2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

THIS WAS ALREADY REGISTERED ON THIS WEBSITE, ALTHOUGH NO ONE HAS CONTACTED ME. I HAVE ALSO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SARAH MCSHANE. THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO RECALL 14V-284/14S05, WHERE FORD ESCAPE AND MARINERS LOSE THEIR POWER STEETING. OUR VEHICLE ACTUALLY LOST ITS PS A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THE RECALL. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WASHINGTON (PA) FORD. THEY HAD TO REPLACE OUR IGNITION TO GET THE RECALL CODE. ONCE THEY DID THAT, THEY COMPLETED STEP 1 OF THE RECALL TO REPROGRAM THE POWER STEERING MODULE. AT THAT POINT, WASHINGTON FORD CLOSED OUT THE RECALL, SAYING THAT IT WAS FIXED. THIS WAS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO TEST THE VEHICLE. AS SOON AS I DROVE OFF OF THE LOT, THE PS CONTINUED TO TURN OFF AND ON. TO THIS DAY (4 MONTHS LATER), THE PS CONTINUES TO TURN OFF AND ON AT RANDOM, ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD CLICK FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. WOLTZ AND WIND FORD LET US KNOW THAT THEY CONTACTED FORD CORPORATE, AND THEY WERE TOLD THAT NO WORK COULD BE DONE ON THE RECALL, SINCE IT WAS CLOSED. THIS SEEMS LIKE AN ERROR, AND WE NEED TO HAVE OUR RECALL OPENED BACK UP. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP TO HELP ME FROM WRECKING. NUMEROUS TIMES, I HAVE BEEN GOING 60 OR 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED, RESULTING IN NEAR DEATH. THIS CANNOT BE SAFE OR A RESPONSIBILITY OF ME, THE OWNER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE ACCELERATING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER TO 2 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING HOT TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY LOST POWER, A TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT CAME ON IN THE DASHBOARD AND THE DATA SYSTEM SAID "STOP SAFELY NOW". THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE SAME DRIVE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MEC PUMP. ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER THE SAME ISSUE BEGAN OCCURRING MULTIPLES TIMES PER DAY UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY, THE ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, THE ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN. IT IS NOW AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP GETTING DIAGNOSED YET AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND MUST BE RESOLVED. *TR

ENGINE DIED MULTIPLE TIMES IN A PARKING LOT. CAR HAD BEEN IDLING AND HAD RECENTLY BEEN DRIVEN OVER THIRTY MILES ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS OVER 90 DEG F. HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME BECAUSE THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT WAS CLOSED. THE NEXT DAY THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND NO DTC FOUND IN ECM. PAID THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TIME AND PICKED UP UP THE CAR. ONE WEEK LATER, THE CAR DIED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 10-20 MPH. DASHBOARD DISPLAY SAID TO PULL OVER AND PARK SAFELY. AFTER WAITING FOR 30 MINUTES FOR THE ENGINE TO COOL, WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE THREE MILES HOME. THE NEXT DAY AT THE DEALER, NO DTC FOUND IN THE ECM, BUT THE DEALER SAID THAT THE SYMPTOMS POINTED TO A THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM. THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECALIBRATE THE THROTTLE BODY, SO THEY ASKED US TO APPROVE PAYING FOR A THROTTLE BODY CLEANING, WHICH WE DID. THIS SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THE HYBRID SYSTEM DIRECTS THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF WHENEVER IT DETECTS A SENSOR PROBLEM THAT IT CAN NOT RESOLVE. MOST CARS WOULD PRODUCE A CEL ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND SET A LIMP HOME MODE. THE ESCAPE HYBRID SEEMS TO JUST SHUT OFF AND LET YOU HOPE FOR THE BEST. THIS MAY SEEM LIKE AN IRRATIONAL RESPONSE TO A MODEST PROBLEM, BUT THESE WERE THE SAME THINGS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A PUMP PROBLEM FOR THE ELECTRONICS, WHICH IS NOW A SAFETY RECALL FOR 2005-2008 ESCAPE HYBRIDS. TO COMPOUND THE PROBLEM, THE DEALER DID NOT OFFER TO REFUND OUR PREVIOUS PAYMENT FOR THE PUMP REPLACEMENT. I HAD TO ASK FOR IT AND AM NOW WAITING FOR THEM TO GIVE ME A REFUND, EVEN THOUGH THE FORD WEBSITE CLEARLY STATES THAT THEY SHOULD EXPEDITE REFUNDS FOR PRIOR WORK DONE ONCE A RECALL IS STARTED. UNHAPPY ON MULTIPLE LEVELS. *TR

THE ELECTRONIC COOLANT PUMP IS KNOWN PROBLEM AND FORD IS FINALLY SUPPOSED TO BE FIXING THIS THROUGH A RECALL OCTOBER 2014. (HTTP://WWW.GREENCARREPORTS.COM/NEWS/1094407_2005-2008-FORD-ESCAPE-HYBRID-RECALLED-ALSO-MERCURY-MARINER-HYBRIDS). DRIVING IN NEW MEXICO ON A FAMILY VACATION, THE CAR SUDDENLY SAYS TO STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING COMES UP. MIND YOU THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE AND IT'S OVER ONE HUNDRED DEGREES WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR. SOMEHOW, WE BARELY MAKE IT INTO LAS CRUCES, NM ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. SO, AFTER WAITING A FEW HOURS THEY TELL US THAT THEIR HYBRID TECH ISN'T THERE AND IS ON VACATION. REALLY? IT TOOK A FEW HOURS TO FIGURE OUT THAT HE WASN'T THERE? ANYWAY, THEY SUGGESTED TO TRY AND CONTINUE ON TO PHOENIX, AZ WHERE THEY WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO. SO, WE TRY HEADING OUT, BUT THE CAR GOES OUT AGAIN AS SOON AS WE GET ON THE FREEWAY. SO, WE DO THE PULL OVER AND RESTART THING ABOUT TWENTY TIMES UNTIL WE MAKE IT BACK TO THE LAS CRUCES DEALERSHIP. WE HAD TO STAY IN LAS CRUCES FOR A WEEK, COSTING US THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN WHAT WE NOW CALL THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME. THIS HAS RECENTLY HAPPENED AGAIN WITH OUR ESCAPE, AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE US AGAIN TO FIX THIS. FORD NEEDS TO GET IT'S ACT TOGETHER, OR I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING FROM THEM AGAIN. *TR

MY WIFE LEFT OUR HOUSE TO RUN ERRANDS IN OUR 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. SHE DIDN'T EVEN GET OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE SHE GOT THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" WARNING, AND THE VEHICLE WENT INTO "LIMP HOME MODE". SHE TURNED AROUND IN A NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY AND CAME BACK HOME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY THINKING THAT IT MIGHT BE THE MECS PUMP FOR WHICH THERE IS A RECENT RECALL. IT TURNS OUT THAT IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY CAUSING THE WARNING. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A NHTSA INVESTIGATION ON THE THROTTLE BODIES OF THESE VEHICLES (DP12006), THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN FORD CONSUMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM #13N03, WHICH EXTENDS THE WARRANTY OF THE THROTTLE BODY ON SOME ESCAPE MODELS (AMONG OTHER VEHICLES). SO, I NOW HAVE TO SPEND $775.00 TO REPLACE A PART THAT WAS KNOWN TO HAVE ISSUES. LUCKILY, MY WIFE WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH OUR 2-MONTH OLD DAUGHTER WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND HOW ESCAPES FROM 2005 TO 2012 WERE PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, BUT THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE13-003 ONLY APPLIES TO 2009 - 2012 MODELS. *TR

CURRENTLY FORD HAS A RECALL (14S19). THE COOLANT PUMP MAY MALFUNCTION, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE HYBRID ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS TO OVERHEAT AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. "WHEN THE HYBRID ELECTRONICS SYSTEM GETS TOO HOT IT WILL SHUT DOWN THE POWERTRAIN, RESULTING IN A STALL-LIKE CONDITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH," ACCORDING TO FORD'S FILING WITH NHTSA. MY VEHICLE HAS THIS PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, AND I HAVE ALREADY NOTIFIED THIS AGENCY. ONCE AGAIN, ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2014, I WAS DRIVING IN MARYLAND, NEAR DC, IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND I LOST ALL POWER. IT IS REALLY HORRIBLE LOSING ALL POWER WHEN YOU ARE IN THE LEFT MOST LANE (NO LEFT SHOULDER), AND LOSE ALL POWER. SEVERAL CARS ALMOST HIT US...AGAIN. I DON'T CARE IF MY HYBRID SYSTEM IS OVERHEATING. I WOULD RATHER DESTROY THE BATTERIES THAN ALL OF A SUDDEN LOSING ALL POWER IN DC RUSH HOUR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC COOLANT PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,405...UPDATED 10/30/14 *BF..UPDATED 12/04/14 *BF UPDATED 7/9/2015*JS

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS (APPROXIMATELY OVER 50 MPH), THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE ENGINE POWER AND THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE WOULD COME ON. THE CAR WOULD GO INTO LIMP-HOME MODE AND ALLOW ME TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES OF DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 15 TIMES ON A 60 MILE TRIP HOME, ALLOWING ME TO DRIVE ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO 10 MILES AT A TIME BEFORE THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED AT TIMES WITH AN ENGINE OVERHEATING MESSAGE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR A REPAIR. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY AND REPLACED IT FOR ABOUT $1000. A WEEK LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TWICE ON A 30-MILE HIGHWAY TRIP WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, BUT HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE THEN. *TR

I HAD MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID SERVICED AT KOONS FORD AFTER RECEIVING SAFETY RECALL 14S05 FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THE RECALL IS TO REPAIR A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM. AFTER RECEIVING THE REPAIR TO CORRECT THE ISSUE IN SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 14SO5, MY VEHICLE DEVELOPED STEERING / SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING ON THE FORD ESCAPE IS NOW VERY SENSITIVE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FEEL UNSTEADY AT TIMES. (IF FEELS LIKE IT IS SWAYING SLIGHTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE.) WE FIRST NOTICED THE ISSUE WITHIN A WEEK OF HAVING THE REPAIR DONE. AS WE CARAVANNED TO OUR SUMMER VACATION, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING BEHIND ME ON THE HIGHWAY. AT A REST STOP SHE ASKED IF I WAS TIRED AND HAVING TROUBLE DRIVING. SHE INFORMED THAT FROM HER VANTAGE POINT IT LOOKED LIKE THE CAR WAS SWERVING. I WAS WELL RESTED AND SHARED WITH HER THAT IT ALSO FELT AS THOUGH THE STEERING / SUSPENSION WAS LOOSE. WE HAVE ALSO NOTICED, AT LOW SPEEDS, THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAS MORE PLAY TO IT NOW. *TR