FORD ESCAPE HYBRID 2006 ABS AND BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT COME ON, LOSE POWER BRAKING. MUST PUSH VERY HARD ON BRAKE PETAL TO STOP CAR, HAS HAPPENED APPROX. 8 TIMES. AFTER STOPPING CAR, I CAN USUALLY TURN KEY OFF AND THEN RESTART CAR AND PROBLEM IS GONE. *TR
2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escape Hybrid years
Owner complaints for the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid are substantially higher than the model-year median of 68.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escape Hybrid years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
202 reports with mileage · 17 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
219 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PERFORM A FULL DIAGNOSIS AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PERFORM A FULL DIAGNOSIS AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000.
ON MY WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING THE WARNING "STOP SAFELY NOW", ILLUMINATED ON MY DASH AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SHUTDOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ONLY GOING 25 MILES PER HOUR AND IMMEDIATELY PUT MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON WHICH PREVENTED TRAFFIC FROM REAR ENDING ME. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOW…
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ON MY WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING THE WARNING "STOP SAFELY NOW", ILLUMINATED ON MY DASH AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SHUTDOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ONLY GOING 25 MILES PER HOUR AND IMMEDIATELY PUT MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON WHICH PREVENTED TRAFFIC FROM REAR ENDING ME. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED AWAITING DIAGNOSIS WHICH I AM BEING TOLD BY THE DEAL WILL PROBABLY BE RELATED TO THE HYBRID BATTERY COOLING SYSTEM. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED. *TR
I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY @ 65 MPH WHEN I EXPERIENCED A 'CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE' WITH FOUR OCCUPANTS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS SKILLED DRIVING, DIVINE INTERVENTION OR JUST PLAIN LUCK THAT PERMITTED ME TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A CRASH OR INJURY. HAD VEHICLE TOWED BY AAA TO DEALERSHIP. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID T…
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I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY @ 65 MPH WHEN I EXPERIENCED A 'CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE' WITH FOUR OCCUPANTS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS SKILLED DRIVING, DIVINE INTERVENTION OR JUST PLAIN LUCK THAT PERMITTED ME TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A CRASH OR INJURY. HAD VEHICLE TOWED BY AAA TO DEALERSHIP. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THE "HYBRID BATTERY COOLING SYSTEM" HAD FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP WITH NO WARNING. I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED BY A SEMI TRUCK. *TR
LETTER FROM SENATOR DENT ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT REGARDING A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID (DOT/I # 2010-2203) *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED TO SERVICE THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CONSUMER STATED IT COST $120 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY HYDRAULIC COMPUTER MODULE AND THE COST TO REPLACE IT WOULD BE $ 5,000. …
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LETTER FROM SENATOR DENT ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT REGARDING A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID (DOT/I # 2010-2203) *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED TO SERVICE THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CONSUMER STATED IT COST $120 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY HYDRAULIC COMPUTER MODULE AND THE COST TO REPLACE IT WOULD BE $ 5,000. *JB
BRAKES ON MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME SIMULTANEOUSLY. BY PINNING THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOULDER. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON "RESOLVED" THE ISSUE AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. I…
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BRAKES ON MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME SIMULTANEOUSLY. BY PINNING THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOULDER. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON "RESOLVED" THE ISSUE AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE PLACED A CALL TO THE DEALER BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK YET. LOOKING ON LINE IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR
2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID - INTERMITTENT POWER BRAKE BOOST FAILURE. WHEN BEGINNING TO PRESS ON BRAKES FOR AN INSTANT THEY FEEL NORMAL AND POWER ASSISTED, THEN THE PEDAL FALLS AND ALL POWER ASSIST IS GONE. THE VEHICLE STOPS WITH GREAT PRESSURE IN THE LAST FEW INCHES OF PEDAL TRAVEL. 3 OCCURRENCES: AS OF OCTOBER 4, 2010 …
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2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID - INTERMITTENT POWER BRAKE BOOST FAILURE. WHEN BEGINNING TO PRESS ON BRAKES FOR AN INSTANT THEY FEEL NORMAL AND POWER ASSISTED, THEN THE PEDAL FALLS AND ALL POWER ASSIST IS GONE. THE VEHICLE STOPS WITH GREAT PRESSURE IN THE LAST FEW INCHES OF PEDAL TRAVEL. 3 OCCURRENCES: AS OF OCTOBER 4, 2010 1. MAY 2010 AT THE END OF A FREEWAY OFF RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE 2. 24 SEPTEMBER , 2010 ( APPROXIMATELY 180,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE) SAME BRAKE PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER A STOP OF OVER 30 MINUTES, AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BACKED UP, FIRST BRAKE PRESSING RESULTED IN AN INSTANT OF PEDAL , THEN PEDAL SNAPPING TO THE FLOOR AND CAR STOPPING AFTER APPLICATION OF MANUAL PRESSURE. DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON A FEW SECONDS LATER. 3. ONE WEEK TO THE DAY LATER, 1 OCTOBER, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 188,500 MILES. FIRST BRAKE APPLICATION AFTER A START OF THE VEHICLE AND BACKING UP. PRESSING BRAKES RESULTED IN THE FAILURE DESCRIBED. APPROXIMATELY 30 OR 40 SECONDS AFTER THE LOSS OF BRAKE BOOST THE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH "BRAKES" RED LIGHT AND OTHERSLIKE THE 'SERVICE SOON' WRENCH. I AM THE PURCHASER OF THE CAR NEW IN THE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AREA, AND THE PRIMARY ( OVER 90% OF THE TIME) DRIVER, COVERING OVER 110 MILES 4 DAYS A WEEK. *TR
2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, RIGHT AFTER THE WARNING "STOP SAFELY NOW", THE CAR SHUT DOWN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES ON MY WAY HOME. AFTER WEB RESEARCH, IT IS QUITE COMMON FOR THE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID CARS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE THERE IS NO TIME FOR YOU TO STOP SAFELY BEFORE THE CAR SHUT DOWN, NO…
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2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, RIGHT AFTER THE WARNING "STOP SAFELY NOW", THE CAR SHUT DOWN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES ON MY WAY HOME. AFTER WEB RESEARCH, IT IS QUITE COMMON FOR THE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID CARS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE THERE IS NO TIME FOR YOU TO STOP SAFELY BEFORE THE CAR SHUT DOWN, NOT EVEN A 5 OR 10 SECONDS. THE DEALER CHECK IT OUT, IT WAS A WATER PUMP FAILURE CAUSED THIS, CALLED FORD, BUT FORD DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE REPAIR COSTS MORE THAN $600.00. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT IS NEED TO BE FIXED. WHO IS GOING TO DRIVE A CAR WHICH WILL SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY TIME TO RESPOND TO? *TR
DRIVING MY FORD ESCAPE HYBRID ON I 5 WA STATE. WARNING LITE CAME ON THAT SAID STOP SAFELY NOW AND MY ENGINE HAD STOPPED. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO UNSAFELY MANEUVER 4 LANES TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT THE ENGINE ON.. I READ MY MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TRY AND START, WHICH IT DID. 3 MILES LATER IT DID IT AGAIN. T…
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DRIVING MY FORD ESCAPE HYBRID ON I 5 WA STATE. WARNING LITE CAME ON THAT SAID STOP SAFELY NOW AND MY ENGINE HAD STOPPED. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO UNSAFELY MANEUVER 4 LANES TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT THE ENGINE ON.. I READ MY MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TRY AND START, WHICH IT DID. 3 MILES LATER IT DID IT AGAIN. THIS WENT ON FOR 4 OR 5 MORE TIMES. I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND LIMPED TO A FORD DEALER. THEY REPAIRED IT, IT AS A HYBRID COMPONENT COOLING PUMP. IT COST ME $726.00. THEY WOULDN'T COVER IT. I VIEW THIS AS A SEVERE SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR
A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, I TOOK MY ESCAPE HYBRID TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED OUT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND I WAS ON MY WAY A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. THEN YESTERDAY, MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THEN CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM CAME ON. AFTER THIS OCCURRED, MY BRAKES GO OUT AND THEN I M…
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A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, I TOOK MY ESCAPE HYBRID TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED OUT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND I WAS ON MY WAY A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. THEN YESTERDAY, MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THEN CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM CAME ON. AFTER THIS OCCURRED, MY BRAKES GO OUT AND THEN I MUST COME TO A ROLLING STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHILE TRYING TO AVOID HITTING ANYONE. IT OCCURRED 6 TIMES AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS (20MPH & 70MPH) I THEN RETURNED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK OVER IT. TODAY, I AM TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW ABS SYSTEM INSTALLED WITH THE HYDRAULIC/ELECTRIC CONTROL UNITS TOTALLY $7,400. OF COURSE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THIS. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL POSTING REGARDING A SIMILAR ISSUE HOWEVER STILL NO RECALL. I WOULD ASSUME A FACTORY DEFECT REGARDING THE BRAKES WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH FOR A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP12006 · Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
Opened Oct 2, 2012 · Closed Feb 21, 2013
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
In a letter dated August 30, 2012, The North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged electronic throttle body failures resulting in engine stall or surge while driving in model year (MY) 2005 through 2012 Ford Escape vehicles. On October 2, 2012 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Defect Petition DP12-006 to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition is hereby granted on certain model years. The NCCC letter cites two complaints of stall while driving in MY 2009 Ford Escape vehicles that were diagnosed as failed throttle bodies with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle Body Stuck Closed. The petitioner indicates that the owners of both vehicles reported experiencing repeated incidents of stalling and engine surging. According to Ford, Escape non-hybrid vehicles are equipped with Electronic Throttle Body (ETB) assemblies beginning with MY 2009. Vehicles manufactured between June 22, 2009 and October 15, 2009 may contain contaminated printed circuit boards (PCB) with plating variations. Plating variations could lead to a lack of continuity in the throttle position sensor circuit where P2111 and/or other DTCs would be generated and stored. Ford and its electronic throttle body supplier, Delphi, modified the PCB manufacturing process and issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) 09-23-5. Vehicles produced after October 15, 2009 incorporated ETBs manufactured with a PCB process that resolved this condition. ODI's analysis identified a total of 123 unique reports indicating allegations of reduced motive power or vehicle stall. Depending on the condition of throttle control system malfunction, a driver may experience varying levels of reduced engine performance associated with three limp home modes. In two limp modes, reduced engine performance may maintain vehicle speeds above 20mph while the third is a limited limp home mode with engine speeds limited to approximately 900 RPM. Allegations of stall appear to be related to the limited limp home mode. Vehicles are not likely to unexpectedly stall as a result of this condition, but drivers may characterize the reduced functionality as a stall, even though their vehicle may still has motive capability. Allegations of vehicle surge appear to be related to limp home mode operation. Complaints alleging surge are most likely related to engine RPM fluctuations at low vehicle speeds or idle as the control system engages to prevent engine stall. In limited limp mode, rough-idle conditions may exist while the control system attempts to modulate engine RPMs once the vehicle reaches a reduced speed to maintain approximately 900 RPM. Separately, ODI received 59 complaints alleging incidents of engine stall while driving in model year (MY) 2010-2011 Ford Fusion vehicles. Approximately 60 percent (36) of the incidents occurred at speeds of 40 miles per hour or more. Eighty percent of complaints (47) were received beginning March 2012 and 14 complaints reported that the throttle body was replaced or DTCs associated with limp home modes. Additionally, Ford issued TSB 10-21-6 addressing DTCs associated with idle speed drops and limited limp home mode. The petition is granted on certain model years.Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.See full copy of the closing resume for this defect petition for list of the VOQs associated with the defect petition analysis.
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