2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

TIME OF DAY: 1800, TEMPERATURE ABOUT 80F. "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE APPEARED ON CONSOLE. VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN WHILE TRAVELING AT 65MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY DURING A HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY, I WAS TRAVELING ON THE LEFT LANE AND SAFELY MOVED TO THE LEFT CURB AND WITHIN SECONDS THE ENGINE DIED. I KEPT TRYING TO START BUT NO SUCCESS. WHILE ON THE PHONE WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR A TOW TRUCK, I TRIED AGAIN, AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING HOME FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES, APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES. WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE APPEARED AND THIS TIME THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THIS TIME, IT DIED WITHIN 3 SECONDS AFTER THE MESSAGE APPEARED. IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD WHEN OTHER CARS WERE APPROACHING AND WITH VERY LITTLE ROOM TO STOP AND REACT. THIS WAS IN A 35 MPH RESIDENTIAL ZONE. I HAD TO CALL A LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST MANAGING THE TRAFFIC. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND CONTINUED THE LAST 2 BLOCKS TO MY RESIDENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MULTI CARS ACCIDENT HAD I NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE TO THE CURB BEFORE IT STOPPED. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS AND HAS BEEN DRIVING NORMALLY UNTIL STANDARD BRAKING SITUATION OF COMING TO A STOPLIGHT. AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL POWER ASSIST TO THE BRAKES WAS GONE. I HAD TO CRUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET ANY BRAKING AT ALL. LUCKILY I'M STRONG ENOUGH TO MANUALLY BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME (DECEMBER 2013) SINCE I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE THAT THIS HAPPENED. IT'S NOW APRIL 2014 AND THE SAME ISSUE HAS RETURNED (TWICE IN A WEEK). A VERY DANGEROUS POTENTIAL SITUATION. HOWEVER, AFTER BRAKING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE CAN BE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON TO CORRECT THE SITUATION (ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT TURN OFF) AND THE BRAKES RETURN TO NORMAL. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AT AUCTION FROM A FLEET OF VEHICLES. THE STICKER DID SAY BRAKE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING IT I FOUND ONLY NORMAL BRAKING AND ATTRIBUTED THE "BRAKE PROBLEM" TO WORN BRAKE PADS ETC. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT THE "BRAKE PROBLEM" THEY MENTIONED ON THE STICKER MUST HAVE BEEN THE SAME SITUATION I'VE RUN INTO - SO THE FLEET PERSONNEL MUST HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. THIS SITUATION SEEMS TO ME TO BE A MUCH DEEPER DESIGN FLAW AND AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE AND SEEING SO MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS - THIS OBVIOUS FLAW SHOULD BE EXPOSED AND CORRECTED ON A VEHICLE RECALL BASIS BEFORE THERE ARE FATALITIES. IT SEEMS TO ME ONLY A MATTER OF TIME...... *TR

MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID SPORATICALLY LOOSES POWER STEERING WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR CLEAR INDICATION OF ROOT CAUSE. IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE MAKING TURNS ON RESIDENT STREETS AND WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH VELOCITY ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS REPLACED PARTS AT A COMBINED COST OF ~3500 AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE FORD DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM NOR HAVE THEY ADEQUATELY EVALUATED THE RISK OF THE ISSUE. I WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER LETTING MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR DUE TO THE AMOUT OF FORCE IT TAKES TO CONTROL THE CAR ONCE THE STEERING GOES OUT. *TT

IT IS SO OBVIOUS THAT FORD HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THEIR POWER STEERING ON MOST OF THEIR HYBRIDS AND THEY SHOULD RECALL THIS PROBLEM. I TOTALLY LOST STEERING THAT WAS VERY DANGEROUS IT WAS LIKE BEING AT THE GYM TO TRY AND STEER MY 06 FEH. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN THE CARPOOL LANE, ABOUT 65MPH. HEARD A NOISE (SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE LOSING POWER) AND SAW THE WARNING LIGHT TO "STOP SAFELY NOW". HAD TO PULL TO LEFT IMMEDIATELY, WITH VERY LITTLE ROOM IN THE SHOULDER ON A VERY BUSY FREEWAY. THIS WAS A VERY HAZARDOUS AND STRESSFUL SITUATION, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE I HAD A TODDLER IN THE CAR WITH ME. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FAILURE OF THE MECS (MOTOR ELECTRIC COOLING SYSTEM). HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL. THIS PART SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR RECALL BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IT POSES WHEN IT FAILS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON WITH A MESSAGE TO CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM. FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP THE BRAKES WORKED OK. I REACHED MY DESTINATION AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I CAME BACK OUT AND STARTED THE VEHICLE BOTH THE RED BRAKE LIGHT AND THE YELLOW ABS LIGHT WERE ON. WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. I HAD TO USE THE HAND BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR FROM GOING INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I BACKED UP AND PARKED THE CAR AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE CAR WAS LOADED ONTO THE TOW, ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, THE BRAKES WORKED AGAIN. *TR

DECEMBER 6 2013 MY CAR WAS STRUCK ON CENTER COLUMN. THE TRUCK WENT THROUGH A STOP SIGN STRIKING MY CAR AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE SIDE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL THAT CAME WITH MY VEHICLE BUT DID NOT. THERE WERE NECK INJURIES SUSTAINED BY ME WHICH I BELIEVE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD THE SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CALLED FORD AND LOCAL DEALER. NEITHER ONE WOULD GIVE AN ANSWER AS TO WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY.[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

COMING TO A STOP TO LEAVE PARKING LOT, I FELT THE BRAKES SHUTTER AS IF WAS SLIDING. THE SKIING LIGHT CAME ON FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS, VEHICLE MOTION STOPPED, THEN THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND GOT A MESSAGE ON DASH THE GET BAKE SYSTEM SERVICED. ABS LIGHT IN ON ALL THE TIME AND THE ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. WILL BE TAKING TO REPAIR SHOP TODAY FOR EVALUATION AND REPAIR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE MODEL. RECALL???? *TR

MY 2006 ESCAPE HYBRID SUDDENLY LOST BRAKING POWER, OCCURRING AS I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW TO EXIT OFF OF I-95 TO MY HOME. THE ABS AND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AT THE SAME TIME,THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR BOARD BUT THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH TO GET SLOWED DOWN PUSHING AS HARD AS I COULD AND LUCKILY THE OFF RAMP WAS UP HILL. I WAS GOING TO PULL OFF AND GET TOWED BUT DECIDED BEING ON THE SIDE OF I-95 WAS TOO SCARY AND INSTEAD DROVE ,DESPITE THE FAILURE. I WENT 5MPH AND MADE IT HOME . THE NEXT MORNING THE BRAKES WERE MIRACULOUSLY WORKING FINE. NOW I AM TOO SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND HAVE READ OF OTHERS THAT SPENT TONS OF MONEY WITHOUT THE CAR BEING FIXED. *TR

RIGHT REAR SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING HAS GOTTEN WEAK AND STARTED TO FLEX. THE WHEEL WELL ABOVE IT HAS LOST THE INTEGRITY OF ITS PLASTIC COATING AND HAS CAUSED IT TO RUST OUT ENORMOUSLY. SHOCK MOUNT AND WHEEL WELL NEED TO BE REPLACE. FROM DOING SOME SEARCHING ONLINE THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THE 04-06 ESCAPE AND CAN LEAD TO A FAILURE OF THE MOUNTING AND MAKE THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR