2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT THEN ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,500. UPDATED 02/26/13*LJ UPDATED 03/1/2013 *JS

DRIVING AT NIGHT ON FOUR-LANE US HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH WHEN ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED. WARNING LAMP CAME ON WITH STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE. SCARY IN TRAFFIC BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO SHOULDER WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AAA TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP WHICH DIAGNOSED STUCK OPEN CIRCUIT IN THROTTLE BODY. REPLACED PART 5M6Z*9E926*CA THROTTLE BODY AND MOTOR ASY. PART $376.70 LABOR $262.50 SHOP FEE $2.50 SALES TAX $48.13 TOTAL $ 689.83 VERY EXPENSIVE BUT LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN HURT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, HE NOTICED A TICKING AND BANGING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT MERGED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE NUMBER ONE PISTON WAS HITTING THE VALVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,939.

THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK MOUNT BROKE FREE FROM THE BODY OF THE SUV DUE TO ERROSION/RUST. FROM WHAT I CAN SEE FROM RESEARCH THIS IS A PREVELANT ISSUE WITH 2004, 2005, 2006 FORD ESCAPES. HOWEVER FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO DEAL WITH AN ONGOING ISSUE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY WITH THE ISSUE, THEY CORRECTED THE SUSPENSION DESIGN IN 2007 ESCAPES. *TR

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I WAS GETTING READY TO STOP AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PAD "STUCK." THE PAD WOULDN'T DEPRESS AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP. AFTER ADDITIONAL EFFORT, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP, BUT I WAS ALREADY AT A REDUCED SPEED SINCE I WAS COMING TO A STOP. I THOUGHT MY CAR MAT HAD JAMMED MY BRAKES, SO I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER WHERE I MADE THE PURCHASE. THEY KEPT MY VEHICLE FOR A WEEK TO "REPRODUCE" THE PROBLEM, WHICH THEY DID. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE PARTS ALONE WOULD COST $3,000, BUT THAT THE ENGINEERS AT FORD CORPORATE SUGGESTED THAT THE MECHANICS PERFORM AN ELECTRO-MECHANICAL BRAKE BLEED, WHICH SEEMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DID NOT. THREE WEEKS LATER, THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP KEPT MY VEHICLE FOR TWO WEEKS, BUT WERE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE FAILURE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM WAS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I ACTUALLY CALLED FORD HQ ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE PERSON WITH WHOM I SPOKE OFFERED NO REAL RESOLUTION, AND SHE SEEMED UNAWARE OF THINGS. FORD IS VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT IS A DESIGN FLAW--NOT A MECHANICAL FAILURE COVERED BY A WARRANTY. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, AND FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. HYBRIDS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, AND THEREFORE THE MANUFACTURERS OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE FORCED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DESIGN FLAWS THAT ARE AS DANGEROUS AS BRAKE FAILURE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MY BRAKES FAIL AND I END UP IN A TERRIBLE CRASH, EITHER KILLING MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. EVEN IF I SPENT $7,000 ON A NEW SYSTEM, IT'S GOING TO FAIL AGAIN BECAUSE IT HAS THE SAME DESIGN FLAW OF THE CURRENT BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS IS WHY FORD NEEDS TO REDESIGN THIS BRAKING SYSTEM AND RECALL AFFECTED VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

THIS VEHICLE WILL GO INTO "FAIL-SAFE" MODE, WHICH SHUTS THE IC ENGINE OFF WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT HAPPENS VERY INTERMITTENTLY AND NOT IN ANY CONSISTENT PATTERN. ONCE IT HAPPENS, IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR UNLESS THE CAR COOLS OFF COMPLETELY. HAPPENS ONLY WHEN CAR IS USED FOR LONG TRIPS. MULTIPLE FAULT CODES SHOW UP ON THE COMPUTER, AND BASED ON THOSE FAULT CODES, I'VE HAD THE HYBRID COOLANT PUMP REPLACED, THE AIR FILTER FOR THE BATTERIES REPLACED, AND THE FANS THAT COOL THE BATTERY REPLACED. I'VE HAD MULTIPLE TRIPS TO BOTH FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE AND EXCELLENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS (WHO WERE BLOCKED ON THE FORD TECHNICAL WEBSITE, EVEN THOUGH THESE INDEPENDENT MECHANICS SUBSCRIBE, FROM FINISHING THEIR RESEARCH INTO REPAIR OPTIONS) WITH THE FINAL RESULTS THAT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO REPAIR IT. OTHER THAN THIS PROBLEM, IT'S A VERY NICE VEHICLE....... BUT, I'M VERY NERVOUS THAT THIS SHUT-DOWN WILL OCCUR IN FAST, HEAVY TRAFFIC WHERE I CANNOT GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY AND CAUSE A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT AND LOSS OF LIFE...... INCLUDING MY OWN OR MY FAMILY. I CANNOT KEEP THIS VEHICLE LONGER...... BUT, IF I TRADE IT OFF.... IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ISSUE FOR FORD. GO ONLINE, AND YOU CAN FIND MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, SEVERAL OF WHICH HAVE HAD TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES WITH THIS PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY, MOST OF MY DRIVING WITH THIS VEHICLE IS ON 2-LANE STATE HIGHWAYS WHERE I CAN PULL OFF WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IN THE MIDDLE OF 80-MPH LA TRAFFIC ON A 6 LANE FREEWAY..... IN THE MIDDLE LANE...... I SHUDDER TO THINK. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN DECEMBER, 2011, AND WILL BE GIVING SOMEONE ELSE THE PROBLEM SOON, AS I CANNOT CONTINUE TO SPEND MONEY ON A VEHICLE THAT NO ONE IS CAPABLE OF FIXING, AND I CANNOT KEEP IT WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID FROM DRIVER'S WORLD IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, AND FOUND SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES THE MINUTE I DROVE OFF THE LOT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRST STOP SIGN LEAVING THE USED CAR DEALERSHIP, I GENTLY PRESSED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND FELT AS THOUGH THE ABS WAS LOCKING UP PREVENTING ME FROM EVEN SLOWING DOWN. WHEN I LET OFF OF THE BRAKES AND PRESSED THEM AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE JUST FINE. I FIGURED IT MAY HAVE BEEN A FLUKE, SO I CONTINUED DRIVING FOR 2 HOURS FROM VIRGINIA BEACH TO MIDLOTHIAN. I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT IN MIDLOTHIAN WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT AND THE ABS LIGHT BOTH CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL. I PRESSED THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ROLLING. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE FOR 2 MILES IN THIS CONDITION OF HAVING TO PRESS THE BRAKES EXTREMELY HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, AND THE PROBLEM HAD GONE AWAY. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DRIVER'S WORLD 36 HOURS LATER. DRIVER'S WORLD KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AND CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THEREFORE, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS UNDER THEIR 30DAY/1000MILE WARRANTY THEY WILL NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS OR GIVE A REFUND. I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP FROM DRIVER'S WORLD, AND AT THE FIRST STOP LIGHT I CAME TO THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO DRIVER'S WORLD, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND ERROR CODES C1471 AND C1472, BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT SO THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO FORD'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ON THE WAY TO FORD'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT THERE WAS ONE OCCASION WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES AND FELT AGAIN THAT THE ABS WAS LOCKING UP PREVENTING ME FROM EVEN SLOWING DOWN. I LET OFF OF THE BRAKE AND PRESSED IT AGAIN, AND I STOPPED JUST FINE. AT THIS TIME FORD STILL HAS THE VEHICLE AND IS ATTEMPTING TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY BRAKES HAVE A VERY HARD PEDAL FROM TIME TO TIME. REQUIRING ME TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO STOP. MY FORD DEALER TELLS ME IT IS THE MASTER CYLINDER AND IT WILL COST $3000.00 TO REPAIR. THEY ALSO STATE THAT THEY ARE NOT SURE THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. (REMEMBER THIS IS A HYBRID AND BRAKES ARE DIFFERENT) SECOND ISSUE IS THE ELECTRIC DRIVE TRAIN DOES NOT ALLOW THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN UNDER 30 MPH LIKE IT IS SUPPOSED TO DUE UNDER 30 MPH. AT TIMES THIS REQUIRES EXTRA BREAKING BECAUSE THE ENGINE DOES NOT IDLE DOWN LIKE IT SHOULD. FORD SEEMS TO BE AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS. I FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT SEEMS FORD HAS DONE VERY LITTLE TO ASSIST THE CUSTOMERS, OR TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE WHEEL WELL BEGAN TO SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS MASSIVE RUST IN THE AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL BODY AND FRAME HAS TOTALLY RUSTED AWAY LEAVING NO ANCHOR FOR THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND RENDERING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE (SEE ATTACHED PICTURES). THIS DEFECT OCCURRED DESPITE THE VEHICLE BEING GARAGE KEPT, WELL MAINTAINED AND MAINTAINED ONLY BY A LICENSED FORD DEALERSHIP. HIGHLAND PARK FORD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY KNOWINGLY AND/OR NEGLIGENTLY CONCEALED A KNOWN, MAJOR DEFECT FROM THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SO AS TO AVOID HAVING TO REPAIR THE PRODUCT PER FORD'S EXPRESS WARRANTY. *TR