Just picked up a used 2014 Ford Escape with 27,000 miles (44.000 km) on it. It was a "CPO" unit from a Ford dealer. The attached pics show the rear brake rotors. They are grooved and pitted - so I contacted the dealer as to their thoughts. They said it was fine and despite the fact that over half the surface was pitted that didn't indicate there was less than 70 percent contact with the pad (safety check minimum). The front rotors look fine - as expected.

Oh - these pics are after I put about 500 miles on it, so it's not "surface rust" in my opinion.

Curious what others think?

Chris

 

Personally it tells me that either the calipers are sticking and not applying proper pressure to the pads against the rotors, or the slid pins are frozen/rusted and not allowing for proper pressure to be applied to the pads against the rotors. It's one of the signs that my Freestar exhibits when a pin(s) is crusted up which is why I tear my brakes apart every spring and fall.

 

You didn't say where this vehicle is located presently or where it came from. It does appear it has sat a while in a damp/wet location , salt belt maybe. The entire rotors are showing sign of rust. Wonder if this was what we call a flood car. How does the rest of the vehicle look underneath? Since the fronts do most of the work , can you show a pic of them?

 

The vehicle is located in Southern Ontario. It was purchased new by the previous owner 15 months ago at the same Ford dealer as I purchased it used from. The previous owner traded it in on a new Escape (I assume he liked the vehicle). The CarFax report shows no accidents or damage and also shows oil changes at the proper intervals. Only other work done was a "tire repair" about 12 months ago.
The mileage and age equate to an average of 60 miles a week although no idea if that was continuous or if it sat for days between usage.

The front brakes show no signs of rust or grooves (pic attached).

All pics are only a week after I bought the vehicle. I talked to the service manager again yesterday and he assures me it meets safety standards and ford "CPO standards".
Although from what I have read the "CPO program" does not mean anything whatsoever other than an extra year's warranty.

The safety check is supposed to involve (according to the government) removing the calipers and checking that nothing is seized or stuck.

I wonder if I should go to a brake shop and see what their "free brake inspection" says about them?

I guess I just feel a little screwed that I paid top dollar for this "CPO" vehicle and I'll most likely be dong a brake job in a few months...

Oh, the rest of the vehicle looks like it came from the showroom - inside, outside and underneath.


Chris

 

The fronts look pretty good and if the rest of the vehicle is as you say , I don't think you made a mistake purchasing it. It might be a good move to have the rears checked anyway. It could be just as Use Common Sense stated and nothing that serious. Rear pads usually last a lot longer than the fronts, but caliper pins exposed to a lot of corrosive stuff used on the roads can become a problem if regular maintenance is overlooked.

 

You are obviously concerned about the the condition and ability of the rear brakes, based on their appearance. Nothing you have described or pictured tells me that the rear brakes aren't working. Take them to a shop for inspection and get a second opinion, and some peace of mind. :-)

 

great said scurling