2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

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

I WAS DRIVING HOME AROUND 9 PM. IT WAS ABOUT 40 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THE REAR DEFROSTER WAS ON. MY TWO KIDS WERE IN THE BACK SEAT AND MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE REAR WINDOW OF MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE JUST SHATTERED. WE PULLED OVER TO SEE IF SOMEONE HAD THROWN SOMETHING AT THE CAR, BUT THERE WAS NOBODY AROUND EXCEPT A FATHER AND HIS YOUNG CHILDREN. HE HADN'T SEEN ANYTHING BUT SAID HE HEARD THE WINDOW BREAK AS WE DROVE BY. THERE WAS GLASS ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. I AM THANKFUL THAT MY KIDS WERE NOT HURT, BUT I AM SHOCKED THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN. I LOOKED THIS UP ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE. *TR

WHEN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, SUDDENLY THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. THE SHUT DOWN APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A FAULTY COOLANT SYSTEM. FROM ONLINE REPORTS, THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND IS VERY UNSAFE. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY SURROUNDING TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL. *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

WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN A WARNING APPEARED ON THE DISPLAY " STOP SAFELY NOW ". THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND WE MANAGED TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT APPEARED TO WORK OK. DROVE ANOTHER 10 MILES AND THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" REAPPEARED AND THE CAR LOST POWER. WE PULLED OVER. WE WAITED FOR 10 MINUTES, RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT DROVE US HOME. LATER WHEN WE WERE DRIVING UP OUR STREET, THE SAME THING OCCURRED. *TR

THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAS AN EXTREMELY THIN COVER, IT IS MUCH THINNER THAN THE ONE ON MY 2003 FORD EXCURSION OR THE ONE MY 2009 KIA. THE COVERING IS A LITTLE THICKER THAN A PIECE OF PAPER AND IT IS NOW CRACKING. IT CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT A ONE AND A HALF INCH CRACK ON THE COVERING LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN. THIS VEHICLE IS GARAGED AND DOES NOT REMAIN OUTDOORS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. WHEN IT IS OUTDOORS A SUNSCREEN SHADE IS USED ON THE WINDSHIELD TO REDUCE SOLAR DAMAGE. *TR