Ford F-150 Brake Repair in Kirkland, WA: Leaking Caliper, Control Arms & EVAP Leak

On August 25, a 2011 Ford F-150 STX came in for a routine oil service. The multi-point inspection that comes with it turned up a list — including a brake problem serious enough that we put it on the invoice in plain language: the truck was not safe to drive until the brakes were repaired. The owner declined the work that day. Two weeks later the truck was back, with exactly the same mileage on the odometer, and it left with the whole list done.

What the inspection found

From the technician’s inspection notes:

• A leaking left-front brake caliper, and a brake pad separating from its backing plate. The pads themselves still measured 8 mm front and 7 mm rear.

• A fuel-inlet warning on the dash.

• Lower control arm bushings torn and cracking.

• A torn front driveshaft boot leaking grease, and a leaking rear differential cover.

The left-front caliper during the inspection — the pad visibly separating from its backing plate.

Lower control arm bushing, torn and cracking through the rubber.

The rear differential cover, wet at the lower edge.

The two-week gap

The note we wrote on the invoice: “Brakes are not safe at this time — would recommend not driving vehicle until brake repairs are made.” The owner declined service that day, which is an understandable reaction to a long list, and the truck left showing 71,085 miles.

When it returned on September 8, the odometer read 71,085. Zero miles in between. The truck sat parked until it could be repaired — exactly what we would ask of a vehicle with a leaking caliper.

The work performed

Front brake service with new calipers — $1,100–$1,400

Both front calipers were replaced with remanufactured BrakeBest units and new hardware, and the brake lines were transferred to the new calipers. New Akebono PRO-ACT ultra-premium ceramic pads went on over new Adaptive One rotors, the slide mechanisms were cleaned and lubricated, everything was torqued to spec, and the whole system was flushed with fresh DOT 3 fluid and bled. Road test, OK. This was our standard front brake service, with the calipers added because of the leak.

Worth repeating: the pads had 8 mm of material left. Thickness was never the problem — the leaking caliper and the separating pad were.

Lower control arms and alignment — $1,750–$2,150

Both lower control arm and ball joint assemblies were replaced — the axle and knuckle come apart to do this job properly — and the suspension was loaded before final torque so the new bushings clamp at ride height. We sublet the alignment to A.C.E. Automotive; when part of a job leaves our building, it says so on the invoice. Torn bushings like these are exactly what our steering and suspension work deals with.

Chasing the fuel-inlet warning — $1,100–$1,500

The dash warning had a paper trail. The scan found code P0456 — a small leak in the evaporative emissions system. The EVAP self-test failed, so the technician smoke-tested the system and found two leak points: the fuel filler neck’s self-venting system and a vent valve at the intake manifold. Both were replaced — a genuine OE filler neck plus Motorcraft vent and purge valves — and the self-test was then run multiple times and passed.

Rear differential reseal ($200–$300) and transmission fluid service ($225–$300)

The leaking differential cover came off, the mating surfaces were cleaned, and the cover was resealed and left to cure before refilling with 75W-140 synthetic gear oil and Motorcraft friction modifier. The transmission received a measured fluid service: extract, measure, refill with Mercon LV, and level-check at operating temperature. A full flush had been quoted at the first visit; the measured fluid service is what was performed.

What was left for another day

The torn front driveshaft boot stayed on the record as a watch item — documented in the photos below, not repaired on this visit.

The front driveshaft boot, caked in leaked grease — documented and left as a watch item.

What it cost

The repair visit landed in the $4,200–$5,700 range, completed in September 2026. Three lines drove most of it: the control arms with alignment, the EVAP diagnosis and repair, and the brake job with calipers. That range reflects a completed historical project, not a current quote — a different truck in different condition will price differently.

If your car gets flagged like this

• Pad thickness is not the whole story. These pads measured 8 mm — the failures were a leaking caliper and a pad separating from its backing plate.

• Parking a flagged vehicle costs nothing. This owner put zero miles on the truck between visits — the odometer proves it — and turned a safety risk into a scheduling problem.

• A vague dash warning can have a precise answer. One code, one failed self-test, and one smoke test found two exact leak points.

Read another inspection-driven project: the 192,000-mile Toyota Tacoma whose driveshaft U-joints had failed.

Prepared from our job records for this truck: two repair orders, the technician’s inspection notes and photos, and the final invoices.