2005 Ford Escape Hybrid

DRIVING AT 8AM BETWEEN BOULDER, CO AND LONGMONT, CO, ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2013. THE TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 30 DEGREES, WHICH IT HAD BEEN AROUND FOR THE WHOLE DRIVE, ABOUT 45 MINUTES AT THAT POINT. I HAD JUST COME DOWN FROM ABOUT 8000FT ELEVATION TO ABOUT 5000FT ELEVATION (WITH A GOOD BIT OF UP AND DOWN AND SOME BUMPY ROADS IN BETWEEN), BUT HAD BEEN AT THAT ELEVATION ON CITY STREETS FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THERE HAD BEEN LIGHT SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS, BUT NONE ONCE I WAS ON THE PLAINS. I HAD BEEN RUNNING MY REAR DEFROST OFF AND ON (THOUGH I DIDN'T NOTICE IF IT WAS ON OR OFF AT THE EXACT TIME OF THE INCIDENT), AS WELL AS HEAT AND FRONT DEFROST. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH ON A SMOOTH HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE, THEN SAW THAT MY REAR WINDOW WAS GONE, COMPLETELY SHATTERED. I HAD OPENED THE REAR WINDOW TO LOAD THE CAR BEFORE LEAVING. *TR

NOTICED A LOUD BANGING NOISE IN THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE. LOOKED IN WHEEL WELL AND IT IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THE CAR. TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE SEEN MANY EXACT SCENARIOS. SHOCK IS ATTACHED IN A WAY THAT IT RUBS AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL CAUSING CORROSION.. NO OTHER RUST ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS STORED IN THE GARAGE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAVE GIVEN SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. IN LOOKING FURTHER IN TO THIS IT IS A COMMON COMPLAIN. CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. A RECALL IS NEEDED AS THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THE WHEEL CAN FALL RIGHT OFF = AND THAT WILL CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY, PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STALLED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT A RED TRIANGLE ILLUMINATED WITH A MESSAGE TO STOP SAFETY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE SERVICE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE BULLETIN, THE PROGRAM INVOLVED INSTALLING A SERVICE HARNESS IN THE HIGH-VOLTAGE TRACTION BATTERY AND REPROGRAMMING THE BATTERY CONTROL MODULE. UPDATED 11/06/13 UPDATED 11/29/13*LJ

I WAS EN ROUTE TO A REPAIR SHOP TO CHECK A POSSIBLE U-JOINT NOISE, AND HIT A REPAIR BUMP IN THE ROAD WHEN MY CAR MADE A VERY SCARY CLUNK AT THE RIGHT/REAR WHEEL. IT CONTINUED TO MAKE A BANGING /CLUNKING NOISE. I CONTINUED ON TO THE REPAIR SHOP TRAVELING AT 25MPH WITH MY FLASHERS ON. THEY TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR A SHORT TEST DRIVE AND CONFIRMED THE BANGING/CLUNKING NOISE. THEY THEN PUT THE VEHICLE ON A HOIST FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION AND FOUND THE UNDER-BODY FRAME AROUND THE RIGHT/REAR SHOCK MOUNT HAD RUSTED AWAY, AND THE REMAINING PORTION THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE SHOCK WAS SNAPPING AND BANGING WITH ANY MOVEMENT OF THE RIGHT/REAR WHEEL. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOT DRIVEN MY VEHICLE. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN 5 MORE ESCAPES SINCE THEN ,AND ONLY ONE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WAS ALSO AN ESCAPE HYBRID. THEY ALSO ADVISED ME TO CONTACT YOUR WEBSITE AND MAKE A COMPLAINT. *TR

I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE. IT WAS VERY LOOSE AND DEPRESSED EASILY ABOUT 1 INCH, THEN STOPPED ABRUPTLY AND HELD FIRM WITHOUT SLOWING THE CAR AT ALL. AFTER PRESSING DOWN HARDER WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO BUDGE THE BRAKES, I LIFTED AND REAPPLIED THE BRAKES. THIS TIME THEY WORKED. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN A COUPE DAYS LATER. I TOOK IT IN TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE ABS MODULE AND MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FROM MY RESEARCH, FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER AND ABS MODULE ARE COMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR

I NOTICED AN UNUSUAL SOUND FROM THE RIGHT REAR END OF MY 2005 ESCAPE HYBRID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO LOOK AT IT TODAY. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND THE WHEEL WELL HAD RUSTED OUT AT THE ATTACHMENT POINT OF THE SHOCK AND THE UPPER PART OF THE SHOCK IS HANGING FREE. THEN I LOOKED AT THE OTHER SIDE AND IT IS STARTING TO GO. CLEARLY THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. I WAS HOPING TO KEEP THE VEHICLE A FEW MORE YEARS BUT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WITHOUT MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION IT IS JUNK AT THIS POINT IN TIME. CLEARLY THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM TO ME THAT THE DEGREE OF FAILURE SEEN HERE IS UNEXPECTED UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY IN THAT I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE NEW AND IT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. IN A BRIEF SEARCH OF THE WEB I HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER ESCAPE OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS. I AM CONCERNED THAT WITH A POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE FORD DID NOT NOTIFY THE OWNERS TO CHECK FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND SLOWED DOWN TO GO OVER SOME RAILWAY TRACKS. AS I WENT OVER THE TRACKS I HEARD A "THUD" COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE SOUND CONTINUED AS I WENT OVER BUMPS, AND I DISCOVERED ONCE I ARRIVED HOME THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THE SHOCK WAS UNATTACHED AT THE TOP. SINCE THEN THE TOP OF THE SHOCK HAS PIERCED THROUGH THE INTERIOR CABIN WALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 98,000. *TR

FOR ABOUT A MONTH, MY CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT WOULD COME ON ALONG WITH THE ABS AND THE RED BRAKE LIGHTS WHEN I WOULD START MY CAR. MOST OF THE TIME, I COULD TURN THE CAR OFF AND WAIT FOR THE ELECTRONICS TO TURN OFF THEN START THE CAR AGAIN AND THEY WOULDN'T COME ON AGAIN. THE LIGHTS CAME ON A FEW TIMES WHILE DRIVING AND THE BRAKES SEEM TO HAVE GIVEN OUT. I HAD TO REALLY PUSH DOWN ALL THE WAY TO GET THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN. I TOOK IT IN BUT SINCE IT WAS RANDOM, THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE IT OR FIND ANYTHING WRONG. LAST WEEK, THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND WOULDN'T GO OFF AT ALL. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND TOOK IT IN A FEW DAYS LATER. THE LIGHTS DIDN'T COME ON. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TO SAY I NEEDED A NEW HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT (HCU). THE PRICE WAS $4500. THIS WAS ON TOP OF THE TWO DIAGNOSTIC FEES OF $125 EACH I HAD ALREADY PAID. ALTOGETHER I HAD TO PAY $4750 AND MY FEH HAS 150,700 MILES ON IT. *TR