2019 Ford Fiesta 1.0 ecoboost Active 18000 miles

 

I have been driving for around 40 years, all different types of vehicles and far to many cars to thnk about, had all sorts of issues but just adapted to them. Normally takes me about half an hour to fully get the hang of the clutch bite, brake pedal steering quirks etc....   However I bought this Fiesta about three weeks ago and I am struggling to get to grips with this brake pedal. As much as i apply the brakes in a relatively gently manner I feel like it is far to aggressive, so much so its starting to annoy me..... It feels as if the actual pressure I apply is doubled instantly, so muchso even my wife has picked up on this, she has stated it is unusual as my braking is always a pre planned smooth operation, unless in the event of an emergency brake there is no noticebal passenger movement, alas at the moment it feels like sudden jolting, I would like to know..... has anyone else any issues with the 'sharpness when applying the brakes' ?

Tends to be a characteristic of modern cars unfortunately, but yes, I have found this even more "grabby" than other recent cars, making smooth, progressive braking difficult. I have got more used to it over time, but even after 4 years still get caught out occasionally, especially after driving my wife's car for a while!

Gawd! And I thought it was just the missus jabbing the brake pedal too hard. 🚗😁

I better stop nagging her to take me to hospital with whiplash🚘

I've got used to it now after 3 years and usually manage a soft braking to a stop, BUT it still catches me out now & again. 

Same problem on the Mk4 Focus.  I was blaming the electric brake servo but as not all models are fitted with that, it seems modern Ford brakes are just snatchy & unpredictable!  

My brakes tend to 'grab' a bit but only when the car is cold.

Can't say I've noticed any problems with my 2019 ST-Line 140.

I'm very light on the brakes usually anyway (i've never worn out a set of brake pads yet) at 40,000 miles at my last service the mechanic did ask me if I ever used the brakes as they were only about 10% worn.

But on the odd occasions I've had to brake fairly hard I can't say I've had any problems braking smoothly.

 

 

Yes I have noticed that too on my new car, brakes a bit sharp. 
 

also noticed it slows down quicker, don’t know of that the battery!?!?

I've noticed this on mine, I normally drive the work vans which are so different to my car, so when I'm in my fiesta driving to & from work in my work boots, it's even more exaggerated as I can't feel the brake peddle lol, so I need to be even extra careful, I thought that it was just me, but after reading this I'm not so sure now. Just accepted it & trying to get used to it now. 

10 hours ago, Simon90 said:

also noticed it slows down quicker, don’t know of that the battery!?!?

If you've got an MHEV, the battery regeneration does feel like it's applied the brakes when you lift off the throttle, or increased brake force when you've only lightly pressed the brake pedal.  If you've got the option of a hybrid meter on your dashboard, that'll show when the battery regen is occurring.  (I don't take responsibility for any RTC caused while watching it!  )

Yes, the Mhev regen braking on the Fiesta is very harsh and seemingly drastic, especially in Sport mode.

Does anyone know if the brake lights illuminate with the regen braking?

My gut feeling is that “normal” deceleration regenerative braking does not trigger a brake light, but the harsher regenerative braking that you get after you press the brake pedal gently and release does. 

On 4/30/2022 at 6:21 AM, Keith13661 said:

2019 Ford Fiesta 1.0 ecoboost Active 18000 miles

 

I have been driving for around 40 years, all different types of vehicles and far to many cars to thnk about, had all sorts of issues but just adapted to them. Normally takes me about half an hour to fully get the hang of the clutch bite, brake pedal steering quirks etc....   However I bought this Fiesta about three weeks ago and I am struggling to get to grips with this brake pedal. As much as i apply the brakes in a relatively gently manner I feel like it is far to aggressive, so much so its starting to annoy me..... It feels as if the actual pressure I apply is doubled instantly, so muchso even my wife has picked up on this, she has stated it is unusual as my braking is always a pre planned smooth operation, unless in the event of an emergency brake there is no noticebal passenger movement, alas at the moment it feels like sudden jolting, I would like to know..... has anyone else any issues with the 'sharpness when applying the brakes' ?

Hi Keith,

I couldn’t agree more with what you’re saying. I have a Ford Fiesta Trend 1.0 MHEV 2021 and the brakes are a nightmare. Many people on this forum have assured me that ‘It’s the way most newer cars are now’ That ‘I will get used to them’ and that it’s just a case of me adapting’ But the more I drive it, the more annoying it becomes. It’s the inconsistency of them that makes them (to my mind) potentially dangerous. As you never quite know what type of brake peddle you’re dealing with?    

Sometimes the brakes are (for want of a better term) either ‘on or off’ a bit like a light switch. A lot of the time I’m pressing them so gently you can hear the pads ‘scrapping the discs’ and then the slightest pressure thereafter WHAM! It’s a dead stop. There doesn’t seem to be any ‘middle ground’ involved at all, which is nothing like I’ve ever experienced with any other car I’ve ever driven.

I’ve been driving long enough to be able to adapt to a car with sharp/ grabby brakes. But the problem lies in the fact that they are not always sharp /grabby. Sometimes the pedal feels different. More like a conventional brake pedal where progressive braking is essential for smooth operation and this is when it catches me out.

I press delicately (in fear of a sudden stop) and virtually nothing happens. I then need to apply much more pressure to stop the car within a given distance. However, the next time I might apply them, it’s back to the ‘grabby /sharp’ braking. There is a serious level of inconsistency with the brakes on the car and I’m not talking over any great distance here; this all happens several times within quarter of a mile of driving.

At first, I wondered if there was a less than efficient correlation between the ‘regenerative braking’ (MHEV model) and the standard braking system. But the brakes are like this, regardless as to whether the regen has kicked in or not.

My wife and I bought the Ford Fiesta on a 2021 plate, which is the newest car we’ve ever been able to afford but there is no way that she will drive it after she once experiences it’s  inconsistency when braking. Which, leaves us ‘up the swanny’ without a paddle.

Maybe we’ve just got a bad one? and it needs taking back to the garage but for two reasons I think that would probably be futile. Firstly, they will probably do no more than check for brake warning lights, only to find that none are showing and then give it a clean bill of health.   

Secondly, because they will probably take full advantage of the views and opinions of ‘some’ others on the forum(s) by simply repeating things like e.g. ‘It’s the way most newer cars are now’ and that ‘I will get used to the brakes’ and it’s just a case of me adapting’.

My response would be to ask, how can you adapt to something that behaves inconsistently? but i'm sure that wouldn't get me far. At best the bottom line would likely be that we are without a car for weeks on end - without any guarantee that it will ever be any different.

Such a shame because the car in many other ways is good but I’m afraid the inconsistency in the braking system, drains away my positivity every time I get behind the wheel. I’m afraid it just confirms that we bought the wrong car.    

Graham

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found this when I got my Fiesta, so different from my old Nissan Primera that I  asked my friend to see if he though they were snatchy and he said they were the same as his Kuga so that must be how they are set up on newer cars but I have had the car seven years now and I'm used to it.

9 hours ago, Graham Wood said:

My wife and I bought the Ford Fiesta on a 2021 plate, which is the newest car we’ve ever been able to afford but there is no way that she will drive it after she once experiences it’s  inconsistency when braking. Which, leaves us ‘up the swanny’ without a paddle.

I also agree it is common on more modern cars for the brakes to be over-servoed - my other son's 2007 MINI R56 is worse than the 2009 Fiesta, but I find the Fiesta's is easier to modulate.

But your Fiesta sounds much worse, and it shouldn't be.

I'm also driving a couple of 2016 and 2018 vehicles at the moment, and they are much better than the R56!

Perhaps you should test-drive an older/non MHEV Fiesta, even if it's just to confirm that your own car has/has not a braking system fault?

Go to a main dealers and pretend you are in the market for a 2nd hand Fiesta..... don't turn-up in yours 😁