2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

THE CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE APPEARS IN MESSAGE SYSTEM ON 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, WITH THE ACCOMPANYING BRAKE WARNING SYMBOL LIGHT COMING ON. THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS TO LOSE SOME PRESSURE IN THE PEDAL AND GOES FURTHER TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR IS FULL, SO THE BRAKE FLUID IS NOT LOW. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AND OFF NOW FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS. I HAD A BRAKE JOB DONE ON THE REAR BRAKES 2 MONTHS AGO, AND THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE FRONT BRAKES ARE FINE. THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING THE MASTER CYLINDER FOR 1300 DOLLARS, AND THEN STATE THAT IT MIGHT NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THEY WOULD THEN HAVE TO REPLACE A CONTROL MODULE FOR ABOUT 4500 TO 5000 DOLLARS. I NOTICED ONLINE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM TO BE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID FROM 2005 TO 2006, AND THEY ARE INCURRING THE SAME COSTLY REPAIR. SOME OF THEM COMPLAINED ABOUT LOSING POWER TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR

AUGUST 2011 - HAD DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES TN INTO VA WHEN STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE APPEARS. PULLED OVER, WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED THE ENGINE. NO HELP AVAILABLE LOCALLY AS IT WAS SMALL TOWN LATE SATURDAY. DECIDED TO CONTINUE TRIP HOME - DROVE SLOWLY IN RIGHT LANE FOR LAST 200 MILES. NO RECURRANCE THE REST OF THE WAY. MY MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG UPON RETURN HOME. DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN UNTIL JUNE 9, 2012 - ABOUT 150 MILES FROM HOME. SAME SCENARIO - STOPPED FOR A MINUTE THEN WENT ON. HAPPENED AGAIN ON JUNE 20, 2012. AFTER STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THEN RUNNING AT 70 MPH WHEN MESSAGE APPEARS, THIS TIME THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATLY AND I BARELY GOT ONTO THE SHOULDER WITH TRAFFIC SPEEDING BY ABOUT 2 FEET OFF MY RIGHT. TRIED TO START AGAIN BUT MESSAGE THAT THE ENGINE WAS DANGEROUSLY HEATED APPEARED. AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT STARTED, I TURNED ON THE HEAT (DESPITE 90+ OUTSIDE TEMP) AND GOT OFF AT NEXT EXIT AND PARKED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. STARTED UP AND DROVE HOME. NO OTHER OCCURANCE SINCE. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME NOW THAT I NEED A COOLANT PUMP BASED ON THE STORED SERVICE CODE. WILL COST OVER $700 PART AND LABOR. JUST HOPE IT FIXES IT. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITH ONLY SECONDS OF WARNING. IN THE AREA I LIVE, I WOULDN'T ALWAYS BE ABLE TO EVEN GET ONTO A SHOULDER SAFELY. *TT

SINCE 2010, WHEN I'VE DRIVEN MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY THE STOP SAFELY LIGHT COMES ON. IT STOPS RIGHT IN TRAFFIC WITHIN MINUTES, LEAVING ME KNOW TIME TO PULL OFF. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND HAD ALL KINDS OF WORK COMPLETED FROM BRAKES TO TUNEUP, THEN IT STARTS AGAIN. THIS WEEK WAS THE WORK, JUNE 3, 2012 THE CAR STOPPED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN CHICAGO AND I WAS REALLY SCARED FOR MY LIFE AS OTHER CARS HAD TO PULL ON THEIR BRAKES. I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL DEALERS TO TELL ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG SINCE 2012, WHILE OTHERS TELL ME ONCE WE FIX THE BRAKES, THE FUEL FILTER, ETC THEN THE LIGHT WILL STAY OFF, I'VE HAD NO SUCH LUCK. I INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS CAR ONLY TO BE SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I'M A MOM OF FOUR CHILDREN AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY HELP FROM FORD. I KEEP GETTING FIX THIS OR THAT ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME LIGHT COME ON AND BE STOPPED AGAIN, TIME AFTER TIME. *TR

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE AND SHE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MOVE IT FOR A FEW SECONDS. AFTER WAITING A FEW SECONDS, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD RESET ITSELF AND PERFORM AS NORMAL. THE DEALER MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

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