2006 FORD ESCAPE HEV Complaints

MY HUSBAND AND I WHEN RETURNING HOME FROM A VISIT TO RELATIVES IN TAYLORSVILLE, UTAH. IT HAD BEEN SNOWING BUT HAD STOPPED OR SLOWED DOWN IN TAYLORSVILLE. SINCE WE WERE DRIVING AN ESCAPE HYBRID 4-WD, WE BELIEVED WE WOULD BE FINE TO BEGIN OUR TRIP. WE WERE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 15 WHEN IT STARTED SNOWING REALLY HARD. WE WERE JUST PAST THE PROVO AREA. THERE WERE MANY CARS AND BIG TRUCKS ON THE FREEWAY AND EVERYONE WAS DRIVING AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED TO SLIDE INTO THE INSIDE LANE. WE HAD NOT MADE ANY SUDDEN MOVES, HAD NOT INCREASED SPEED OR APPLIED BRAKES. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE BEGAN TO SLIDE AS IF THE 4-WD KICKED IN , AS IT SHOULD HAD. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THE NECESSARY TRACTION. IT DID NOT FEEL AS THOUGH WE HAD ANY TRACTION AT ALL. AS WE SLID TO THE INSIDE LANE WE CONTINUED SLIDING ON AN ANGLE TOWARD THE SHOULDER. WHEN WE REACHED THE SHOULDER THE CAR ROLLED ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE. I WAS AMAZED AS BOTH MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND GREW UP IN SNOW COUNTRY AND HAD MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DRIVING IN THE SNOW. I NEVER HAD A VEHICLE SUDDENLY START SLIDING UNLESS I WAS TRYING TO TURN A CORNER, STOP AT A LIGHT/STOP SIGN, OR MADE SOME OTHER ACTION WHICH CHANGED THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR. I HAVE NEVER ROLLED IN A CAR, BUT I HAVE SLID ONTO THE SHOULDER ON A FEW OCCASIONS. I DID NOT BELIEVE THE SMART 4- WD SYSTEM WAS WORKING PROPERLY, AND I DID NOT BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE ROLLED. *AK

AS FLEET MANAGER , I HAVE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE ON ALL 3 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID VEHICLES. DURING EACH FAILURE, THE MAIN ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AND THE VEHICLE GOES TO STRAIGHT ELECTRICAL POWER WHICH COULD CAUSE A WRECK IN SITUATIONS WHERE A RAPID DROP IN SPEED COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE FAILURE HAS HAPPENED ON ALL THREE HYBRIDS AT ABOUT 15,000 MILES AND NOW AGAIN AT 36,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACES THE WATER PUMP THAT SUPPLIES COOLANT TO THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AFTER EACH FAILURE. I FEEL THAT THIS SITUATION SHOULD BE REPORTED DUE TO THE FACT THAT I RESEARCHED EDMUNDS.COM AND THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN THEIR CARSPACE AUTOMOTIVE FORMS. FORD NEEDS TO RE-ENGINEER THIS SYSTEM. *TR

BRAKE WARNING LIGHT AND SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE FREQUENTLY DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT PANEL (MORE THAN A DOZEN OCCURRENCES OVER 12 MONTHS). OWNERS MANUAL DESCRIBES THIS AS A DANGEROUS CONDITION. FOUR ATTEMPTS BY FORD SERVICE TO CORRECT AND ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE BECAUSE CODES ARE ERASED WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF(?). *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE 2006 FORD ESCAPE WITH 100 FAILURE MILEAGE SHE TURNED ON THE HEAT ONE RAINY DAY AND BEGAN TO SMELL A PERFUME/GRAPE CANDY ODOR COMING FROM THE HEATER VENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER , AND THE ENGINEER LOOKED IT OVER, BUT WILL NOT SPECIFY WHAT TESTS THAT THEY DID, IF ANY. THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THIS ODOR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6000.*AK UPDATED 03/02/07. *JB

BRAKES FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR THE BRAKE REPAIR AFTER THE FIRST TIME ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO BUT WAS TOLD BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. AFTER THE SECOND TIME THEY NOW HAVE TO ORDER PARTS WHICH ARE ON BACK ORDER IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR. *NM

NORMAL CITY DRIVING INITIATED FAILURE OF BRAKES TO HAVE PRESSURE. IMMEDIATELY BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. BRAKES MAY BE APPLIED, BUT RELEASE AFTER APPLICATION. INITIALLY, WHEN BROUGHT INTO FORD DEALERSHIP 11 DAYS AGO, PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED TO BE ELECTRONIC, BUT AFTER REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR BRAKES, THE PRESSURE FAILS TO RESUME. *JB