Ford will recall more than 244,000 vehicles because brake fluid could leak from a defective brake master cylinder reservoir cap and lead to electrical problems.
On Jan. 4 the automaker notified the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration of the safety recall, which applies to 244,530 model year 2001 and 2002 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with ABS.
In April 2007 Ford conducted a safety recall to address potentially missing or misplaced seals in the wiring harness connector to the ABS modules electronic control unit. Some repaired vehicles may not have received a complete inspection or application of electrical grease as instructed. If the wiring harness wasnt fixed, and brake fluid from the reservoir cap leaks on it, corrosion can develop in the electrical connector, leading to illumination of an ABS warning light, melting, smoking or fire.
Ford will mail owner notification letters the week of Jan. 23. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the brake master cylinder reservoir cap replaced and the ABS electrical system modified.