Problems with 2001 Ford Escape SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford escape xlt. the contact stated that the abs module was repaired in 2007; however, the repair did not correct the failure. the abs light continued to illuminate intermittently. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic twice for the failure who stated that the abs module wires were corroded. the manufacturer stated that since the vehicle was repaired they would not provide any assistance since the warranty had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was not available. the current mileage was 107,000.

I recently took my 2001 ford escape in for service for recall #07s51. while a partial repair has been completed the parts to complete the repair totally will not be available until august. while ford states the vehicle is ok to drive they informed me not to park near structures or inside garages until the repair is completed in august, they cannot be held liable if i do so. that statement makes me believe the car is unsafe to drive down the road with my family in, yet ford will not do anything to remedy the situation or expedite the repair or offer me a safe vehicle on loan until mine can be 100% repaired. i have made numerous calls and emails to ford to get action on this repair and have been treated rudely and dismissed telling me there is nothing that can be done for me. *jb

On april 15, 2007, i went to value brakes to have my brakes checked. they were fine, but my master cylinder was leaking and it had to be replaced. i paid $284.83 to have it replaced. *tr

Tl*- the contact stated that the 2001 ford escape xlt wires under the hood burned while sitting in the garage of her home. she drove the vehicle one hour prior to the fire. the alarms in her house warned her of the fire. she called the local fire department, and they found no fire in the house. they then checked the garage and they smelled something burning. the fireman opened and noticed the wires that were burning under the hood of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to town and country, and they informed her that old brake fluid leaked on the abs, which was the cause of the wires burning. the vehicle was serviced for the abs light coming on, and off at the local firestone, they replaced the master cylinder . the wires burned within 24 hours of the repair. the town and country dealership gave the contact a loaner vehicle, and she felt this was odd. the contact stated that the dealership informed her that it would cost $2,416.12 to repair the wires and the abs. the current and failure mileage were both 67,508. *ak the consumer states that she wants to be reimbursed for all repairs done to her vehicle and has provided all invoices for repair and the report from the fire dept. update 4/25/07*tr

The morning of 2/20/07 i went out to start my 2001 ford escape to go to work and as i was walking out to the garage i saw smoke billowing out of my hood. i ran over and popped the hood and there was smoke coming from my anti-lock braking system electronic control system. i pushed the car out of my garage fearing a house fire and a friend unhooked my battery . when the smoking and sparking subsided the abs control box was melted and all the wires were burned and melted. i called the dealership to see if there were any recalls at this time and they told me no. i googled consumer reports and saw an article that this was not an isolated incident and that you were investigating 8 other similar incidents. it has not been repaired as it has just happened and honestly is seems to be quite expensive to remedy. this is a very dangerous problem and hopefully your investigation will result in some sort of recall. *jb

The car was parked for about an hour when my sister in law saw the fire coming out of the engine area. i turned the fire off with water. the master cylinder was completely burned. all of the wires coming out of the fuse box as well as the abs wires. the car will turn on but i cant shift it into drive. the brake fuse also burned out. *nm

My 2001 ford escape parked in my driveway started to catch on fire. i took it to the dealership and it was the abs module like in nhtsa action number pe06048. *nm

Ford escape 2001 master brake cylinder and brakes failed causing accident when i totally lost my brakes. 1 day after ford dealership replaced master brake cylinder. ford has faulty master brake parts. *tr

2001 xlt - hissing noise when pressing the brakes. if tapped the sound decreases. this just started at 75k. will need to get booster changed. i have never had this to any of my other vehicles. *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. while driving approximately 65 mph the "brake" warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. there was pressure applied to the brake pedal, followed by a low power response. also there was brake fluid leakage. the failures progressed over a period of time. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the vehicle identification number was excluded from recall campaign id number 07e023000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder). no repairs were made. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 97,000.

Brake fluid from the master cylinder leaked on a wiring harness and caused multiple system failures including the abs system, the cruise control, the driver's side air bag, and the display on the radio. the service tech indicated that i was lucky i avoided a fire. this seems very similar to the recall on the ford f-150s that is causing multiple fires. *nm per diagnostics for the verification of the airbag lamp, the cause was due to the power fuse of the module/open circuit from abs internal circuit damage. *sc

A hissing noise is coming from my brake pedal. when i press down on the brake it goes away but when i let up on the brake it starts making the hissing noise again. *jb

I am the original owner of a 2001 ford escape xlt v6, 4 wheel drive. my truck currently has 75000 miles of use. i feel the incident i chose to write about is a significant safety issue as it involves a malfunction of the anit-lock braking system (abs) which significantly reduces braking action (on dry pavement!) when it occurs. i am also aware of at least two other ford escape owners that have experienced the same failure. the failure causes the abs to activate on dry pavement, when absolutely no slippage is occurring at any wheel. the activity of the abs system actually significantly reduces braking capacity and causes the brake pedal to go down noticeably further than normal when attempting to stop. only a quick avoidance maneuver allowed me to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me. pumping the brakes does not help since the abs hydraulic control module is modulating the brakes at such a rate, pumping the brake does not produce a firmer pedal. i have traced the problem to a faulty abs system rotation transducer design on the front wheels of the escape. the transducer is basically a splined ring about 8mm wide. the ring is apparently friction fit onto the half-shaft near the front cv joints just inside of the front hub assembly. a sensor apparently picks up the peaks or valleys in the splined ring as it rotates past the sensor to determine wheel rotation speed. it is the splined ring that fails, mine actually split across its width causing it to loosen and move away from the sensor. this apparently causes the abs system to operate erratically and actually cause a significant reduction in braking capacity on dry pavement! this erratic behavior will occur 5-10 times before the abs controller determines there is something wrong and switches off the abs system. this illuminates the abs indicator light on the instrument panel and does restore normal braking performance. this cycle will repeat itself each time the truck is shut off and restarted!!

Hissing noise coming from brakes. stops when i depress the brakes and returns upon taking my foot off brakes. this cannot be good. mechanics pretended that they did not hear this. must be an expensive fix because i have been stone walled. *jb

Brake warning light came on. had car inspected, determined back half of master cylinder was leaking causing brake fluid level to drop and warning light to come on. master cylinder to be replaced, rear brakes need to be adjusted and entire brake system needs to be flushed. *jb

Ford escape 2001, windshield wipers haven't kept windows clear enough to see during rain or snow. *bf the consumer was only getting 10-12 miles per gallon on the highway. the vehicle was hard to drive when it was windy outside. when the consumer attempted to stop the vehicle, the brake went down to the floor and did not come back up for several seconds. the anti-lock brakes did not engage. the consumer spoke to the dealer and he said the brakes must have frozen up. the battery low light was on. *jb

The plastic cap on the master break cylinder leaked break fluid on the electrical wiring harness. the insulation on the harness failed and the wiring shorted, causing a fire. the break fluid acted as fuel for the fire. the breaking system, although able to bring the vehicle to a safe stop, was seriously and adversely affected. *jb

While driving the brakes at 38000 miles were completely worn out, so were the rotors. took the vehicle to dealer to be repaired. *ak the consumer took the vehicle in to find out why so much black an silver dust was on the front wheels. the consumer was told that it was normal wear an tear. the consumer was told that the dust was on the front tires within 200 miles after cleaning. front brake pads and rotors were replaced at no charge to the consumer. *tc

A strange air-leaking noise has been coming out of the brake area of my ford escape. the noise started out somewhat quiet, but it has gotten louder and louder. when the brakes are applied, the sound gets much quieter, almost silent, but the hissing returns with a vengeance as soon as i press on the accelerator. this started around 46,500 miles, and now i am at 48,000. a reputable mechanic informed me that the brake vacuum booster was leaking. this seems to be a major problem for a car that is a 2001 model with such low mileage. i imagine that i am not the only person who will be complaining about this vacuum booster problem. *nm

Abs harness caught on fire on my way back from l.a. *ak

I've noticed an air-leaking/hissing noise that has gradually, over a few weeks, gotten louder. the noise gets quieter when the brakes are applied, but returns as soon as you let up on the brakes. i've had the noise checked out and was told that the brake vacuum booster was leaking. this should not be happening to a 2001 ford escape with less than 51,000 miles on it. the interesting thing is, my mother has a 2001 mazda tribute, and she just had this exact problem with her car. her mileage, too, is around 50,000. we find it odd that the vehicles are made by the same manufacturer and both have relatively low mileage for this type of problem. have other drivers had similar problems with these vehicles?

While applying the brakes pedal went to the floor. brakes decreased in braking power. consumer took vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that power brake booster vacuum was leaking, and needed to be replaced. *ak

While driving. the vehicle stalled. the consumer was able to restart the vehicle after pumping the accelerator pedal. please provide more information. *jb the consumer could not control the vehicle due to loss of power in the steering wheel and no brakes. *tc

The rotors on my escape had to be replaced at 45,000 miles. there was no indication that the brakes had worn down (no squealer warning). upon inspection it was revealed that the rotors had been worn down and had to be replaced along with new brake pads. the service manager was surprised at the rotors being in such bad shape especially since it was not due to grinding (the brake pads weren't completely worn out). he was shocked at such inferior parts being on the car. i have kept the original rotors that came on the car from ford should anyone want pictures or want to inspect them. *ak

Premature brake rotor wear. rotors and pads replaced twice; once at 30k miles and again at 60k miles. brake master cylinder required replacement at 60k miles. numerous front-end problems after light conventional "on-road" driving (i.e. loose end links, ball joints, misalignment), which in turn resulted in premature destruction of two sets of tires. burning oil smell in cabin supposedly unidentifiable after numerous attempts by dealer. none of the above covered under warranty. over $2500 in repairs and vehicle is only at 63k miles! *jb

Brake pedal hisses and squeaks when released. to stop high-pitched hissing sound, the pedal must be lightly tapped. results in extensive damage to brake system. brake pads, rotors, and power brake booster need replacing. potential safety issue!

The front rotors on my 2001 ford escape xls 4-wd have worn down very quickly. the rotors must be made out of some sort of soft metal because i haven't replaced my brake pads yet and my rotors need to be replaced already. *ak

Upon driving downhill car disengaged.lost power steering and brakes.anual brakes and steering also failed.*ak

Rotors had to be replaced at 24,000 miles on my 2001 ford escape on september 25, 2003. i had the vehicle in for a master cylinder problem in december of 2002 and the dealership said they could find any leaks and just topped the fluid and sent me on my way. i had to have the vehicle towed in march and on march 7, 2003 the dealership finally found out i had a master cylinder leak and replaced it under warranty. i believe that the master cylinder problem may have caused the rotor problem (the rotors were so bad they could not even be turned.) the independent shop that replaced the rotors also said the pads were just about metal to metal. i had not forwarning of this problem. ford would not even refund have of the charge for the rotor problem or even look at the old rotors which were returned to me the the specs marked on them.

Dangerous situation regarding 2001 ford escape.*mr the consumers brake fluid system was contaminated. the dealer was notified to have repairs made. *cb the consumer noticed the brake pedal was continuously getting lower to the floor and stopping became increasingly difficult. the vehicle also had a power steering leak.*jb

2001 ford escape xltlicking noise from front wheels on turning left or right. dealer states that rotors are incompatible with the aluminum wheels which was the standard equipment on the xlt. dealer states that it's not a safety issue so ford will not replace rotors.*ak

The brakes in my car completely failed. there were no injuries, luckily, because i was on rarely used dirt roads. the car was still under wararnty, so i returned it to the dealer, who fixed or replaced a major hydraulic component of the brake system.

The rotors were warped which caused the vehicle's brake pedal to go to the floor. *nlm

Ford escape brake rotors worn out after 30k miles of average commuting with no off road use. brake pads not down to metal, but rotors too worn to turn according to service dealer (prestige ford a.k.a. ford of bellevue). *nlm

Vehicle was parked inside of carport and without prior warning heard a loud bang. vehicle caught on fire/exploded and melted to the ground. dealership was aware of problem.*akbrakes have been squeaking when hot or cold. the front brake rotors and pads are glazed. there is a clunk noise heard in the front end when making a left or right turn. the noise was coming from a loose metal clip. the engine light stayed illuminated while in motion. *jg

Brake pedal went to the floor while applyng the brakes at 25 mph. technician stated that problem was master cylinder which needed to be replaced. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

While driving only at low speeds, steering column will make a loud noise and it could cause future steering problems. dealer notified.*ak the cover on the bottom of the steering wheel was broken. the vehicle shimmys when applying the brakes. the brakes were inspected and the front rotor was machined and the front pads cleaned. consumer states there is a pecking noise in the engine. consumer states the accelerator pedal is hard to push because the throttle body needed replacing. the air conditioner stops while at idle. also, when coming to a stop, the heater is not warm. *jg

Vehicle suffered brake failure. mr

While driving at about 40 mph, with both children in the car, my car stalled in a busy intersection. my brakes, steering, accellerator, and electrical(radio and speedometer) went out. i was forced to coast down the street to find somewhere to pull over. i have sent it to the dealership and they acted like it was my fault that it happened and that they hadn't heard of such complaint. i am scared to drive it even after they said it is fixed. i have heard of this happening,after i did some reasearch and people have reported it happening again. i would like some kind of trade or reimbuirsement. my reason being is for the saftey of my children and myself. the car is only 11 months old.*ak

Vehicle was in reverse and brakes locked up, not allowing vehicle to move. wheels would not turn in any direction. dealer was notified and could not find anything abnormal. consumer is concerned that brakes can lock up while driving.*ak.*jb

Abs light illuminated at all times. master cylinder replaced twice. brakes' shoes and master cylinder cap sealed 3 times. problem has reoccurred the same way. dealer was notified. please provide more information.*ak

While driving on the mass turnpike i tried to apply my brakes and the pedal went to the floor, i brought the m/v to the local dealer because where i bought it went out of business. they had to order the part and said it would take three to six days just to get the part. i am not happy with ford and the fact the say the build to last. it has not. *ak

Car electrical, steering and brakes cut off driving at 35-40 mph on curvy road. just bought the car used 2 days ago. first time this has happened. now that ive looked at this site, seems many people have this problem. going to dealer tommorow. we like the car, but we're afraid we have ourselves a lemon. i hope the dealer/ford will fix this problem and stand behind their product.

Brakes wore down past to the rotors. safety issue:there are no low pad wear (squealer) indicators on the brakes. rotors had to be replaced. there was no audible sign of pad wear unless inspected visually. if i had driven the car any longer the heat from metal on metal would have blown the front tires. *ak

Master cylinder comple failure. also, 4 door handles had to be changed.

Car will not start approximatlry 8 times and stalled while driving one time, brakes locked tow times, steering wheel locks every time, all lights on the dash comes on. *ak

While traveling 15mph on the highway and approaching an intersection, another vehicle veered into consumers vehicle from right front. upon impact, airbags did not deploy. dealership was aware of problem. *ak consumer states that the abs also failed. two months after the accident, the vehicle was repaired and returned, consumer does not feel safe in this vehicle. within 2 weeks of ownership, the dashboard pulled away from the windshield. *slc

while driving 30 mph vehicle stalled/lost power steering and braking ability. consumer used park brake to stop vehicle. also, on december 7, 2001 at 30 mph vehicle stalled again, consumer unable to stop vehicle due to no braking ability and rearended another vehicle. damage unknown at this time. no injuries.*ak *slc

I've only had this car for two years and it died twice while driving on the road. one time on october 19, 2002 and another time on september 12, 2003. this car has also have problems with the sensors and pcm module.

Was approaching a stop light and applied brakes and pedal went down to the floor, and it didn't grab or hold for braking. *ak *yh