2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR, APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND BUSY INTERSECTION. I APPLIED BRAKES (VIA PEDAL) AS USUAL, BUT HAD NO BRAKING POWER / CORRESPONDING SLOWDOWN. I HAD TO JAM MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR AND COVER THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN CASE I NEEDED IT, AND THANKFULLY I WAS THE FIRST CAR AT THE LIGHT SO THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE REST OF THE DRIVE, IT TOOK AT LEAST 5 TIMES LONGER/MORE DISTANCE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE TO A STOP THAN NORMAL AND AT THE SAME MOMENT I LOST BRAKING POWER, A CHIME SOUNDED & BOTH THE ABS AND BRAKE(S) LIGHT ON THE DASH LIT UP; MESSAGE CENTER READ "SERVICE BRAKES SOON". I JUST HAD THE VEH IN FOR ITS 40K MILE SERVICE 2 DAYS AGO & IT HAD NOTHING WRONG WITH IT--BRAKES WERE ALL LISTED AS TOP CONDITION. NOW I'M ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, UNSURE WHEN THIS CONDITION WILL RECUR (THE LIGHTS RESET & AND I CHECKED TODAY--THE BRAKES ARE WORKING AGAIN, FOR NOW.) WHEN THE CONDITION OCCURS, BRAKING IS AN ODD SLOW PULSING, LIKE A SLOWED DOWN VERSION OF AN EMERGENCY ABS STOP ("PUMPING THE BRAKES" FEELING.) I'VE NEVER HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT, THE ABS & BRAKE LIGHTS CLEARED AND, FOR NOW AT LEAST, THE BRAKES *SEEM* TO BE WORKING BUT I CAN'T CHANCE IT. GETTING IT TOWED FOR SERVICE. *TR

RED BRAKE LIGHT AND SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT A CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE MAY 2010 AND IT IS NOW AUGUST 2010 AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED. WE OWN A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WE HAVE HAD NEW BRAKES, A NEW WIRE HARNESS, SOME OTHER TIP REPLACED, AND A SENSOR REPLACED. WE HAVE EVEN HAD A FORD ENGINEER LOOK AT IT. I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN. THE VEHICLENLY HAS 58,000 MILES AND I BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE ABS MODULE. BUT THE ABS MODULE SHOULD NOT BE GOING OUT AT 58,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING. *TR

WHILE TEST DRIVING MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AT THE BILL WALSH DEALERSHIP IN OTTOWA, IL FEB 2009, SALESMAN [XXX]TOLD ME THAT THE INTERMITTENT HIGH PITCHED NOISE FROM THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT WAS NORMAL. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE NOV. 2009 AT THE TOM WOOD FORD DEALERSHIP IN CARMEL, IN, I WAS TOLD THAT THE SOUND WAS DUE TO A FAILED BATTERY DOOR ACTUATOR. I WAS TOLD THAT FAILURE TO REPLACE THIS PART COULD RESULT IN THE BATTERY OVERHEATING, AND POSSIBLE EXPLOSION OF THE HYBRID BATTERY. I PAID TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED, AND IT BROKE AGAIN MAY 2010. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE AND DAMAGE TO CAR. WE HAVE TAKEN OUR VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TWICE IN PAST YEAR TO FIND OUT WHY OUR BRAKES "CATCH" CAUSING A MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING. THEY TOLD US BOTH TIMES THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM AND SENT US OUT WITHOUT AN ANSWER OR FIX. THEN YESTERDAY WHAT WE FEARED FINALLY HAPPENED; DURING BRAKING THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PLOW INTO A GARAGE DOOR. THE CAR IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP NOW AND EVEN DURING DROP-OFF THEY TOLD US THAT THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN AND THAT WE WERE MISTAKEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE ATTEMPTING A TURN AT SPEEDS OF 10 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AS THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROADWAY AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 33,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I OWN A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HEV, VIN: [XXX] , WITH ABOUT 50,000 MILES. FROM TIME-TO-TIME THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL ACTIVATE, BY ITSELF, IN THE ACCELERATE MODE. AND THIS OCCURS WHEN MY HANDS ARE NO WHERE NEAR THE ACTIVATION CONTROLS. THUS FAR IT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I HAVE HAD TIME TO SHUT THE CRUISE CONTROL DOWN; BUT IT DOES GET MY ATTENTION. THIS HAD HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AND HAVE HAD AT LEAST FOUR EXPERIENCES OF MALFUNCTIONING SPEED SENSORS. THEY HAVE GIVEN ME CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND CAUSED ME INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSES FOR REPAIR. THE TYPICAL INCIDENT INVOLVES A MALFUNCTIONING OF THE ABS AND 4X4 SYSTEMS, WITH WARNING LAMPS LIGHTING UP INDICATING THAT THERE IS A DANGER OF SKIDDING AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. IN THREE INSTANCES I HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED BY FORD DEALERS, WHO REPORTED: "FOUND REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR TO BE FAULTY" (JAN. 08); "REPLACED THE FAILED RIGHT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR" (SEPT. 08); "INSPECTED THE SENSOR AT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND FOUND THE TONE RING ON THE AXLE CRACKED. NEEDS NEW AXLE" (AUG. 09). TWO OF THESE WERE DONE ON WARRANTY; THE THIRD COST $344.95. ALL DEALERS HAVE GIVEN ASSURANCES THAT EVEN WITH WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING PROBLEMS AS DESCRIBED IT WAS "SAFE" TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. ON MARCH 7 AND 8, 2010, WHILE ON A TRIP AWAY FROM HOME, THE SAME SYMPTOMS OCCURRED AGAIN. GIVEN EARLIER ASSURANCES BY DEALERS, I CONTINUED ON MY TRIP IGNORING AS BEST AS POSSIBLE THE WARNING LIGHTS, POPPING SOUNDS OF THE 4X4, AND OCCASIONAL SHUDDERING OF THE ABS SYSTEM. SURPRISINGLY, AFTER SOME HIGHWAY DRIVING (PERHAPS 50 MILES) THE WARNING SIGNALS STOPPED LIGHTING UP AND THE CAR SEEMED TO HANDLE FAIRLY NORMALLY. NOW, A FEW DAYS LATER, THE CAR CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITHOUT SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION, BUT IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE PROBLEM "FIXED ITSELF" OR THE COMPUTER-CONTROLLED READ-OUTS HAVE CEASED FUNCTIONING, THEREBY DISGUISING THE POSSIBLE PERSISTENCE OF THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THESE PROBLEMS, BUT IT IS EXTREMELY DISCONCERTING TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT MAY BE AN INHERENTLY FAULTY DESIGN THAT MAY COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE DESPITE ASSURANCES TO THE CONTRARY GIVEN BY DEALERS. *TR

ELECTRIC CONTROLLED BRAKES, & ELECTRIC CONTROLLED POWER ASSIST STEERING. SEEING ALL THAT IS HAPPENING TO TOYOTA I THOUGHT I HAD BEST REPORT MY INCIDENTS TO SOMEONE SO THAT A FILE COULD BE STARTED AND HISTORY COULD BE MADE OF DEFECTIVE ISSUES WITH FORD ESCAPE HYBRID MINE IS A 2006 MODEL AND EVERYTHING STARTED JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I NOW HAVE 73,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS ALWAYS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT SEEMS TO FAIL ACCORDING TO FORD SERVICE WRITERS. I IOD SOME INVESTIGATION WHEN MY BRAKES FAILED AND IT WAS JUST A WHEEL SENSOR THAT MALFUNCTIONED BUT IT CAUSED A MAJOR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CONTROL MODULE AFTER I CHECKED THE COST I TOLD FORD TO TAKE THE FUEL-SAVING VEHICLE AND PUT IT IN A JUNKYARD AND THEN I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER SERVICE TECH THAT THE SENSOR JUST NEEDED TO BE RESET AN THAT WOULD BE JUST A LITTLE OVER $300 SO I HAD IT SERVICED AND NOW AFTER A FLAT TIRE I AM TOLD THAT MY POWER ASSIST CONTROL UNIT NEEDS REPLACING THE OWNERS MANUAL SAID THAT AFTER YOU USE A DONUT TIRE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AND AGAIN I AM TOLD IT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART TO REPLACE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT FORD HAS THE ONLY MACHINES THAT COULD RESET THESE SENSORS, SO PARDON MY LAYMANS TERMS BUT FORD HAS YOU BY THE '!@#$%'.SINCE THEY CONTROL THE SITUATION. I DO HOWEVER BELIEVE THAT OUTSIDE ELECTRICAL FIELDS HAVE AN EFFECT ON THESE ELECTRICAL SENSORS. IT COULD BE AS LITTLE AS A PAVEMENT SENSOR THAT CONTROLS SIGNAL LIGHTS TO ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL FIELD THAT DAMAGES THESE SENSORS THAT ARE NOT SHIELDED. THANK YOU FOR READING MY THOUGHTS. *TR