2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

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 THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND A LIGHT ILLUMINATED THAT SAID STOP SAFELY NOW. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

I WAS ABOUT 4 MILES FROM MY HOME TRAVELING THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 45MPH AFTER A 16 MILE TRIP. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE DASHBOARD SHOWED A RED TRIANGLE AND THE WORDS STOP SAFELY NOW. I HAD NO CHOICE AS ALL POWER WAS GONE. I WAS FORTUNATE TO NOT BE ON THE FREEWAY AT TOP SPEED! I WAITED ABOUT 5 MINUTES THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED HOME. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER I RAN AN ERRAND THAT USUALLY TAKES ABOUT 25 MINUTES ROUND-TRIP. IT TOOK ALMOST AN HOUR; THE ENGINE STOPPAGE AND STOP SAFELY NOW BUSINESS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. EACH TIME I WAITED 5-10 MINUTES AND PROCEEDED ON MY WAY. THE CAR NEVER SHOWED ANY CHECK ENGINE WARNINGS, CHIMES, NOISES OR OPERATIONAL DIFFICULTIES--IT JUST HAPPENED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I AM TERRIFIED TO TAKE MY VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY OR VENTURE FAR FROM TOWN! *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT 55MPH ON A COUNTY ROAD. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A BANGING NOISE AND I LOST MOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP INTO A OIL CHANGE PLACE. THEY LOOKED AT THE OIL AND IT WAS NEARLY EMPTY. I HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED THE OIL ON TIME AND DONE ALL OTHER MAINTENANCE ON THIS CAR. THERE WAS NO APPARENT OIL LEAK AND NO SIGN OF BURNING OIL. I HAD CHECKED THE OIL ABOUT 300 MILES PRIOR. THE OIL JUST DISAPPEARED AND THE ENGINE THREW A ROD NECESSITATING A NEW ENGINE. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST 5-6K. I HAVE READ OF AT LEAST 21 OTHER PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM; THE OIL JUST DISAPPEARED AND THE ENGINE THROWS A ROD. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THIS ENGINE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS DRIVING ON A COUNTRY ROAD AND NOT A FREEWAY AND HAD A PLACE TO PULL OVER. *TR

MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID CUT OFF THE COMBUSTION ENGINE WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A COUNTRY RD. WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF WITH DECLINING POWER IN THE ELECTRIC ENGINE. DISPLAY READ "PULL OVER SAFELY" AND NOTHING ELSE. I BROUGHT IT IN TO BOTH A FORD DEALERSHIP WHO REFERRED ME TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE WHO KNEW ABOUT HYBRID CARS. SINCE THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR AT THE TIME I BROUGHT IT IN AND THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS SHOWING ON A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING. THE SUV HAS DONE THIS NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE AND SOMETIMES SHUTS OFF BOTH ENGINES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. I THOUGHT SPEED AND HARD DRIVING WERE THE PROBLEM WHICH IT TENDS TO HAPPEN MORE SO ON 45MIN OR GREATER DRIVES BUT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO DO THIS AT 15MPH IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. VERY SCARY, ESPECIALLY ON CROWDED HIGH SPEED ROADS AS YOU CANNOT "PULL OVER SAFELY" WITH NEITHER MOTOR RUNNING. IF THEIR EXCUSE IS ITS A SAFETY FEATURE IT IS NOT VERY SAFE. I CONTACTED FORD VIA E-MAIL AND THEY WERE NICE ENOUGH TO REFER ME BACK TO THE ORIGINAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND SEND THE DEALERSHIP THE E-MAIL I HAD SENT TO THEIR CUSTOMER SUPPORT IN CONFIDENCE STATING I DID NOT TRUST THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SHOULD INVESTIGATE THEIR PRACTICES (FOR PREVIOUS REASONS RELATING TO OTHER CAR ISSUES). SAW MANY POSTS IN FORUMS THAT THIS PROBLEM RELATES TO THE COOLING PUMP FOR THE ELECTRIC MOTOR. ORDERING A NEW COOLANT PUMP ONLINE AS I WILL NOT GO TO THE FORD (AS I SAW A POST ELOQUENTLY PUT) "STEALERSHIP". *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

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED (55MPH), ENTIRE POWERTRAIN (GAS ENGINE AND HYBRID MOTOR) COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITH NO WARNING LEADING TO AN ABRUPT LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. THE DASHBOARD INFORMATION CENTER JUST DISPLAYED "STOP SAFELY NOW." THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THIS AT ALL. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER SITTING FOR ONE HOUR, VEHICLE RESTARTED AND DROVE PERFECTLY FOR ANOTHER 3 DAYS, THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON LOCAL STREETS, LEAVING THE CAR IN A VERY DANGEROUS POSITION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. BROUGHT INTO SHOP AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I AM ALMOST AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ANYMORE. *TR