Brake servo and vacuum pump Ford: problems by model and engine

Documented faults, from most to least important

Severity × frequency. Below each one, the Ford models it appears in.

- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalFord Kuga IBrake servo vacuum pump non-return valveKuga cars built between 1 November 2008 and 12 March 2009 may have a faulty non-return valve in the brake servo vacuum pump, leaving the brake servo with insufficient assistance. A free replacement campaign took about 30 minutes.Repair: €0
- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalFord RangerLoss of brake servo assistance, with longer pedal travel and a longer stopping distanceCampaign 225S77 covers Rangers built between 27 June 2024 and 24 June 2025: brake servo assistance may be lost, so the pedal travels further and the car needs a longer distance to stop. Safety Gate classifies it as a serious accident risk.
- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalFord Transit CustomBrake pedal pin clip out of specification: the pedal can come away from the brake servoIn 2013 a warning was issued that the first Transit Custom vehicles (built between late September 2012 and early February 2013) had an R-clip on the brake pedal pin that did not meet the material specification and could come off, leaving the pedal disconnected from the brake servo and with no braking.
- Critical severityFrequency: RareFord C-Max ILoss of brake assistance in cold weather (November 2008 to March 2009)On cars built between November 2008 and March 2009, brake assistance may fail at low temperatures, stiffening the pedal and lengthening the braking distance.
- Critical severityFrequency: RareFord Fiesta VIII2018 recall for brake servo failure (loss of brake assistance)In March 2018 Ford recalled certain Fiesta VIII units over possible brake servo failures; the servo is the part that multiplies the force you apply to the pedal. A failure like this makes the pedal much harder and lengthens the stopping distance.
- Critical severityFrequency: RareFord Focus IILoss of brake assistance in the cold (vacuum pump, 2.0 TDCi)On 2.0 TDCi units built between August 2005 and September 2006, a non-return valve in the vacuum pump can stick at low temperatures and reduce the vacuum reaching the brake servo, stiffening the pedal and lengthening braking distances.
- High severityFrequency: RareFord Focus IVBrake servo fault in a January 2020 batch (recall)gebrauchtwagenberater.de cites, based on the KBA, a recall for a possible brake servo fault on Focus IV built between 14 and 28 January 2020, a batch of barely two weeks.
- High severityFrequency: RareFord Mondeo IVRecall over the brake servo (valve that sticks in the cold)According to the KBA, on Mondeo IV cars built between 1 November 2008 and 12 March 2009, the non-return valve in the vacuum pump can stick at low outside temperatures, leaving the brake servo with less vacuum than it needs and reducing braking assistance.

By Ford model

Open yours to see only the faults that affect it, by engine and by year.

Frequently asked questions

What faults with the brake servo do Ford cars have?

In 8 models from Ford there are 8 documented faults with the brake servo. The most important: brake servo vacuum pump non-return valve, loss of brake servo assistance, with longer pedal travel and a longer stopping distance and brake pedal pin clip out of specification: the pedal can come away from the brake servo. Each fault has its own page with the affected years and versions, the symptoms and the repair cost.

Which Ford models have the most problems with the brake servo?

Ford C-Max I (1 fault), Ford Focus II (1 fault), Ford Mondeo IV (1 fault) and Ford Kuga I (1 fault).