brake lights remain on

Try pulling up on your brake pedal. Switch might be faulty or out of adjustment. Some vehicles have a small rubber plug in pedal that can fall out not allowing the pedal to make the switch. Just a thought.

...okay, these DO not adjust....sad really~ http://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/WC/5217-01114689.html? utm_source=google&utm_medium=ff&utm_content=YN&utm_campaign=P artsGeek+Google+Base&utm_term=2001- 2007+Ford+Escape+Brake+Light+Switch+Motorcraft+W0133- 1701509+01- 07+Ford+Brake+Light+Switch+2002+2006&fp=pp&gbm=a&gclid=CO2ap 864xLsCFahDMgodj2oAQQ

cheeeeeep tho....$21.18~~~

This could also be a short to the brake lights, you mentioned driving in heavy rain. Any holes in the floorboard under the car will allow water into the chassis, as will a windshield leak, which is usually invisible. Either can create electrical problems. Replace the switch first, and if that does not work, the short will need to be tracked down. It's labor intensive, but little or no parts to speak of. A decent mechanic should be able to get it done in a few hours. Hopefully the switch is the problem.

jimjobo that'd blow the fuse....ainahey?~

Power Probe sells a "electrical short" finder that issues beeps as you draw closer to the source of the short....tried one of these with my Volvo wagon and it was a waste of money~ the short was behind the headliner...(or so it indicated)~ finally SOLD that beast~

....besides they are $#!@$in' expensive~_____ https://www.google.com/#q=power+probe+electrical+short+finder

judge_roy, Not all shorts are to ground, some are to other positive wires - in this case, maybe a rear lamp turned on by a switch in the rear of the vehicle - way down-line from the brake switch. These wires share conduits. If the short was to ground (if a short is the problem) then the lamps would not light up at all, the fuse would blow, and if someone did the old foil trick to "replace" the fuse, the lamps themselves would blow because lamps are the essentially fuses too. Or there'd be a fire. Which would suck. This guy never did say what the problem was?

defective BLS~