2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR I STARTED SEEING ABS LIGHTS POP UP ON THE DASH AND IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAD TO SLAM SO HARD ON THE PEDAL FOR IT TO BARELY COME TO A STOP ALMOST HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME IN A SHOPPING CENTER. AFTER TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS BAD. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS GENERATION FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS WITH SOME GETTING INTO ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE FAULTY ABS ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL ROCKED BACK AND FORTH WITHOUT WARNING AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANDERSON'S ROCK RIVER FORD (815-229-0510, LOCATED AT 224 N ALPINE RD, ROCKFORD, IL 61107) WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED A DISCOUNT TOWARD THE REPAIR COST. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, AN ONCOMING VEHICLE CRASHED HEAD ON INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE SIDE AIR BAGS IN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE DEPLOYED, BUT THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS, INCLUDING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAGS, DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT LATER REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,820.

CONTACTED BARBER FORD AND DROPPED OFF VEHICLE FOR POWER STEERING RECALL NHTSA 14V284000 FORD NUMBER 14S05 AT 8 AM ON 9/11/18 WAS TOLD WILL BE DONE SAME DAY GOT CALL 11 AM WAS TOLD PART NOT THERE NEEDS TO BE ORDERED WILL BE DONE TOMORROW 9/12/18. NEVER GOT A CALL FROM BARBER FORD. CALLED AT 11 AM TODAY 9/12 WAS TOLD SHOULD BE DONE BY END OF DAY. NEVER GOT ANOTHER CALL. CALLED AFTER 4 AND GET VOICEMAIL SAYING NO ONE AVAILABLE LEAVE MESSAGE. NEVER GOT A CALLBACK.

THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES RANDOMLY WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE BEEN ON A FREEWAY, BRIDGE, REGULAR STREET, TRAFFIC. A RED WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON WITH "STOP SAFELY NOW" AND THE CAR WILL QUICKLY SLOW DOWN. IT WILL GO REALLY SLOW REGARDLESS OF STEPPING ON THE GAS. ONCE I PULL OVER I HAVE T STOP THE CAR AND PUT IT IN PARK THEN TURN IT BACK ON. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM ON THE FREEWAY OR ON THE BRIDGE (I WORK IN SAN FRANCISCO).

BRAKE FAILURE. DURING NORMAL DRIVING I WAS COMING TO AN INTERSECTION TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS WAS ALMOST NON EXISTENT. THE ABS LIGHT AND A MESSAGE INDICATING 'REGEN SYSTEM DISABLED' CAME ON. FORD HAS DESIGNED A BRAKING SYSTEM THAT CAN SIMPLY "DISABLE" ITSELF AND LEAVE A PERSON WITHOUT EFFECTIVE STOPPING POWER. I HAD TO VEER OFF THE ROADWAY TO AVOID HITTING CARS IN FRONT OF ME, RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO MY FRONT BUMPER AND UNDERCARRIAGE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS.

THE REAR INNER FENDER RUSTED OUT AND THE REAR STRUT BROKE THROUGH ITS MOUNTING BRACKET WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE IS NOW UNSTABLE AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP RELATIVE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. UPON DOING A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH VEHICLES SOLD IN THE BOTHER UNITED STATES AND CANADA AS STATED ON NUMEROUS WEBSITES AND FORUMS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS MY PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND I TRAVEL 120-125 MILES PER DAY ROUND TRIP TO WORK. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE HAD I NOT HEARD THE NOISE AND BRACES MYSELF PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE BECOMING UNSTABLE. MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT A FAMILY COULD BE RIDING IN A THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND NOT HAVE ADEQUATE REACTION AND BECOME A VEHICLE CASUALTY STATISTIC.

THE VEHICLE'S HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE ABS DOES NOT FUNCTION. THE COST TO REPLACE THIS PART IS AROUND $6000, WHICH IS MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE CAR. I OPENED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY BUT THEY SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO.

REGENERATIVE HYBRID BRAKES DISABLED.. VEHICLE BRAKES IN "FAILSAFE" MODE, WHICH REQUIRES YOU TO SLAM THE BRAKES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR JUST TO SLOW DOWN. RAN THROUGH THREE RED LIGHTS UNWILLINGLY. THE FORD ESCAPE HYBRID HAS MANY REPORTED ISSUES WITH THE ABS AND REGENERATIVE SYSTEM FAILING (A QUOTED $5000 FIX). THESE VEHICLES ARE SO RARE, AND PROBABLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM ARE NO LONGER DRIVEN AND INSTEAD ON THE FORUMS WITH A LAUNDRY LIST OF COMPLAINTS AROUND THIS ISSUE.

THE TONE RING ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE CRACKED, CAUSING TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHT TO GO ON, AND CAUSED INSTABILITY AND TRACTION ISSUES AT LOW SPEEDS.