2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

2006 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE FAILURE. *SMD CONSUMER SENT ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS A SPORADIC ISSUE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. WHEN THE ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYED, THERE WAS NO PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE POWER BRAKES FAILED, AND IN ORDER TO GET THE BRAKES TO WORK AT ALL, HE HAD TO PRESS THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE CONSUMER EXPERERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER, THE INSIDE LIGHTS DIMMED AND THE RADIO CUT OUT. IT WAS DETERMINED THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE SPORADIC BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. UPDATED 08/24/15*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ELECTRONIC HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 11/19/13*LJ

THE BRAKES FAIL ON A REGULAR BASIS WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM SPEEDS BETWEEN 10 AND 35 MPH. IT OCCURS AS A SUDDEN RELEASE OF BRAKING PRESSURE WHILE STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN. AT THAT TIME A MOMENTARY WARNING LIGHT COMES ON FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THE SYSTEM APPEARS TO GO INTO A FAIL-SAFE MODE THAT ALLOWS MANUAL OPERATION OF THE BRAKES. THIS CAUSES A LARGE INCREASE IN BRAKING DISTANCE AND I CONSIDER IT VERY DANGEROUS. THIS FAILURE SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM AND MAY BE COMMON TO OTHER HYBRID VEHICLES. AFTER STOPPING THE WARNING LIGHT GOES AWAY AND THE BRAKES WILL AGAIN FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE DOES NOT OCCUR CONTINUOUSLY BUT IT DOES OCCUR ALMOST EVERY DAY THAT IT IS DRIVEN. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN A REPAIR SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES WITH MANY PART REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO EVADE OUR FLEET MECHANICS. THIS IS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND COMMONLY KNOWN WHERE THERE ARE LARGE FLEETS OF HYBRID VEHICLES. MY CO-WORKER DRIVES THE SAME TYPE OF ESCAPE HYBRID AND HE HAS THE SAME FAILURE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE WITH FORD AND/OR TOYOTA. A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAS BEEN SEEN WITH TOYOTA PRIUS IN OUT FLEET. *TR CONSUMER STATED AT SOME PERIOD AROUND 2014-15 THE CAR WAS SENT TO THE FLEET DEPT AGAIN FOR BRAKING PROBLEMS AND THERE WAS SOME BREAKTHROUGH WITH REPAIRS. VEHICLE WAS TRANSFERRED TO DIFFERENT NYCDEP DRIVER FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. VIN NUMBER NOT AVAILABLE BUT COULD INQUIRE WITH CONSUMER'S TRANSPORTATION SECTION. UPDATED 6/11/18*JB

BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON, SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE ON DASH DISPLAYS, AND ABS LIGHT DISPLAYS. VEHICLES BRAKES FAIL AND EVEN WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL COMPLETELY VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP COMPLETELY WITHOUT PUMPING BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES OR USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES LAST WEEK (WITHOUT WARNING LIGHTS) AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED BRAKES AND ADVISED EVERYTHING LOOKS FINE. OCCURRED AGAIN THIS EVENING WITH WARNING LIGHTS. TURNED OFF VEHICLE & RESTARTED AND NO LIGHTS AND NO PROBLEM BRAKING. RESEARCHED ONLINE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS IN BLOGS, COMMENTS, ETC. *TT

WHILE TRAVELING HOME ON AN INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER A LIGHT BREAKING SITUATION. I DID THE SYSTEM CHECK AVAILABLE ON THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKE FLUID WAS SHOWN AS OK. THE BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED NOT LONG AGO SO I WAS CONFUSED. A SHORT TIME LATER THE YELLOW ABS LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I WENT TO BRAKE MY FOOT WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING. I SWERVED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. IT TOOK A GREAT DISTANCE ( I WOULD SAY MORE THAN 100 YARDS ) FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. I WAS NEVER SO SCARED IN MY LIFE. I DROVE HOME ON SIDE STREETS AT 25 MPH WITH MY WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING AND VIRTUALLY NO BRAKES. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP I RESEARCHED THE BREAK FAILURE ISSUE AND TO MY AMAZEMENT FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS. AFTER FIVE DAYS IN THE REPAIR SHOP AND THREE FAILED ATTEMPTS BY THE TECHNICIAN TO BLEED THE BREAK LINES I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A $4200 COMPUTER CONTROL UNIT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED BREAK SYSTEM OF THE HYBRID VEHICLE AND NO PERSON SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE TERROR OF ATTEMPTING TO STOP FROM 70 MPH WITH THE BREAKING SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. THIS IS A TIMEBOMB WAITING TO GO OFF IN THE FORM OF A FATAL ACCIDENT.

*THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE HAD A COMPLETE "BRAKE FAILURE" WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID IN TRAFFIC. THIS LAST TIME, I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN BEDFORD, TEXAS AND OBSERVED THAT TRAFFIC IN THE DISTANCE WAS STOPPING FOR CONSTRUCTION. I APPLIED MY BRAKES BUT THE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD TO EXIT THE ROADWAY ONTO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES. I PUT MY VEHICLE IN LOW GEAR FROM DRIVE AND APPLIED MY EMERENGY BRAKE TO STOP MY CAR. THIS IS THE "SECOND" TIME I HAVE HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THIS BAKE PROBLEM. THE "ABS" LIGHT CAME ON, THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THERE WAS A COMPUTER MESSAGE ON THE DASH THAT READ "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM". THE FIRST TIME THAT I EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM, I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THEY ADVISED THAT SINCE THE "CODE LIGHTS" WERE NOT ON AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DRIVE THE ESCAPE UNTIL THE "CODE LIGHTS" CAME BACK ON AND THEN BRING IT BACK FOR SERVICE!!! I COMPLIED TO THIS REQUEST AND BOUGHT THE TRUCK BACK IN WITH THE "CODE LIGHTS" ON AND THE MESSAGE READING. DEALERSHIP WORKED ON THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THE ASSIST SERVICE MANAGER DROVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS TO CHECK IT OUT. THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED TO ME WITH ASSURANCE THAT THE "BRAKE PROBLEM" WAS FIXED. ON JULY 9, 2011, I AGAIN HAD A "COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE" WITH MY TRUCK(SEE ABOVE) ON JULY 11, 2011, I TOOK MY ESCAPE HYBRID BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ADVISED THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER, ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WHAT ALMOST HAPPENED TO ME IN TRAFFIC. I ALSO SHOWED HIM SOME OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME TYPE OF "BRAKE FAILURE" THAT HAS OCCURRED ON OTHER FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS. I HAVE ALSO CALLED FORD CORPORATE TO START A COMPLAINT! "DOES IT TAKE SOMEONE GETTING KILLED OR INJURIED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE?" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT *CN

BRAKE FAILURE RESULTING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR AND A LOSS OF HYDRAULIC OR POWER BRAKING. VEHICLE DOES STOP AFTER A HARD PRESSING OF BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS SOMETIMES FOLLOWED BY A YELLOW ABS LIGHT AND RED BRAKE LIGHT WARNING. THE PROBLEM IS FIXED BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. I AM NOT KIDDING. ITS LIKE REBOOTING THE COMPUTER. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. I REPORTED IT TO FORD WHO SAID THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT THE DEALER AND NATIONAL LEVEL. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND MENTIONED THE INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE. AFTER THE OIL SERVICE, THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A YEAR. I THOUGHT FORD HAD SECRETLY FIXED IT WHILE THEY WERE CHANGING THE OIL. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND HAS HAPPENED 10 TIMES. I THINK IT IS RELATED TO THE CAR NOT HAVING ENOUGH POWER BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE ICE (INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE) IS OFF. PERHAPS IT IS RELATED TO RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONING SINCE IT STOPPED AFTER THE SUMMER AND RETURNED AGAIN. THE ICE TURNS OFF WHILE BRAKING AT SPEEDS BELOW 40MPH SO THAT IS PROBABLY RELATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS WARNING LAMP. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V156000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

I JUST BOUGHT A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE SERVICE BREAK SYSTEM LIGHT AND MESSAGE CAME ON MONDAY, THE 2ND TIME I DROVE IT, ON THE WAY TO WORK. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION BUT IT TURNED OFF. NEXT MORNING, SAME THING SO I CHECKED FLUIDS. IT WAS OFF AGAIN THE REST OF THAT DAY. LIT UP AGAIN WEDNESDAY. I MADE IT THAT EVENING TO A SERVICE STATION BEFORE THEY CLOSED (VERY RURAL AREA). THE WARNINGS WERE NOT ON AND HE COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING OBVIOUS ON PRELIMINARY INSPECTION BUT SAID TO BRING IN IN THE MORNING IF THE WARNING WAS BACK. THURSDAY IT ACTED FUNNY ON MY DRIVEWAY. THE NEXT CURVE I FOUND OUT WHY, NO BREAKING POWER EVEN WITH THE EXTREMELY STIFF AND DIFFICULT PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. I FINALLY GOT IT TO A STOP WAY PAST THE CRAZY RIDE AROUND THE CURVE. I STOPPED TO CALM MYSELF AND DECIDE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO GET TO TOWN. I DECIDED THE E-BRAKE SEEMED TO STOP IT IF I KEPT IT VERY SLOW. SO I PROCEEDED TO TOWN-NOT TO A FORD DEALER BECAUSE OF SOME VERY SCARY BIG HILLS, BUT INSTEAD TO THE SERVICE STATION WHO I TRUST. HE WAS BOOKED A WEEK AND A HALF AND HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HIS COMPUTER HAD THE HYBRID PROGRAMMING TO CHECK IT. SO I HAD TO TOW IT 63M TO THE DEALER I GOT IT FROM, THINKING THEY WOULD STAND BY IT OR IT WOULD BE COVERED BY THE "DRIVETRAIN PLUS" SERVICE AGREEMENT I PURCHASED TO COVER ANY SCARY PRICED REPAIRS THAT CROP UP ON OLDER CARS. IT WAS SOLD AS-IS, AND IOWA HAS NO LEMON LAW APPARENTLY, THE PLAN I PURCHASED SOUNDS LIKE IT WON'T COVER IT, AND THEY OFFERED ME A MEASLY 10% OFF THE BILL THAT IS ABOUT HALF AGAIN WHAT I PAID FOR THE CAR. I GOT TO DRIVE MY NEW USED CAR 4 1/2 TIMES. ALL I CAN DO IS THANK MY LUCKY STARS MY KIDS WEREN'T IN THE CAR, THERE WASN'T A CAR NEAR ME, I WASN'T COMING DOWN ONE OF THE STEEP AND CURVY RIVER BLUFFS ON MY WAY TO OR FROM WORK, OR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER SCARY SCENARIOS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN. FALIURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM'S HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT HCU AND MASTER CYLINDER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND A DESIGN FLAW MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED.