The brakes on my Escape will fail when backing up. The pedal is very hard and there is no braking, which is especially bad upon startup when the engine is running rich and the car lurches backwards when the transmission is engaged. This problem has been intermittent at all times of year since I first purchased it in 2014, and the repair shops I have taken it to have been unable to duplicate the problem.
The problem is brake loss in reverse. It happens intermittently sometimes once a month or maybe 6 months with no problem but scary when backing out and cannot stop immediately. The pedal will be rock hard when this happens and after a couple of seconds will depress and brakes back to normal. Usually a quick pump of the pedal. If in a tight spot or pedestrian walks behind there could be bad consequences and good luck proving it in court that the brakes failed. Summer or winter doesn't matter. I have brought it to dealership and complained on another forum but dealer cannot find problem as it is so intermittent. It seems like a valve in the system sticks. I had it happen to me several times but my wife didn't believe me. Well it happened to her last week and she was scared. This has been going on for years without resolution and if nothing else will put this concern on the record or hopefully Ford takes this more seriously. I will be contacting dealer again as this must be fixed once and for all. Any ideas welcome.
- Mitchell Y.,
Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The brakes on my Escape will fail when backing up. The pedal is very hard and there is no braking, which is especially bad upon startup when the engine is running rich and the car lurches backwards when the transmission is engaged. This problem has been intermittent at all times of year since I first purchased it in 2014, and the repair shops I have taken it to have been unable to duplicate the problem.
- Valan C., Littleton, CO, US