Ford Recalls 115,000 Escape And Bronco Sport SUVs Due To Emergency Brake Concerns

Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are designed and manufactured every year, out of which people all over the world buy millions of units. This brings billions of dollars in revenue for automakers. Still, it can be their worst nightmare to find out that the vehicle they have produced on the highest quality standards has a manufacturing defect and needs to be recalled. According to recent reports, the number of vehicles recalled in the past few years is much higher than any time.

While vehicle recalls are unpleasant for car manufacturers, they are equally harrowing for car owners, who discover their lives might have been in danger since they bought their brand-new vehicle. Same is the case with owners of the Ford Escape and Ford Bronco Sport SUVs, who have just found out that their perfect new ride might not be perfect after all.

About the Affected Vehicles

The two models of Ford vehicles that have the manufacturing problem are the Ford Escape and Ford Bronco Sport. The Ford Escape is a compact crossover SUV that has been in production since 2000. The fourth generation of the vehicle comes with a Ford 8FM 8-speed automatic transmission and an 88 kW permanent-magnet synchronous AC electric motor. Different models of the Escape SUV come with the 1.5L Ecoboost I3-T engine, 2.0L Ecoboost I4-T engine, and the 2.5L DurateciVCT Atkinson cycle I4 engine with two electric motors.

The second vehicle is the Ford Bronco Sport, another compact crossover SUV that has been recently manufactured and released into the market. It features an 8-speed 8F35 SelectShift automatic transmission, and it comes with two engine options: 1.5L Ecoboost I3-T and 2.0L Ecoboost I4-T.

Which Ford Vehicles Were Recalled?

Earlier this year, Ford filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which stated that the automaker has identified problems with the braking system in some of the units of the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs.They stated that these vehicles needed to be recalled as soon as possible, so car owners don’t suffer due to it.

So far, a total of 114,996 SUVs have been identified to be recalled, and as Ford continues to research the braking problem, there might be several other units that can be recalled in the near future.

2021-2022 Ford Bronco Sport

Among the 114,996 units that are identified for a safety recall, as per the report submitted to the NHTSA, a majority of them are the Ford Bronco Sport, particularly the 2021-2022 models. The faulty vehicles number up to 65,429 units, and only 14 units from them belong to the 2022 model. The affected models were produced between 27th January and 11th November 2021.

2021-2022 Ford Escape

The fourth-generation Ford Escape was another model that was identified to have the braking issue. The 2021-2022 Ford Escape SUVs that were recalled amounted to 49,553 units. Out of these, only 2 units belonged to the 2022 model. Prior to this, earlier generations of the Ford Escape weren’t reported to have any kind of braking problems. These models were manufactured between 14th December 2020 and 26th October 2021.

What Prompted the Recall?

The surprising thing is that it wasn’t Ford that recognized the problem with the braking system of their Ford Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs. What happened is that the vehicles were inspected through an audit by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. According to government-mandated regulations, a vehicle that is driving at a particular speed should stop before covering a certain distance.

For instance, the Ford Bronco Sport should be able to stop in under 551 feet when it is running at 60 miles per hour, even without power brakes. However, the NHTSA revealed that the Bronco Sport doesn’t stop until it has covered a distance of 583 feet. This is why the recall became a necessity, and Ford decided to recall a small percentage of the affected SUVs while it investigated the cause in further detail.

When the Bronco Sport was identified to have the braking-related issues, Ford also decided to investigate the possibility of the problem occurring in the Ford Escape, which has a similar braking system as the Bronco Sport.

What Seems to Be the Problem?

When the NHTSA conducted the audit of the Ford Bronco Sport, it stated that the problem was with the friction coefficient of the rear-brake caliper linings, which seemed to be outside the range that established safe braking guidelines. Moreover, it was further revealed that the braking distance of the Ford Bronco Sport was increased when its brake power assist device failed to work.

In a letter sent by the NHTSA to Ford, it said that in several cases, the driver would have to apply the brakes with greater force, which will cause the braking distance to increase, thus increasing the risk of a crash. Moreover, the problem extends to the models of Ford Escape and Bronco Sport that lacked a vacuum sensor in the brake vacuum booster, which is why only a few units of the vehicles were recalled.

The vacuum sensor in the brake vacuum booster is responsible for detecting a malfunction in the brake booster, and the ABS module kicks in to counter the excessive friction.

What’s Next for Ford Escape and Bronco Sport Owners?

Even though the problem has been identified and the recall has been announced by Ford, it doesn’t seem that the automaker has come up with a viable solution to fix the issue with the rear-brake caliper linings. It is also imperative to mention that the 114,996 Ford SUVs that have been recalled only belong to the United States, and there may be even more in Canada and Mexico.

As per the latest news from Ford, owners of the affected vehicles will be notified through mail on 10th January 2022, and it will start initiating the recall soon after. Currently, owners can only sit tight and try to drive their vehicles with the utmost care so that they don’t end up facing an accident. It is also a good idea to contact an Los Angeles lemon law attorney to determine if you are entitled to a refund for your lemon.

Speak with a Professional Lemon Law Attorney in Los Angeles

Get in touch with a professional and experienced Lemon Lawyer in Los Angeles, who will not only give you a free case assessment, but also determine whether you have a lemon or not. You can count on us to provide you with sound legal representation.