2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BECAME EXTREMELY HOT, THE ENGINE STALLED, AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE JOLTED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V256000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,418.

FIRST, SPORADIC LOSS OF BRAKE CONTROL; VERY BRIEF; THEN, ABS AND BRAKES LIGHTS CAME ON. DASH SAID "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM." BROUGHT IT TO LOCAL DEALER, WHO SAID IT NEEDS A NEW MASTER CYLINDER & HCU. *TR

POWER STEERING SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING IS GONE. SO DIFFICULT TO STEER I COULD HAVE BEEN A WREAK IF I WAS GOING FASTER. THANKFULLY IT HAPPENED TURNING INTO A PARKING SPOT. VERY DANGEROUS! THIS HAPPENS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2015. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY, A CAR SWERVED INTO OUR LANE CUTTING US OFF. WE HIT THE BRAKES, THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKES ONLY WORKED WHEN WE SLAMMED ON THEM! HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AS IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. MECHANIC SAID IT NEEDED A NEW ABS CONTROL MODULE. ORDERED THAT PART TWICE. TOOK CAR TO CAR COMPUTER SPECIALIST - SAID CAR WAS COULD NOT BE REPROGRAMMED. BILL IS NOW OVER $2,000 AND IT HAS BEEN OVER 2 WEEKS. MECHANIC CALLED FORD (LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE). THEY SAID THEY COULD TRY TO REPROGRAM IT, BUT IT COULD TAKE UP TO 10 HOURS AND MAY NOT WORK. FORD SAID THE LAST PROBLEM THEY SAW LIKE THIS DIDN'T WORK AND THE OWNER HAD TO TRADE IN FOR A NEW CAR! NOT ONLY COULD THIS INCIDENT HAVE SERIOUSLY HARMED MY FAMILY, BUT NOW I'M OUT OF A CAR AND $2,000!

WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED MAKING THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER. AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES THE "PWR STEERING SERVICE" MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED AND THE WRENCH LIGHT WAS LIT. AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE AREA I RESTARTED IT AND THERE STILL WAS NO POWER STEERING. I THEN LET THE VEHICLE SIT FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS, RESTARTED IT AGAIN AND POWER STEERING HAD RETURNED. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A DRIVE THRU LINE MY CAR MADE A NOISE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE ACCURATELY WITH WORDS. I LOOKED DOWN AND MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT WERE ON AND THE BRAKE SERVICE NEEDED WAS ON THE DASH DISPLAY. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE CAR OFF THEN ON. ALL THE SAME WARNINGS WERE STILL THERE. I PULLED FORWARD SLOWLY AND WHEN BRAKING I STILL DIDN'T STOP IN A REASONABLE TIME AND ALMOST COMPLETELY MISSED THE DRIVE THRU WINDOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY A DRIVE HOME AT 10-15MPH STILL FELT LIKE I WAS IN DANGER OF HITTING SOMEONE BECAUSE I COULD NOT JUDGE STOPPING DISTANCE EVEN WITH MY FOOT APPLYING FULL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES. FROM ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE FOUND ON LINE THIS SEEMS A VERY APPARENT CASE OF SOMETHING FORD SHOULD BE MAKING A RECALL ISSUE OF HIGH IMPORTANCE. I AM HOPING MY REPORTING IT HERE MAY HELP IN PREVENTING SOMETHING VERY DANGEROUS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. *TR

THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION ON START UP. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE POWER STEERING ACTIVATED. IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

OVER A FEW DAYS I HEARD A BANGING SOUND IN THE CAR THAT I COULD NOT IDENTIFY. MY DAUGHTER LOOKED UNDER THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AND NOTICED THE SHOCK WAS KNOCKING AGAINST THE RUSTED WHEEL WELL. THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO A FUNERAL AND THE SHOCK PIERCED THROUGH THE TRUNK. I CALLED MY BODY SHOP/MECHANIC AND TOLD HIM WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. HE SAID HE HAD ANOTHER FORD ESCAPE 2005 IN HIS SHOP WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. HE SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. FORD DIDN'T DO A RECALL ON THE 2005 MODELS EVEN THOUGH THEY RECALLED PRIOR YEARS. I HAD TRIED TO CONTACT RIZZA FORD ABOUT THE ISSUE BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET I REALIZED THERE ARE AT LEAST 300+ COMPLAINTS WRITTEN ABOUT THIS EXACT ISSUE AND FORD'S HANDLING OF IT. MY MECHANIC HAD TO PRACTICALLY REBUILD/WELD THE WHEEL WELL. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT FORD CAN BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH RIPPING SO MANY PEOPLE OFF, ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING SUCH A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX AND I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GET A DIFFERENT CAR. AFTER THIS, I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER BUY A FORD AGAIN. WHY WOULD I GO WITH A COMPANY THAT CAN'T EVEN STAND BEHIND THEIR OWN PRODUCT AND HAS NO ISSUES PUTTING THEIR CUSTOMERS SAFETY AT RISK. *TR

THE ELECTRONIC COOLANT PUMP THAT COOLS THE HYBRID BATTERY IS FAULTY WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR TWO YEARS AND THE CAR CONTINUALLY BREAKS DOWN ON TRIPS. WE HAVE SPENT OVER 1500 FIXING IT. THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PRODUCT AND FORD REFUSES TO HONOR BECAUSE THE LIGHT IS NOT ON CURRENTLY. AS SOON AS MY SON DRIVES SOMEWHERE THE LIGHT GOES ON AND THE CAR COMES TO A STOP. HE CURRENTLY IS IN GRAD SCHOOL IN DENVER AND WE ARE GETTING COMPLETE RUN AROUND FROM FORD. *TR

EARLY SEPT 2014 - BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT ISSUES OF "LIMP HOME" MODE. ORIGINALLY, ISSUE BEGAN WITH SMALL "SURGES" IN ACCELERATION THAT I BELIEVED WERE SIMPLY RELATED TO THE HYBRID ENGINE KICKING INTO GEAR. THEN EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE BUT RANDOM "LIMP HOME MODE" EVENTS, PARTICULARLY WHEN STOPPING AT LIGHTS OR ACCELERATING (LIGHT-MOD PRESSURE) FROM A FULL STOP. CAR WOULD FLASH "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" AND NOT GO ABOVE 20MPH AND SOMETIMES NOT THAT. WOULD PULL OFF IF ABLE, OTHERWISE, WOULD HAVE TO STOP WITH FLASHERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE ENGINE, WAIT A MINUTE, AND THEN RESTART (REBOOTING CAR). THIS WOULD CLEAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CAR WOULD RESUME NORMAL OPERATION - OF NOTE: CODES WOULD NOT STAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE COMPUTER. AFTER SEVERAL OCCURRENCES, MANAGED TO "LIMP HOME" TO A MECHANIC WHILE THE LIGHT WAS ON AND PULL CODES BETWEEN 2009-2012 AND WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE COMPUTER REPROGRAMMED BY FORD SERVICE. CAR BEGAN LIMPING HOME DURING FULL TRAFFIC AND FULL ACCELERATION (NOT STOPPED OR SLOWING), CAUSING A MASSIVE SAFETY CONCERN. NOTED MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIVE MENTIONS ON INTERNET REGARDING 2005-2012 ETB ISSUES, BUT ALSO NOTED THIS WAS THEN ONLY "REPLACED" FOR 2009-2012. APPARENTLY, ANYTHING OLDER THAN 09 IS A LOST CAUSE. 10/23/14 - HAVE CAR IN FORD SERVICE AND RECALL (14S19) HAS BEEN NOTED REGARDING MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLANT PUMP CAUSING "A FAILURE MODE EFFECTS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY THAT CAN RESULT IN A SUDDEN PARTIAL OR FULL LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER" TO PROTECT VEHICLE POWERTRAIN. BEING CHARGED FOR DIAGNOSTIC EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A RECALL ON THE PART THAT IS LIKELY CAUSING THE PROBLEM. *TR