2007 Ford Escape Hybrid

I WAS DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEED AND THE CAR SUDDENLY GAVE THE SIGNAL "STOP CAR SAFELY NOW." I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND BARELY HAD TIME TO PULL OVER TO THE LEFT-HAND SHOULDER TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. NO PREVIOUS SIGNAL (E.G. WRENCH LIGHT OR WARNING TRIANGLE) HAD APPEARED TO GIVE ME ADVANCE WARNING. THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE (SEE 2/1/13 COMPLAINT), BUT WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP AFTER THAT FIRST OCCURRENCE, THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEMS, SO I HAD DRIVEN IT AGAIN. BOTH TIMES THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER SUSTAINED (2 HRS) FREEWAY SPEED (70 MPH) DRIVING. THIS TIME I WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM HAD OVERHEATED AND NUMEROUS PARTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY AND HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND CHILDREN IN MILD CONDITIONS WHEN THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE APPEARED AT THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND WAS IN A GLIDE. WE LUCKILY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE NUMBER 1 LANE FURTHEST FROM ANY PLACE TO STOP. WE WERE NEARLY KILLED BY A TRUCK TRYING TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 3 OTHER OCCASIONS IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS. ALL INSTANCES BUT ONE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY. ALL PUT ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SMOKE BEGAN TO ENTER THE VEHICLE FROM UNDER THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. MINUTES THE LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE, DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. *JB

ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 21, 2011 I WAS DRIVING ON RT.66W NEAR GAINESVILLE, VA IN MY 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID WITH APPROXIMATELY 71,500 MILES.. AN ALARM SOUNDED AND I GOT A DASH MESSAGE READING "STOP THE CAR SAFELY NOW". CONCURRENTLY, I LOST POWER AND WAS FORCED TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. WHEN I CONSULTED THE OWNER'S MANUAL, I WAS INFORMED IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM. THE MANUAL SUGGESTED TURNING OFF THE CAR & RESTARTING. WHEN I DID THIS, THE WARNING LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE POWER RETURNED. I WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT PULLING INTO 70 MPH TRAFFIC AND CRAWLED DOWN THE SHOULDER UNTIL I COULD EXIT. FOR THE NEXT 35 MILES (UNTIL I GOT TO MY DESTINATION) THIS SAME THING OCCURRED 3 MORE TIMES ON DARK, RURAL ROADS. LUCKILY, MY HUSBAND WAS TRAVELING THE SAME ROUTE IN ANOTHER CAR, TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT, AND THERE WERE AVAILABLE SHOULDERS ON THE ROAD FOR AN IMMEDIATE PULL-OVER. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING SITUATION. I CONSIDER THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER ON A HIGH-SPEED HIGHWAY TO BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM. THIS WARRANTS A RECALL OF THE FAILING PARTS TO PREVENT ANY OTHER OCCURRENCES WHICH COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLY FATALITIES. *TR THE DEALER REPLACED THE COOLING FAN AND WATER PUMP

I HAVE THIS 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID WITH 50,000 MILES ON IT. IT WORKED FINE UNTIL THIS YEAR WHEN THE CAR WOULD TURN OFF AT THE LIGHT STOP AFTER A MESSAGE OF "STOP SAFELY NOW" DISPLAYED ON BOARD. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARKING AND TURN ON THE ENGINE BEFORE I WOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR A CHECK UP AND IT TURNED OUT THAT A SMALL STONE MAD A SMALL HOLE IN THE RADIATOR. WE FIXED THE PROBLEM AND IT SEEMED TO WORK WELL UNTIL 3 MONTHS LATER WHEN IT BEGAN TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, ONLY THIS TIME THE DISPLAY SHOWED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS TO FIND A WAY TO STOP SAFELY BEFORE THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF AFTER THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE. IT IS SCARY SINCE IT HAPPENS EVERY FEW MILES NOW. WE SWITCHED TO DIFFERENT GAS BRANDS, MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE, CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER ON TIME. THE OWNER'S MANUAL MENTIONS THAT THE STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE COULD BE AN INDICATION OF HYBRID COMPONENTS FAILURE. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND READ FORUM DISCUSSIONS AND I FOUND OUT THAT MANY ESCAPE HYBRID OWNERS REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM. IT LOOKS LIKE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT TO ME. IT IS TOO COMMON TO BE JUST AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. YESTERDAY WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, OUR 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS IN THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT AND SHE REPORTED FEELING UNSAFE AND SCARED. WE WERE DRIVING FROM WINDSOR TO CHATHAM AND DURING THE 70 MILES DRIVE ALONE, MY DAUGHTER COUNTED 7 OCCURRENCES. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR ANYMORE. IS IT A DEATH OR MORE THAT WILL PROMPT INSPECTORS TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THESE VEHICLES? I HOPE IT IS NOT US. *TR

2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. DRIVING ABOUT 35 MILES OUTSIDE THE CITY GOING 65 MPH. CAR SUDDENLY SHUTS OFF AND SAYS "STOP SAFELY NOW". I LOSE ACCELERATION AND ALL I CAN DO IS BREAK AND PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURN OFF MY CAR, RESTART IT AND IT WORKS AGAIN. IT HAPPENED 3 OTHER TIMES THAT DAY. I DID CHANGE THE AIR-FILTER A DAY EARLIER BUT COULD HAVE BEEN A COINCIDENCE. ONE OF THE TIMES IT STOPPED, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN, I AM ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT CUTS OFF AGAIN AT ABOUT 30-40 MPH. CARS ARE BEHIND ME AND HONK AND I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO BUT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SLIGHTLY, WAIT A FEW SECONDS AND TURN IT BACK ON. VERY SCARY. *TR

AT 41,000 MILES, THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND REQUIRED AN ABS TONE RING TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS NOW LOOKING TO BE QUITE THE COMMON PART TO BREAK AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT WOULD COME ON IN FREQUENTLY, BUT WOULD NEVER GENERATE A DIAGNOSTIC CODE. AT ~55000 MILES, THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT TURNED ON AND WHEN I DEPRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY DOWNSHIFTING AND USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY DRIVING ~25 MPH ON AN EMPTY ROAD, BUT MY YOUNG CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND BACK ON AND TESTED THE BRAKES ON A SHORT FLAT SECTION OF THE ROAD AND THEY WORKED. I PROCEEDED THE 1/4 MILE TO MY HOUSE AND AFTER STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT AND 2 STOP SIGNS, THE BRAKES FAILED PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY BEING STOPPED BY MY OTHER CAR!!! THE FORD DEALER HAD THE CAR AND PULLED A DIAGNOSTIC CODE WHICH HAD THEM REPLACE AN ACTUATOR IN THE D-PILLAR. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THIS SOLVED THE ISSUE. MY WIFE LEFT TO TAKE THE KIDS TO SCHOOL AND THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE BRAKES FAILED AS SHE PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG OR GET THE BRAKES TO FAIL. NO CODES WERE GENERATED. THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF BRAKES FAILING ON FORD HYBRIDS. *TR

1.THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE - OUTSIDE COLD TEMPERATURE. 2.THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, ITS CONSEQUENCES - THE KEY IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DISENGAGE FROM THE IGNITION WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT FIDDLING. IT OCCURS EVERY TIME THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DROPS TO AROUND 40 DEGREES (F) OR LOWER. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE (1) THAT THE VEHICLE MAY SLIP INTO GEAR, ROLL ANYWHERE AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE KEY IS LEFT IN THE IGNITION. THERE IS ALSO THE HEIGHTENED POSSIBILITY OF VEHICLE THEFT AND/OR A BROKEN KEY. 3.WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE) - I CONTACTED FORD VIA E-MAIL AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I ALSO GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THAT FORD FUSIONS ARE RIFE WITH THIS PROBLEM - HTTP://WWW.FORD-FORUMS.COM/FORD-FUSION/4432-KEYS-WONT-COME-OUT-IGNITION.HTML. I ASSUME THE SAME KIND OF IGNITION SWITCH IS IN ALL OF THE LATER MODEL FORDS. ONLINE REMEDIES INCLUDE PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLING THE GEAR SHIFTER, WHICH MAY LEAD TO A MORE HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAN A STUCK KEY AND I DON'T WANT TO THAT.THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY DRIVE WITH ELECTRICITY AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN NORMAL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER RE-GROUNDED THE WIRE AT AN EXPENSE OF $450.00. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 37,533.