Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Went to stop at light had no brakes with no warning. I hit the car in front of me in the rear this also caused a delayed release of the air bags. This appears to be problem going back years that Ford or the government wont do anything about.
Since buying the vehicle new from my local Ford dealer I've notice that there is very excessive travel in the brake pedal and an air noise when I apply the brakes. When I took it in to check it out I was told that the brakes needed to be bled. When this wouldn't fix the problem I was told my fluid was contaminated and I would need a fluid flush. This also didn't solve the problem. A few years after the warranty period was up I was told that this happens to Ford truck a lot and I would need to replace a part that was over $800.00 for parts and labor. I declined this work stating it should have been covered under warranty on my previous visits that were all documented. Since then they are back to the system bleed and fluid flush routine every time I mention the issue. …
Fortunately, I was under 1/2 mile from my house. My road dead ends onto another. I applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor as I approached the stop sign. I went through the stop sign and into the drainage ditch on the other side of the road. Because my vehicle is 4 wheel drive, I was able to get out of the ditch and return home. Upon inspection, I found that the brake line that goes from the front to the rear was rusted and failed. There was little damage from the crash, just a fender that needs replaced. I am anal with regard to my vehicles condition and maintenance. To have a failure like this on a what is supposed to be the best built truck is absurd and totally unacceptable! My brothers 1999 Honda, my step son's 1991 Nissan stanza (recently sold) a 1993 Geo prizm (I.e. Toyota corolla!!!) recently sold had zero rust on any brake fitting, brake line or fuel line.
When backing up after my f150 has been sitting about 2 days I have no brakes unless I rev up the engine for about 20 sec to build up pressure in the electric vacuum brake booster. Have almost hit my wife's car if I forget to let it sit to build up pressure. I have contacted my Ford dealer and they won't do anything about it because I am past the warranty. I am going to have to replace it myself because this is unsafe condition and Ford won't repair it. Also my truck loses power sometimes when accelerating and Ford stated that the turbo chargers are sometimes sucking in water that shuts down one side of the engine to prevent damage to the turbo chargers. There fix is to put a shield or longer tube on it to prevent this. Again because it is over the warranty period they won't do anything. Very disappointed in my f-150 3.5 EcoBoost and won't be buying another one.
Pulled into parking space, applied brake and pedal went all the way to floor. Truck rolled forward into bumper of parked car. Upon inspection, found steel brake line rusted through, just above flex line running to driver's side front brake, with brake fluid flowing out of corrosion hole. There was never any indication that the truck had any problems at all with the brakes. I was on my way to the highway and am thanking god I decided to make a quick stop to my local food store first. It could have been a huge disaster! I can't believe fuel and brake lines are not required to be made of stainless steel - most especially in states that salt the roads in winter!
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford f150. The vehicle was parked for several hours when the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood. A few seconds later, the vehicle caught fire. He was able to extinguish the flames and noticed that the fire originated from the master cylinder area. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. A report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that he would receive a letter. The current and failure mileages were 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford f-150. While driving at 15 MPH, the brakes stopped functioning without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake lines failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 134,000.
On Friday, November 18,2005, while traveling through the roanoke, va area, I descended down a mountain highway. As I neared the bottom of the steep incline, I noticed a backup of traffic in both lanes. Slowing up as I neared the traffic in front of me, I noticed the vehicle in front of me slowed almost to a stop to allow two vehicles from the left lane to merge in front of it. Suddenly, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop unexpectedly thereby alerting me to instantly stop my vehicle to avoid an impact to the vehicle in front of me. As I depressed the brake pedal fully (instantly), the truck began to slow up and "shutter" or a "pulsating" motion of slowing down. The truck came closer to the vehicle in front of me, but did not stop!!!! This shuttering of the brake system was the ABS system becoming activated. …
This whole episode happened when I was driving on the freeway in my 1999 Ford f-150. I did start to notice that when I applied the brakes to slow down to match traffic speeds, the truck would veer to the left.the brakes did take in a funny way and thank god there was no complete brake failure. After 30 miles, I got off the freeway to turn around and when I came to a stop sign, I could not stop at all. The brakes did not work even after I pressed the brake pedal all the way to the floor. I also smelled burning rubber coming from near the engine.the parking brake did work and I limped into the nearest gas station. I called aaa to get it towed to the Firestone tire shop near my house that has done all my tire and auto repair needs for over 15 years. When they test drove it after the 2 hour tow, the brakes started working again. …
Fords recall of f150's for defective leaking cruise control cut-out switches does not totally fix the problem by them just adding an inline fuse for the fire problem. The pressure sensitive switch is screwed into the bottom of the brake master cylinder and even if the fuse blows disabling the cruise control by removing the 12 volts going to it the brake fluid can still leak out or be forced out by brake foot pedal pressure (which is very high) thru the defective switch seal onto the super heated exhaust system causing it to catch fire, and/or enough brake fluid to leak out causing air to be sucked into the master cylinder causing brake failure, and/or enough brake fluid to leak out causing brake failure. This is a "typical" Ford kludge repair to save money at people's lives expense. Paying lawsuits appears to be more cost effective in fords eyes. …
Brake complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 107 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Ford F-150, 10% of the model year's 1,044 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (40 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford F-150 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1999 Ford F-150, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford F-150 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 3 fires and 8 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.