2013-2020 Ford Fusion Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2013-2020 Ford Fusion the front brakes almost always wear out first, because braking shifts the car's weight forward and the front pads and rotors do most of the stopping. The rear brakes last longer, but they carry the electronic parking brake, so a rear pad job on this car needs a specific service-mode procedure before you touch the caliper. Here is how to tell which end needs work and what to replace when you do it.

How the Fusion's Brakes Are Laid Out

The second-generation Fusion uses disc brakes at all four corners. Up front, a floating caliper clamps pads against a vented rotor. At the rear, each caliper also does double duty as the parking brake: starting with the 2013 model year, Ford replaced the old cable-and-lever parking brake with an electronic parking brake (EPB). The factory service information describes it as two switch-activated, module-controlled motors that apply and release the rear brake calipers.

That design matters for owners in two ways. First, there is no parking brake cable to adjust and no separate shoe set to wear out. Second, the rear caliper piston is driven by a motor and screw mechanism, so it cannot be treated like an ordinary caliper during a pad change.

Why the Front Brakes Wear First

When you press the pedal, momentum pushes the nose of the car down and the vehicle's weight transfers to the front tires. Wagner's brake-system explainer puts it simply: because braking shifts weight forward, the front brakes do most of the work. Brake systems are engineered around that, with larger front components and more front braking force, and the result is that front pads and rotors are consumed faster than the rears.

The Fusion is a front-wheel-drive-based sedan with the engine and transaxle sitting over the front axle, which puts even more of its weight on the front wheels. Stop-and-go city driving, hills, and hard stops from highway speed all accelerate front wear. So if you are only doing one axle, the fronts are the likely candidate, but never assume: measure both ends every time.

Symptoms and How to Tell Which End Needs Work

Most brake symptoms point to one axle if you pay attention to how they feel:

• Steering wheel shake when braking: almost always front rotors. Power Stop notes that pulsation from worn rotors is especially pronounced when it comes from the front and is often felt through the steering wheel.
• Pedal pulsation without steering shake: can be either axle, and rear rotor thickness variation is a common cause.
• High-pitched squeal: often a pad wear indicator contacting the rotor. Look through the wheel spokes at both ends to see which pads are thin.
• Grinding or metal-on-metal: the pad material is gone and the backing plate is cutting the rotor. Stop driving and inspect immediately.
• Grooved, scored, or blue rotors, or a large lip at the rotor edge: the rotor needs replacement, not just new pads.
• Park brake warning, or a parking brake that will not apply or release: a rear EPB issue, not a front brake issue.

For a real answer, pull the wheels and measure pad thickness and rotor thickness. The minimum rotor thickness is marked on the rotor itself, typically on the hat, the edge, or inside the cooling vanes. Measure with a micrometer at the thinnest spot where the pads contact the rotor. Power Stop recommends a brake inspection every 10,000 miles or whenever you replace pads.

The Front Brake Job

The front brakes on this car are a conventional job: remove the caliper, replace the pads and hardware, and replace or measure the rotors. For most owners doing their own work this is a manageable driveway job with basic hand tools and a torque wrench. Tighten the caliper and bracket bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual.

What to install:

• Pads: we carry front ceramic brake pads for the 2013-2020 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, and you can browse more options in our ceramic brake pads collection. Ceramic compounds suit a daily-driven sedan where low dust and quiet stops matter.
• Rotors: if the rotors are below minimum thickness, grooved, or causing a vibration, replace them. Power Stop points out that putting new pads on worn rotors, or the reverse, compromises braking and causes uneven wear. See our brake rotors.
• Hardware: replace the abutment clips and anti-rattle springs. Heat cycles weaken old hardware, and worn clips let pads bind or shift, causing noise, pulling, and uneven wear. Our brake hardware kits cover this.

While the front wheels are off, look closely at the front brake hoses. Ford issued safety recall 23S12 (NHTSA campaign 23V-162) covering 2013-2019 Fusion models because steering and suspension stress can cause a front brake hose to rupture and leak. Ford lists the warning signs as increased pedal travel, a softer pedal, longer stopping distances, and the brake fluid warning light. The remedy is replacement of both front hoses at no cost by a dealer, so check your VIN for open recalls before buying hoses yourself.

The Rear Brake Job and the Electronic Parking Brake

The rear job is where Fusion owners get into trouble. Because the rear caliper piston is also moved by the parking brake motor, the system must be put into EPB service mode (Ford also calls it maintenance mode) before you retract the piston. Ford's service information warns that working on EPB-equipped vehicles can cause unexpected parking brake application, which could injure hands or fingers.

The Ford procedure to enter service mode, as published in the service information:

1. Set the ignition to ON.
2. Press and hold the accelerator pedal and hold the EPB switch in the RELEASE (down) position.
3. While still holding both, set the ignition to OFF, then back to ON within 5 seconds.
4. The yellow EPB indicator lights and Maintenance Mode displays in the message center. Set the ignition to OFF and release the pedal and switch.

In service mode, the rear caliper piston is compressed straight back into the caliper housing. On this system it does not need to be rotated, which is different from older screw-in rear calipers. After the new pads are installed, exit service mode:

1. Set the ignition to ON.
2. Press and hold the accelerator pedal and hold the EPB switch in the APPLY (up) position.
3. While still holding both, set the ignition to OFF, then back to ON within 5 seconds.
4. Release the pedal and switch. The system fully applies and releases the parking brake to set the air gap between the rear pads and the rotor.

Skipping service mode and forcing the piston back risks damaging the parking brake actuator or caliper. If a rear caliper is seized or leaking, see our brake calipers. Rear pads and rotors are in our brake pads and brake rotors collections.

What to Replace Together, and How Hard the Job Is

• Always replace pads in axle sets. Both front wheels, or both rear wheels, at the same time, so the car stops straight.
• Replace or measure rotors with every pad change. A rotor at or below its marked minimum goes in the scrap pile.
• New hardware every time. It is inexpensive and prevents noise and uneven wear.
• Check fluid and hoses. Look at the fluid level and condition and inspect the hoses, especially the front hoses covered by recall 23S12.
• Clean and lubricate the caliper slide pins with a brake lubricant made for rubber components, so the caliper floats freely and the pads wear evenly.

Difficulty: the front job is beginner-to-intermediate. The rear job is intermediate, not because it is physically harder but because the EPB procedure must be done in the right order. If you are not comfortable with it, have a shop handle the rears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the front or rear brakes wear out first on a Ford Fusion?

The front brakes almost always wear first, because weight shifts forward during braking and the front brakes do most of the work. Still, measure the rears every time, since driving habits and caliper condition can change the pattern.

Do I need a scan tool to change the rear brake pads on a 2013-2020 Fusion?

Not necessarily. Ford publishes a pedal-and-switch sequence that puts the electronic parking brake into service mode without a scan tool: ignition on, hold the accelerator and the EPB switch in release, and cycle the ignition off and on within 5 seconds.

Do I twist the rear caliper piston back on a Fusion?

No. With the system in service mode, the rear piston is compressed straight back into the caliper. Rotation is not required on this EPB design.

Should I replace the rotors when I replace the pads?

Measure them. If they are below the minimum thickness marked on the rotor, grooved, blued, or causing a vibration, replace them. New pads on worn rotors bed poorly and wear unevenly.

Is there a brake recall on the Ford Fusion?

Yes. Ford recall 23S12 (NHTSA 23V-162) covers front brake hoses on 2013-2019 Fusion models that can rupture and leak fluid. Dealers replace both front hoses free of charge. Check your VIN with Ford or NHTSA to see if your car is included and still open.

Sources

1. Ford Fusion service information: EPB service mode activation and deactivation - service mode steps, 5-second ignition cycle, push-in piston, air gap reset, injury warning
2. Ford Fusion service information: parking brake and actuation - EPB uses module-controlled motors to apply the rear calipers
3. Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice: Ford Fusion brake job with electronic park brake - EPB introduced for 2013, piston compresses without turning
4. Ford: Recall 23S12 front brake hose - covered years, symptoms, free replacement of both front hoses
5. Wagner Brake: How car brakes work - weight shifts forward so the front brakes do most of the work
6. Power Stop: Replacing pads and rotors at the same time - uneven wear with mismatched parts, front rotor pulsation felt in steering
7. Power Stop: Minimum rotor thickness - where the spec is marked, signs of bad rotors, inspection interval
8. Power Stop: New hardware with new pads - why worn clips cause binding, noise and uneven wear