Electronic stability control (ESC) may enhance your vehicle’s directional stability during adverse maneuvers, for example when cornering severely or avoiding objects in the roadway. ESC operates by applying brakes to one or more of the wheels individually and, if necessary, reducing engine power if the system detects that the vehicle is about to skid or slide laterally.

During ESC events, the stability control light in the instrument cluster will flash.

Certain adverse driving maneuvers may activate the ESC system, which include but are not limited to:

• Taking a turn too fast
• Maneuvering quickly to avoid an accident, pedestrian or obstacle
• Driving over a patch of ice or other slippery surfaces
• Changing lanes on a snow-rutted road
• Entering a snow-free road from a snow-covered side street, or vice versa
• Entering a paved road from a gravel road, or vice versa
• Cornering while towing a heavily loaded trailer (refer to Trailer towing in the Tires, Wheels and Loading chapter).