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 2005 Ford F-250 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Both rear brakes burning, then left front. Loss of braking. Brought to dealer to have repaired. After having it repaired ( not covered under extended or other warranty and spending $1100.00) I was told it was due to not driving the truck enough. Drove the truck the next day and the right rear brake was burning again and lost all brakes. Again towed back to the dealership at which point it was explained to me that the model year 2005 has had a problem with the brakes freezing in the calipers consistently, however Ford has not had any recalls. I was also advised there has been a re-design of the brake pads, which my original pads had not changed, but still had brake material.
On several occasions, my f250, super duty 6.0 diesel became sluggish and gas mileage suffered immensely. Then, with only 53,000 miles, my left rear disk brake caliper was dragging and started smoking. At my cost and on the left rear, I had Ford replace the caliper, pads, brake line and resurface the rotors. Also, the right rear rotor was resurfaced. At 54,000, I make a 100 mile trip and the right rear caliper started dragging. I am not sure how to fix this since no one has the solution.additionally, I do not have the money to replace the entire brake system. However, this could cause total brake failure and a possible fire resulting in fatalities.
Regards 2005 Ford f-250 super duty VIN:[redacted] the rear axle back plate / dust shield holds the holding pins for the emergency brake pads rust out around the pins and renders the brakes use less. Which causes the pads to drag on the drum and therefore pour acceleration/ premature damage to pads an drum. I was told by a Ford dealer this was a known problem and I would have to pay $300 per plate need 2 so $600 plus four hours in labor. The Ford service tenant told me the replacements are in stock and are not known to rust and fail. So I asked others owners and of course they either had the work down at cost or were waiting to have the funds to do so. When your still making payments and paying other bills it's hard to pay for something that shouldn't need to be done this early in the vehicles life. …
While driving on pa interstate 81, my 2005 f250 experienced severe driving loss of control when the front suspension traveled over an area of the road that was uneven. This caused the trucks interior and exterior to shake uncontrollably for a long period of time to the extent that the vehicle was shifting into the other lane of traffic. Decelerating by releasing the gas peddle did not immediately stop the severe vibrations and applying the brakes seemed to increase the problem. My entire family and a non-family member was in the vehicle at the time and we all feared for our lives. After researching the internet, there is a video posted by another Ford owner and is exactly what we had experienced too. …
The electric brakes on the consumer's 2005 Ford f-250 won't engage . The consumer purchased the vehicle because of the built in electric brake system. The consumer thought he had a braking problem with his trailer because he was unable to engage the brake while sitting still. After checking the trailer brakes and finding out that everything was fine the consumer check the truck and found that it had only 3 volts max out. The consumer thought he had a bad brake controller and took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer checked the controller and found that everything was working as designed. The technician told the consumer that the earlier model 2005 required that the vehicle be moving in excess of 15 MPH before receiving enough power to work the electric brakes. …
The Ford electric brake controller in my 05 Ford superduty f250 stops working when I encounter rough pavement. If I am coming to a stop, and the intersection is rough, the LED indicator on the brake controller drops to only one light illuminated out of ten possible, and the trailer brakes stop working. I can gain trailer brakes back by either fully releasing the brake pedal and re-applying or by reaching down and grabbing the manual slide control on the brake controller. This has happened to me with all three trailers I tow. It is very disconcerting and bound to cause an accident at some point when I am trying to stop a 15,000lb load. The dealer replaced the controller once, and since has said there is no problem found.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Ford f-250 SD. While accelerating, the manual lever on the dashboard that was used to lock the brakes failed. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was designed to not have trailer brakes when driving less than 15 MPH. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that no compensation would be made because the vehicle was not under recall. On March 23, 2005, the manufacturer made a modification to the brake system in order to correct the failure. However, vehicles that were manufactured prior to that date were not repaired; therefore, the contact's vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was a 52,000 and current mileage was 58,000.
I noticed that when I hit a bump the bed of my truck bounces about two inches, when I looked under the truck I noticed all the supports under the bed were completely rotted. I have also had problems with my brakes. In less than 90,000 miles I've replaced three brake calipers, two rotors, two sets of brakes, and the last time I had it serviced the backing plates were so rotted that the emergency brake wouldn't work and couldn't be replaced without also replacing the backing plates. I have been driving for 50 years and have never experienced this much rot. I feel that the structural damage shouldn't happen this soon, and feel that I shouldn't be responsible for the cost to repair it.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Ford f-250 superduty. While the vehicle was in a stationary position, the brake controller did not detect the trailer being attached to the vehicle. This indicated that the brakes were inoperative. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was related to the aftermarket seven pin connecter. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was concerned of the safety risk involved because when water leaks into the connecter, there will be a malfunction with the brakes. The failure mileage was 28,000 and current mileage was 31,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford f250 super duty. He experienced brake failure twice while driving, but was able to avoid two crashes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the front rotors were replaced. After the repair he experienced reduced braking capability. He also smelled a burning odor during brake application and upon further inspection, he noticed that the front rotors were defective. He was in the process of taking the vehicle back to the dealer. The failure and current mileages were 59,300. Updated 12/07/09. Updated 12/08/09
Brake complaints in other F-250 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Ford F-250 SD?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Ford F-250 SD, 7% of the model year's 295 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › control unit/module (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford F-250 SD brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2005 Ford F-250 SD, though it has 3 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 2005 Ford F-250 SD brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire 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.