2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

ABS & PARKING BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS, WARNING TONE & REGEN BRAKE MESSAGE ARE DISPLAYED. WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED THE BRAKE PERFORMANCE BECAME "GRABBY" AND OVER TIME THE BRAKES WERE DANGEROUSLY BAD. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS IF I STOPPED THE VEHICLE, TURNED OFF IGNITION AND RESTARTED, THE WARNINGS WOULD GO AWAY AND THE BRAKES WOULD FUNCTION NORMALLY.I INFORMED THE FORD TECHNICIAN THE LAST TIME I HAD REGULAR SERVICE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THEY FOUND " NO ISSUE" WITH BRAKES. I TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO FORD 06/22/2017 AND THEY TOLD ME THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST IN EXCESS OF $5,800.00. I WILL DISCARD THIS VEHICLE AND REPLACE IT WITH A NON -FORD PRODUCT

"CHECK BRAKES" AND "ABS" LIGHTS CAME ON, THEN "REGENERATIVE BRAKE SYSTEM DISABLED" ILLUMINATED, WARNING SOUNDED. TOOK CAR FOR REPAIR. MECHANIC PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC, THEN BLED ALL 4 BRAKE SYSTEMS. LIGHTS WENT OFF AND BRAKES WORKED. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, SAME LIGHTS CAME ON AND WARNING BELL SOUNDED. BRAKES WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. RETURNED CAR TO MECHANIC. INSPECTED, THEN TOLD IT MIGHT NEED REGENERATIVE BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF, BUT ILLUMINATED AGAIN A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER (02/22/17) TOOK CAR TO AUTOFAIR FORD, MANCHESTER, NH.WHERE BRAKES FAILED WHILE ENTERING DEALERSHIP AT 15 MPH. THEY KEPT CAR OVERNIGHT, SPENT 4 HOURS LABOR, BLED BRAKES, AND SAID CAR WAS FIXED (CHARGED $280). COUPLE HOURS LATER ALL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, WARNING BELL SOUNDED AND LOST ALMOST ALL BRAKING CAPACITY WHILE ON HIGHWAY 93 SOUTH HEADING SOUTH TOWARDS BOSTON. CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT CAR NEEDED NEW REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM AND COMPUTER MODULE. COST OF EQUIPMENT ALONE WAS QUOTED AT APPROX. $6000 WITHOUT LABOR. AM IN THE PROCESS OF TRADING THE CAR. WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL BRAKES, CAR IS VIRTUALLY WORTHLESS. WHEN BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR AT LOW SPEEDS, BRAKES DID NOT STOP CAR; VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP. IN SHORT, 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE ABS, SERVICE BRAKES, AND REGENERATIVE BRAKE DISABLED WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

YELLOW ABS LIGHT AND RED EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. BRAKE PETAL WENT SOFT TO THE POINT WHERE BRAKING WAS DIFFICULT. A FORD SERVICE CENTER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND INDICATED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT (HCU) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE PART COSTS $4800 DOLLARS AND THE TOTAL REPAIR IS $5300. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM FOR THE ESCAPE HYBRID. AND IN MY CASE, RENDERS THE VEHICLE ESSENTIALLY WORTHLESS SINCE THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE VALUE OF TAHE VEHICLE ITSELF. I'VE BEEN GIVEN NO ALTERNATIVES OR OPTIONS. *TT *CN

VEHICLE BRAKES FAIL FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THEN EVENTUALLY BEGIN WORKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NO WARNING IS GIVEN THAT ANYTHING IS WRONG WITH THE BRAKES (I.E. NO BRAKE LIGHT, AND NO "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT). IN ADDITION, THE "ALL OK" LIGHT REMAINS GREEN, INDICATING THAT NOTHING IS WRONG. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AT ANY SPEED (I.E ABOVE 35 MPH OR BELOW 5 MPH). THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY COMES TO A STOP, BUT ONLY AFTER A LENGTHY DECELERATION DISTANCE.*UPDATED 3-7-17 I WOULD SEE A WARNING THAT SAYS 'REGEN BRAKE FAILURE.' IN SOME CASES, DEPRESSING THE PEDAL WOULD CAUSE THE BRAKES TO LOCK-UP. IN OTHER CASES, THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOW DOWN GRADUALLY, BUT WOULD NEVER STOP EVEN IF THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS FULLY PRESSED. IN THE SECOND SITUATION, I WOULD BYPASS MY INTENDED STOP POINT, OFTEN A TURN. THE SITUATION WOULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING AND LAST UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE CAR. IT SOMETIMES WENT AWAY AFTER RESTARTING, MEANING THE BRAKES WOULD FUNCTION AS EXPECTED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND SAID I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL MODULE AND SEVERAL BRAKE LINES. ESTIMATED COST WAS $6200. I CONTACTED FORD TO INQUIRE ABOUT A RECALL, AND WAS TOLD THAT NONE EXISTS FOR THIS SITUATION.*SMCH