2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

WHILE DRIVING, OR SOMETIMES WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, THE MESSAGE READS "BRAKE REGEN FAIL". THE BRAKES GET MUSHY AND BECOME MANUAL BRAKES. THE MECHANIC SAID I NEED A HYDRAULIC ABS BRAKE SYSTEM OVERHAUL. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN IT IS VERY HOT OUTSIDE. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED, I COULD "FIX" IT BY TURNING THE CAR OFF, ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE, AND THEN RESTARTING. NOW, WHEN IT IS HOT, THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED PROBABLY TWO DOZEN TIMES SINCE JULY.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON AROUND APPROXIMATELY 3PM (10/21/2018) I WAS DRIVING AND MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING, AND I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE IT. IN THE CAR WITH ME WAS MY FRIEND, AND MYSELF. ON THE FIRST INSTANCE THIS DAY, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT, AND WITHOUT WARNING MY CAR BEEPED TWICE, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WENT COMPLETELY STIFF. THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO JUST PARK WHERE I WAS, TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE GONE. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, AS I WAS IN THE INTERSECTION COMING OUT OF THAT PARKING LOT, MY STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD, AND NO BEEPING OCCURRED. I COULD NOT MOVE THE WHEEL, AND I WAS TRAVELING IN THE DIRECTION OF OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE TURNING, AND I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HITTING THEM. AGAIN, THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SPOT STRAIGHT AHEAD TO PARK AND I ENDED UP LEAVING MY CAR THERE OVERNIGHT. MY FRIEND AND I ALMOST WRECKED IN A BUSY 4-WAY INTERSECTION DUE TO A MANUFACTURER MISTAKE, AS I HAVE RECOGNIZED ONLINE THROUGH MULTITUDES OF OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR SIMILAR SITUATIONS. THIS IS DANGEROUS. SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, AS THE VEHICLE (A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID), GAVE ME NO WARNING WHATSOEVER BEFORE THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED UP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HAD TO DOWNSHIFT THE TRANSMISSION AND APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN DROVE HOME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DOAN FORD, INC. (LOCATED AT 66870 BELMONT MORRISTOWN RD, BELMONT, OH 43718, (740) 782-1965) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

APPROX. A YEAR AGO THE BRAKES STARTED FAILING. SUDDENLY YOU HAD TO PUMP THEM EXTRA HARD TO STOP. WARNING LIGHT APPEARED THAT TIRES NEED INFLATING. THEY DID NOT. THEN AN ABS WARNING LIGHT APPEARED. SUDDENLY THE BRAKES STARTED WORKING AGAIN, NO EXTRA PUMPING NEEDED. THEN AT HIGH SPEEDS THE WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON AND STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND YOU COULDN'T GO ABOUT 60 MPH. AHHH! WHEN YOU HIT BRAKES THEY DIDN'T RESPOND OR A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE HAPPENED. LOOKED IT UP, COMMON IN THIS YEAR'S HYBRID THAT ABS BRAKES FAIL. ONLY HAD 150K ON IT. TOOK TO LOCAL FORD DEALER, THEY WANTED $7400 TO FIX. WHAT? "PROPRIETARY ABS BRAKES MUST BE REPLACED." THEY WOULDN'T TURN WARNING MESSAGE OFF COMPUTER OR DO ANYTHING LESS. WOULDN'T CHECK HOSES, CIRCUITS, OR PADS. JUST A FLAT "$7400" WITH NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN ABS SYSTEM. WE FOUND OUT THROUGH COMPLAINT SITES ONLINE THAT OTHERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT'S EXTREMELY HARROWING TO BE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND HAVE THE CAR SUDDENLY START SHAKING AND THE BRAKES NOT WORK!!

WHILE DRIVING THE ABS AND CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE BRAKES BEGAN TO MAKE NOISE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PRESSED. THE CAR STILL SLOWED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THE ABS CONTROL ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND TO BE INOPERABLE - THIS UNIT IS BOTH A HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT ON THE ESCAPE HYBRID. THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM IS CONTROLLED BY THE UNIT AND IT ALSO FAILED. THE FIX WAS OVER $6000 FROM FORD. THIS CAR HAD 221541 MILES ON IT, SO THIS IN EFFECT TOTALED THE CAR, WHICH WAS OTHERWISE IN DECENT SHAPE AND STILL RAN VERY WELL. CHECKING ON THE WEB - WE WERE LUCKY AS SEVERAL OTHER REPORTS OF THIS UNIT FAILING HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH MUCH WORSE RESULTS TO THE OWNERS WHILE DRIVING.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR I STARTED SEEING ABS LIGHTS POP UP ON THE DASH AND IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAD TO SLAM SO HARD ON THE PEDAL FOR IT TO BARELY COME TO A STOP ALMOST HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME IN A SHOPPING CENTER. AFTER TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS BAD. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS GENERATION FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS WITH SOME GETTING INTO ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE FAULTY ABS ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, AN ONCOMING VEHICLE CRASHED HEAD ON INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE SIDE AIR BAGS IN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE DEPLOYED, BUT THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS, INCLUDING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAGS, DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT LATER REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,820.

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).