Diagsheet

2015 Ford Escape · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 25owner reports
  • 70,000median miles
  • 6involved a crash

Newest report Jun 18, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

25 of the 1,082 complaints on this car describe brake wear.

Tick what matches of 25 reports

6
2
1
4
12
3

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the pads and rotors (4 reports) and the ABS module (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the brakes covers the 2015 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Escape

EA10-002opened Jan 14, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · model years 2001 to 2004

Engine compartment fire. Closed feb 29, 2012, led to recall 12V-005.

NHTSA summary
Ford and Mazda recalled model year (MY) 2001 through 2004 Ford Escape (07V-156) and Mazda Tribute (07V-157) vehicles due to non-crash fires or non-fire thermal events originating in the engine compartment at or near the ABS control module.Approximately 545,700 vehicles were subject to the initial safety recalls and approximately 424,700 vehicles were serviced under those campaigns. The campaigns addressed potentially damaged, missing or misplaced seals in the ABS control module wiring harness electrical connector that could allow brake fluid to enter the connector, possibly resulting in corrosion, short-circuit, melting, smoke and/or fire.Since the recall, the agency is aware of 260 subject vehicles that have reportedly experienced non-crash fires or non-fire thermal events originating at or near the ABS control module in vehicles some time after being serviced under the campaign. The post-recall repair incident rates for MY 2001 and 2002 subject vehicles are 90.9 and 126.7 (normalized per 100,000 vehicles serviced under the recall campaigns), respectively.These rates are much higher than the post-recall repair incident rate for MY 2003 and 2004 subject vehicles, which are 5.0 and 3.7 per 100K, respectively.Similarly, the post-recall repair key-off fire incident rates in the MY 2001 and 2002 subject vehicles is 54.3 per 100K, compared to 0.5 per 100K for the MY 2003 and 2004 subject vehicles.The agency is aware of 12 key-off fire incidents, all involving MY 2001 and 2002 subj
RQ09-002opened Apr 15, 2009
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · model years 2001 to 2004

Engine compartment fire. Closed jan 15, 2010.

NHTSA summary
IN LETTERS DATED MARCH 30, 2007, FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) AND MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS (MAZDA) NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT THEY WILL CONDUCT RECALLS 07V-156 AND 07V-157, RESPECTIVELY, TO REMEDY A SAFETY DEFECT THAT MAY RESULT IN FIRE IN A WIRING CONNECTOR USED IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001-2004 FORD ESCAPE AND MAZDA TRIBUTE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS.THE RECALL CAMPAIGN PRESCRIBES AN INSPECTION OF THE SUBJECT COMPONENTS, WHICH SHALL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED ONLY IF NECESSARY.IF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE PASSES THE VISUAL INSPECTION THEN THE RECALL INSTRUCTS THE TECHNICIAN TO APPLY ELECTRICAL GREASE (FORD PART NUMBER XG-12) TO THE ABS MODULE CONNECTOR AND VERIFY SYSTEM OPERATION.TO DATE, APPROXIMATELY 388,500 SUBJECT VEHICLES (71.7% OF THE TOTAL RECALL POPULATION) HAVE BEEN SERVICED UNDER THE RECALL CAMPAIGN, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH (373,985) PASSED THE VISUAL INSPECTION AND RECEIVED ONLY THE ELECTRICAL GREASE APPLIED TO THE ABS MODULE CONNECTOR. THE AGENCY IS AWARE OF AT LEAST 86 UNIQUE SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT HAVE REPORTEDLY EXPERIENCED NON-CRASH FIRE INCIDENTS ORIGINATING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT OR NEAR THE ABS CONTROL MODULE SOME TIME AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER THE SUBJECT RECALL.THE MANUFACTURER HAS PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION THAT INDICATES CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE IMPROPERLY SERVICED UNDER THE SUBJECT RECALL AS EVIDENCED BY THE FACTORY WIRE TIE-WRAP NOT BEING REMOVED FROM THE WIRING HARNESS (WHICH INDICATES A PROPER INSPECTION COULD NOT HAVE BEEN PERFORMED) A
DP09-003opened Apr 14, 2009
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · model years 2001 to 2004

Engine compartment fire. Closed apr 15, 2009.

NHTSA summary
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) RECEIVED A DEFECT PETITION DATED MARCH 5, 2009 ALLEGING THAT THE PETITIONER NEVER RECEIVED THE RECALL REMEDY FOR 07V-156 AND THAT, AS A RESULT, THE PETITIONER'S MY2003 FORD ESCAPE CAUGHT FIRE AT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE.IN RESPONSE TO ODI FOLLOW-UP, THE MANUFACTURER VERIFIED THAT THE PETITIONER'S VEHICLE HAD IN FACT RECEIVED SERVICE RELATED TO SAFETY RECALL 07V156 - A FACT LATER CORROBORATED BY THE PETITIONER.CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FIRE EXPERIENCED IN THE PETITIONER'S REMEDIED VEHICLE INDICATE THAT THE REMEDY WAS INEFFECTIVE.ADDITIONAL REVIEW BY ODI IDENTIFIED AN ADDITIONAL 6 SIMILAR (ALLEGED TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT OR NEAR THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ) NON-CRASH FIRE INCIDENTS IN SUBJECT VEHICLES KNOWN TO HAVE RECEIVED THE RECALL REMEDY.ACCORDINGLY, A RECALL QUERY (RQ09-002) HAS BEEN OPENED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE RECALL REMEDY.
PE06-048opened Oct 30, 2006
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · model years 2001 to 2003

Engine compartment fire. Closed apr 17, 2007, led to recall 07V-156.

NHTSA summary
IN LETTERS DATED MARCH 30, 2007, FORD AND MAZDA NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT THEY WILL CONDUCT SAFETY RECALLS TO REMEDY A SAFETY DEFECT THAT MAY RESULT IN FIRE IN A WIRING CONNECTOR USED IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001-2004 FORD ESCAPE AND MAZDA TRIBUTE SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS.RECALL 07V-156 INVOLVES APPROXIMATELY 446,450 MY 2001-2004 ESCAPE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 22, 1999 THROUGH JANUARY 23, 2004.RECALL 07V-157 INVOLVES APPROXIMATELY 95,300 MY 2001-2004 TRIBUTE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 17, 2000 THROUGH DECEMBER 19, 2003. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS, THE ELECTRICAL WIRING CONNECTORS TO THE ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WERE MANUFACTURED WITH WIRE SEALS MISSING OR IMPROPERLY INSTALLED IN SOME WIRING HARNESSES USED IN THE RECALL POPULATIONS.THIS MAY ALLOW ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS SUCH AS WATER OR BRAKE FLUID TO ENTER THE ABS ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR INTERFACE AND CAUSE CORROSION OF THE ELECTRICAL TERMINALS.SUCH CORROSION MAY RESULT IN AN ILLUMINATED ABS TELLTALE, AN OPEN CIRCUIT, AND/OR AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE ORIGINATING AT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.TO REMEDY THE DEFECT, THE MANUFACTURERS WILL INSPECT THE CONNECTORS FOR SEAL INTEGRITY.IF A SEAL INTEGRITY ISSUE IS IDENTIFIED THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AS NECESSARY.ALL VEHICLES WILL HAVE DIELECTRIC GREASE APPLIED TO THE CONNECTORS TO FURTHER REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTAMINANTS ENTERING THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS. TO DATE, ODI IS AWARE OF 120 NON-CRASH RELATED FIRE INCIDENTS ALLEGED TO HAVE ORIG

None of these investigations covers the 2015 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 30,000 and 79,055 miles, from the 18 reports that gave a mileage.

415
217
218
119
520
221
122
423
225
226

What owners wrote

“Older man pulled out in front of me, I t-boned his truck going 47 mph. His insurance totaled it. The airbags never deployed.”

Filed Apr 21, 2025

“I was getting off I77 and went to push my brake pedal and it wouldn't move and i couldn't slow down. I had no warning lights come on. Thankfully i made it home. I checked for brake fluid and it was good”

Filed Sep 26, 2023

“while driving car shit off and displayed message “transmission not in park” once coasted to a stop car unable to turn back on with steering wheel, gear shift, and brakes locked. inside lights and screens, brake lights, and fog lights will turn on, but car will not turn over or attempt to start”

Filed Jun 28, 2023

“I have been in two accidents since my purchase of the vehicle. I haven’t even had a year. When it’s an emergency and breaks need to be applied suddenly the breaks are locking up and will not go down. It eventually does once I start pumping them. But I was recently in two accident BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE AND THE PURCHASE OF THIS CAR HAS BECOME MY NIGHTMARE”

Filed May 27, 2021

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 6 of 25 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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