Some 124,000 Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 utes are being recalled due to brake issues across the 2016-2018 year models. The recalls affect the front brakes of both models, with a brake hose and caliper issue cited as the cause.
As both models are based on the same platform, according to the ACCC the recall is for the following:
- Front brake hose – A front brake hose could rupture if mileage is greater than 45,000km and the vehicle is used under conditions that require the front suspension to operate through its full range of movement, e.g. off-road driving on tracks.
- Front brake caliper – The front brake caliper material may not meet specification, causing the front brake caliper to crack.
Failure of the front brake hose or cracking of the caliper may lead to a loss of brake fluid, causing increased brake pedal travel and increased stopping distances. At this stage, the rear brakes across both models appear to be unaffected.
Both Ford and Mazda have been on the front foot of the recall, and have begun contacting owners of impacted vehicles. Owners will be advised to present their vehicle to their preferred dealership to have the front brake hose replaced, and the front caliper lot numbers checked. Should the brake calipers be within the impacted batch, they will be replaced, of course, at no cost to the owner.
Consumers with further questions are being urged to contact Mazda Customer Support on 1800 034 411, or Ford’s Customer Relationship Centre on 1800 503 672.
More information can be found for the Ford Ranger here and here, and BT-50 here, on the recalled components.
2 comments
The article states that it is an official recall and that Ford and Mazda have begun contacting owners of impacted vehicles. However my conversations with Mazda below give a different story.
As an owner of a 2016 BT50, I phoned my local Mazda dealer to get my vehicle booked in. They told me that there is no official recall yet. They haven’t started contacting customers as they are working on a fix and they don’t have the parts yet to rectify it. So it’s still pending.
I wasn’t happy with this response so I contacted Mazda’s head office. I was told that the recall hasn’t been launched yet. I will be contacted by email or letter when it starts. They are working on a fix but the part hasn’t been created yet, so they can’t fix any vehicles yet. I was also told that they haven’t seen many failures yet and that if the issue was really serious, they would be grounding all BT50s. The advice given was to continue to drive the vehicle, but exercise due care and if I have an issue with the brakes, then contact Mazda.
I still wasn’t happy with Mazda’s response so I rang Ford in Geelong and they said that with their Rangers, the brake issues are part of an official recall and they are repairing them right now.
I then rang Mazda Head Office and told them why haven’t Mazda worked out a fix and why they aren’t repairing their BT50s now like Ford are doing with the Rangers. After speaking to a technician, she said the difference might be that the Rangers have a different setup. I don’t know enough about the differences between these models to say if this is true. I was told that if I’m experiencing problems with the brakes now (which I’m not), to take them to a Mazda dealer for them to do a like-for-like repair. Then when they get the part (which they said was on the way from Japan), it would be replaced as part of the recall.
I have a 2018 BT50 and most parts that I have seen have FORMOCO labels or impressions on them. There is also a list of affected vin nos. on line, takes some chasing down as they are scattered. Also Mazda should be able to replace the brake hose as this is an assembly line error nit a hose defect, needs fixing, rear brakes only is dangerous