Investigations
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
NHTSA Recall Query RQ00010 — closed, opened 2000-03-13 and involving the FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY.
NHTSA investigation RQ00010 is a Recall Query opened on 2000-03-13 and currently closed. The subject of record is FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for FORD. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2001-01-12 — NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Recall Query like RQ00010 evaluates whether a previously issued recall is actually fixing the problem. NHTSA opens an RQ when owners continue to report the original defect after the recall remedy is installed, or when completion rates fall short of the agency's expectations for that risk tier.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ON MAY 11, 1998, FORD MOTOR COMPANY FILED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT CONCERNING PARKING BRAKE FAILURE ON CERTAIN 1999 F-350 SUPER DUTY VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KENTUCKY TRUCK PLANT FROM JANUARY 26, 1998 THROUGH APRIL 24, 1..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related FORD files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
ON MAY 11, 1998, FORD MOTOR COMPANY FILED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT CONCERNING PARKING BRAKE FAILURE ON CERTAIN 1999 F-350 SUPER DUTY VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KENTUCKY TRUCK PLANT FROM JANUARY 26, 1998 THROUGH APRIL 24, 1998; RECALL 98V-101. THE REDUCTION IN PARKING BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS MAY OCCUR ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, AND IS CAUSED BY THE RUST PREVENTATIVE COATING THE SURFACE OF THE PARKING BRAKE LINING MATERIAL WHICH REDUCES THE FRICTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AT THE LINING AND ROTOR INTERFACE. ON MARCH 13, 2000, ODI OPENED RQ00-010 ON PARKING BRAKE FAILURES ON 1999-2000 MODEL YEAR SUPER DUTY F-SERIES VEHICLES, ON THE BASIS OF SIX FAILURE REPORTS ON THOSE VEHICLES. ODI NOW HAS 10 REPORTS OF PARKING BRAKE FAILURE ON THE 1999 SUBJECT VEHICLES, BUILT OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL POPULATION, INCLUDING THREE CRASHES. THE DATA IN THE ABOVE TABLE DOES NOT INCLUDE PARKING BRAKE FAILURES ON THE RECALLED 1999 F-350 VEHICLES. THE DATA RECEIVED FROM FORD IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE RQ00-010 INFORMATION REQUEST, REVEALED A HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR THE 1999 F-450/550 VEHICLES (1200R/100K), AND A HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE 1999 F-250/350 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED OUTSIDE SEVERAL OF THE RECALL BUILD MONTHS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS BE OPENED TO ADDRESS THE PARKING BRAKE PROBLEM IN THE 1999 MODEL YEAR SUPER DUTY F-SERIES VEHICLES.
About This Investigation Type
A Recall Query (RQ) evaluates the effectiveness of a previously issued recall. NHTSA opens an RQ when consumer complaints suggest that a recall remedy may not be adequately addressing the safety issue, or when the recall completion rate appears insufficient.
Other FORD Investigations
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.