2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

MULTIPLE CONTINUED INSTANCES OF COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. SINCE THE INITIAL OCCURRENCE, ALREADY DOCUMENTED ON THIS SITE (ODI ID NUMBER : 10349431), IT RANDOMLY RECURRED AT LEAST 10 TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, INCLUDING 3 TIMES IN A SINGLE TRIP IN JUNE 2012 AND TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES IN JULY 2012. THE BRAKE FAILURES TYPICALLY OCCURRED DURING HOT WEATHER WHEN RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONER, BUT NOT ALWAYS. EVERY TIME WE THOUGHT WE'D "FIGURED OUT" A PATTERN TO THE FAILURES, THE BRAKES WOULD GO OUT AT A DIFFERENT TIME THAN THEY EVER HAD BEFORE -- AT A HIGHER SPEED, OR WHILE SLOWING FOR A STOP LIGHT GOING UPHILL VERSUS WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO SLOW TO A STOP AT THE BASE OF A STEEP HILL WITH A MARINA IN FRONT OF US. WE FINALLY SOLD THE CAR FEARING FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR FAMILY, OTHERS ON THE ROADWAYS, AND OUR FINANCES. NO WONDER FORD QUIT MAKING THESE VEHICLES... *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

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPS WITHOUT WARNING AND DISPLAYS A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE. THIS HAPPENS ON LONGER TRIPS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AS THERE IS NO WARNING AND NO WAY TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. WE ARE NO LONGER SAFE TO TRAVEL ON THE HIGHWAY IN THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS A DANGER TO ALL ON THE ROAD AND HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER AND OVER HAPPENING WITH THESE VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A TRIANGLE WARNING SYMBOL ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE ELECTRONIC MOTOR COOLING PUMP TRANS AXLE HAVING OVERHEATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A COMPLAINT WAS TAKEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY HAD ALSO FAILED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. IN ADDITION, THE AIR CONDITIONER, WATER PUMP, ELECTRONIC BATTERY AND THE COOLING FAN WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

AT 65 MPH ON HWY 5 IN LOS ANGELES THE VEHICLE DIED AND THE " STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE CAME ON. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET FROM THE 3RD LANE TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNING OFF THE KEY I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND CONTINUE. ABOUT 15 MILES LATER IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN WITH THE SAME MESSAGE. AGAIN ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE FREEWAY AND AFTER PUTTING IT IN PARK TURNED THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON AND WAS AGAIN ON MY WAY. BOTH TIMES THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON SO AFTER THAT I DID NOT USE THE CRUISE AND HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER OCCURRENCE. *TR

I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT THE PARKING LOT OF A GROCERY STORE WHEN THE BRAKES WENT INTO A NON-POWER BRAKE MODE. I WAS ROLLING TO THE STOP SIGN. I PROBABLY WASN'T EVEN GOING 15 MPH. AS NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN I TOUCHED THE BRAKES, I HAMMERED THEM AND CAME TO A SHARP JERKING HALT. IT WAS A LITTLE FRIGHTENING AS ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS GOING 45-50 MPH. THEN THE ABS AND BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHTING CAME ON. IF I HAD NOT KNOWN HOW NON-POWER BRAKES FELT, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SLID INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. I SEE ONLINE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEMS OF THE ESCAPE HYBRIDS. I AM NOT SURE WHY IT IS NOT COVERED ON THE 100,000 MILE/ 8 YR WARRANTY AND ALSO, WHY THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. I SEE THERE IS A RECALL FOR WINDSHIELD WIPERS. I SERIOUSLY THINK THIS IS A LITTLE MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID GOING ABOUT 65 MPH AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE AND MY CAR SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. IT WAS AS IF I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. AND I COULD NOT PICK UP SPEED AFTER THAT. THERE WAS NO WARNING ON MY DASHBOARD ONLY THE DISPLAY SAYING TO "STOP SAFELY NOW". I PULLED OVER AND LET THE CAR IDLE FOR A MINUTE. THERE WAS STILL NOT OTHER WARNING AND THE CAR WAS NOT MAKING ANY NOISES AND NO STEAM COMING FROM HOOD. I SHUT IT DOWN, WAITED A MINUTE, THEN RESTARTED IT. IT STARTED BACK UP FINE. NOTHING ON THE DISPLAY NOW AND STILL NOT MAKING ANY NOISE. I PULLED AHEAD A LITTLE TO SEE IF IT WOULD MOVE AND IT DID. I LET IT IDLE FOR ANOTHER MINUTE THEN PROCEEDED BACK ONTO HIGHWAY TO TRY TO GET HOME. I GOT UP TO ABOUT 40 MPH AND THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED. I PULLED BACK TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY AND CALLED AAA FOR A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK CAME ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS LATER, MY CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL AT THAT POINT. TOWED IT TO A SHOP WHO THEN SAID THE CAR'S OIL WAS NOT READING ON THE DIPSTICK. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED IN MARCH BY A REPUTABLE COMPANY AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY OIL CHANGED CONSISTENTLY. THEY TOLD ME MY ENGINE WAS GONE AND I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW ONE. I THEN HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, WHERE I BOUGHT, IT FOR A SECOND OPINION AND HE SAID THE SAME THING THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE MY ENGINE REPLACED DUE TO INTERNAL ENGINE NOISE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME I NEEDED THE THROTTLE BODY AND COOLANT PUMP REPLACED. THEY ALSO SAID NO VISIBLE EXTERNAL OIL LEAKS AND NO INDICATION OF INTERNAL ENGINE USE SUCH AS "BLOW-BY". THEIR OVERALL ESTIMATE TO FIX MY CAR, INCLUDING A NEW ENGINE, IS $8000.00. I NEVER HAD AT ANY POINT ANY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. NO NOISES, NO WARNING LIGHTS. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. I CAN'T AFFORD REPAIRS OF THAT MAGNITUDE. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN TWO MONTHS CAR WARNINGS TO "STOP VEHICLE SAFETY" IN A MIDDLE OF HIGHWAYS. WE JUST HAD A FEW SECONDS TO PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND IS VERY DANGEROUS MANEUVER IT. ONCE WE PULLED IT OFF WE TURNED OFF ENGINE AND WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES TO RESTARTED AGAIN TO COMPLETE OUR DESTINATION. THIS IS A VERY DELICATE SITUATION DUE THE SHORT TIME TO REACT WHEN ENGINE SUDDENLY TURNS OFF. WE HAVE TWO KIDS AND OUR LIFE HAD BEEN IN TREMENDOUSLY DANGER TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. *TR