2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN THE MORNING. HAD BEEN IN THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES WHEN THE ABS, BRAKE, AND SERVICE BRAKES, INDICATORS CAME ON ALL AT ONCE. DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT I DID IN FACT NOT HAVE ANY BRAKES. TURNED ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND BEGAN TO MERGE OVER INTO RIGHT HAND SHOULDER, REPEATEDLY STOMPING ON BRAKE PEDAL. WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS APPROACHING A VERY BUSY 3-WAY INTERSECTION, OFF OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO SEE IF THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION, BUT ALL THREE INDICATORS CAME ON AGAIN. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. PAID $5280.03 IN PARTS AND LABOR TO HAVE FAULTY HYDRAULIC UNIT REPAIRED, AND HCU AND HYBRID SYSTEM BLEED. HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE IN THE PAST. VERY THANKFUL THAT THIS INCIDENT DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURIES TO MYSELF OR OTHERS. ...UPDATED 04/11/17 *BF UPDATED 10/16/2017*CN

WE WERE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY AND SUDDENLY THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THEY WERE VERY HARD TO DEPRESS AND SLOWED THE CAR VERY SLOWLY. HAD THIS HAPPENED WHEN WE NEEDED TO STOP, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT, WITHOUT A DOUBT. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO AND MY MECHANIC RESET THE COMPUTER AND ALL WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THEN THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. MY MECHANIC, WHO I TRUST IMPECCABLY WAS BAFFLED BY THE WHOLE THING AND ASKED THAT WE SEND THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. THE DEALER (FIRST DEALER) IS TELLING US WE NEED TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER, THEN MAYBE THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT, WHICH THANKFULLY, IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY IN CA BECAUSE IT'S A HYBRID PART. HOWEVER, IF IT IS THE HCU, WE STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER, EVEN THOUGH I SUSPECT IT'S THE HCU FROM WHAT I'VE READ ONLINE. I THEN CALLED THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE CAR WHEN WE INITIALLY BOUGHT IT (SECOND DEALER FROM HERE ON OUT). THE FIRST DEALER IS QUOTING US $2800 TO FIX THE MASTER, WHILE THE OTHER IS QUOTING AROUND $2000. THE SECOND ONE IS ALSO SAYING HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE HCU AND JUST CHANGE IT OUT WHERE DEALER 1 IS SAYING FORD SAYS IN ORDER TO CHANGE OUT THE HCU, THE MASTER HAS TO BE CHANGED FIRST. THE SECOND DEALER IS SAYING THIS SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE. WE JUST BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A PRIVATE SELLER AND FRANKLY, I'M SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I'M READING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART OF THE CAR AND IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE FORD IS HAVING SOME SERIOUS, LIFE THREATENING ISSUES WITH THIS COMPONENT...AS WELL AS GIVING PEOPLE MASSIVE BILLS TO FIX THEIR CAR. THE ONLY THING THAT SHOULD COST $4000 ON A CAR SHOULD BE THE ENGINE. NOT THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS IS INSANITY. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATING AND A CHUGGING SOUND IN 2013.... TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THE TONE RING ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE WAS BROKEN AND REPLACED FOR $350.00. ON 12 JANUARY 2015, BOTH THE ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, ALONG WITH MESSAGE TO SERVICE BRAKES. TOOK TO LOCAL FORD DEALER WHERE I WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WAS FAILURE OF THE ABS HYDRAULIC SYSTEM --- APPROX. $4,000.00 TO REPLACE. I DON'T HAVE $4,000.00 PLUS AVAILABLE TO INVEST IN THIS 2006 ESCAPE HYBRID.... THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY REPORTED, AND IS A VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD APPEARS TO BE DISMISSIVE --- MUCH LIKE GM AND THE ACCELERATION ISSUE. FORTUNATELY, THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTED DEATHS DUE TO THIS ISSUE..... YET. WE NEED TO GET A RECALL BEFORE THAT HAPPENS. *TR

WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, THE YELLOW ABS AND THE RED BRAKE FAILURE WARNING LAMPS LIT UP, AND THE ALARM SOUNDED. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL MY VEHICLE AS THE PEDAL BECAME STIFF. BRAKES WENT INTO MANUAL MODE. THIS LUCKILY HAPPENED IN THE EVENING, OR ELSE I COULD HAVE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR A PEDESTRIAN. THE CAR JERKED AS I PULLED UP THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND I HURT MY NECK. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AT HOME AND FOUND THAT IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT MANY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH, WHICH HAVE NOT YET BEEN ADDRESSED AS A VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT. PLEASE SEE THIS EXPERIENCE HERE & READ THE COMMENTS FROM OTHERS: HTTP://WWW.GREENHYBRID.COM/FORUMS/F26/BRAKES-BROKE-BANK-24731/. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, TSB 05-8-5 RELEASED BY FORD THAT ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE, AND IT HAS STILL NOT BECOME A RECALL. I DESPERATELY NEED TO USE THIS VEHICLE, I BOUGHT IT AS A SAFE & GREEN HYBRID SUV THAT WOULD BE PRACTICAL, EVEN BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK FOR RECALLS, AND NOW I FIND OUT THAT THIS PURCHASE MAY BE A THREAT TO MY LIFE, AND I AM NOW FINANCIALLY UNABLE TO AFFORD REPAIRS AFTER THIS LARGE CAR EXPENSE. THIS IS HAPPENING TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH ESCAPE HYBRIDS OF MANY DIFFERENT YEARS, PLEASE SEE THIS MAN'S YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=YFWZPZN2YG8 MORE SITES TO REFERENCE: HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/FORD/ESCAPEHYBRID/BRAKE-MASTER-CYLINDER-PROBLEMS.PHP HTTP://FORUMS.EDMUNDS.COM/DISCUSSION/5850/FORD/ESCAPE-HYBRID/FORD-ESCAPE-HYBRID-BRAKE-PROBLEMS. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 8-9 MONTHS AGO I FELT LIKE THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS GOING OUT IN MY 2006 ESCAPE HYBRID. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP THAT I TRUST A FEW DAYS LATER AND THE MECHANIC DROVE IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS OK SO NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME HE DID NOT PERFORM ANY SORT OF A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST BECAUSE HE FELT THE BRAKES SEEMED OK. FAST FORWARD TO APPROX. 8/17/14, I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND BEFORE I TURNED MY CAR OFF BOTH THE LED MESSAGE BOARD INDICATED AN ISSUE NEEDED ATTENTION (CAN'T RECALL EXACT WORDING) AND THE RED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH LIT UP INDICATING THE BRAKE UNIT NEEDED SERVICE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SAME MECHANIC AND HE PERFORMED A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST. HE GOT BACK TO FOLLOWING: "BRAKE SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS CODE: C1471 HIGH PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR VOLUME CONSUMPTION PLAUSIBILITY FAILURE. RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER FIRST AND RECHECK SYSTEM. IF CODE RETURNS THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED." THE COST TO PERFORM THIS WORK IS NEARLY $8,900.00 AND ALMOST ALL OF THAT CHARGE IS FOR REPLACING THESE TWO DEFECTIVE PARTS, NOT LABOR. THE COST TO REPLACE THE FAILING HYDRAULICS EXCEEDS THE BLUE BOOK VALUE OF THE VEHICLE ALSO. THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY 91,589 MILES ON IT AND THE WHOLE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM IS FAILING. I CHECKED OUT VARIOUS INTERNET BOARDS AND IT LOOKS LIKE MY PROBLEM IS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM SCORES OF OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED, AND MANY OF THEM RIGHT AT THE SAME APPROX. MILEAGE INTERVAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT INSTANTLY STOP AND TRAVELED ABNORMALLY TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULICS CODE WAS PRESENT AS A RESULT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30PM, I WAS DRIVING IN SACRAMENTO MAKING A RIGHT TURN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PETAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR WITH NO HYDRAULIC PRESSURE IN IT. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE PANEL SAID "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM." I HAD MY SON IN THE CAR WITH ME AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD PRESSING EXTREMELY HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET IT TO STOP. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO PEP BOYS AROUND THE CORNER WITHOUT BRAKES (EXCEPT WHEN I PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR). PEP BOYS LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT MIGHT BE THE MASTER CYLINDER BUT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO SELL ME ONE UNTIL I HAD A FORD DEALER LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON, THE ABS LIGHT WAS OFF, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS OFF, AND THE SERVICE WARNING WAS OFF. FORD DEALER LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE, DROVE IT AROUND FOR 22 MILES AND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPENED. I ADVISED FORD THAT PEP BOYS HAD ADVISED ME THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ON INTERMITTENT BRAKE LOSS FOR 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE IMMEDIATELY SNAPPED BACK AT ME "THAT DOESN'T MEAN ITS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY?" I THEN SAID, I CARE ABOUT MY SAFETY AND WANT TO KNOW WHY OUT OF THE BLUE MY BRAKES FAILED. WHEN I WENT BACK TO SEE IF THEY FOUND A PROBLEM, THEY STATED EVERYTHING WAS IN NORMAL WORKING ORDER AND THERE WERE NO CODES IN THE SYSTEM TO INDICATE BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS AND HAS BEEN DRIVING NORMALLY UNTIL STANDARD BRAKING SITUATION OF COMING TO A STOPLIGHT. AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL POWER ASSIST TO THE BRAKES WAS GONE. I HAD TO CRUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET ANY BRAKING AT ALL. LUCKILY I'M STRONG ENOUGH TO MANUALLY BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME (DECEMBER 2013) SINCE I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE THAT THIS HAPPENED. IT'S NOW APRIL 2014 AND THE SAME ISSUE HAS RETURNED (TWICE IN A WEEK). A VERY DANGEROUS POTENTIAL SITUATION. HOWEVER, AFTER BRAKING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE CAN BE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON TO CORRECT THE SITUATION (ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT TURN OFF) AND THE BRAKES RETURN TO NORMAL. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AT AUCTION FROM A FLEET OF VEHICLES. THE STICKER DID SAY BRAKE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING IT I FOUND ONLY NORMAL BRAKING AND ATTRIBUTED THE "BRAKE PROBLEM" TO WORN BRAKE PADS ETC. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT THE "BRAKE PROBLEM" THEY MENTIONED ON THE STICKER MUST HAVE BEEN THE SAME SITUATION I'VE RUN INTO - SO THE FLEET PERSONNEL MUST HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. THIS SITUATION SEEMS TO ME TO BE A MUCH DEEPER DESIGN FLAW AND AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE AND SEEING SO MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS - THIS OBVIOUS FLAW SHOULD BE EXPOSED AND CORRECTED ON A VEHICLE RECALL BASIS BEFORE THERE ARE FATALITIES. IT SEEMS TO ME ONLY A MATTER OF TIME...... *TR