2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

ELECTRIC ASSISTED POWER STEERING NOT FUNCTIONAL. DEALER TROUBLESHOOTING CONSISTED OF READING CODES, THEN INDICATING THAT THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACED ($2200). REPLACED THE ASSEMBLY, STILL DOESN'T WORK. THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED, STILL DOESN'T WORK. THE REPAIR SHOPS AND THE DEALERS HAVE INADEQUATE INFORMATION AND TRAINING TO REPAIR THESE ELECTRIC STEERING SYSTEMS. THERE SHOULD BE ADEQUATE INFORMATION AND TRAINING TO IDENTIFY THE FAILED COMPONENT, AS OPPOSED TO SWAPPING OUT LARGE ASSEMBLIES, AND STILL NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM. THESE SYSTEMS APPEAR TO HAVE A HIGH FAILURE RATE, AND PRESENT A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WHEN THEY FAIL WHILE DRIVING! PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL ASAP! *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON I-195 EAST GOING TOWARDS BWI THE ENGINE JUST CUT OFF FOR NO REASON OR WARNING THEN A RED TRAINGLE APPEARED STOP SAFELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON FOR ABOUT 5 MIN AFTER IT STARTED I HAD NO POWER WHAT SO EVER WHEN ABOUT 2 MILES AT 30 MILES PER HOUR AND IT DID IT AGAIN MANAGED TO GET IT HOME BASED ON WHAT I HAVE BEEN READING WHY HAS FORD NOT RECALLED THIS ISSUES OR ARE THEY WAITING FOR SOME ONE TO GET KILLED THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I AM LOOKING INTO GETTING A LAWYER IF FORD DOES NOT WANT TO FIX IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE SERVICE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE JUMPER HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000. UPDATED 8/13/13 *CN

1) WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING A YELLOW WRENCH LIGHT INDICATING MAINTENANCE NEEDED OFF AND ON FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS EVEN THOUGH WE WERE WELL WITHIN THE MAINTENANCE PERIOD. THIS TURNS OUT TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE BLEND DOOR FOR ALLOWING AIR COOLING OF THE HYBRID BATTERIES. 2) THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY FOR THE CAR. WE HAVE HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING, AND THE SYSTEM CHECK SHOWED NO PROBLEM (I BELIEVE IT CHECKS FLUID LEVELS) SO THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HWY AT 70 MPH AND PASSING A SEMI, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING CAME ON. THERE WAS NO WARNING, I LOST SPEED AND BARELY MOVED OUT OF THE WAY OF THE TRUCK. THIS FAILURE ALMOST COST ME AND MY PASSENGER OUR LIVES. THE CAR STARTED AGAIN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR LATER BUT ONLY RAN LONG ENOUGH TO LIMP TO A GAS STATION. WE CALLED AAA, HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS EITHER THE IGNITION SWITCH OR THE PCM...I HAVE TWO SONS WHO ARE TOP MECHANICS. THIS IS NOT THE PROBLEM. THEY BELIEVE A WIRING HARNESS FOR THE HYBRID BATTERY IS DEFECTIVE, AND THAT THERE WAS A LETTER SENT TO ALL HYBRID OWNERS. I TOOK THIS LETTER TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHEN I RECEIVED IT. THEY SAID IT DIDN'T PERTAIN TO MY VEHICLE AND DID NOT PERFORM THE REQUIRED MAINT. REALLY? THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS, DEATHS, OR NEAR MISSES MUST HAPPEN BEFORE FORD REACTS AND ACTUALLY OWNS UP? FYI BLOGGING IS OUT THERE FOR US ALL! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A TRIANGLE WARNING SYMBOL ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE ELECTRONIC MOTOR COOLING PUMP TRANS AXLE HAVING OVERHEATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A COMPLAINT WAS TAKEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY HAD ALSO FAILED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. IN ADDITION, THE AIR CONDITIONER, WATER PUMP, ELECTRONIC BATTERY AND THE COOLING FAN WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

AT 65 MPH ON HWY 5 IN LOS ANGELES THE VEHICLE DIED AND THE " STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE CAME ON. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET FROM THE 3RD LANE TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNING OFF THE KEY I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND CONTINUE. ABOUT 15 MILES LATER IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN WITH THE SAME MESSAGE. AGAIN ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE FREEWAY AND AFTER PUTTING IT IN PARK TURNED THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON AND WAS AGAIN ON MY WAY. BOTH TIMES THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON SO AFTER THAT I DID NOT USE THE CRUISE AND HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER OCCURRENCE. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN TWO MONTHS CAR WARNINGS TO "STOP VEHICLE SAFETY" IN A MIDDLE OF HIGHWAYS. WE JUST HAD A FEW SECONDS TO PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND IS VERY DANGEROUS MANEUVER IT. ONCE WE PULLED IT OFF WE TURNED OFF ENGINE AND WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES TO RESTARTED AGAIN TO COMPLETE OUR DESTINATION. THIS IS A VERY DELICATE SITUATION DUE THE SHORT TIME TO REACT WHEN ENGINE SUDDENLY TURNS OFF. WE HAVE TWO KIDS AND OUR LIFE HAD BEEN IN TREMENDOUSLY DANGER TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. *TR

AUGUST 2011 - HAD DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES TN INTO VA WHEN STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE APPEARS. PULLED OVER, WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED THE ENGINE. NO HELP AVAILABLE LOCALLY AS IT WAS SMALL TOWN LATE SATURDAY. DECIDED TO CONTINUE TRIP HOME - DROVE SLOWLY IN RIGHT LANE FOR LAST 200 MILES. NO RECURRANCE THE REST OF THE WAY. MY MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG UPON RETURN HOME. DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN UNTIL JUNE 9, 2012 - ABOUT 150 MILES FROM HOME. SAME SCENARIO - STOPPED FOR A MINUTE THEN WENT ON. HAPPENED AGAIN ON JUNE 20, 2012. AFTER STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THEN RUNNING AT 70 MPH WHEN MESSAGE APPEARS, THIS TIME THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATLY AND I BARELY GOT ONTO THE SHOULDER WITH TRAFFIC SPEEDING BY ABOUT 2 FEET OFF MY RIGHT. TRIED TO START AGAIN BUT MESSAGE THAT THE ENGINE WAS DANGEROUSLY HEATED APPEARED. AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT STARTED, I TURNED ON THE HEAT (DESPITE 90+ OUTSIDE TEMP) AND GOT OFF AT NEXT EXIT AND PARKED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. STARTED UP AND DROVE HOME. NO OTHER OCCURANCE SINCE. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME NOW THAT I NEED A COOLANT PUMP BASED ON THE STORED SERVICE CODE. WILL COST OVER $700 PART AND LABOR. JUST HOPE IT FIXES IT. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITH ONLY SECONDS OF WARNING. IN THE AREA I LIVE, I WOULDN'T ALWAYS BE ABLE TO EVEN GET ONTO A SHOULDER SAFELY. *TT