Problems · by component

2013 Ford Escape service brakes problems

64 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Escape cite service brakes, 2% of all 2,757 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
64
2% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The anti-lock brake system is no longer available. When I start the car, a warning comes on that the Uphill assist is unavailable. Other lights come on concerning the brakes. I have contacted my repair shop and they have contacted the FORD dealership and have been told that presently there is no fix available. I understand this failure may be on other Ford Escape 2013 since I was told there are at least 400 vehicles awaiting this replacement part at this time and I would not know how many failures there were in the past.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 1, 2026Service brakesODI 11741327
“While coming to a stop sign the vehicle was going about 3MPH when the master break cylinder failed causing the breaks to fail and the car to hit another vehicle.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 26, 2025Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11669368
“*car shakes as it brakes *coolant leaks (i see in the ford escape recalls there is one for coolant leaking) *upon opening doors it feel a slight stuck before opening. the doors don’t feel intact properly. *rubbers around windows appear loose. windows may not be secured.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 1, 2024Structure, Service brakes, EngineODI 11605806
“December of 2022 - Took car to shop due to engine overheat light and oil smell inside vehicle as well as other "codes coming up. Vehicle was repaired. May 2023 had to take car back to shop due to cranking and it immediately saying engine overheating, low coolant, and various other codes as well as brakes not properly functioning. Repair shop said it was low on coolant and added fluid, stated no leaks and returned vehicle. But repair shop shows it pulled 15 codes, including loss of communication with ABS control module A as well as 3 other "lost communication with" codes and the engine overheating. The NEXT day we had the same issues and had to put it back in the shop. They flushed system and replaced motor because a bad head gasket caused oil to mix with the water (again). Got the vehicle back July 10th and the traction control and braking felt off as it had before in Dec 2022 but then was fine. Noticed on 7/11 that there appeared to be something in the fluid tank that shouldn't be there (like black chunks) and called the repair shop to see about scheduling another diagnostic. On 7/13 my son was driving from work and the engine suddenly stalled saying…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 16, 2023Steering, Service brakes, EngineCrash reportedODI 11532521
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, he depressed the brake pedal however, the brakes failed to engage. No warning lights were illuminated. As a result, the contact’s brother swerved off the road but was able to engage the parking brake. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 161,905.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2023Engine, Service brakesODI 11500182
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from underneath the vehicle. The coolant detector would not accurately detect the coolant level. The coolant reservoir needed to be refilled weekly. The ABS warning system would chime and illuminate whenever the vehicle was started, and the vehicle would fail to move. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle several times, the ABS warning light turned off and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping out of the park(P) into drive(D). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the wheel hub bearing needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the wheel hub bearings were replaced four times and the front axles were replaced twice; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 8, 2022Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Service brakesODI 11496553

Showing 6 of 64 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.