2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CHECK BRAKES, ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000. UPDATED 11/15/13*CN THE CONSUMER STATED ON THREE OCCASIONS, THE BRAKE BECAME VERY SOFT AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 12/3/13 THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A FOURTH BRAKE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED IT WOULD COST $3,600 TO REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM. UPDATED 09/17/14 AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS THE BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH. IT WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $670. UPDATED 10/28/14

TWO WEEKS AGO, AT 50,000 MILES AND JUST BACK FROM THE DEALER'S SERVICE, MY BRAKES FAILED AT START-UP: VERY LITTLE BRAKING ACTION AND A WARNING ON THE DASH. I DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK AND WENT THROUGH FOUR STOP SIGNS. I HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT HAS BEEN EVER SINCE. THE TECHNICIAN THERE FOUND A CODE FOR "OVER-EXTENDED BRAKE PEDAL" -- NATURALLY THE RESULT WHEN THE BRAKES FAIL AND THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE DESPITE FREQUENT ATTEMPTS, AND THAT FORD WILL NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR UNLESS THEY CAN SEE THE FAILURE FOR THEMSELVES. THE "CUSTOMER SERVICE" MANAGER AT FORD HEADQUARTERS, IMPLIES THAT FORD'S ENGINEERS ARE UNAWARE OF THIS KIND OF PROBLEM AND HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR IT -- A POSITION THAT IS BELIED BY THE MANY POSTS ON FORD ESCAPE HYBRID BRAKE PROBLEM FORUMS. THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN WAS MORE HONEST: HE SAID "WE CAN'T REPLACE THE SYSTEM WITHOUT FORD'S APPROVAL, AND THEY WON'T APPROVE THAT BECAUSE OF THE HIGH-DOLLAR PARTS." MY READING OF MORE THAN 150 POSTS ON THE WEB SHOWS THAT 1) THIS PROBLEM HAS PLAGUED THE ESCAPE HYBRID SINCE 2005, 2) THE PROBLEM OFTEN GOES AWAY IMMEDIATELY, ONLY TO RECUR UNEXPECTEDLY LATER, AND 3) FORD USUALLY REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM, EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS, LIKE MINE, STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE THIS MORNING THERE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. A FORD DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT A WIRE HAD BROKEN AND THIS RESULTED IN A ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM TO FAIL. HAD THIS WIRE BROKE WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY IT WOULD HAVE LIKELY CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO THE CHECK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT AND A RED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON BUT THE BRAKES WERE NOT AFFECTED, AND THE LIGHTS DID NOT REAPPEAR AFTER THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND RESTARTED. I STILL TOOK IT TO THE DEALER BUT NOTHING WRONG WAS FOUND. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING HOME THE CHECK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT AND RED BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN, A CHIME OR ALARM-TYPE SOUND WENT OFF, AND WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN THE BRAKES DIDN'T RESPOND. TO GET HOME I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE EVERY TIME I NEEDED TO STOP. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER LAST NIGHT AND I WAS TOLD THE BRAKES WERE WORKING FINE WHEN THEY STARTED THE CAR THIS MORNING. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FURTHER. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 7780 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKES OCCURRED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPLOYED IT DID NOT CREATE BRAKING POWER EVEN BEING PRESSED TO THE FLOOR. TO STOP THE VEHICLE IT WAS DOWN SHIFTED AND THEN PLACED IN PARK AFTER IT COASTED TO A STOP. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTING IT THE BREAKS SEEM TO WORK AGAIN. THIS IS THE FIRST OCCURRENCE. THE DEALER IS BEING NOTIFIED TODAY. *TR CONSUMER STATED COMPLAINT WAS SUBMITTED YEARS AGO, VEHICLE WAS SOLD UPDATED 6/8/18*JB

CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM AND RED EMERGENCY LIGHT CAME ON. PRESSED BRAKES AND CAR DID NOT STOP. HIT CONCRETE WALL. 1ST TIME AT DEALERSHIP, BAD SENSOR. ORDERED NEW SENSOR, AND GOT CAR BACK. SAME DAY SAME LIGHTS CAME ON. 2ND TIME AT DEALERSHIP, CHANGED ABS MODULE. GOT CAR BACK ON 23RD AND ON THE 24TH LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AND CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING BRAKES. CAR IS BACK AT DEALERSHIP SINCE THE 24TH. *TR

WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW ON AUGUST 11, 2009. ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A STEEP HILL AT APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH WE LOST BRAKE POWER. SPECIFICALLY, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AS BRAKE FOOT MOVED 2/3 OF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IN LAST 1/3 OF THE WAY AS BRAKING FOOT MOVED TO AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE FLOOR, THERE WAS ONLY A WEAK RESPONSE. IT TOOK SEVERAL SECONDS TO STOP THE VEHICLE. BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON. WE WERE TERRIFIED. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS, AFTER WHICH TIME THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD REPLACED A FAULTY BOOSTER TRAVEL SWITCH. THEY ASSURED US THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT REOCCUR. HOWEVER, ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 15, 2009, THE PROBLEM DID REOCCUR. THIS TIME MY SPOUSE WAS DRIVING AND HAD LEVELED OUT AFTER RISING A STEEP HILL. HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. AGAIN, NO RESPONSE FOR THE FIRST 2/3 OF THE WAY AS BRAKING FOOT MOVED TO FLOOR. ONLY A WEAK RESPONSE IN LAST 1/3 AS BRAKING FOOT HIT THE FLOOR. BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON. AGAIN, MY SPOUSE WAS UNABLE TO TIMELY STOP THE VEHICLE. MY SPOUSE WAS TERRIFIED. BOTH TIMES, WHEN WE SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON, NORMAL BRAKING FUNCTION RESUMED. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALER AGAIN. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR 18 DAYS. FORD CORPORATE SENT THEIR ENGINEER TO OVERSEE THE REPAIRS. THEY WERE APPARENTLY ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ERROR IN THEIR TESTING OF THE VEHICLE. THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND HAVE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE. HOWEVER, WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BASED ON OUR TWO SCARY EXPERIENCES WITH THIS NEW CAR WITH LESS THAN 1400 MILES ON IT, AS WELL AS WHAT WE HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER RECURRING PROBLEMS WITH FEV FILED WITH NHTSA AND OTHER SOURCES SUCH AS THE "FORD HYBRID ESCAPE BRAKE PROBLEM" FORUM AT EDMUNDS.COM. *TR *CN