Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
ABS service light comes on intermittently, when light is on a "service brake system" warning comes across the guage cluster. While this service light is on the escape has little to no braking and requires upwards of 300ft to stop when going 45mph. Once the vehicle is brought to a stop you can hear the brake system attempting to pressurize but only making a repeated grinding noise directly in front of the driver in the engine bay. Once vehicle is parked and shut off the brakes continue to make the same grinding noise. After allowing the vehicle to sit over night you may get lucky and have fully functioning brakes or you may unlock the door and hear the grinding noise letting you know the abs warning will be illuminated once the car is started. …
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 MPH, the brakes failed with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that his wife was able to coast the vehicle off the roadway. The contact arrived at the scene and drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic discovered that both front brake lines were severely corroded and that the front passenger's side brake line was leaking brake fluid due to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
On 12/10/21 the accelerator stuck. I had to pull off the road, because I was losing power. But what if it got stuck at a high rate of speed? How would I stop, other than the hand brake and pray that it works. It had happened another time that week, but I thought it was a fluke as the car only has 85000 miles on it. I bought it in Sept 2021. It happened again on the 11th. Had my family member look at it and they lubricated the accelerator and a cable in the engine compartment. It has not done it since. Here is the VIN # [redacted]. 12/18/21 Drove to church. No problem with anything. No lights on.... the dash. Family member left to go home for the afternoon and stated that they almost hit a herd of deer, because the brakes went straight to the floor. They drove back for the evening program, with the same problem. …
Within a month of purchasing vehicle, mileage 67,000, complete brake system failure. Could have been fatal and will be if not corrected. Many exact complaints found online. Vehicle failed to stop coming to light. Had to pull off the side of the road into a wooded area for the vehicle to stop. Felt like vehicle was sliding on road. Later realized it was a ABS system failure not sliding. ABS light is on. Brake system needs service light on. Emergency brake light stays on. Approximately 75% of the time, when first driving vehicle, only the service brake display is on. The vehicle will begin to buck/stutter, steering wheel shakes, and traction control warning light illuminates. After accelerating, that stops and returns to what I described.above. I read since there were no fatalities reported Ford will not recall. …
ABS service system warning came up on my dash along with the brake light and the abs light, immediately after the lights came on the ability to stop and stay stopped vanished.
My wife approached a stop sign at 15 MPH, the brake pedal went to the floor, the vehicle was not stopping when brakes applied. She thought the accelerator was stuck. She managed to return home. I inspected the car and found the front right brake hose ruptured, the brake reservoir drained to the separating partition. The failed hose had ruptured at the strut attach bracket, obviously a flex point. There were other failure points in the hose rubber coating visible. I replaced the hose and inspected the front left hose. Same failure pattern, very early leakage noted at the body hardline connection and the strut attach bracket. I replaced that hose as well. Rear hoses appeared completely intact and no issues noted. 71,600 miles on the vehicle. This is a serious common issue across the Ford Escape line which is also sold as the Mazda tribute. …
Purchased this pre-owned with only 40K miles. It's now only at 45K miles and randomly the ABS light and service brakes notification came on the dashboard. Took it to a garage and had them scan and it seems to be ABS related. Still have no repaired but from reading all over forums, reddit, google searches, and more this seems to be an extremely common problem that costs a ton to repair. Ford should handle this as a recall if it is a regular issue with this make and model. How is there no class action lawsuit yet? It seems countless people are mentioning that the brakes outright failed while driving on the road or even highways. What if someone dies? This is not acceptable.
The tone ring which inputs pulses to the ABS computer fails on many many Ford escapes. When this happens the ABS computer applies the brakes in ABS mode even though the vehicle is on dry pavement. This causes the vehicle to swerve, making directional control difficult. This can cause accidents! There is one hall effect ring on each wheel. The state of virginia states that this condition of a failed ring is a safety defect. See safety rejection dated 3-16-15 I.d. [redacted] enclosed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while parked and the key was turned, the vehicle had a loud noise from the front end, the instrument panel illuminated and the panel read "brake service needed" in addition, the ABS and the brake warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and all of the warning lights turned off. The vehicle was driven to the dealer. The hydraulic brake system was replaced but the failure recurred numerous times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000. Updated 05/04/17
Brake warming light and message. Brakes work but only partly - okay for general driving but not for emergency stops. Diagnosed by Ford dealer for over $5000 in repair. Quick internet search reveals that this is a common problem in Ford Escape hybrid vehicles, but Ford refuses to repair the obviously faulty units. This should be a recall on all units, or at least free repair for failed units. The replacement is more than the vehicle is worth. There are only 143,000 miles on the car, and otherwise it works fine.
Brake complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2007 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 48 complaints about the brakes of the 2007 Ford Escape, 19% of the model year's 254 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Ford Escape brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2007 Ford Escape, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Ford Escape brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.