Traction Control complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | 0% | 12,000 miles |
| 2018 | 4 | 0% | 9,000 miles |
| 2017 | 8 | 0% | 34,000 miles |
| 2016 | 8 | 1% | 42,000 miles |
| 2015 | 10 | 1% | 53,000 miles |
| 2014 | 11 | 1% | 14,000 miles |
| 2013 | 40 | 1% | 80,000 miles |
| 2012 | 8 | 1% | 113,000 miles |
| 2011 | 17 | 1% | 66,000 miles |
| 2010 | 28 | 1% | 70,000 miles |
| 2009 | 25 | 1% | 105,000 miles |
| 2008 | 41 | 2% | 82,000 miles |
| 2007 | 7 | 3% | 77,000 miles |
| 2006 | 4 | 1% | 55,000 miles |
| 2005 | 16 | 1% | 123,000 miles |
| 2004 | 3 | 1% | 111,000 miles |
| 2003 | 2 | 0% | 130,000 miles |
| 2002 | 5 | 0% | 165,000 miles |
| 2001 | 3 | 0% | 99,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (electronic stability control and traction control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a right turn, the vehicle failed to exceed 18 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the fuel pump, fuel rail, and the battery; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 12,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the messages "Hill Start Assist Not Available", "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available", "Service Advance-trac" and "Service All Wheel Drive" remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the All-Wheel Drive module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 12,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the hill start assist message was displayed. Additionally, the traction control warning light was illuminated, and the instrument panel was blank. The contact stated that the vehicle temporarily lost motive power however, the vehicle regained normal function minutes later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the contact was unsure of what repairs were performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Went to stop on wet road traction control kicked in wheels locked up causing me not be able to guide myself off the road from hitting car it front slide the whole car shut down doors locked causing me to not be able to get out had to kick the door open and my phone was hooked up to the Bluetooth and no cops were contacted like I was told it would be! It felt like my car was a robot and shut completely down and I could not do anything after hitting my brakes it was like having no tires from that point on and my car only had 9,000 miles on it!
1. Hands free tailgate/trunk will automatically shut when objects or a persons body is present. Faub/ keys are not being pushed by accident, nor is there any movement under number that would sensor door to close. When it does do this, it takes quite a while for the sensor to realize there is an object there and takes some time to open again. 2. When vehicle slips on ice patces or large puddles of water--- when the traction light comes on my dash board, it seems to trigger my entire vehicle to shut completely down. Vehicle engine shuts off, steering wheel locks up, brakes stop working and no electrical from that point on. I have had this happen 3 times now, with the need to have to call a tow. For both complaints, Ford service says they cannot find anything wrong and cannot get either complaint to duplicate. Nothing has been done at this point by Ford to fix or compensate for any of this.
Fault lights come on and do not clear out consistently after an ignition cycle. Cruise control, blind spot warning, speedometer become non operational. Dealer has replace ABS module, battery and negative battery cable with no improvement. At times during initial startup, power steering is lost. Also vehicle would not start on 3 occasions. Issue occurs while car is in motion both during city and highway driving.
While driving on 85n in atanta, ga, while roughly driving at a speed of 65mph in the middle lane at 7 am on Friday, January 12, 2018, the battery light came on and the car shut completely off and with no warning! I take excellent care of the car with routine maintenance and have approximately 51K miles on it. For this car to turn off in the middle of morning rush hour traffic on an atlanta major interstate, not only endangered my life but the lives of hundreds of other drivers! Thankfully there was a gap in the traffic behind me so I was able to guide the car out of the middle of the interstate since while the car was still in movement but with no power. I barely made on to the shoulder. After sitting on the shoulder for over 30 mins, waiting on a tow truck, the car finally started back up. …
Jan. 24, 2019 power steering assist light came on had no power steering. Contacted langlade Ford in antigo, wi took it there they told me I had to replace the epas complete system and it was done on feb. 1, 2019 at cost of $1683.41 as my 3 year warranty had expired. I wrote to Ford in dearborn, mi about it, and received a letter from them on mar. 8, 2019 they stated "comments were received, documented and sent to their appropriate department". They need to have a recall on this as it is a safety issue and luckily I was able to drive it at all with no power steering I am fortunate it did not lock up on me. Thank you for letting me submit this, I know I am not the only one that's had this problem.
Related recalls (1)
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Maverick and Escape vehicles. The cover for the electric brake booster's ECU may cause the printed circuit board to overheat and result in a loss of vehicle stability control systems (anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, and traction control) or a loss of brake…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the electric brake booster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Escape years have traction control problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (41), 2013 (40), 2010 (28), 2009 (25) and 2011 (17) model years. Traction Control complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for Ford Escape traction control problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 25V-787 (electronic stability control (esc), Nov 14, 2025). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Escape traction control problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic (asc) (1 mentions).
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.