealership, where the service manager told us that a Technical Service Bulletin covered this problem."
Consumer Reports says "our case may be rare but is not unique. We located five other similar accounts of perceived brake failure."
The automaker says that the "software upgrade will reduce unnecessary occurrences of the vehicle switching from regenerative braking to conventional hydraulic brakes." Ford says "there have been no injuries related to this condition."
Owners of the vehicles will get a notice from Ford in the mail. The vehicle software will be reprogrammed at dealers at no charge.
Inside Line says: If you own the aforementioned Ford Fusion Hybrid or Mercury Milan Hybrid, take it to your dealer ASAP. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
joejoe20 says:
01:19 AM, 03/14/2010
and this doesn't make the news... why?
pbritton says:
05:25 PM, 03/01/2010
Well the percieved brake failure resulted in a $1938.00 estimate for me on my 2010 Hybrid Fusion.At this time after contacting my dealership who has been understanding after I had to bring the recall to their attention and them believing the accident was in no way my wifes fault I am stuck with trying to jump through hoops to get Ford to pay for the damage on the "percieved brake failure" that caused a loss of braking on dry streets where my wife could not stop a slow moving fusion.Thank the lord the lady ahead of her heard her horn blowing so she could at least start moving her car to lessen the damage to our car and resulted in no damage to her SUV.I recieved a letter from Ford to explain how to try and go about taking them to court to attempt to get them to pay.At least after being told by my dealership that there have been no reported problems with the hybrid brakes I didn't accept that but checked on Consumer Reports site to get the correct information.Getting their report in hand I returned to my dealer and then they checked their computer and indeed found the "service bulletin"which has now been changed to a customer satisfaction recall to fix the brakes.Nice huh.At least I am now driving a new car as my wife won't drive the car at this time because of a lack of confidence.I will keep you all updated on my customer care experence.The accident date was 2/11/10 and I was notified of the recall by mail 2/18/10.
atenza94546 says:
10:58 AM, 02/08/2010
Also I think Ford are offering incentive on the above car for those Toyota owners too ???!!!
atenza94546 says:
10:55 AM, 02/08/2010
compressor says:
"In a perfect world no bodies need medicine, because we are not living in a perfect world thats why we have Walgreens" I quote from a Walgreen commercial.
If our government are so much into auto safety as they claim. We would not have 3 large numbers recall within the last 10 years.
1st Ford / Firestone,
Then is GM recalling Cadillac for faulty electrical system.
Now is Toyota.
We are talking about 15 to 20 millions car total. Do the math how many house hold are affected.
But is seems to like everyone are bleming th company but notthe regulators. We pay these Fxxker in their office to work for us.
They are just parting and have fine dining at those Michelin 3 stars restaurants.
tbone85 says:
07:32 AM, 02/06/2010
There are a bunch of folks on this board just itching to spew anti-American venem. It's pretty funny that somehow they don't expect businesses to try and take tactical advantage in a saturated market. The Japanese brands did not hesitate to push forward their marketing plans when the domestics faltered. One may argue that these companies should be more subtle in their approach, but any CEO who competes with Toyota and does not press forward their advantage should and will be removed by their board of directors. No amount of hatred for American products or business naivete can alter that fundamental fact.
says:
10:10 PM, 02/05/2010
wow jeremy_c, really, LETHAL DEFECTIVE cars, life flashing before your eyes. you make it sound like ford forgot to put breaks on the hybrid fusion. how many cars as of now have been reported with this problem? according to leftlanenews a massive total of one & no injuries/deaths. plus as far as i know the ford TSB was for 18,000 cars that pales in compairison with toyota's millions of recalled cars. stop making this out to be bigger than it is. yes it's a valid complaint but keep it in perspective.
compressor says:
09:24 PM, 02/05/2010
atenza94546,
My original comment wasn't meant to say crash avoidance systems should be mandated by law. But, brake systems are crash avoidance "systems" in their most basic form. They should meet a basic integrity level. It is no different that requiring brake lines to meet DOT regs (which is already required).
As for "relearning" how to use your cars brakes systems. That's fine, but brake systems should always engage consistently, every time. It seems the problem is that the engagement can be different from one situation to the next (at least that is how I read it). All you should have to "relearn" is the difference in braking performance from one car to the next (i.e going from an Porsche 911 to a 90's Suburban), not guessing if your brakes will be mushy or firm when you need them.
arock says:
05:03 PM, 02/05/2010
here you go, you can be so diplomatic and talk it in a nice way but our companies reliability records are like this. This is the the damm truth and fact with the BIG 3, its no wonder why we moved to companies like Toyota, if we are good and reliable and truthful we can do more business than the outsiders.
dg0472 says:
03:33 PM, 02/05/2010
@athens:
"These systems are not defective. Its simply that the systems don't operate the same way that traditional systems do. "
BULL! If they weren't defective, Ford and Toyota would have no fix. No one would dare suggest that a steering system that suddenly required twice the effort or half the effort mid-turn was safe or a car that suddenly required the gas pedal to be pushed twice as far or half as far as usual for the same amount of acceleration is safe. This is the same thing. Unlike ABS, there's no way to train people for that. These cars need to be fix.
athens says:
02:57 PM, 02/05/2010
These systems are not defective. Its simply that the systems don't operate the same way that traditional systems do.
Driver's who clamor for new technology have to make an effort to inform themselves about the operating systems. One cannot simply be so ignorant as to rely on new technology operating with precisely the same characteristics of older technology.
No different to drivers who release the brake pedal when they feel the brake pedal pulsing associated with ABS activating.
Pilots have to constantly be re-trained and tested to familiarize themselves with new technology.
The government doesn't manufacture these products. Nor does it regulate the manufacture of vehicles. It is quite unlike the manufacture of commercial aircraft which must receive a certficate of airworthiness from the FAA. Even in the case of defective aircraft which is certified to fly by the FAA, the government is immunized under the theory of Tort Sovereign Immunity. Nor is it the responsibility of the government to educate the consumers on the vast variety of technolgies in the marketplace.
These modifications will likely come in the form of Technical Safety Bulletins updates rather than Voluntary Safety related recalls.