The brakes failed while my wife was driving this car. It was not very difficult to diagnose the problem. The brake fluid leaked out of a brake line in the rear of the car. The location of the brake line failure is where the line is fastened to the body when the car was manufactured. It is my opinion that this defect may exist on many other vehicles of this type, that is why I am reporting it to you.
1997 Ford Escort: brake failure
12 of the 543 complaints about the 1997 Ford Escort describe brake failure.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 17 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Brake failure by model year
What owners say
Brakes failed. Pedal went to the floor, resulting in an accident. Dealership mechanic said the problem was due to the emergency brake driveline.
While driving 20mph there was a popping sound. Driver applied brakes and pedal went to the floor, and vehicle would not stop. Vehicle hit another vehicle. Brake system has been repaired.
When applying the brakes a popping/grinding sound occurs, an vehicle takes a longer time to stop. Owner's daughter was in vehicle crash due to loss of braking ability. *ak`
Abs brakes; when applying brakes in a sudden stop, the pedal went to the floor and brakes failed to stop the vehicle, causing an accident. Please provide details.
Owner's son was driving the car and the steering wheel and column locked up, forcing him to go off the road. Also brakes failed to operate properly.
Brakes failed and vehicle rear ended another vehicle at 25mph, and airbags on both sides did not deploy.
Brakes failed, causing the front wheels to lock.
When applying force to the brake pedal goes to the floorboard, causing extended stopping distance and brakes fade away. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer adjusted the rear brakes.
Owner states that brakes do not grab and that once vehicle was involved in an accident as a result of this. Brake pedal goes to the floor . No ABS brakes, they are standard power brakes. Dealer cannot find problem.
Brakes failed, causing accident.
Steering wheel locked up,brakes failed to operate properly resulting in an accident, no deployment of air bags during collision.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Some vehicles may exhibit a grinding noise while braking, brake drag and/or uneven front brake pad wear...
- Some vehicles may exhibit grinding noise, or greater than normal brake roughness, when applying the brakes...
- Some vehicles may exhibit grinding noises, or greater than normal brake roughness when applying the brakes...
- Information for servicing and diagnosing brake vibration, brake inspection, and brake friction material...
- Information regarding brake caliper pin corrosion
- Exhibiting a clicking noise heard while applying the brakes after changing vehicle direction on some vehicles
- Information concerning click noise from front calipers during brake application
- This bulletin mentions that for all vehicles with antilock brake module concerns that require a module...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1997 Ford Escort brake failure
Is brake failure a common problem on the 1997 Ford Escort?
12 of 543 owner complaints about the 1997 Ford Escort (2%) mention brake failure. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Ford Escort?
There are 0 recalls and 17 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Ford Escort
Fire or smoke 47Airbag light 33Coil spring 30Stalling 22No deployment 14Ball joint 13Check engine light 11Grinding brakes 9Sudden acceleration 9Headlights 8Loss of power 6Transmission failure 6
VIN decoder
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