2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

UPON STARTING CAR, CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING CAME ON. ATTEMPTED TO TAKE IT TO DEALER BUT, WHEN APPROACHING STOP SIGN, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND COULD BARELY STOP. I MADE IT BACK HOME AND ALSO NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NO LONGER HOLD ITSELF UP EVEN ON A SMALL INCLINE. THIS HAPPENED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND BRAKES HAD BEEN WORKING AS NORMAL WITH NO INDICATION OF WEAR. HAD TOW TRUCK TAKE IT LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THE DRIVER SAID HE TESTED THE BRAKES AND THEY WERE WORKING. ONCE AT THE DEALER, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE DROVE IT AROUND PARKING LOT AND ALL SEEMED FINE. I TOLD HIM HOW THE WRENCH WARNING LIGHT (POWER TRAIN) HAD COME ON APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES IN A MONTH, BUT NEVER STAYED ON AFTER VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND RESTART. HE SAID THAT ALL THESE WARNINGS SHOULD BE STORED IN THE COMPUTER BUT WHEN CHECKED, THE SYSTEM WAS TOTALLY CLEAR OF ANY ERRORS OR WARNINGS. THE FORD DEALER IS NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT NOW, AFTER HAVING IT FOR OVER 4 DAYS, AND THEY ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE EVERYTHING TO APPEARS TO WORKING NORMALLY AND NO ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES THEMSELVES. I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO HAVE A CAR WHERE THE BRAKES CAN SPONTANEOUSLY STOP WORKING, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, WHICH SEEMS TO LEAD TO A SOFTWARE MALFUNCTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 40 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000. UPDATED 08/16/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES WITHIN THE THREE YEARS SHE HAS OWNED THE VEHICLE. SHE DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT SHE DID TALK THEM AND IT SEEMED THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL, THE FAILURE ACTUALLY OCCURRED WHILE IN THEIR POSSESSION. UPDATED 08/21/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND NOTICED THE PEDAL HAD FALLEN INTO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

THE WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING A POWER TRAIN FAILURE. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR FORD DEALERSHIP THE NEXT MORNING. DIAGNOSIS REVEALED A FAULTY BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR MOTOR IN THE REAR WHICH CONTROLS AIR FLOW TO THE HV BATTERY. THE DEALER SAID IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OUT OF THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD AND HAS ONLY 28,000 MILES ON IT. THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY IS 5 YEARS/60,000 AND THE VEHICLE IS STILL WITHIN THAT WARRANTY PERIOD. THE DEALER SAYS THAT COMPONENT IS NOT COVERED BY THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE ITSELF AND ALL DOCUMENTATION SAYS IT IS PART OF THE POWER TRAIN SYSTEM. THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND IF NOT FIXED, COULD RESULT IN THE HV BATTERY OVERHEATING AND CAUSING A FIRE OR SERIOUS DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON 2006-2008 MODELS, INCLUDING THE MARINER HYBRID, AND A TSB WAS ISSUED FOR THOSE VEHICLES. THIS VEHICLE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PRODUCED FOR 2009, SO THE PROBLEM WAS APPARENTLY NOT FIXED AND IS CARRIED OVER FROM THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR. *TR

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

THE AUTOMOBILE STEERING BECAME STIFF AND WOULDN'T TURN. I HAD TO MANUALLY TURN THE CAR AT THE CORNER. IT HAPPENED WITHIN THE WEEK 3 TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO BE CHECKED AT THE DEALER WHO EXPLAINED THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE INCIDENT.MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY ONLY TO 36,000 MILES SO I AM CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THE STEERING ON HIGHWAY AND ON SURFACE STREETS, AS IT HAPPEN PERIODICALLY. *TR

FIRST OCCURRENCE DRIVING AT APPROX 45 MILES PER HOUR MADE A LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING LOT AND LOST POWER STEERING. WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO PARKING SPOT, TURN OFF CAR THEN RESTARTED AND POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. SECOND INCIDENT WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 50 MILES PER HOUR MADE A LEFT TURN, AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING, WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP CAR SAFELY DUE TO TRAFFIC AND HAD TO CONTINUE WITHOUT POWER STEERING FOR APPROX 1 MILE UNTIL I COULD SAFE STOP THE VEHICLE. TURNED OFF CAR AND RESTARTED AND POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. *TR