2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON, SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE ON DASH DISPLAYS, AND ABS LIGHT DISPLAYS. VEHICLES BRAKES FAIL AND EVEN WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL COMPLETELY VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP COMPLETELY WITHOUT PUMPING BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES OR USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES LAST WEEK (WITHOUT WARNING LIGHTS) AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED BRAKES AND ADVISED EVERYTHING LOOKS FINE. OCCURRED AGAIN THIS EVENING WITH WARNING LIGHTS. TURNED OFF VEHICLE & RESTARTED AND NO LIGHTS AND NO PROBLEM BRAKING. RESEARCHED ONLINE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS IN BLOGS, COMMENTS, ETC. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE AND SHE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MOVE IT FOR A FEW SECONDS. AFTER WAITING A FEW SECONDS, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD RESET ITSELF AND PERFORM AS NORMAL. THE DEALER MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHILE TRAVELING HOME ON AN INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER A LIGHT BREAKING SITUATION. I DID THE SYSTEM CHECK AVAILABLE ON THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKE FLUID WAS SHOWN AS OK. THE BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED NOT LONG AGO SO I WAS CONFUSED. A SHORT TIME LATER THE YELLOW ABS LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I WENT TO BRAKE MY FOOT WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING. I SWERVED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. IT TOOK A GREAT DISTANCE ( I WOULD SAY MORE THAN 100 YARDS ) FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. I WAS NEVER SO SCARED IN MY LIFE. I DROVE HOME ON SIDE STREETS AT 25 MPH WITH MY WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING AND VIRTUALLY NO BRAKES. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP I RESEARCHED THE BREAK FAILURE ISSUE AND TO MY AMAZEMENT FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS. AFTER FIVE DAYS IN THE REPAIR SHOP AND THREE FAILED ATTEMPTS BY THE TECHNICIAN TO BLEED THE BREAK LINES I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A $4200 COMPUTER CONTROL UNIT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED BREAK SYSTEM OF THE HYBRID VEHICLE AND NO PERSON SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE TERROR OF ATTEMPTING TO STOP FROM 70 MPH WITH THE BREAKING SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. THIS IS A TIMEBOMB WAITING TO GO OFF IN THE FORM OF A FATAL ACCIDENT.

*THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE HAD A COMPLETE "BRAKE FAILURE" WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID IN TRAFFIC. THIS LAST TIME, I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN BEDFORD, TEXAS AND OBSERVED THAT TRAFFIC IN THE DISTANCE WAS STOPPING FOR CONSTRUCTION. I APPLIED MY BRAKES BUT THE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD TO EXIT THE ROADWAY ONTO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES. I PUT MY VEHICLE IN LOW GEAR FROM DRIVE AND APPLIED MY EMERENGY BRAKE TO STOP MY CAR. THIS IS THE "SECOND" TIME I HAVE HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THIS BAKE PROBLEM. THE "ABS" LIGHT CAME ON, THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THERE WAS A COMPUTER MESSAGE ON THE DASH THAT READ "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM". THE FIRST TIME THAT I EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM, I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THEY ADVISED THAT SINCE THE "CODE LIGHTS" WERE NOT ON AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DRIVE THE ESCAPE UNTIL THE "CODE LIGHTS" CAME BACK ON AND THEN BRING IT BACK FOR SERVICE!!! I COMPLIED TO THIS REQUEST AND BOUGHT THE TRUCK BACK IN WITH THE "CODE LIGHTS" ON AND THE MESSAGE READING. DEALERSHIP WORKED ON THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THE ASSIST SERVICE MANAGER DROVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS TO CHECK IT OUT. THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED TO ME WITH ASSURANCE THAT THE "BRAKE PROBLEM" WAS FIXED. ON JULY 9, 2011, I AGAIN HAD A "COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE" WITH MY TRUCK(SEE ABOVE) ON JULY 11, 2011, I TOOK MY ESCAPE HYBRID BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ADVISED THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER, ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WHAT ALMOST HAPPENED TO ME IN TRAFFIC. I ALSO SHOWED HIM SOME OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME TYPE OF "BRAKE FAILURE" THAT HAS OCCURRED ON OTHER FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS. I HAVE ALSO CALLED FORD CORPORATE TO START A COMPLAINT! "DOES IT TAKE SOMEONE GETTING KILLED OR INJURIED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE?" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT *CN

BRAKE FAILURE RESULTING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR AND A LOSS OF HYDRAULIC OR POWER BRAKING. VEHICLE DOES STOP AFTER A HARD PRESSING OF BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS SOMETIMES FOLLOWED BY A YELLOW ABS LIGHT AND RED BRAKE LIGHT WARNING. THE PROBLEM IS FIXED BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. I AM NOT KIDDING. ITS LIKE REBOOTING THE COMPUTER. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. I REPORTED IT TO FORD WHO SAID THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT THE DEALER AND NATIONAL LEVEL. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND MENTIONED THE INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE. AFTER THE OIL SERVICE, THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A YEAR. I THOUGHT FORD HAD SECRETLY FIXED IT WHILE THEY WERE CHANGING THE OIL. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND HAS HAPPENED 10 TIMES. I THINK IT IS RELATED TO THE CAR NOT HAVING ENOUGH POWER BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE ICE (INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE) IS OFF. PERHAPS IT IS RELATED TO RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONING SINCE IT STOPPED AFTER THE SUMMER AND RETURNED AGAIN. THE ICE TURNS OFF WHILE BRAKING AT SPEEDS BELOW 40MPH SO THAT IS PROBABLY RELATED. *TR

STANDARD DAY DRIVING. GET IN THE VEHICLE START AS NORMAL. DRIVE 25 FEET DOWN THE ROAD, SMALL HESITATION, RESISTANCE TO GO FORWARD FOR A MOMENT. ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATES, WARNING BEEP OCCURS. VEHICLE DRIVES ODD, BRAKES ARE WEAKER THAN NORMAL. SERVICE ABS SYSTEM ILLUMINATES ON CENTER PANEL. MOMENTS LATER, SERVICE 4X4 SYSTEM ILLUMINATES AS ANOTHER SMALL HESITATION RESISTANCE TO ROLL OCCURS. VEHICLE DRIVES 'OK' BUT DIFFERENT. DROVE IT HOME SAFELY FROM THAT MOMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STOP SAFELY LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER APPROXIMATELY FIVE SECONDS AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE COOLING FAN UNIT FOR THE HYBRID BATTERY AND THE WIRING SAFETY HARNESS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED A SECOND TIME WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE COOLING FAN UNIT FOR THE HYBRID BATTERY AND THE WIRING SAFETY HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 08/01/11*LJ THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON JUNE 29, 2011. UPDATED 08/02/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS WARNING LAMP. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V156000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

ABOUT OCT 15, 2010 I NOTICED WHEN I PUT ON MY RIGHT HAND TURN SIGNAL THE HIGH BEAM WOULD TURN ON. IT DID IT CONSISTENTLY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS THEN STOPPED. THEN STOPPED. THEN STARTED AGAIN. SEEMS LIKE THE TRIGGER IS WHEN I DO USE THE HIGH BEAM IS THE TRIGGER THAT STARTS THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE CYCLE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT IS A DANGER TO ONCOMING CARS AS WELL AS TO CARS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU BLINDING BOTH.

THE HEADLAMP SWITCH (STALK) ON THE STEERING WHEEL MAY BE FAULTY. I HAVE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ACTIVATED THE HIGH BEAMS WITHOUT SELECTING THAT POSITION (AT LEAST 1-2 TIMES PER DAY). THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN I USE THE TURN SIGNAL. I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY BLINDED MANY PEOPLE WITH MY HIGH BEAMS AND I'M CERTAIN IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR