The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, and while driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle was smoking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The owner disconnected the battery. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the owner that the ABS module and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
2003 Ford Escape: ABS light or ABS activating
22 of the 558 complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape describe ABS light or ABS activating.
- owner complaints
- 22
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 110,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
ABS light or ABS activating by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated that while entering the driveway to park, there was smoke present. The contact exited the vehicle and opened the hood when a fire was discovered. The contact grabbed a water hose and extinguished the fire. The ABS module connector was melted along with wires. At the time of the incident the contact was pregnant and had her 4-year-old daughter in the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The fire department was not contacted. No police report was filed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but there was a recording stating that no calls were being accepted at the moment. The local dealer (unknown dealer information) was then called where they mentioned that the federal safety agency action number: pe06048 (service brakes, hydraulic) was previously performed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
My ABS lights is on. I then was able to find the issue with the wires under both seats. The way they were stabilized to the seat glide has caused the wire to frey.I am in need of new wiring under both seats,driver side being the worst of the two.this is not anything I have done it is due to poor designs.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving 75 MPH, the contact smelled smoke coming from the engine. The contact noticed the vehicle was smoking and rushed home. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake system module harness and master cylinder needed to be replaced. In addition, the ABS warning light illuminated and the braking system caught fire. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 148,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contacts owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle caught on fire from under the hood. A police report was filed and it was stated that the fire started near the ABS brakes. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN number was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 07v156000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The failure and current mileage was 162,063.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the brakes failed after the contact applied force to the brake pedal. The steering wheel began pulling to the right. The vehicle came to a complete stop after applying force to the brake pedal. The manufacturer was notified and did not offer a remedy. The vehicle was driven to a local mechanic, who diagnosed that the ABS anti-lock system needed to be replaced. The repairs were not completed on the vehicle. The failure and current mileage were 127,000.
We purchased the vehicle 30 minutes prior. We were in stop and go traffic until leaving the freeway 1 lights prior to the accident. When my daughter tried to use the brakes the pedal went straight to the floor. When she pumped them numerous times, there wasn't any change. She didn't have any brakes. She rear ended my newly purchased vehicle from the same dealership. Police were at the light where she rearended me. They confirmed no brakes, my husband did, the tow truck driver too. When it was received to the body shop on monday morning the brakes were very soft according to the technician. After sitting for a week, the brakes worked fine. They cant determine why the brakes failed. The dealership was the first call I made at the accident and they told me they know it had legal brakes. Come to find out the brake fluid was black and has an outstanding recall with the ABS that had never been taken care of. There is also a recall on certain master cylinders which were faulty/leaking and the stock numbers. Unfortunately the stock number was removed from the master cylinder. We have a vehicle that never even made it to our home that is now totaled. The dealership is only going to "make it right" with proof that the brakes failed. The police report states such and I have the report from the bodyshop, but after waiting for the insurance to have the test done, they cant confirm loss of brakes. They can only state the fluid being black. We now are having to fight to not lose our trade in value and to not have a reportable accident against my daughter vs a mechanical failure. This is a nightmare both the dealership and the insurance are not making this easy. The most expensive vehicle I ever owned for 30 minutes is all I can say.
On may 8,2013, the anti-theft alarm sounded while my car sat in the driveway. It had not been driven for 3 + hours. Upon investigation of the alarm, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The wiring harness attached to the ABS had a small flame and smoke from its wiring insulation. After extinguishing the flame and disconnecting the battery, I called for a tow . The safety features worked well and locked out the entire auto system. The service technician said there was a recall ( recall 07s51 suppl #2 dtd 9 oct 2009 ) and that ford should probably provide a fix or credit toward said fix. The car was then towed to a ford dealership. The current status is: 1.) the wiring harness is no longer manufactured by ford and the dealership has no approved provisions to secure a harness. 2.) recall 07s51 was implemented per their records so there is no provision for the dealership to fix this issue even if they could get a wiring harness and then troubleshoot the extent of the damage.3.) my private insurance's comprehensive plan does not cover a vehicle sitting static for a wiring fire. 4.) I am awaiting forms from ford quality group to plea for consideration. Once the forms are completed and received by ford corporate offices, their lawyers will require approx 15 days to make a determination if my claim has merit.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the contact noticed a loud snap and a knocking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. A few days later the contact noticed that the steering wheel became uncontrollable and continued to pull to one side. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the a frame was corroded and detached from the vehicle, causing damage to the ABS and the tie rod. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
Sudden ABS failure small accident.took ABS relay out after this brakes work fine.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated the ABS light illuminated intermittently and the brake pedal bounced abnormally when depressed. In addition, there was a burning odor released from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who inspected the vehicle and located the failure at the ABS module. The manufacturer was made a ware of the failure and denied assistance with the repair, stating that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 07v156000 (service brakes, hydraulic: antilock: control unit/module). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 60,000.
Abs light on 2003 ford escape keeps coming on....was never notified by ford about a recall on this...also have had to replace an engine in it only had it for 37,000 miles when I had to replace the engine....ford does not notify customers of potential problems with this vehicle.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
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 2003 Ford Escape abs
Is ABS light or ABS activating a common problem on the 2003 Ford Escape?
22 of 558 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape (4%) mention ABS light or ABS activating. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Ford Escape?
There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Ford Escape
Ball joint 65Stalling 52Airbag light 39Fire or smoke 23Adaptive cruise 19Tire blowout 16Sudden acceleration 15Power steering loss 14No deployment 12Jerking 12Loss of power 10Check engine light 9Hesitation 9Engine failure 7Transmission failure 7Won't start 7Brake failure 5Knocking 5
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