2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

FORD ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY (ETB) ISSUE MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCING ISSUES RELATED TO AN ILL-DESIGNED ETB SINCE 2010 (WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE). IN THE PAST 5 YEARS, THE FREQUENCY OF ISSUE OCCURRENCE HAS PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED. CURRENT RATE OF OCCURRENCE IS 3 - 6 TIMES PER WEEK. RANDOMLY THE VEHICLE GOES INTO "LIMP MODE" WHILE DRIVING, WHERE THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN TO NEARLY ZERO POWER. DASHBOARD DISPLAYS "PULL OVER SAFELY". IF THIS OCCURS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC (WHICH IS MANY TIMES THE CASE ON OUR LOS ANGELES FREEWAYS), THERE IS NO WAY TO PULL OVER SAFELY WITH NEARLY ZERO ENGINE POWER. THE VEHICLE IS LITERALLY STRANDED IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC UNTIL THE ETB IS RESET. THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION MUST BE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON TO RESET THE ETB. THIS FAULTY ETB PART ACROSS MANY FORD MODELS FOR 10+ YEARS IS PUTTING VEHICLE OWNERS' SAFETY AT HIGH RISK. FORD SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL OF ALL VEHICLES WITH THESE ILL-DESIGNED, FAULTY ETBS. VEHICLE OWNERS SHOULD NOT BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT OF A PART WHICH IS CLEARLY FAULTY IN ITS DESIGN.

THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES RANDOMLY WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE BEEN ON A FREEWAY, BRIDGE, REGULAR STREET, TRAFFIC. A RED WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON WITH "STOP SAFELY NOW" AND THE CAR WILL QUICKLY SLOW DOWN. IT WILL GO REALLY SLOW REGARDLESS OF STEPPING ON THE GAS. ONCE I PULL OVER I HAVE T STOP THE CAR AND PUT IT IN PARK THEN TURN IT BACK ON. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM ON THE FREEWAY OR ON THE BRIDGE (I WORK IN SAN FRANCISCO).

THE TRIANGLE/! SYMBOL COMES UP AND ENGINE LOSES ALL POWER ON THE FREEWAY. MY CAR HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE. THE 2008 ESCAPE HYBRIDS ARE SUPPOSEDLY NOT COVERED FOR THROTTLE BODY ISSUES AND MY COOLANT FAN FOR THE BATTERY IS SUPPOSEDLY "UPDATED" AND DOESNT NEED TO BE REPLACED. . OVER 700 DOLLAR FIX FOR SAFETY AND FLAW IN QUALITY OF PATS?

CURRENTLY FORD HAS A RECALL (14S19). THE COOLANT PUMP MAY MALFUNCTION, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE HYBRID ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS TO OVERHEAT AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. "WHEN THE HYBRID ELECTRONICS SYSTEM GETS TOO HOT IT WILL SHUT DOWN THE POWERTRAIN, RESULTING IN A STALL-LIKE CONDITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH," ACCORDING TO FORD'S FILING WITH NHTSA. MY VEHICLE HAS THIS PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, AND I HAVE ALREADY NOTIFIED THIS AGENCY. ONCE AGAIN, ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2014, I WAS DRIVING IN MARYLAND, NEAR DC, IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND I LOST ALL POWER. IT IS REALLY HORRIBLE LOSING ALL POWER WHEN YOU ARE IN THE LEFT MOST LANE (NO LEFT SHOULDER), AND LOSE ALL POWER. SEVERAL CARS ALMOST HIT US...AGAIN. I DON'T CARE IF MY HYBRID SYSTEM IS OVERHEATING. I WOULD RATHER DESTROY THE BATTERIES THAN ALL OF A SUDDEN LOSING ALL POWER IN DC RUSH HOUR. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A SIGNAL. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED, I PRESSED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE AS NORMAL. JUST PAST THE INTERSECTION, THE GAS ENGINE SHUT DOWN, A RED LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. THE CAR BEHIND ME STRUCK US. UPON GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY KNEW THAT THE ELECTRONIC COOLING PUMP HAD FAILED. THERE WAS NOT MANY QUESTIONS, AS THEY DESCRIBED WHAT THE SYMPTOMS WERE. UPON LOOKING AT THE INTERNET, IT WOULD SEEM THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH FORD, AND THAT THE NEW ECP WAS REDESIGNED TO PREVENT THE ISSUE. THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT VEHICLES LOSING POWER TO THIS SAME PROBLEM. IN SOME CASES, AS WAS MINE, ELECTRICAL POWER IS LOST AS WELL, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. *TR

STARTING IN MAY OF 2014, MY CAR'S PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN UNTRUSTWORTHINESS. SOME DAYS THERE'S NO PROBLEM-- I PUSH ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR MOVES ACCORDINGLY. AT A STOP SIGN, I CAN GO. WHILE MOVING AT 50 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, I CAN EASILY ACCELERATE AND MOVE AROUND A MONSTER SIZE 18 WHEELER. BUT ON THE DAYS WHEN I PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR DOESN'T RESPOND, I SWEAT. HERE'S A DESCRIPTION: FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, NO RESPONSE... SO I PRESS DOWN FURTHER, WITHOUT ANY ACCELERATION OF THE CAR. FINALLY, NOW FREAKED OUT THAT THE CAR IS NOT MOVING (AND THAT ANOTHER CAR IS RIGHT ON MY TAIL) I PRESS THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR-- WITH NO IMMEDIATE REACTION. THEN-- BAM-- SURPRISE! IT WORKS AND THE SUDDEN SURGE SENDS ME FLYING BEYOND INTENTION AND I MUST PRESS ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW. AT STOP SIGNS THIS HAPPENS AND PEOPLE BEHIND ME GET FRUSTRATED, PROBABLY THINKING I'M ON DRUGS OR SOMETHING. BUT REALLY, IT'S NOT ME; IT'S MY FORD ESCAPE HYBRID 2008. THE RATE OF INCIDENCE HAS GRADUALLY INCREASED FROM MAY TO THE CURRENT DATE OF JULY, AND CONSEQUENTLY, I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR