I bought a vehicle that has recalls on it. I contacted a dealer. Im told the car is to old to fix the recalled abs relay. Now I have a vehicle thats on the road a fire hazard. The ford dealership have left me my with and kids and grand kids in danger
2002 Ford Escape: ABS light or ABS activating
89 of the 1,027 complaints about the 2002 Ford Escape describe ABS light or ABS activating.
- owner complaints
- 89
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- typical repair cost reported
- $900
- typical mileage
- 108,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 8 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
ABS light or ABS activating by model year
What owners say
Vehicle was manufactured 04/2002 recalls state that from oct99 to jan04 multiple states had issues with rusting with suspension causing the car to crash. My vehicle was made in one of the states and has alot of underbody rusting. Back hatch latch gets stuck often and will not open. Drums on the back are sticking causing the vehicle to drag at take off, abs had a recall ford dealer "fixed" the issue abs light stays on. Radiator light stays on constantly even though fluids are at correct level radiator is not damaged. Battery light constantly stays on as well brand new battery and alternator wire are connected free of corrosion. Interior lights caught on fire and melted the plastic housing so I had to take out the small bulbs. Everything is available for inspection if needed.abs was looked at by Ford dealer and "fixed" but problem is still there. Problems have not been inspected by anyone other than the abs, no warnings at all. Events happened at different times during the time I got the vehicle. 2022 Jan
Bought this car and 2 miles down road check engine, ABS, and the brake as well as the over drive (only one flashing) came on. The car gear shift lever pops out of gear. The vehicle has a new tranny. The vehicle stalls, and is blowing tranny fluid. It has had the compute replacee on a recall. Every issue I have found relates to recalls, yet fore told me nope zero recalls on this even after I showed him proof of a recall on the engine itself. So recalls; 07v156000, 15v606000, 12v005000, and 04v165000 somehow do not apply? So I have to crash before ford willl even look at the car. It pops out of gear! Clearly an ABS malfunction or not? All hazards.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The vehicle was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v005000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the repair did not remedy the condition. The contact had not experienced any failures prior to the recall repair. The contact noticed excessive smoke under the hood and the cap leaked brake fluid, which impacted the power steering pump and caused a short within the wires and the ABS. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and stated that the vehicle would need to be towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 169,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. While parked, the vehicle caught fire. The details of the fire were not available. The contact mentioned that the ABS warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 14v165000 (structure), 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control), and 12v005000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle and the suspension was unstable in the front. While parked, the vehicle caught fire on a second occasion. The fire department had to cut the hood open and inspected that the master cylinder was on fire. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was awaiting diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 151,703.
For the past year and a half the ABS warning light has been illuminated. I took it to the ford dealership to have the latest recall fixed regarding the reservoir cap. Ford couldn't get the ABS warning light to turn off...so, hence the light still intermidantly comes on and off. Also, the oil pressure light keeps coming on when I start my car and when I am slowing down. I just had my mechanic change the oil a week ago and and still having the problem. One last thing, the air bag illumination light has been on for the past two years. I took it to my dealer and they couldn't get it to turn off. Am I safe in thinking that my air bag won't deploy just for the heck of it? Not sure what to do? But it scares me.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. In addition, the contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. In addition, the ABS and the oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The over head light in the vehicle also independently illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,337.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v005000 (service brakes, hydraulic). While the vehicle was stopped at a red light, the brake pedal was depressed to the floor and the contact had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The ABS and brake warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear wheel sensor short circuited and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 209,000. Updated 04/06/15
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the brake pedal depressed to the floor and there was smoke emitting from the vehicle. The vehicle caught on fire which was extinguished by the contact. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the ABS electrical system had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v005000 (service brakes, hydraulic). However, the contact did not receive the recall notice. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had surpassed the statue of limitations for the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 196,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The contact stated that the air bag and ABS warning lights illunimated on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 166,000.
First incident- I was coming off an exit and the car infront of me got cut off on the off ramp because there was an entrance right after the turn, he brake and I slammed on my brakes. My ABS did not kick in. I did rear ended the car infront of me, but my car had all the damage. I did not think anything of this and only blamed myself. My car got repaired. Now (10/28/13)- my cars ABS/brakes are not working. I do not feel safe behind the car. Last year 2012, I got the recalls completed but they were minor. But my ABS system/brakes are crucial. My brakes are sticking, pulsing, going all the way to the floor. It is more than just a tone ring! That is the response I received when I went to a ford dealership. Something is incorrect with my ABS pump and something has to be done about it. When I think of the first incident I think something may have been wrong all along.
While driving at around 65 MPH on a freeway, the car turned on ABS light all of sudden and in a less than a minute the car's electricity all shut off, engines shut off, steering shut off, brakes shut off, radio shut off. I've had the same problem previously more than 6 times, but before, it was when I was driving less than 30 MPH, but this time, it happened on the freeway. It happened while putting on my breaks, and I believe it was one of the recall problem that the car stops while decelerating. However, the dealer told me that recall works have been already done on the car before it happened. So I suspect that the dealer did not figure out the main reason why the car is stopping while decelerating or just didn't work on the recall and lied.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Excessive front rotor wear and/or brake dust
- Excessive brake pad/lining dust and wear
- Instrument panel brake lamp illumination and/or brake fluid leaking condition
- Brake squeal / engineering contract request
- Click on turns
- Park brake adjustment / contact request
- Some vehicles may exhibit a brake fluid leak from the master cylinder reservoir cap
- Some vehicles may exhibit an intermittent high frequency brake squeal noise
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2001-2002 escape vehicles manufactured from october 22, 1999, through july 19, 2002, equipped with a brake master cylinder reservoir cap that could leak brake fluid. If brake fluid leaks from the cap, it could come in contact with the antilock brake system (ABS) module wiring harness connector.
- Risk
- Corrosion can develop in the electrical connector leading to melting, smoke or a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder reservoir cap and the ABS electrical system will be modified. An interim letter was mailed on january 20, 2012. Due to a parts delay, however, the remedy may not be available currently. If parts are not available, ford will instruct owners to park their vehicles outside until such time as parts become available. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332. This recall campaign is related to 07v‑156.
Recall number 12V005000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with antilock brakes (ABS), the ABS module connector may have missing or dislodged wire seals. This condition could allow contamination to enter the module connector, creating a potential for an electrical short.
- Risk
- An electrical short might cause an ABS malfunction that would illuminate the ABS warning light, and in some cases, the module may overheat resulting in burning odor, smoke, and/or fire. This condition could occur either when the vehicle ignition switch is in the off position or while the vehicle is being operated.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the wire harness connector to the ABS module for missing or dislodged wire seals, and repair or replace the harness connector as appropriate. The dealer will also inspect the connector on the ABS module and replace it if it is found to be corroded or damaged. The recall began on april 23, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 07V156000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2002 Ford Escape abs
Is ABS light or ABS activating a common problem on the 2002 Ford Escape?
89 of 1,027 owner complaints about the 2002 Ford Escape (9%) mention ABS light or ABS activating. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
How much does it cost to fix ABS light or ABS activating on the 2002 Ford Escape?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $900 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Ford Escape?
There are 2 recalls and 8 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Ford Escape
Stalling 226Fire or smoke 90Ball joint 56Airbag light 46Loss of power 43Check engine light 37Power steering loss 34Brake failure 28Engine failure 26Transmission failure 26Adaptive cruise 25Sudden acceleration 17No deployment 16Grinding brakes 16Door locks 15Jerking 12Won't start 9Knocking 8Headlights 8Hesitation 8Steering lock-up 8Harsh shifting 7Slipping 7Steering noise 6Won't shift 6Wipers 6Shudder 5Tire blowout 5
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