Thanks for the tip, Niky..........I've noticed the air recirculation problem while I was driving the explorer on Roxas Blvd during the recent pyrotechnics exhibition at Mall of Asia. I was stuck in traffic behind this bus which if you live in Manila, buses are notorious for being big-time smoke belchers. The fumes that went in to the car was enough to make me and my friend, who was inside the car with me that time, stop to get a breath of fresher air as fresh air is rarer than diamond here in Metro Manila. As with the noise from the brakes, it seems like it is coming from either the spring mechanism or the rubber stopper to which the brake pedal is attached to. It is not coming from outside the car. I just hope I'd have better luck having my car fixed this time.