2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

POWER ASSISTED STEERING LOCKED UPON STARTING THE CAR, THIS HAS HAPPENED EVERY TIME I START MY CAR AND I HAVE TO RESTART MY CAR 6+ TIMES TO GET MY STEERING TO UNLOCK. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AT STOPLIGHTS AND IS FAVORING THE LEFT WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT. WHEN THE STEERING IS LOCKED IT IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE CAR. I HAVE TO WORRY EVERY DAY THAT THE CAR MIGHT LOCK UP ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I AM DRIVING TO WORK. I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF OTHER REPORTS LIKE THIS ON THE INTERNET YET NO RECALL... *TR

CAR ENGINE TURNED OFF AT 70 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. PRIOR TO THE ENGINE SHUT-OFF, ONLY THE "WRENCH INDICATOR" WAS ON; IT COMES ON OCCASIONALLY. SERVICE CENTERS CAN NEVER DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE ONCE THE CAR HAS TURNED OFF. WARNING LIGHT ON DASH SAID "SAFETY MODE" AT THE TIME OF ENGINE SHUT-OFF. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER ABOUT TWO MINUTES. DASH WARNING INDICATORS TURNED OFF. GOT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE ONLY FOR THE CAR ENGINE TO TURN-OFF AGAIN AT THE BASE OF AN OFF-RAMP ABOUT FOUR MILES FARTHER UP THE ROAD. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT 55-60 MPH BEFORE THE SECOND INCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. *TR

LOST POWER STEERING TOTALLY ON MY FORD ESCAPE. NO WARNING LITES WERE DISPLAYED. HAVE HAD THE STEERING STOP A FEW TIMES BEFORE AND STOPPED VEHICLE AND RESTARTED AND NO PROBLEMS. PER FORD WHEN I ASKED IN PAST IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SENSOR LOCATED IN STEERING COLUMN BUT NOTHING SHOWED UP IN THE COMPUTER. I HAVE EMAILED FORD AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO REPAIR PROBLEM. THEY RECOMMEND I SAVE THE RECEIPT OF ABOUT $1700.00. IN CASE THEY DO A RECALL LATER. *TR

SEVERAL TIMES SINCE BUYING MY CAR IN NOV 2013 MY STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED UP ON ME SO THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL, TYPICALLY WHEN TURNING A CORNER, ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENTS. I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO PULL COMPLETELY OVER IN ONE CASE AND I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE TURN IN MY OWN LANE IN ANOTHER. I AM VERY WORRIED THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN IN TRAFFIC AND MYSELF AND OTHERS COULD BE INJURED OR EVEN KILLED. AND NEITHER FORD OR WARRANTY COMPANY IS WILLING TO REPAIR/REPLACE. *TR

I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN LEFT UP A HILL. THE STEERING LOCKED AND FOR A SECOND OR TWO I COULDN'T TURN AND WAS AFRAID I WOULD CRASH INTO THE HILLSIDE. AFTER BRAKING THE STEERING COLUMN UNLOCKED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING THE WHOLE COLUMN AT MY EXPENSE. *TR

SINCE THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED A BRAKING FAILURE INCIDENT I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH&VISITS TO MECHANICS TO RETRIEVE CODES THROWN FROM THE CAR OFF DIAGNOSTIC MACHINES. REPLACING THE HCU CARRIES A PREMIUM PRICE TAG OF $5K-7K. PRIOR TO THE FIRST ACCIDENT,THERE IS NO OBVIOUS WAY THAT I COULD HAVE DAMAGED THE HCU WITH MY VERY NORMAL DRIVING HABITS (I.E.NO HISTORY OF TOWING, NO LONG DOWNHILL BRAKING)&THE HCU IS NOT A COMPONENT SUSCEPTIBLE TO WEAR TO THE POINT OF EARLY FAILURE. I BELIEVE THAT THE ESCAPE HYBRIDS BRAKING SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN (HENCE THE TSB)&FAULT LIES WITH FORD.I CONSIDER THIS BRAKE FAILURE VERY SERIOUS&A PROBLEM THAT FORD HAD NEVER BOTHERED TO NOTIFY ME ABOUT OR RECALL.MY ATTEMPTS TO GET FORD'S ATTENTION ON THIS MATTER HAVE BEEN FRUITLESS.TO SUMMARIZE NHTSA IS NOT CONCERNED B/C NOBODY HAS GOTTEN KILLED BY THESE DEFECTIVE BRAKES. FORD CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS VERY SERIOUS&SIGNIFICANTLY DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW.AFTER SEVERAL EPISODES OF BRAKE FAILURE I FOUND TSB 05-8-5 (8/5/05 NHTSA ID#10017553:ESCAPEHYBRIDVEHICLES EXHIBIT THE YELLOW ABS&RED E- BRAKE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATING AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED,&AN INCREASE INBRAKE PEDALEFFORT)FORD CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY TO DEAL W/THE PROBLEM.ITS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE W/O THE REPAIR,IT HAD NO VALUE BEING BROKEN,&I DID NOT HAVE THE CONSCIENCE TO SELL THE VEHICLE W/A DANGEROUS PROBLEM.FORDS FAILURE TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS RATHER APPALLING.FORD ABANDONED ME W/A$7,000 BILL TO REPAIR A PROBLEM THAT IS SOLELY RELATED TO THEIR POOR DESIGN.FIRST ACCIDENT DESCRIPTION:ABS WARNING LIGHT&SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON CLUSTER."SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM"&"REGENERATIVE BRAKING DISABLED" ILLUMINATED ON MESSAGE BOARD. ON THE HIGHWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC,UPON EXTREME BRAKING, BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN TIME TO AVOID A REAR-END COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.... WHILE DRIVING SLOW (5-10 MPH) AND TURNING, POWER STEERING GOES OUT MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. THIS HAS RESULTED IN NEAR HEAD-ON COLLISIONS MORE THAN ONCE WHEN THE TURNING RADIUS COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED AND I DRIFTED OVER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN THAT MANY OTHERS WITH THESE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ESCAPE HYBRIDS HAVE HAD. I WILL NOT LET MY WIFE DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOW UNTIL WE HAVE SAVED ENOUGH TO FIX THE PROBLEM (QUOTED $1,400.00). *TR

MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF THE VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN OCCURRED ON 3/8/2014 BEGINNING WHILE TRAVELLING ALONG A 2-LANE HIGHWAY (CA-74 AROUND IDYLLWILD AREA) AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 P.M. VEHICLE DISPLAYED RED TRIANGLE ICON WITH EXCLAMATION POINT INSIDE THE TRIANGLE AND WORDS IN RED "STOP SAFELY NOW", AT WHICH POINT POWER TO THE ENGINE WAS DISABLED ALTHOUGH POWER STEERING APPEARED TO STILL BE ACTIVE. I THEN PULLED OVER AT A TURN-OUT (LUCKILY ONE WAS NEARBY SINCE I WAS GOING UPHILL AND LOSING SPEED QUICKLY). I PROCEEDED TO TURN THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION AND WITHIN MINUTES RE-STARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT UNTIL APPROXIMATELY MIDNIGHT AT WHICH POINT I WAS TRAVELLING ALONG A MAJOR FREEWAY IN SAN DIEGO I-15 SOUTHBOUND AT A SPEED OF 65-70 MPH. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE BECAME DISABLED AFTER DISPLAYING THE RED ICON AND WORDS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN 4 SEPARATE TIMES. THESE 4 INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN A 6 MILE STRETCH OF EACH OTHER AND WITHIN A 20 MINUTE WINDOW. THERE WAS NO OTHER INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE - NO SYSTEM NOTICE OF OVERHEATING, FAULTY ELECTRICAL, ETC. *TR

CAR LIGHTS COME ON .I CHANGED WATER PUMP.NOW SIGN COMES AGAIN IT IS HEAT SENSOR WHAT I HEAR FROM OTHER PEOPLE .SIGN SAYS STOP NOW SAFELY, , ONCE YOU STOP TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND ON THEN CAR STARTS , BUT IT HAPPENS AGAIN EVERY WEEK, I HAVE FAMILY LIKE MOST OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID ARE GOING WITH SAME ISSUE,S .FORD IS NOT DOING ANY THING ABOUT IT, WHEN SIGN COME ON THE FREE WAY THAT IS VERY DANGER. HOW COME THERE IS NO RECALL ON IT. WHEN JAPANESE TOYOTA PRIUS OR ANY CAR HAS PROBLEM THAT BE CAME BIG ISSUE BUT WHEN THAT IS FORD MADE IN USA NO ONE TALKS ABOUT IT, SO SAD, I HOPE FORD WILL DO SOME THING ABOUT THIS. *TR