2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING, THE ANTILOCK AND SERVICE BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED RAY SKILLMAN FORD AT (317) 884-7164 (LOCATED AT 1250 US-31, GREENWOOD, IN) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 11/29/16*LJ

THE HCU UNIT WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO HYBRID ESCAPES WENT OUT ON ME CAUSING ABS TO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY (BRAKES TURNED TO SPONGE). I WAS INSIDE OF WARRANTY 8YEARS/ 100000 MILES UNIQUE HYBRID COMPONENT. I HAD LESS THAN 48,000 AND WAS INSIDE OF FOUR YEARS OF HAVING BOUGHT THE HYBRID SUV BRAND NEW. CONTACTED FORD DEALERSHIP WHICH THEN DIRECTED ME TO FORD CORPORATE OFFICE. THEY SAID THE WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE UNIQUE HYBRID COMPONENT!! I HAD ROOM TO STOP SO I WAS LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HURT WHEN THE HCU UNIT WENT OUT. *TR CONSUMER SOLD THE TRUCK IN 2012. CONSUMER TOOK FORD TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT IN ALEXANDRIA, VA AND WON 4K. UPDATED 6/8/18*JB

STARTED VEHICLE AND BOTH THE ABS AND THE BRAKE LIGHT WERE ON - THE MESSAGE SAID REGEN BRAKE HAD BEEN DISABLED AND THERE WAS A BRAKE ISSUE. TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND WAS TOLD THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST 4 GRAND TO FIX. IT SEEMS THIS IS OCCURRING QUITE A BIT WITH FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS BUT THERE IS NO RECALL AS OF YET. *JS CONSUMER TRADED IN THE VEHICLE FOUR YEARS AGO AFTER THEY GOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE BRAKES. CONSUMER DOES NOT HAVE THE VIN NUMBER UPDATED 6/8/18*JB

THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 27, 2012, AS I WAS DRIVING THROUGH TRAFFIC NEAR MY HOME, THE BRAKES ON MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID FAILED, MY DASHBOARD READOUT INDICATING MY REGENERATIVE BRAKES HAVE DISENGAGED. I CAREFULLY RETURNED THE QUARTER MILE OR SO HOME, AND TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE NEARBY FAIRFIELD (CALIFORNIA) FORD DEALERSHIP EARLY SATURDAY MORNING, BOTH IN ORDER TO AVOID OTHER DRIVERS, AND HAVE MY BRAKES REPAIRED. TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY TOOK MY VEHICLE WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTACTED ME TO INFORM ME THAT TWO OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEMS ON MY VEHICLE HAD FAILED: ONE CONTROLLING THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES, THE SECOND CONTROLLING THE FANS USED TO COOL THE HYBRID VEHICLE'S BATTERIES. IN A MOMENT OF CANDOR, FORD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE[XXX] INFORMED ME THE UNUSUAL FAILURE WAS THE BRAKE-RELATED FAILURE, AS THE FORD OF FAIRFIELD SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS REPLACING THE FAN-RELATED COMPUTER PART, "ALL THE TIME." MY CONCERNS ARE SIMILARLY TWO-FOLD: FIRST, THE THOUGHT THAT MY REGENERATIVE BREAKS SIMPLY DISENGAGED IS DISTURBING ENOUGH, AS IT PUT ME AND MY CHILDREN IN IMMEDIATE HARM. ALMOST MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH, IS THE FACT THAT THE COMPUTER PART CONTROLLING THE COOLING OF MY HYBRID'S BATTERIES APPEARS TO FAIL "ALL THE TIME." SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE PART OF MY VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE INFORMING ME THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY COOLING FAN WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, THERE IS SIMPLY NO KNOWING WHEN MY VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THAT AFFECTING SOME VOLTS MANUFACTURED BY CHEVROLET. I AM INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE SIMILAR FAILURES TO NOT IMPACT OTHER OWNERS OF FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS. SHOULD YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, MY DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER IS [XXX]. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ABS AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, SHE NOTICED A JERKING SENSATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 48,000.

THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT OF THE ABS EXPERIENCED A FAILURE RESULTING IN INTERNAL LOSS OF PRESSURE. THE ONLY REPAIR SOLUTION IS FOR THE DEALER TO REPLACE THEN ENTIRE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT AT A COST OF OVER $3000. IT SEEMS AWFULLY ODD THAT 1) ONLY THE DEALER CAN DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR ELEMENT, 2) ONLY THE DEALER CAN ORDER THE PARTS, 3) THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR JUST THE FAILING COMPONENT BUT THE WHOLE HCU MUST BE REPLACED, AND 4) THE COST IS SO EXTREME. I'VE READ ONLINE ABOUT OTHER FORD ESCAPE OWNERS WHOSE HCU HAD FAILED AND IT SEEMS THIS MAY BE DEFECTIVE IN EITHER DESIGN OR IN FUNCTION. CERTAINLY MAKING IT A DEALER-ONLY REPAIR SEEMS SHADY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, THE WARNING CHIME SOUNDED, "SERVICE BRAKES" FLASHED ON THE DISPLAY, AND I LOST ALMOST ALL OF MY BRAKING POWER AS I WAS COMING UP ON A STOP SIGN. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STOP. LATER, AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, THE BRAKES WERE RESTORED. THIS HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK. EACH TIME I START THE CAR, ALL IS OK, AS I ACCELLERATE, THERE IS A CLUNK AS IF THE ENGINE WANTS TO STALL BUT KEEPS GOING DUE TO MOMENTUM. A SCAN OF SYSTEM FAULTS SHOWS BRAKES ALL OK. I DRIVE THE CAR A FEW MILE AND THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CHECK BRAKES LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. CAR STILL SEEMS TO RUN FINE WITH ABS LIGHT AND CHECK BRAKES INDICATOR. BUT SOFT BRAKES ARE VERY WOORYSOME. *TR

PURCHASED 2008 4 WHEEL DRIVE FEH USED IN NOV.2010. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. FIRST OCCASION ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER START/STOP IGNITION BRAKES CAME BACK. TOOK TO FORD DEALER FOR CODES. NO CODES NOTED. SECOND OCCURRENCE OCT. 2011. BRAKES FAILED WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE. ABS AND REGEN BRAKE DISABLED LIGHTS CAME ON. TOOK TO LOCAL DEALER KEPT CAR 8 DAYS. COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM. CODES DID REGISTER. TALK OF A MASTER CYLINDER REPLACEMENT, BUT FAVORED RECHARGING ELEC. BATTERY AND CHANGED DIRTY FILTER ON IT. I WAS VERY LUCKY - IF THE BRAKES HAD FAILED AS THEY DID AND I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT WITH ANOTHER CAR AHEAD OF ME I WOULD HAVE HIT IT. DEALER SAYS IT PROBABLY OK. BOUGHT CAR FOR OUR 16 YEAR OLD SON TO DRIVE - TOO UNSAFE AND UNPREDICTABLE. TRADED IN. *TR