2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

VEHICLE ABS REG/BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT. VEHICLE'S BRAKES WERE WORKING ON A LIMITED BASIS, UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING ABILITY WAS ERATIC AND DID NOT STOP AT MULTIPLE INTERSECTIONS. THE PART THAT FAILED ACCORDING TO CODES WAS A HYDRAULIC BRAKE CONTROL UNIT THAT COST ABOUT $5000 IF USING A NEW OEM PART. HAD CAR REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP USING A PART WITH ALL MATCHING NUMBERS THAT WAS REBUILT, BUT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE REPAIR. PROCEEDED ANYWAY, BRAKES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY FOR ABOUT ONE WEEK. THIS ISSUE HAS RETURNED AND THE CODES INDICATE IT NEEDS A NEW HCU, AGAIN. THE CAR FAILED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT BUT AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR CAN NOT BE DRIVEN AT THIS TIME. RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM DISABLED WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AND THE CHECK ABS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 145268. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,300.

IVE HAD REOCCURRING ISSUES WITH MY BRAKES ,ABS SYSTEM , POWER TRAIN , STEERING COLUMN STARTER. OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS AND IT SEEM LIKE THE PROBLEMS KEEP COMING UP . THE ONLY CLOSE CALL I REMEMBERS IS COMING HOME FROM WORK . MAKING A TURN ON TO A STREET, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY. I COULD HAVE CRASHED IF A HUGE CURB WASNT THERE .

THE COMPUTER CHECKS THE BRAKES UPON START AND THE COMPUTER IS FALSELY DETECTING AN ERROR WITH THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE PUMP PERIODICALLY. IT CAN OCCUR 1 IN EVERY 50 STARTS TO SOMETIME 5 ATTEMPTS IN EVERY 1 GOOD START. THE COMPUTER IF IT SEES AN ERROR WILL DISABLE THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WILL BRAKE SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER AND LESS EFFICIENTLY WHEN IN ERROR MODE. THE COMPUTER GLITCH REQUIRES A TOTAL REPLACEMENT AND MUST BE REPROGRAMMED AT THE DEALER AT A COST OF $4 TO $5 THOUSAND. BASED ON THE THOUSANDS I SEE ONLINE WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND NATURE OF ISSUE (BRAKES AND SAFETY), I AM SURPRISED TO SEE A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN MANDATED. THE COST IS BEYOND REASONABLE AND I AM LEFT WITH DRIVING AN UNSAFE CAR.

MY PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLES BRAKES IS SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN ON THIS FORUM. SOMETIMES I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES, BUT ABOUT HALF THE TIME AFTER STARING THE CAR THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON ALLONG WITH REGEN BRAKES NOT WORKING AND TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP REQUIRES STOMPING BREAK PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED IT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO ROLL PAST A STOP SIGN AND INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IF THE BRAKES RANDOMLY STOP WORKING. THE REPAIR SHOP OF COURSE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AS THE BRAKES WERE WORKING FINE THEN. MOST LIKELY THOUGH, THE CULPRIT IS IN THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM, HENCE THE 'REGEN BRAKING' NOTE THAT COMES ON.