2007 Ford Escape Hybrid

PURCHASED VEHICLE WITH ABS LIGHT ON, BRAKE LIGHT ON, SERVICE BRAKES SOON MESSAGE, REGEN DISABLED MESSAGE. BRAKE PEDAL GOES NEARLY TO THE FLOOR AND NO BRAKING ASSISTANCE IS GIVEN. EXTREME PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO STOP. ALL BRAKING COMPONENTS APPEAR TO BE SOUND BY VISUAL INSPECTION. ABS FAILURE SHOULD NOT CAUSE ALL BRAKING ASSISTANCE TO SHUT DOWN. FAILSAFE MODE IS NOT SAFE. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS RAMPANT ON THESE VEHICLES.

ABS LIGHT, SERVICE BRAKE AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CAR REQUIRES ME TO STOP. IT WILL NOT RESTART AND BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH VARIOUS FIXES FROM THE DEALERSHIPS (REPLACE FUSES, REPLACE BROKEN TONE RINGS, RECALIBRATE ABS, ETC). THIS HAS HAPPENED NOW FOR THE 5TH TIME (I AM AT 78,239 MILES ON THE CAR). THIS TIME MY BRAKES WENT OUT ENTIRELY WITH NO WARNING. THANKFULLY I WAS GOING VERY SLOW IN A NEIGHBORHOOD. THE DEALER HAS INSTRUCTED ME THAT THE CAR REQUIRES A NEW MASTER CYLINDER AND A NEW HCU. THE COST OF THIS WAS QUOTED AT $6800. WITHOUT THIS FIX MY CAR IS UNSAFE AND NOT DRIVABLE.

I WAS DRIVING HOME IN ROUTE 94 VERNON NJ THE BRAKE LIGHT AND THE ABS LIGHT WENT ON, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS HIGH BUT NO BRAKES, THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES WERE DISABLED, THE ENGINE TURN OFF AND I FOUND MYSELF DRIVING ONLY WITH THE ELECTRICAL MOTOR AND NO BRAKES AFTER I PULL OVER TURN OFF THE CAR. SINCE THIS MOMENT MY CAR IS RUNNING ONLY FOR PERIODS OFF 10 TO 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT TURN OFF, STILL NO BRAKES AT ALL.

ON FRIDAY JULY 18TH 2014 @ 5:42 PM I WAS DRIVING MY SUV AND I GOT 3 ERRORS 1. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON 2. THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND 3. THE INFORMATION PANEL SAID SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM. WHEN I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY I NOTICED MY BREAKS WERE NOT RESPONDING I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CAR ON NEUTRAL PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND PULLED THE HAND BREAK WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. I PUMPED THE BREAKS AND NO RESPONSE FROM THE CAR, I TOOK OFF THE HAND BREAK AND TRIED IT AGAIN AND THEN CAR WAS STILL NOT RESPONDING. THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED SINCE THE EXIT WAS UPHILL, I USED MY PHONE TO CHECK THE ERROR CODES SINCE I HAVE AN OBD2 CODE READER AND THE 2 FOLLOWING CODES CAME UP 1.GENERIC OBD ERROR CODE DETAILS FOR U0418 INVALID DATA RECEIVED FROM BRAKE SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE 2. MAZDA OBD ERROR CODE DETAILS FOR U2023 ABNORMAL MESSAGE FROM PCM I SHUT THE CAR DOWN AND IMMEDIATELY TURN IT BACK ON AND THE ERRORS STILL CAME UP I TRIED TO DRIVE A FEW FEET TO TEST THE BREAKS BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, I THEN SHUT THE CAR DOWN AGAIN FOR 3 MINUTES THEN TURNED IT BACK ON AND ALL ERRORS WHERE GONE AND MY BREAKS WORKED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR HOME WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS. *TR

ABS LIGHT AND LOW BRAKE FLUID LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY SIGNALED UNTIL CAR LURCHED AND SHUDDERED. DEALER REPLACED A BRAKE HOSE AND THEN PERFORMED A MULTI-POINT INSPECTION INDICATING THAT THE OTHER BRAKE LINES WERE FINE. THEN ON MARCH 31, 2014, THE ABS LIGHT AND LOW BRAKE FLUID LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. TWO OTHER HOSES ARE NOW DEFECTIVE AND SUGGESTED THAT I REPLACE THE LAST ONE AS WELL. GIVEN THAT IT COSTS SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO BLEED AND RECALIBRATE THE BRAKE SYSTEM FLUID ON A HYBRID, I'M CONCERNED THAT DEFECTIVE BRAKE LINES ARE EITHER A) NOT NOTED WHEN MULTI-POINT INSPECTIONS ARE DONE, OR B) CAN DEGENERATE WITHIN TWO MONTHS TIME, AS IN THE DATE THEY WERE DEEMED SAFE IN JANUARY TO THE DATE THEY WERE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT 60 DAYS LATER. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE ABS AND 4X4 LIGHTS STARTED GOING OFF, WITH THE ABS ENGAGING ERRATICALLY WITH NO APPARENT REASON DUE TO CLIMATE OR TERRAIN. I CALLED FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID EITHER THE AXLE OR THE BRAKE HUB WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, AT THE EXPENSES OF HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS JUST FOR THE PART, AND LIKELY HUNDREDS MORE FOR LABOR! I THEN GO ONLINE, HOWEVER, A SEE A LITANY OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AND MERCURY MARINER SPANNING OVER THE COURSE OF A DECADE - ALL WITH THE EXACT SAME DESCRIPTION OF WHAT I EXPERIENCED. ALL THE TESTIMONIALS POINTED TOWARDS A THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THE TONE RING THAT IS USED BY THE ABS TO GAGE DRIVING CONDITIONS. APPARENTLY, AFTER A FEW YEARS OF DRIVING, IT TENDS TO SNAP! THIS 5$ - $15 DOLLAR PART IS THEN USED FOR AND AN EXCUSES FOR A REPAIR THAT MAY SPILL OVER INTO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, WHILE NOT TO MENTION, ENDANGERING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS OF SAID VEHICLES. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER IF THEY'D REPLACE ONLY THE TONE RING, THEY SAID THEY DO NOT STOCK THE TONE RING ONLY, BUT THEY DO STOCK THE BRAKE HUB AND AXLE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING FLAW, ONE THAT COULD PUT THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AT RISK. I WOULD HOPE THE DOT WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE FORD TO CORRECT THIS CALAMITY BY REPLACING THE POORLY DESIGNED TONE RING WITH SOMETHING DURABLE, TO BETTER REFLECT THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT WE'D LIKE TO EXPECT FROM FORD, NOT TO MENTION A GENERAL SENSE OF CONCERN FOR OUR WELLBEING. *TR

WARNING LIGHT (ABS) AND MESSAGES APPEARED (SERVICE 4 X 4, SERVICE BRAKES SOON) UNEXPECTEDLY. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A DAY, THE LIGHT AND MESSAGES WENT AWAY. HOWEVER, THE NEXT TIME THE CAR WAS DRIVEN, IT BUCKED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON - ON A DRY ROAD. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ONLINE, IT SEEMS THAT MANY ESCAPE HYBRID OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. OWNER IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR OF COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE AND AFRAID TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR FEAR OF COSTLY REPAIRS FOR THIS ISSUE AFTER HAVING SPENT $5000 TO REPAIR COMPLETE FAILURE OF POWER TRAIN SYSTEM. *TR

FOR THE PAST YEAR MY FEH '07 HAS HAD THE TRIANGLE LIGHT WITH THE EXPLANATION POINT COME ON. INCLUDING THE AWFUL "PULL OVER SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE. I HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT, IT'S TEXAS SUMMER HEAT & WE'RE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER EXCEPT ELECTRIC! WHILE DRIVING ON CRUISE CONTROL OF 65MPH THE ENGINE STOPS, I HAVE TO COAST (NO ACCELERATION) OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC. 18 WHEELERS, CATTLE HAULERS, ETC. MY CHILDREN ARE SCARED WITLESS, AS AM I. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. VEHICLE SENT TO THE DEALERSHIP (WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED) THEY DID AN ELECTRICAL RESET. WHILE DRIVING FROM TEXAS TO TENNESSEE IT OCCURS SOOOO MANY TIMES I'VE GIVEN UP. MATTERS WORSE, THE CHILDREN ARE WITH ME. I AM NOT SAFE WHILE DRIVING THIS NEW VEHICLE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A MATTER OF SAFETY WITH FORD!! AFTER LOOKING AT OTHERS ON THIS SITE, I AGREE. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER FORD. THOUGH THAT IS ALL WE'VE PURCHASED IN THE PAST 20YRS!! MY HUSBAND EVEN SOLD HIS HYBRID AND PURCHASED A HYUNDAI!!! WHY IS FORD NOT COMING OUT WITH A RECALL?? ALL I SEEM TO FIND IS THE CLOTH COVER THAT MAY PREVENT THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. ARE THEY IGNORING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WARNING LIGHT OF "PULL OVER SAFELY NOW" AND YOUR COASTING TO THE SIDE OF A BUSY FREEWAY OF 18 WHEELERS???? *TR

THIS IS THE 4TH INSTANCE FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. I CAN NOT RECALL THE DATE AND MILEAGE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED THE FIRST TWO TIMES SO I USED THE LATEST INSTANCE FOR DATE AND MILEAGE. THIS VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY 5 AND 1/2 YEARS OLD AND HAS 81,100 MILES ON IT. FOUR (4) TIMES NOW THE ABS TONE RING HAS CRACKED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OCCASIONALLY BRAKE AS IF THE ABS IS WORKING AND INCREASING THE STOPPING DISTANCE REQUIRED TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE INTERNET REPORTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. LAST YEAR (AUG 2011) I HAD TO HAVE ONE OF THE ABS TONE RINGS REPLACED AT APPROX 72,000 MILES. THAT WAS THE 3RD TIME I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. CONSIDERING THIS IS MY 4TH OCCURRENCE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ON THE INTERNET I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT AN INVESTIGATION BE OPENED TO LOOK INTO A RECALL OF THIS PART. SOME INTERNET REPORTS SUGGEST THAT FORD HAS MODIFIED THE ABS TONE RING BUT I DO KNOW IF THAT IS CORRECT. I AM A RETIRED AIR FORCE SAFETY SPECIALIST WITH 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS DEFECT POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHERS SHOULD THE VEHICLE FAIL TO STOP PROPERLY. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO TRY TO HAVE THIS LATEST INSTANCE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME. IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW. *TR