2006 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE "CAN SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING" INCIDENT. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED A WARNING LIGHT IN THE SHAPE OF A WRENCH APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS DETERMINED, THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

EXCESSIVE WHEEL HUB CORROSION, SHOCK FREED AND DAMAGING INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR WHEEL HUB AREA. NOT DRIVING VEHICLE AT THIS POINT, TOO DANGEROUS. ADVISED BY SEVERAL MECHANICS TO CONTACT FORD MOTOR WITH COMPLAINT. FORD MOTOR CALL CENTER TOOK INFORMATION AND HUNG UP ON ME. WOULD NOT DIRECT ME TO SUPERVISOR. NO RECALL AT THIS POINT FOR 2006, BUT MANY COMPLAINTS IN FORMER YEARS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. IF AGENCY WOULD LIKE PICTURES, PLEASE CONTACT ME. *TR

PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER AND DAUGHTER WHEN MY CAR STALLED. THINKING QUICK, I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL SO I COULD STEER AND RESTART.MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE GARAGE 4 TIMES AND A $1000.00 OF WORK PUT INTO IT TO TRY AND FIX THE PROBLEM, TO THIS DAY IT STILL STALLS!!!!!! NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WHEEL WELL WAS CORRODED AND CAUSED THE SHOCK ABSORBER TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

WE NOTICED BANGING COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL. AFTER INVESTIGATING, WE FOUND A NUMBER OF SMALL RUSTED OUT HOLES INTO THE TRUNK FROM JUST THAT WHEEL WELL. THE BANGING WAS THE SHOCK MOUNT AND THE SHOCK ABSORBER HITTING THE WELL. THE RUSTED OUT AREA HAS GROWN. THERE IS NO OTHER INDICATION OF SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE. WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS THE RESULT OF A LEAK FROM THE HYBRID BATTERY; OTHERS, VIA MESSAGE BOARDS AND THE LIKE, HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. WE WERE AFRAID THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBER WOULD HIT THE WHEEL AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT SO WE TOOK IT OFF THE ROAD. GIVEN WE NEED THE VEHICLE AND DON'T WANT TO SELL AN OTHERWISE SERVICEABLE SUV FOR SCRAP, WE HOPE YOU CAN PERSUADE FORD TO RECALL THIS MODEL AND FIX THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR

BEGAN TO NOTICE A RATTLING NOISE/CLUNKING IN RIGHT REAR CORNER OF VEHICLE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR MECHANIC WHO TOLD US THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND THE SHOCKS WERE EXPOSED. ONLY THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS RUSTED. INFORMED BY OUR MECHANIC THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE BODY SHOP. WHEN WE CONTACTED THE BODY SHOP AND SAID WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE UNDER BODY ON OUR FORD ESCAPE HE NEW IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL BECAUSE IT WAS THE 3RD FORD ESCAPE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE ONLY HAD TO WAIT 3 DAYS FOR THE PART AS WE WERE TOLD THAT THE LAST 2 FORD ESCAPE OWNERS HAD TO WAIT 6 WEEKS BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER FROM FORD. LOOKED ONLINE AND THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR FORD ESCAPE WITH EXACT ISSUE (ALWAYS ONLY THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL) FROM 2004 ON. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESS BY FORD BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

STARTED TO WORK ONE MORNING, HAVE A MANUAL TRANS AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 13 MILES WENT TO SHIFT INTO 4TH THE ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT MOVE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT FINALLY BROKE FREE AND I CONTINUED TO WORK W/O INCIDENT. SINCE THEN IT HAPPENS ON A WEEKLY BASIS DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY AND DIFF TEMPS NO RHYME OR REASON. RESEARCHED AND FOUND MANY OTHER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS MORNING WAS DIFFERENT. I WAS ONLY 4 MILES FROM HOME AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK AGAIN. I WAS ONLY IN 2ND GEAR, I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR HARD IT BROKE LOOSE BUT THIS TIME IT GOT STUCK WHILE ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR TOOK OFF SPINNING TIRES. THERE WAS NOT MUCH I COULD DO BUT PUT THE CLUTCH IN SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. WHEN I FINALLY STOPPED THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK AGAIN SO THAT I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AND NOW MY CLUTCH WAS GONE. IT IS NOW NOT DRIVABLE. SO VERY VERY DANGEROUS. DOES THERE NEED TO BE A FATALITY FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE? *JS

ERROR CODE IS "STOP SAFELY NOW". I WAS DRIVING, AND ALL IN THE SUDDEN - AN ERROR MESSAGE CAME UP ON DASH DISPLAY "STOP SAFELY NOW". IMMEDIATELY, THE CAR WAS TOTALLY SHUT DOWN RIGHT AFTER, LOST THE ABILITY TO STOP, AND I HAVE NO CONTROLS OF ANY THING. I WAS LUCKY THAT I'M IN A MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT. I ALMOST GOT HIT WITH THE CAR DROVE RIGHT BEHIND ME. WHAT IF THIS INCIDENT OCCURS ON A FREEWAY AT A HIGH SPEED. MY CAR IS FULLY WELL MAINTENANCE WITH SUCH LOW MILES FOR 2006. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY CAR LOST ALL POWER AND SAID STOP SAFELY NOW. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND 10 MINUTES LATER THE CAR STARTED UP AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE CAR DID NOT DO THIS AGAIN FOR OVER A YEAR. AT THAT TIME I WAS DRIVING IN TUCSON AZ AND IT LOST ALL POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION.FORTUNATLY IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A PARKING LOT.AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH WE REPLACED THE ELECTRIC COOLING MOTOR ONLY TO HAVE IT CONTINUE TO SHUT DOWN WITH THE STOP SAFELY NOW DISPLAYED. AFTER MORE RESEARCH WE REPLACED THE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR WITH NO RESULTS. FORD REALLY NEEDS TO DO A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE DIE. THE CAR SHUTS DOWN WITH NO WARNING AND IT HAPPENS SO FAST. IF THERE IS NO WHERE TO PULL OVER YOU ARE STUCK IN THE ROAD AND A TARGET FOR OTHER VEHICLES TO RUN INTO. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30PM, I WAS DRIVING IN SACRAMENTO MAKING A RIGHT TURN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PETAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR WITH NO HYDRAULIC PRESSURE IN IT. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE PANEL SAID "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM." I HAD MY SON IN THE CAR WITH ME AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD PRESSING EXTREMELY HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET IT TO STOP. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO PEP BOYS AROUND THE CORNER WITHOUT BRAKES (EXCEPT WHEN I PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR). PEP BOYS LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT MIGHT BE THE MASTER CYLINDER BUT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO SELL ME ONE UNTIL I HAD A FORD DEALER LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON, THE ABS LIGHT WAS OFF, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS OFF, AND THE SERVICE WARNING WAS OFF. FORD DEALER LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE, DROVE IT AROUND FOR 22 MILES AND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPENED. I ADVISED FORD THAT PEP BOYS HAD ADVISED ME THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ON INTERMITTENT BRAKE LOSS FOR 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE IMMEDIATELY SNAPPED BACK AT ME "THAT DOESN'T MEAN ITS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY?" I THEN SAID, I CARE ABOUT MY SAFETY AND WANT TO KNOW WHY OUT OF THE BLUE MY BRAKES FAILED. WHEN I WENT BACK TO SEE IF THEY FOUND A PROBLEM, THEY STATED EVERYTHING WAS IN NORMAL WORKING ORDER AND THERE WERE NO CODES IN THE SYSTEM TO INDICATE BRAKE FAILURE. *TR