Owners of other Ford or Lincoln vehicles such as the Focus, Fusion, C-Max, Mustang, Fiesta, Transit Connect, Edge, Flex, Explorer, Expedition, Taurus, F-150, EcoSport, MKC, MKZ, MKS, MKX, MKT and the Navigator may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The items needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a flathead screwdriver, a 7mm hex head socket with a ratcheting wrench or a 7mm Allen Key wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp and a tube of high temperature synthetic brake parts lubricant grease.

A few compatible sets of replacement front brake pads with their replacement part numbers are as follows: Centric Ceramic 105.16450, Carquest Wearever Gold Ceramic GNAD1044, Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1563, ProAct Ultra Premium Ceramic ACT1044, Akebono ProAct ACT1044, ProStop Platinum PGD1645C, Power Stop 17-1645 Z17 Evolution, Bendix D1044, TRW TPC1645, Hawk Performance HB519F.682 and TRW TPC1645.

Chock both sides of the rear wheels to prevent the car from moving while you are replacing the pads.

Slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the front wheel by turning them counterclockwise. Just break them free by a 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

Carefully raise the front of the SUV and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

I prefer to work on one side of the car at a time to keep three wheels on the ground for extra safety.

Spin off the 5 lug nuts in the counterclockwise direction and set them aside in a safe place.

Carefully pull off the front wheel to reveal the rotor, bracket, caliper and the front suspension.

Gently pry off the round black plastic dust cover from the two caliper bolt housings with a small flathead screwdriver.

Loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 7mm hex head socket and ratcheting wrench or a 7mm Allen Key wrench.

Continue spinning out the caliper bolts which also act as the caliper slider pins or "guide pins".

Set the two combination caliper bolts / slider pins aside in a safe place.

Set the spring clip aside in a safe place.

Pull the old outer brake pad out of the bracket and set it aside for future use.

Pull the old inner brake pad out of the caliper piston and discard it.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper and use the back of the old outer brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure across the piston.

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay and twist off the black plastic brake fluid reservoir cap in the counterclockwise direction.

Slowly turn the "C" or "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to compress back the piston.

Repeatedly check the brake fluid level in the reservoir while you are compressing the piston to make sure that it doesn't over flow.

Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately and rinse the area with plenty of water. Brake fluid can easily damage painted surfaces.

Continue pushing back the caliper piston until it is just about flush with the rubber dust boot surrounding it.

Try to avoid pinching or otherwise damaging the rubber dust boot surrounding the caliper piston.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (readily absorbs moisture from the air). Twist on the cap in the clockwise direction.

If your Escape previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations in the front end during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with brand new rotors. If this is the SUV's first front brake job and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just change the pads with great results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two bolts on the rear of the caliper bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Remove the bracket and set it aside in a safe place. Then loosen the old rotor with a rubber mallet, pull it off, and slide the new one in its place.

The 2013 to 2019 Ford Escape service manual specification for tightening the caliper bracket bolts (also known as the "brake caliper anchor plate bolts" or "torque member" bolts) is 129 lb-ft (or 175 N-m) of torque.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to any area where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer lip of the caliper pistons.

Do not apply brake parts lubricant to the friction surface of the new pads or to the rotor.

Push the 3 metal prongs on the back side of the new inner brake pad in to the caliper piston.

Carefully lower the caliper back in to the bracket.

If the caliper won't fit over the thicker new inner brake pad, you may need to compress the caliper piston back a bit further.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper lubricant grease to the smooth parts of the two caliper bolts / slider pins.

Do not apply grease to the threads on the caliper bolt/pins.

Push in the two caliper bolts / slider pins.

The service manual specification for tightening the caliper bolts / pins is 21 lb-ft (or 28 Nm) of torque.

Double check that the two caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps.

Push in the two round black plastic dust caps over the caliper bolt housings.

If your brake pedal previously felt soft or spongy, the brake fluid might be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain a few air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT4 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located underneath a rubber cap on the back side of the caliper next to the upper caliper bolt.

Spin on the five lug nuts in the clockwise direction by hand to make sure that they don't become cross threaded.

Continue spinning on the lug nuts with the tire iron in the straightened out position.

Carefully lower the SUV from the jack stands by using the floor jack.

Continue tightening the lug nuts in the clockwise direction in a "star" or "criss cross" pattern to about 1/4 to 1/3 turn past hand tight or about 100 lb-ft of torque as specified in the owner's manual.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with a 100 lb-ft torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Sit in the driver's seat of the car and firmly press the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, add some fresh DOT 4 fluid.

To break in your new front brake pads, just drive normally for the first few hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy and/or not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir, and also verify that the lug bolts are still tight. Be sure to record the brake pad change in your Escape's service records.

For more, check out my other 2013-2016 Ford Escape DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.