2011 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

THE STEERING WHEEL LOSES POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED AGAIN TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM OFTEN HAPPENS IN COLD WEATHER AND USUALLY IN THE MORNING. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO MAKES A WEIRD SOUND BEFORE IT LOSES POWER. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE THE SAME VEHICLE BUT OF DIFFERENT YEAR AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH WHEN MY VEHICLE LOST SPEED, AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO PRESSURE TO THE GAS. AS I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I HAD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON TO GET IT TO WORK. I HAVE HAD IT HAPPEN A DOZEN TIMES SINCE THEN. IN A PARKING GARAGE, AT LOW SPEEDS, ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH. *TR

AS I WAS PULLING OUT ON THE ROAD WITH MY WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN ABOARD, THE CAR SUDDENLY AND WITH OUT WARNING LOST POWER AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE. SOME $500.00 PLUS DOLLARS LATER, WE FOUND OUT THE THROTTLE BODY, SAME AS THE ARTICLE MENTIONED, WAS DEFECTIVE AND WE WERE ALSO TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PART FROM THE FACTORY BUT A RECALL HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED. THANK GOD I WAS NOT PASSING ANYONE AT THE TIME. FORD SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. *JS

AT 40-45 MPH HEAR WHEEL BEARING NOISE. DEALER CONFIRMED AND BOTH RIGHT FRONT BEARINGS (MAIN AND CARRIER) REPLACED BY FORD DEALER. STILL HAD NOISE AFTER REPLACEMENT. DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE CARRIER BEARING JUST REPLACED WAS BAD. REPLACED CARRIER BEARING AGAIN BUT STILL HAVING SAME NOISE. DEALER STATED THERE HAVE BEEN MANY WHEEL BEARING PROBLEMS, AND THAT FAULTY BEARINGS ARE COMING TO FORD FROM VENDOR. PROBLEM AS YET NOT RESOLVED. SEEMS FORD IS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY WHICH BEARINGS ARE BAD WITHOUT INSTALLING THEM. I AM CONCERNED WITH POTENTIAL WHEEL LOCK UP AT SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY A FRONT WHEEL. *TR

DROVE 2011 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID INTO PARKING SPACE AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. FRONT WHEELS WERE TURNED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AS A RESULT OF TURNING INTO THE PARKING SPACE. CAR SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD, WENT UP AND OVER CURB IN FRONT OF CAR, AND HIT A PARKED CAR SEVERAL FEET AWAY BEFORE VEHICLE COULD BE STOPPED. INCIDENT OCCURRED IN DAYLIGHT AND GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS. NO PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH VEHICLE. HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO BE DRIVER ERROR - DRIVER IN 50'S IS VERY CAREFUL AND PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT HAD PERFECT DRIVING RECORD FOR DECADES. *TR

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE FROM TEXAS MOTORS FORD, FORT WORTH, TX ON OR ABOUT JULY 13, 2011. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN, ON OCTOBER 24, 2011, AFTER COMING TO A STOP IN MY GARAGE, THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM ELECTRIC POWER TO GAS POWER AND LUNGED FORWARD INTO THE CABINET ON THE FRONT WALL OF MY GARAGE, DESPITE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I TOOK MY (HAD IT TOWED) VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON THE SAME DAY. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD ADVISED ME OVER THE PHONE NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME, THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, BUT HAD REPAIRED THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. ABOUT TEN MONTHS LATER (AUGUST 13, 2012), AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT AT MY SURGEON'S OFFICE AT 7257 HAWKINS VIEW DR. (HARRIS SW), FORT WORTH, TX, THE VEHICLE, AFTER I WAS STOPPED, AGAIN SURGED INTO GAS MODE, JUMPED THE CURB AND RAN INTO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE BUILDING, DOING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING AND THE WINDOW DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CAR. WE TOOK 35 PHOTOS OF THE VEHICLE AND BUILDING AT THAT TIME. *TR