2007 Ford Escape Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD ESCORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER WHEN DRIVING 70 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 76,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE ALONG WITH AN AUDIBLE CHIME AND A RED TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION POINT SYMBOL. THE GAS ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER COASTING FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO AROUND 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE REMAINED UNDER HYBRID ELECTRIC POWER ALLOWING ME TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. MY VEHICLE IS AROUND 7.5 YEARS OLD AND HAS 89,000 MILES. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND IT APPEARS TO HAVE OCCURRED WITH SEVERAL OF THESE TYPE VEHICLES. THE DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT THEY RETRIEVED ERROR CODES P1AOD, P0A3E, B139. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT IT REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF THE HYBRID DRIVE TRAIN MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLING SYSTEM (MECS) WATER PUMP (PART# 5M6Z8C419A) AND (PART# AL8Z19E66F). THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) 08-24-5 THAT SEEMS TO RELATE TO SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER 8 YEAR /100,000 MILE HYBRID WARRANTY ACCORDING TO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS DESPITE BOTH PARTS BEING PART OF THE HYBRID DRIVE SYSTEM. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THE TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT IN THE MIDDLE LIT UP AND THE DISPLAY READ "STOP SAFELY NOW". I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE OF THE INTERSTATE AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN - THERE WAS NO SHOULDER AND TRAFFIC WAS TOO HEAVY TO COAST ACROSS LANES. I FOUND A SERVICE STATION THAT WAS OPEN ON SUNDAY EVENING. THEY SAID MY COOLANT WAS FINE, THE OIL LEVEL WAS FINE, AND THEY COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE MY TRIP ANOTHER 50 MILES AND THE PROBLEM OCCURRED 2 MORE TIMES. I KEPT THE SPEED UNDER 70, RAN BY HEATER ON FULL BLAST IN CASE THE PROBLEM WAS TEMPERATURE RELATED, AND COASTED AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. EACH TIME THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, I SLOWED TO THE SHOULDER, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, WAITED 5 MINUTES, THEN STARTED AGAIN. THE SERVICE RESULTS ARE STILL INCONCLUSIVE, BUT IT SEEMS THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF OF THE ENGINE PUT ME IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND IT VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT DISPLAY A FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL WEEKS LATER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE UNKNOWN REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED HOWEVER, DID NOT RECTIFY THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WHEN THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,750.

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE, A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE MESSAGE WAS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDED BY A CHIME, AND THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER AS SOON AS THE MESSAGE APPEARED. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED A SAFE MOVEMENT FROM THE ROADWAY, AND THIS PROBLEM HAS REPEATEDLY PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN THE MOST DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WE HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN A CAR. THE CAR IS IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SECOND TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND WE HAD IT IN A YEAR BEFORE THE FIRST INCIDENT FOR A REPLACED COIL AND PLUG (AT 29,000 MILES). I JUST GOT A CALL FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER TELLING ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO ON PRICES FOR THE REPAIR. I WILL BE CALLING FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, DIRECTLY, AFTER FILING THIS COMPLAINT, SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A RECALL SITUATION. WE PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR $1300. IT WAS FOR 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES. THIS WAS A WASTE OF MONEY. THE ONLY THING WE GOT COVERED UNDER THAT WARRANTY WAS A WINDOW MOTOR THAT BROKE. INCLUDING THE WARRANTY FOR WHICH WE PAID, WE HAVE PAID OVER $2500 IN SERVICE FEES TO OUR DEALERSHIP. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS JUST OVER 42,000. WE PURCHASED THE CAR, NEW, FOR $28,000. *TR

ON JUNE 24,2013 I WAS COMING BACK FROM ARIZONA TRAVELING ON THE TWO LANE FREEWAY AT 70 MILES AN HOUR WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING RUNNING. WITH NO WARNING WHAT SO EVER THE ENGINE JUST QUIT AND FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. HAD I BEEN ON A FOUR LANE FREEWAY IN THE FAST LANE AT TRAFFIC TIME IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY. I AM VERY CONCERNED THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A REAR END COLLISION. AFTER SITTING ON THE SHOULDER FOR 10 MINUTES THE ENGINE STARTED AND I CONTINUED MY TRIP WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS. I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN AFTER I GOT HOME UNTIL I TOOK IT TO HUNTINGTON BEACH FORD FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER FOUND THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP WAS FAULTY AND FAILED THEIR TEST. THE WATER PUMP WAS REPAIRED, THE SYSTEM FLUSHED AND IT TESTED OK. A TEST DRIVE WAS ALSO PERFORMED BY THE DEALER WITH PASSING RESULTS. THE COST OF THIS WORK WAS $829.99 DOLLARS. I AM WRITING TO YOU OUT OF CONCERN FOR OUR FAMILY AND OTHERS THAT OWN THIS VEHICLE SINCE WE NO LONGER CAN TRUST WE WON'T HAVE ANOTHER NO WARNING ENGINE SHUT DOWN SOME PLACE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AFTER DRIVING APPROX 20 MIN ON THE FREEWAY, MY 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID SHUT OFF. WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DISPLAYING: MOTOR TEMP HIGH. THEN, STOP SAFELY. CONSIDERING I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY IN PHOENIX AZ, THE 2ND WARNING STATEMENT WAS QUITE UN-NERVING. WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY, I OPENED THE HOOD, NOTHING WAS OVERHEATING, NO STEAM, COOLANT LEVELS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN WITHOUT ISSUE. I PROCEEDED APPROX 5 MINUTES DOWN THE FREEWAY AND EXITED. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CROSS THE STREET AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AGAIN, DISPLAYING THE SAME MESSAGES. THIS INCIDENT LEFT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD. WHEN I FINALLY ARRIVED HOME, I CONTACTED A FRIEND WHO IS MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN I REGARDING MECHANICAL ISSUES. HE SAID HE HAD HEARD OF THIS AND SUGGESTED I LOOK ON THE INTERNET. I AM APPALLED AT THE # OF OCCURRENCES OF THE SAME ISSUE THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. YET NO ONE, NOT THE MANUFACTURER OR THE DEALERSHIPS HAVE NOTIFIED THE CONSUMER OF THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY FATHER HAS PURCHASED FORDS FOR YEARS. THIS IRRESPONSIBLE ACTION, OF FAILURE TO NOTIFY THE CONSUMER OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTIONS, DOES NOT FIT THE RESPONSIBLE COMPANY THAT HE HAS ALWAYS DESCRIBED. *TR

WHEN THERE IS A FAULT WITH THE ELECTRICAL HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM, THE VEHICLE CUTS POWER COMPLETELY TO THE ENGINE. IT SIMPLY FLASHES A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE. HAVING TO POTENTIALLY CUT ACROSS 4 LANES OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC WITHOUT POWER IS VERY DANGEROUS. I NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THIS. IF THE HYBRID SYSTEM HAS A FAULT, IT SHOULD STILL KEEP THE GAS ENGINE OPERATIONAL. ADDITIONALLY, THE FAULT IS VERY INTERMITTENT, AND MY FORD FACTORY MECHANIC COULD NOT TRACK DOWN ANY DEFINITE CAUSE. *TR