2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

ON HOT DAYS THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS THE FOLLOWING ERROR "ABS LIGHT ON REGEN BRAKES DISABLED". THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT FUNCTION AS INTENDED. IT ALMOST FEELS AS THE VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP AND TAKES A VERY LONG TIME TO COME TO A STOP. IN A SITUATION WHERE AN IMMEDIATE STOP WOULD BE NECCESSARY THIS ERROR IS LIKELY TO RESULT IN A VEHICLE COLLISION. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURING ALL OF THIS YEAR (2020) ON DAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 85 DEGREES. THE MOST RECENT BEING ON JULY 25, 2020. THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS.

I GOT THIS VEHICLE IN 2019,THE BRAKES STARTED ACTING UP OFF AND ON,THEN IN 2020,AS OF JULY 1,MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE OUT SHOPPING.WHEN I SAY THE BRAKES WERE ACTING UP,THIS IS NOT LIKE MOST BRAKES WOULD DO.FEEL SQUISHY,GO TO THE FLOOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.I WAS COMING TO A STOP SIGN,PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE,AND IT DOES NOT GIVE AT ALL.JUST KEPT GOING.I FINALLY SHOVED IT INTO PARK AND IT STOPPED.THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES THAT DAY..WENT THROUGH 2 STOP SIGNS,UNABLE TO STOP.I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT SINCE THE 1ST OF JULY.ALSO,I THINK THE STARTER WENT OUT IN IT.WAS UNABLE TO START IT ANYMORE.

TRAVELING ON MAIN HIGHWAY WITH MY 3 GRANDCHILDREN WHEN THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON, BRAKES GO ALMOST ALL OF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. SHORTLY AFTER, THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS OUR MECHANIC SAID THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY A DEALERSHIP CAN FIX AND IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THERE WAS A RECALL 19S54 ON OTHER FORD VEHICLES 2006-2010 FORD FUSION, MERCURY MILAN, LINCOLN ZEPHYR AND MKZ VEHICLES FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. (THE VALVES WITHIN THE ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNITS (HCU) MAY REACT WITH BRAKE FLUIDS CONTAINING SPECIFIC CORROSION PREVENTATIVE ADDITIVES. THIS REACTION MAY CAUSE THE VALVES TO NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.) THIS RECALL SHOULD APPLY TO THE ESCAPE HYBRID AS WELL. THIS IS NOTHING TO DO WITH OWNER MAINTENANCE. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFAULT AND SHOULD BE COVERED AT FORD'S EXPENSE.

YESTERDAY, WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED ON I95 IN CONNECTICUT, I APPROACHED STOPPED TRAFFIC AND ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BY USING THE BRAKES. MY FOOT WENT TO FLOOR WITHOUT ANY VEHICLE BRAKING. I BEGAN TO PUMP THE BRAKES VIGOROUSLY AND WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE BRAKING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS VERY MUCH DISCONCERTED ME AS I DROVE STRAIGHT HOME WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE VERY POORLY FUNCTIONING BRAKES THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY IF I WAS NOT EVER VIGILANT OF TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME THAT I COULD ANTICIPATE NEEDED SLOWING AND STOPPING. I CHECKED MY BRAKE FLUID LEVEL WHEN HOME AND FOUND IT CORRECTLY FILLED AS WELL AS A SURVEY UNDER THE HOOD AND UNDER THE VEHICLE THAT FOUND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED BY MYSELF AND A LOCAL SHOP. THE VEHICLE NOW SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY AS I CONTEMPLATE MY NEXT COURSE OF ACTION. WEB RESEARCH INDICATES A FAILED HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FOR WHICH A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR SIMILAR YEAR/MODELS, BUT, NOT MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE. MANY OTHER ESCAPE OWNERS HAVE NOTED THIS EXPERIENCE WITH NO FEDERAL RESPONSE TO DATE. PLEASE REVIEW COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS DANGEROUS FAILED COMPONENT AND ACT. THANK YOU.

BRAKE PEDAL GOES DOWN TOO FAR. DIAGNOSED AS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. CAR HAS 84K MILES ON IT. FORD SEEMS TO HAVE RECALLED OTHER VEHICLES FOR HYDRAULIC BRAKE PROBLEMS. WHY NOT THESE? VERY DANGEROUS.

THE CAR BROKE DOWN AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT A FEW MILES FROM THE HIGHWAY ENTRANCE AND WOULD NOT RUN. BATTERY LIGHT, WRENCH LIGHT AND STOP SAFELY CAME ON. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALER, DIAGNOSED WITH P0A7A AND P0A78 CODES. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE CAR NEEDED A NEW OR REBUILT TRANSMISSION, WHICH WOULD HAVE COST MORE THAN THE CARS TRADE IN VALUE IF IF GOOD RUNNING CONDITION.

FIRST OF ALL THE SINGLE DATE BELOW DOES NOT DOCUMENT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED. WHEN I'M MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT LOW SPEED THE STEERING LOCKS UP AND HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST HAVE AN ACCIDENT. IF I PULL DOWN HARD ON THE WHEEL IT BREAKS LOOSE AND RETURNS TO NORMAL STEERING. I'VE GONE ON YOUTUBE AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME DEFECT AMD AS ME THEY SAY THAT THAT THEY ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL THAT IS DOCUMENTED BELOW. MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED AT THE KANSAS CITY PLANT AS THE OTHER CARS IN THE RECALL. I THINK THAT I SHOULD QUALIFY. PLEASE SEE TO THIS ASAP. THANK YOU ! [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES WHERE MY CAR WOULD SUDDENLY STALL OR FREEZE UP WHEN MAKING TURNS OR PRESSING THE GAS AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. BY STALLING I MEAN TAKING A SECOND OR TWO TO ACCELERATE THEN JERKING KINDA HARD ONCE I HIT THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN THE CAR WOULD FREEZE UP, THE TRACTION AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR FLASHES AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS COMPLETELY STUCK IN PLACE AND I'D HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR TO GET IT GOING AGAIN. IT DOESNT FREEZE OR STALL ON THE HIGHWAY BUT IT ALWAYS HAPPENS ON CITY STREETS.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AFTER DRIVING FOR A FEW MILES, WENT TO MOVE IT AND THE STEERING WHEEL JUST WENT ROUND AND ROUND WITHOUT THE TIRES MOVING.

VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS, SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM BOTH SIDES CRACKING, AC CONDENSER LEAKING