2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

BRAKE FAILURE RESULTING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR AND A LOSS OF HYDRAULIC OR POWER BRAKING. VEHICLE DOES STOP AFTER A HARD PRESSING OF BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS SOMETIMES FOLLOWED BY A YELLOW ABS LIGHT AND RED BRAKE LIGHT WARNING. THE PROBLEM IS FIXED BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. I AM NOT KIDDING. ITS LIKE REBOOTING THE COMPUTER. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. I REPORTED IT TO FORD WHO SAID THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT THE DEALER AND NATIONAL LEVEL. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND MENTIONED THE INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE. AFTER THE OIL SERVICE, THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A YEAR. I THOUGHT FORD HAD SECRETLY FIXED IT WHILE THEY WERE CHANGING THE OIL. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND HAS HAPPENED 10 TIMES. I THINK IT IS RELATED TO THE CAR NOT HAVING ENOUGH POWER BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE ICE (INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE) IS OFF. PERHAPS IT IS RELATED TO RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONING SINCE IT STOPPED AFTER THE SUMMER AND RETURNED AGAIN. THE ICE TURNS OFF WHILE BRAKING AT SPEEDS BELOW 40MPH SO THAT IS PROBABLY RELATED. *TR

STANDARD DAY DRIVING. GET IN THE VEHICLE START AS NORMAL. DRIVE 25 FEET DOWN THE ROAD, SMALL HESITATION, RESISTANCE TO GO FORWARD FOR A MOMENT. ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATES, WARNING BEEP OCCURS. VEHICLE DRIVES ODD, BRAKES ARE WEAKER THAN NORMAL. SERVICE ABS SYSTEM ILLUMINATES ON CENTER PANEL. MOMENTS LATER, SERVICE 4X4 SYSTEM ILLUMINATES AS ANOTHER SMALL HESITATION RESISTANCE TO ROLL OCCURS. VEHICLE DRIVES 'OK' BUT DIFFERENT. DROVE IT HOME SAFELY FROM THAT MOMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STOP SAFELY LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER APPROXIMATELY FIVE SECONDS AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE COOLING FAN UNIT FOR THE HYBRID BATTERY AND THE WIRING SAFETY HARNESS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED A SECOND TIME WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE COOLING FAN UNIT FOR THE HYBRID BATTERY AND THE WIRING SAFETY HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 08/01/11*LJ THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON JUNE 29, 2011. UPDATED 08/02/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS WARNING LAMP. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V156000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

ABOUT OCT 15, 2010 I NOTICED WHEN I PUT ON MY RIGHT HAND TURN SIGNAL THE HIGH BEAM WOULD TURN ON. IT DID IT CONSISTENTLY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS THEN STOPPED. THEN STOPPED. THEN STARTED AGAIN. SEEMS LIKE THE TRIGGER IS WHEN I DO USE THE HIGH BEAM IS THE TRIGGER THAT STARTS THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE CYCLE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT IS A DANGER TO ONCOMING CARS AS WELL AS TO CARS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU BLINDING BOTH.

THE HEADLAMP SWITCH (STALK) ON THE STEERING WHEEL MAY BE FAULTY. I HAVE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ACTIVATED THE HIGH BEAMS WITHOUT SELECTING THAT POSITION (AT LEAST 1-2 TIMES PER DAY). THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN I USE THE TURN SIGNAL. I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY BLINDED MANY PEOPLE WITH MY HIGH BEAMS AND I'M CERTAIN IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR END DIFFERENTIAL BEGAN TO DISINTEGRATE FROM THE INSIDE OUT. SHE NOTICED THIS AFTER HEARING LOUD SCREECHING NOISES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED OR THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT SHE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,441. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED..

I JUST BOUGHT A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE SERVICE BREAK SYSTEM LIGHT AND MESSAGE CAME ON MONDAY, THE 2ND TIME I DROVE IT, ON THE WAY TO WORK. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION BUT IT TURNED OFF. NEXT MORNING, SAME THING SO I CHECKED FLUIDS. IT WAS OFF AGAIN THE REST OF THAT DAY. LIT UP AGAIN WEDNESDAY. I MADE IT THAT EVENING TO A SERVICE STATION BEFORE THEY CLOSED (VERY RURAL AREA). THE WARNINGS WERE NOT ON AND HE COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING OBVIOUS ON PRELIMINARY INSPECTION BUT SAID TO BRING IN IN THE MORNING IF THE WARNING WAS BACK. THURSDAY IT ACTED FUNNY ON MY DRIVEWAY. THE NEXT CURVE I FOUND OUT WHY, NO BREAKING POWER EVEN WITH THE EXTREMELY STIFF AND DIFFICULT PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. I FINALLY GOT IT TO A STOP WAY PAST THE CRAZY RIDE AROUND THE CURVE. I STOPPED TO CALM MYSELF AND DECIDE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO GET TO TOWN. I DECIDED THE E-BRAKE SEEMED TO STOP IT IF I KEPT IT VERY SLOW. SO I PROCEEDED TO TOWN-NOT TO A FORD DEALER BECAUSE OF SOME VERY SCARY BIG HILLS, BUT INSTEAD TO THE SERVICE STATION WHO I TRUST. HE WAS BOOKED A WEEK AND A HALF AND HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HIS COMPUTER HAD THE HYBRID PROGRAMMING TO CHECK IT. SO I HAD TO TOW IT 63M TO THE DEALER I GOT IT FROM, THINKING THEY WOULD STAND BY IT OR IT WOULD BE COVERED BY THE "DRIVETRAIN PLUS" SERVICE AGREEMENT I PURCHASED TO COVER ANY SCARY PRICED REPAIRS THAT CROP UP ON OLDER CARS. IT WAS SOLD AS-IS, AND IOWA HAS NO LEMON LAW APPARENTLY, THE PLAN I PURCHASED SOUNDS LIKE IT WON'T COVER IT, AND THEY OFFERED ME A MEASLY 10% OFF THE BILL THAT IS ABOUT HALF AGAIN WHAT I PAID FOR THE CAR. I GOT TO DRIVE MY NEW USED CAR 4 1/2 TIMES. ALL I CAN DO IS THANK MY LUCKY STARS MY KIDS WEREN'T IN THE CAR, THERE WASN'T A CAR NEAR ME, I WASN'T COMING DOWN ONE OF THE STEEP AND CURVY RIVER BLUFFS ON MY WAY TO OR FROM WORK, OR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER SCARY SCENARIOS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN. FALIURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM'S HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT HCU AND MASTER CYLINDER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND A DESIGN FLAW MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED.

IN 12/2006, MY FORD ESCAPE HYBRID BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING. I WOULD GET A "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT WOULD APPEAR. I BROUGHT IT IN TO CHAMPION FORD IN BOULDER, CO 3 TIMES. THE FIRST 2 TIMES THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. THE 3RD TIME THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AFTER I GAVE THEM INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET AND THE TSB. WITH COOPERATION FROM FORD SERVICE THEY PERFORMED A GROUND/HARNESS REPLACEMENT. CHAMPION FORD THEN WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. OVER THE NEXT 4 YEARS, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO SILL-TERHAR FORD IN BROOMFIELD, CO FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND ADDITIONAL 6 TIMES, WHERE THEY PERFORMED THE SAME SERVICE (REPLACE GROUND/HARNESS). NOW, THEY ARE SAYING THE FIX REQUIRES A NEW ABS MODULE ($4,000). THROUGH MY OWN RESEARCH, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS RAMPANT WITH OTHER OWNERS LOSING THEIR BRAKES. I NEVER LOST MY BRAKES, BUT AFTER DISCUSSING THIS WITH MY CURRENT FORD SERVICE REP, HE SUGGESTS THAT MY PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN "IMPROPER" BRAKING BEHAVIOR, WHICH MEANS I'VE BEEN DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE FOR 4 YEARS BASED ON FORD'S SERVICE RECOMMENDATION FOR MY PROBLEM. FORD IS REFUSING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH WHEN MY PROBLEM STARTED, I WAS UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 50 MPH WHEN THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THERE WAS A REDUCTION OF 80% BRAKING POWER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 10024326 (SERVICE BRAKE: CONTROL UNIT MODULE) AND BELIEVED THE FAILURE TO BE THE SAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000. UPDATED 4/4/11 *CN THE REPAIR SHOP INSTALLED A MASTER CYLINDER. UPDATED 05/23/11