I have a 2007 Ford Expedition with 130,000 miles. Recently the ABS and Traction control light is on. My mechanic said the brakes are good and he believes the common controller could cost $1,400! He says it’s safe to drive without ABS and Traction control. Scotty is there a cheaper fix for this?
thanks.
Tom Walsh
It could just be you have a bad ABS sensor. A mechanic with a good scan tool should be able to determine that. Without input from all the wheels the ABS and traction control cannot function. As long as the car otherwise drives normally and the brakes work it is safe to drive.
Yes, it is completely same to drive as is. It is no different from driving a car that rolled off the assembly line without ABS and Traction Control.
It could be a sensor, but if it is the computer then yeah...that's the price and there's no cheap way to fix it.
I would just drive it as is BUT make sure it will pass your local emissions/safety inspection. Some will fail you for the ABS light.
I would get a second opinion and go from there.
It’s an older car. I would look at the wheel speed sensors at each wheel and “trigger wheels” - toothed wheels inside the hub that telegraph rate of speed. Over time, trigger wheels accumulate a thick coat of fuzzy rust and maybe some grease and dirt. Check all that, … plus wiring, connectors, attachments, wipe sensors clean, check for chips - those are magnetic, they attract all kind of metallic dirt. If all that is well, … it’s most likely electronics. But you can safely ignore all that, … you just won’t have ABS function.
F.S.
