NHTSA Complaint #10389793 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE

2006 FORD ESCAPE XLT, C/O LEFT FRONT ABS (ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) TONE RING FAILURE... AT 94,782 MILES ON MY ODO MY LEFT FRONT ABS TONE RING BROKE COMPLETELY IN-HALF CAUSING A ABS SENSOR FAILURE AND THE BRAKES BECAME TEMPORARILY SEMI-UNRESPONSIVE FOR A FEW SECONDS ( 3-5 SECONDS ) WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR. BRAKING WAS GREATLY REDUCED AS IF THE CAR THOUGHT I WAS SLIDING ON ICE OR SNOW. AFTER THE SYSTEM DETECTED FAILURE ( 3-5 SECONDS) THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON IN MY DASHBOARD AND THE ABS SYSTEM SEEMED TO BE DEACTIVATED BY THE CAR. WHEN I GOT HOME AND TOOK THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OFF AND INSPECTED MY BRAKES AND ABS SENSOR, I NOTICED THE LEFT FRONT ABS TONE RING WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED, FREE SPINNING LOOSELY AROUND THE AXLE AND WAS BROKEN COMPLETELY ON ONE END. I WENT ONTO GOOGLE AND RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEMS ON THEIR FORD ESCAPES. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS I THINK THAT PERHAPS THE ABS TONE RINGS FORD USED ARE FAULTY AND COULD POSE A DANGER TO MOTORIST BY CAUSING SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY OVER A FEW SECONDS AS DIRECT RESULT OF THE ABS TONE RING FAILURE. THE ABS TONE RING IS REPLACEABLE BY FORD OR YOU CAN BUY THE PART AT A PARTS STORE. REPAIR DOES INVOLVE REMOVING PART OF THE AXLE, SO IT IS BEST DONE BY A MECHANIC OR TRAINED PROFESSIONAL. *TR