2006 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I HAD A COMPLETE LOSS OF NORMAL AND EFFECTIVE BRAKING. THE ABS AND BRAKE SERVICE LIGHTS BOTH CAME ON IN THE DASH AND IN ORDER TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP IT, IT BECAME NECESSARY TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. WHENEVER ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE TO THE RIGHT, CLEARLY INDICATING THAT (AT LEAST) THE FRONT BRAKE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS COMPLETELY USELESS/INEFFECTIVE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE AS IT TOOK ALL OF MY SKILL AS A MOTORIST TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND TO PROTECT MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN WHO WERE ALSO WITH ME. AFTER GETTING ONLINE AND READING COUNTLESS FORUMS AND ARTICLES, I DISCOVERED THAT IT IS A DISTURBINGLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS TO LOSE EFFECTIVE BRAKING BY WAY OF A FAULTY HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT: A PART TO WHICH I LATER FOUND OUT COSTS AN APPROXIMATE $4,200 TO ACQUIRE. AFTER BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS, IN FACT, THE EXACT PROBLEM WITH MY ESCAPE. THIS VEHICLE, APART FROM THE FAULTY HCU, IS IN INCREDIBLY GOOD SHAPE AND HAS NO OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES. IT IS AN ABSOLUTE ATROCITY THAT FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PART. IT HAS BEEN MADE VERY CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF RECALLING THIS DANGEROUS UNIT UNTIL, INEVITABLY, FATALITIES OCCUR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30-45 MINUTES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY PACK FAN KIT AND THE TRACTION AUXILIARY MODE ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V526000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM), BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.

THE ALARM WILL GO OFF RANDOMLY WHILE IN PARK AND NOT RUNNING. HAS GONE OFF AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY. DEALER REPLACED "SMART JUNCTION BOX" BUT DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. RETURNED TO DEALER AFTER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A LATCH PROBLEM BUT UNLESS IT HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT DEALERSHIP, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SURE WHICH LATCH AND REPLACING ALL LATCHES WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNINTENTIONALLY. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOTH THE DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS NO ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE, YET THE FAILURE PROGRESSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,800.

MY REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED. THE STRUT MOUNT IS LOSE AND IS GOING TO FALL OFF. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY VEHICLE. IT IS VERY UNSAFE FOR MY SON AND I TO DRIVE AND RIDE IN. THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.

THERE IS EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL AND THE SHOCK ABSORBER HAS BROKEN SINCE THERE IS NOTHING TO CONNECT TO CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND 2005. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY AND FORD WILL DO NOTHING STATING THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE SCRAPPED.

***DOOR AJAR/CAR ALARM/DOME LIGHT/ ISSUES*** 5/18/15 2006 FORD ESCAPE XLT 4WD 3.0L 6 CYLINDER HAS INTERMITTENT FALSE DOOR AJAR/CAR ALARM/DOME LIGHT ISSUES ALL THREE SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY FAULTY DOOR LATCH SENSORS. THE SUSPECT PART HAS A TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT. THAT IS TO SAY WHEN YOU PARK YOUR CAR, AND GO INSIDE YOUR HOUSE, THE CAR ALARM WILL START GOING OFF IN NEIGHBORHOOD WAKING UP NEIGHBORS AND IS A HUGE ANNOYANCE TO QUIET NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE ALARM WILL FALSELY ACTIVATE WHEN THE TEMPERATURE VARIES. SOMETIMES WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES WARMS UP TO ABOUT 75-80 DEGREES OUTSIDE THE CAR ALARM SOUNDS TO INDICATE A FALSELY TRIPPED ALARM. IT SOMETIMES WILL OCCUR IN WINTER WEATHER CLIMATES ALSO. TEMPERATURE CHANGES PROVOKE THE FAULTY SYMPTOMS. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FORD ESCAPE AND MANY OF THEIR MODEL VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE CHEAP FLIMSY METAL ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WITHIN THE DOOR LATCH MECHANISM THAT OXIDIZE AND LOSE SPRING TENSION OVER TIME CAUSING THESE FALSE ALARMS. WITH EACH FALSE ACTIVATION, CAR ALARM WILL SOUND, DOOR AJAR LIGHT ACTIVATES (CAN'T TELL WHICH DOOR IS FAULTY) DOME LIGHT TURNS ON AND WILL STAY ON UNTIL IT RUNS DOWN YOUR BATTERY IN YOUR CAR AND THEN YOUR STRANDED BECAUSE YOUR CAR WON'T START BECAUSE FAULTY DOOR ELECTRICAL SWITCH BUILT INTO DOOR LATCH MECHANISM ACTIVATED YOUR DOME LIGHT WHICH DISCHARGES YOUR BATTERY CHARGE. IF YOUR IN A COLD WEATHER ENVIRONMENT AND THE BATTERY DIES BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT IN ELECTRICAL SENSOR SWITCH, YOU CAN BECOME STRANDED BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT START YOUR CAR BECAUSE FORD REFUSES TO ADMIT THEIR IS A PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL. [XXX] - SPRINGFIELD, IL INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN THE MORNING. HAD BEEN IN THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES WHEN THE ABS, BRAKE, AND SERVICE BRAKES, INDICATORS CAME ON ALL AT ONCE. DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT I DID IN FACT NOT HAVE ANY BRAKES. TURNED ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND BEGAN TO MERGE OVER INTO RIGHT HAND SHOULDER, REPEATEDLY STOMPING ON BRAKE PEDAL. WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS APPROACHING A VERY BUSY 3-WAY INTERSECTION, OFF OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO SEE IF THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION, BUT ALL THREE INDICATORS CAME ON AGAIN. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. PAID $5280.03 IN PARTS AND LABOR TO HAVE FAULTY HYDRAULIC UNIT REPAIRED, AND HCU AND HYBRID SYSTEM BLEED. HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE IN THE PAST. VERY THANKFUL THAT THIS INCIDENT DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURIES TO MYSELF OR OTHERS. ...UPDATED 04/11/17 *BF UPDATED 10/16/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V526000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.