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 2009 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. Additionally, the ABS and TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed down; however, the brake pedal needed to be depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone and O'Reilly's where it was diagnosed with a failed ABS module. The contact was informed that the ABS module needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that it was a known failure for similar vehicles. In addition, the contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The contact stated that it was difficult to locate the part needed to repair the vehicle. …
The contact owns a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact stated while 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited for towing assistance to tow the vehicle to the residence. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic and was diagnosed with an ABS module failure. The contact was informed that the ABS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 09C07 (Brake Stop lamp Switch Adjustment); however, the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact stated that the failure persisted since November 2022. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
The contact owns a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds and making sharp turns, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and depressed the brake pedal until the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while making sharp turns and while coming to a stop at traffic lights. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
My pickup truck at only 23 thousand miles in the engine, it's module went bad and brake and ABS lights came on on the dashboard. I took the car to the dealer and they said that I have to replace it and they are charging me 5,400 dollars. They said that some 2009 F150 module were bad from factory, but there's not recalls for it to be fixed by them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-150. While the vehicle was in reverse, it revved up. The brake pedal was depressed and extended to the floorboard. As a result, the contact crashed into an enclosed trailer on July 5, 2017. The failure recurred on November 24, 2017 and the vehicle crashed into a wall. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The air bags did not deploy and the vehicle was not towed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 133,000.
While entering interstate I-10, early morning traffic. Traffic moving at 20 - 25 MPH. Engine made a series of revving noises. Tried to apply breaks to merge over. Break peddle would not activate. Stuck in up position. I applied both feet and pressed full pressure. Would not go down. Would not stop. Rolled into the back of the vehicle in front of me. Fortunately I was only moving about 20 MPH and no one was hurt. I would not drive the truck and had it towed. Dealer not able to determine issue.
While in motion, light came on brake fluid low. I took it to a mechanic, and we looked, but didn't immediately see any puddle, or sign of rapid loss of fluid, filled master cylinder back up, and drove 15 miles home. On the way, I noticed the pedal was spongy, when I got home, I looked, and had lost 1/4 of the fluid in the master cylinder.I got in the truck, pressed the brake pedal, felt it going down, got out, and saw it was leaking rapidly from a junction of the brake hose going from the master cylinder to the (ABS box?) where it goes from rubber to metal. I got a new one from the dealer today dublin Ford, dublin ga. [$33.00] and noticed that is has been much improved over the original. This tells me that Ford knew it had a problem, which should have been a recall item, and didn't recall for it. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-150. While driving and depressing the brake pedal, a pulsation occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that the front and rear brake rotors and pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The contact also stated that the same failure occurred a few years ago and the vehicle was towed to kendall Ford of kenai (10288 kenai spur hwy, kenai, ak 99611, [phone]). The dealer test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that the brake system seized and the vehicle had to be towed back to the dealer. The brake rotors, pads, and calipers were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty and there was no recall. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-150. While driving approximately 65 MPH on a highway in an active construction zone, the accelerator pedal automatically dropped to the floorboard. The contact depressed the brake pedal to the floorboard, but the vehicle did not decelerate. The contact stated that he lost complete control of the vehicle and turned into a ditch to avoid a crash. The air bags did not deploy. While in the ditch, the vehicle was placed into neutral and the engine was shut off; however, the rear wheels kept spinning for thirty seconds. The contact had to apply full pressure to the accelerator pedal before it would disengage. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and could not assist. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 107,365
Sudden complete break failure. Without any previous breaking problem or indication of breaking system problem the breaking system completely failed under normal driving conditions while the vehicle was decelerating with no pressure on the gas pedal. I was a few hundred yards from a red light and attempted to apply gentle brake pressure, the break pedal gave no resistance, easily pushed to the floor with no breaking capacity whatsoever. The break trouble light came on at the same instant failure occurred. Releasing and reapplying the breaks had no effect, only due to my early response to the red light allowed me enough time and distance to use the column shifter to downshift, thus decelerating with the engine until reaching 1st gear. At which point I was able to use the parking break to fully stop the vehicle.
Brake complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2009 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the brakes of the 2009 Ford F-150, 12% of the model year's 324 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Ford F-150 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2009 Ford F-150, though it has 2 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 2009 Ford F-150 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 34% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 0 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.