I have experienced the same brake clunking three or four times so far at creeping speeds in the parking garage at work. Once it was so loud that scared the sh-t out of the guy walking right next. Not every time but it happens and it's unpredictable. Understand it's the hybrid regen brake thing and hopefully Ford could come up with something in the near future to address it. BTW I have driven hybrids for a long time and never had the same issue on other hybrids.
Thanks for posting this. I have had the same question for while now and with ordering opening up again I really need to decide on a powertrain. I donāt drive a lot but is all city so Iād like the hybrid. May pass this down to my son in a few years who would be a new driver but thatās even more concerning if itās as unpredictable as Iāve read.
In normal driving conditions the brake works out fine. It's just at creeping speeds, either rolling to a stop or at slow crawling speeds in parking lot the brake sometimes grabs all of a sudden, or you need to stomp it to make it stop. In other words, it's not linear and not predictable. Once in a while it will give you a heavy thud, sounds like some metal parts got stressed out and all of a sudden the strain is released making a clunk sound. First time it happened I thought something at the bottom fell off. Once you know it's going to happen like that you kind of expect it and cope with it. If it happens it happens if it doesn't you tell yourself "maybe next time. It's a Ford, what do you expect?" LOL. Seriously I think it could be corrected by updating software algorithms on this drive-by-wire brake issue.
From what I've heard form all kinds of hybrid owners it's not a problem, just a little something to get used to.
I have the dreaded CLUNK also along with the light grab, In stop and go traffic I've found that if you put the truck in low gear seems to help. I still believe it maybe a software issue
I've had my Hybrid for a few months now and have only had the "braking issue" happen a couple of times. It really isn't that big of a deal, just a bit of a surprise the first time it happens. Because it is a hybrid, braking is a little different than a ICE vehicle but nothing you can't get used to in a few minutes of driving.
When inching along at a light you can minimize use of hydraulic brakes by pressing the "L" button which will put trans mission in low "gear" which increases the level of Regen braking. This apparently lowers the hydraulic brake pressure needed to stop at really slow speeds. I haven't paid real close attention but in low at 20-25(or higher)mph when you take foot off accelerator the Regen power brake needle will go to 100% (not sure but if you are in eco and push L button Regen seems a bit more than at standard with L pushed. You may even be able to handle inching along with very seldom using brake pedal. Note that low will rapidly (15-20 minutes?) charge battery to the point that the engine braking will be activated to slow truck. Engine braking in low particularly if it occurs at 35-40 mph as it can be quite loud and might frighten you if you are not used to it. I use low frequently and just turn it off at 45 mph or when engine braking occurs. Try it I do believe it helps computer operating in standard and eco also. Manual says you can activate/deactivate low at any time and speed and that excessive use can reduce mpg.
