🔧 Fusion - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, take off the brake calipers, replace the pads and rotors, then reassemble and bed-in the new brakes. On your Fusion, the rear brakes may use an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), which must be put into service/maintenance mode before compressing the caliper piston.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

Assumption: Common Fusion rear brake/rotor setup; verify torque specs for your exact brake package if they differ.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Never work under a car supported only by a jack; use jack stands on solid, level ground.
• 🧤 Brake dust and cleaner are irritants; wear safety glasses and nitrile gloves.
• 🔥 Brakes can be hot; let everything cool before starting.
• ⚡ Hybrid note: you are not servicing high-voltage parts, but keep tools away from orange HV cables and do not probe HV connectors.
• 🅿️ If equipped with EPB, you must retract/disable it before pushing the piston in, or you can damage the caliper/EPB motor.
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm socket
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range)
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• 13mm socket
• 15mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Torx T30 bit
• Flathead screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Brake caliper hanger hook
• C-clamp (6")
• Rear caliper wind-back tool (specialty)
• Bidirectional scan tool with EPB service function (specialty)
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Turkey baster
• Brake cleaner spray
• Shop rags
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Qty: 2 Replace in pairs
• Rear brake hardware kit (abutment clips) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin boots (if damaged) - Qty: 1
• Brake lubricant (silicone/ceramic) - Qty: 1
• Blue threadlocker - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3 or DOT 4) - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, turn the car OFF, and place wheel chocks at the front wheels.
• Loosen rear wheel lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir. If it’s near “MAX,” remove a little fluid with a turkey baster so it won’t overflow when pistons are pushed back.
• If your Fusion has EPB: plan to put it in service mode before compressing pistons. A bidirectional scan tool is the most reliable way; the EPB is the electric motor that applies the parking brake.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the rear at the approved rear jacking point.
• Place jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) under solid rear support points and lower the car onto them.
• Remove both rear wheels using a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Put the EPB into service/maintenance mode (if equipped)

• Preferred method (recommended): Use a bidirectional scan tool with EPB service function (specialty) and run the “EPB Service Mode/Rear Brake Pad Replacement” command.
• If you do not have a scan tool: If your Fusion supports an in-car EPB maintenance mode, follow the on-screen/cluster prompts while using the EPB switch and brake pedal sequence. If no prompts appear, stop and use a scan tool.

Step 3: Remove the rear caliper

• Turn the steering wheel is not needed for the rear; just work straight-on.
• Remove the lower and upper caliper slide bolts using a 13mm socket (hold the slide pin with a 15mm wrench if it spins).
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and hang it with a brake caliper hanger hook. Do not let it hang by the hose.

Step 4: Remove pads and bracket

• Remove the old pads from the bracket using a flathead screwdriver if they’re stuck.
• Remove the caliper bracket bolts using an 18mm socket.
• Set the bracket aside on a rag.
• Torque on install: Torque bracket bolts to 115 Nm (85 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the rear rotor

• If equipped with a rotor retaining screw, remove it using a Torx T30 bit.
• Pull the rotor off. If it’s rust-stuck, tap the rotor “hat” area with a rubber mallet to free it.

Step 6: Clean and prep the hub and bracket

• Clean the hub face with a wire brush so the new rotor sits flat. Flat hub = no brake pulsation.
• Clean the caliper bracket pad lands (where clips sit) using a wire brush and brake cleaner spray.
• Install new abutment clips from the rear brake hardware kit.

Step 7: Install the new rotor

• Spray both sides of the new rotor with brake cleaner spray and wipe with shop rags (removes shipping oil).
• Slide the rotor onto the hub.
• If you have a retaining screw, reinstall it with a Torx T30 bit and Torque to 9 Nm (80 in-lbs).

Step 8: Reinstall the bracket

• Apply a small amount of blue threadlocker to the clean bracket bolt threads.
• Install the bracket using an 18mm socket.
• Torque to 115 Nm (85 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Compress (retract) the caliper piston

• Check the brake fluid level again before compressing.
• If EPB motor calipers: after EPB service mode is active, use a C-clamp (6") to slowly push the piston straight in.
• If screw-in style piston: use a rear caliper wind-back tool (specialty) to rotate and press the piston in at the same time. A wind-back tool is a cube/plate tool that turns the piston while pushing it back.
• Go slow so you don’t damage seals.

Step 10: Install new pads

• Apply a thin layer of brake lubricant (silicone/ceramic) to pad ears (where they touch clips) and to the caliper contact points. Do not get lube on pad friction material or rotor.
• Install the inner and outer pads into the bracket by hand.

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• Slide the caliper over the new pads.
• Install slide bolts using a 13mm socket (hold the pin with a 15mm wrench if needed).
• Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs).

Step 12: Repeat on the other rear side

• Do the same steps on the other rear wheel. Use the same tools and torque specs.

Step 13: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall wheels and hand-tighten lug nuts using a 21mm socket.
• Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Torque lug nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs) in a star pattern using a torque wrench.

Step 14: Exit EPB service mode (if used)

• Use the bidirectional scan tool (specialty) to command EPB to “Close/Exit Service Mode.”
• Apply and release the parking brake using the EPB switch to confirm normal operation.

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✅ After Repair

• With the car still in Park, press the brake pedal slowly 10-15 times until it feels firm. This seats the pads against the rotors.
• Check brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 or DOT 4 if needed.
• Test the EPB: apply/release and confirm no warnings.
• Road test at low speed first. Listen for scraping or grinding.
• Pad bed-in (typical): make 6-10 moderate stops from ~30 mph to 5 mph, with cool-down driving between stops. Avoid hard stops for 200 miles.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$900 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$420 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$480 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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