2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

ON COLD MORNING, CAR STARTED DROVE DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT 5 MILES AND THE CAR JUST DIED, SAYING "BRAKE SAFELY NOW." SEEMS TO HAPPEN ONLY ON COLD DAYS WHEN HEATER IS ON. IT WILL NOT START AGAIN FOR 30 MINUTES. IT WILL START, BUT WILL CONTINUOUSLY DIE. WE HAD CALLED FORD IN MIDDLESBORO, KY AND SPOKEN WITH FRANK WHO SAID OUR VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS. I THEN FOUND OUT IT HAD A RECALL. I TOOK IT IN OVER THE WEEKEND AND HE THEN CLAIMED ON MONDAY THAT THE RECALL ITEM HAD BEEN FIXED. HOWEVER, WHEN I CHECKED THE WEBSITE, IT CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN FIXED. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW. WE HAVE HAD THE OIL CHANGED, BATTERY REPLACED AND IT CHECKED BY FORD OF MORRISTOWN, TN. THEY CLAIM THEY CAN'T FIND OUT WHATS WRONG WITH IT. WE HAVE READ OTHER PEOPLE'S SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WHO SAID IT WAS EITHER THE "ELECTRIC MOTOR WATER PUMP" OR COOLANT PUMP. *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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE MESSAGE STATING TO "STOP SAFELY NOW" ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR ELECTRONIC COOLANT PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V526000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V526000 (ENGINE) AND BELIEVED THAT THE RECALL WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAILRUE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THE RIGHT REAR FENDER WELL OF MY VEHICLE IS BROKEN AND CRACKED WHERE THE SHOCK MOUNTS AT THE TOP. THEREFORE, THE SHOCK IS BASICALLY ATTACHED TO NOTHING MORE THAN SOME BROKEN PIECES OF THE FENDER WELL. THE SPRING IS THE ONLY THING GIVING THE VEHICLE ANY SUPPORT ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE AND IT MAKES AN ABDOMINAL NOISE WHEN GOING OVER THE SLIGHTEST BUMP. FORD HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART AND UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, HAS TOLD MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MODEL ESCAPE THE SAME THING. I UNDERSTAND THAT RUST HAPPENS, BUT THIS IS QUITE CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THE DASH SHOWED A WARNING STATING SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF 'STOP SAFELY NOW'. I STEERED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO RESTART IT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND THE CAR STARTED. IT HAS RUN FINE SINCE THEN. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE. I WOULD BE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR WOULD JUST STOP. AFTER A FEW MINUTES IT WOULD START AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT WOULD HAPPEN TWICE WITHIN AN HOUR AND THEN THERE WOULD BE NO INCIDENCES FOR WEEKS TO MONTHS AND THEN IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. A MECHANIC REPLACED AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT AND IT APPEARED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED UNTIL THE INCIDENT ABOVE. I AM THE SOLE DRIVER OF THE CAR AND THE ORIGINAL OWNER. *TR

I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE 2006 WHEN I BOUGHT IT NEW. AFTER ABOUT FOUR YEARS THE BATTERY PACK BLEW AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT WOULD HAVE COST $4000 BUT THANKFULLY I HAD PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT WAS COVERED. ON SEPT. 20, 2014 THE CAR THREW A ROD AND THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WOULD COST $5000 TO FIX IT WITH A REBUILT ENGINE BUT THAT IT WASN'T WORTH IT BECAUSE THE ENGINES FOR THESE CARS ARE NOTORIOUSLY UNRELIABLE AND IT WOULD PROBABLY JUST FAIL AGAIN. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE SCRAP THE CAR. THE ENTIRE LIFECYCLE OF THIS VEHICLE WAS ONLY 8 YEARS WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY PREPOSTEROUS. CARS SHOULD LAST LONGER. *TR

I WAS ACCELERATING ON THE FREEWAY, AND THE ENGINE STALLED. I COULD STILL STEER TO THE SIDE, BUT THE ENGINE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO POWER. CAME VERY CLOSE TO GETTING REAR-ENDED. BROUGHT CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. CONTINUED TO HAVE MULTIPLE SIMILAR OCCURRENCES. BROUGHT IT IN AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY SAID THE BATTERY FAN WASN'T WORKING, SO I PAID A LOT TO HAVE IT FIXED (ABOUT A YEAR AGO), HOWEVER, I STILL HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, MORE OFTEN AND ON MANY OCCASIONS NOW. IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING MUCH WORSE. I DREAD DRIVING ON FREEWAYS NOW, ESPECIALLY UP HILLS. I AM BRINGING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE AGAIN LATER THIS WEEK. WONDER WHAT LINE THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE ME THIS TIME. *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