2008 Ford Escape Hybrid complaints

THE ABS SYSTEM HAS BEEN GETTING DISABLED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CHECK BREAK LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON. BREAKS HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY RESULTING IN MY VEHICLE GOING TO FAR INTO AN INTERSECTION WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT STOPLIGHTS. THANKFULLY NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCUR YET. TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW MASTER CYLINDER. ANOTHER PLACE DID A DIAGNOSTIC ON IT AND TOLD ME THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER IS FINE AND THE ALARMS ARE BEING SET OFF BECAUSE THE BATTERY PORTS WERE CORRODED. THEY CLEANED THEM, CLEARED THE CODES. A FEW DAYS LATER THE ALARMS WERE COMING BACK ON AGAIN. *TR

DRIVER HEAT WAS SCORCHING HOT, PASSENGER HEAT WARM. 7/27/11. REPLACED BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR. SEEMED TO WORK FINE. 6/11/12 HEAT BLOWING SCORCHING HOT; AC NOT WORKING AT ALL. DEALER TESTED WITH DYE IN THE SYSTEM (NO LEAKS), TOPPED OFF FLUIDS. WORKED FOR A FEW DAYS. RETESTED & THEY "REMOVE REPLACE CONDENSOR RECHARGE" 7/2/12 AC BLOWING SCORCHING HOT HEAT. *JS

VEHICLE GAVE "STOP SAFELY NOW" READOUT ON DISPLAY AND RED TRIANGLE LIGHT ON DASH. POWER DROPPED OFF AND I HAD TO PULL OF THE ROAD. I WAS TRAVELING FROM LA TO SANTA CRUZ IN THE EVENING. HAPPENED FOUR MORE TIMES ON THE SAME DRIVE. JUST HAPPENED AGAIN COMING BACK FROM PALM SPRINGS ALSO IN THE EVENING. TOOK ME SEVEN HOURS TO DRIVE 140 MILES. CAR STOPPED OVER TWENTY TIMES. *TR

2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE PROBLEMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE DECIDED TO SLOW DOWN BY APPLYING THE BRAKE AND SHIFTING THE CVT TRANSMISSION INTO LOW RANGE, TO HIS SURPRISE THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT DOWN AND ALLOW THE ENGINE COMPRESSION TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO LOW AT 50-60 MPH AND EXPECT IT TO SLOW DOWN. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMERS MANUAL STATED THE TRANSMISSION MAY BE SHIFTED INTO LOW AT ANY SPEED. UPDATED 09/11/12

WE WERE DRIVING UP I-95 FROM FL TO VA WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY GAVE A LOUD WARNING TONE AND DISPLAYED THE MESSAGE STOP SAFELY NOW. THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AS WE QUICKLY TRIED TO CROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC TO REACH THE SHOULDER. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE CAR WE STARTED IT UP AGAIN WITH NO CONSEQUENCE AND CONTINUED ON OUR TRIP. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AFTER READING THE OWNER'S MANUAL I DISCOVERED THE WARNING MESSAGE INVOLVED A COMPONENT OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM. I DECIDED TO TRY SHUTTING OFF THE ECON SWITCH (WHICH ACTIVATES BATTERY) AND ALL AC/ ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THIS WORKED BEAUTIFULLY FOR 100+ MILES UNTIL AT NIGHTFALL THE HEADLIGHTS KICKED ON AND OUR TROUBLES RETURNED. SINCE IT WAS SUNDAY NIGHT WE DECIDED TO STAY OVERNIGHT WHERE WE WERE AND GET IT CHECKED BY THE NEAREST FORD IN THE MORNING. THE DIAGNOSTICS ($95) REVEALED IT WAS THE MOTOR ELECTRONIC COOLING PUMP AT FAULT WHICH THIS DEALER DID NOT CARRY. WE CAUTIOUSLY CONTINUED USING THE NO ELECTRICAL METHOD AND WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY REACH OUR DESTINATION 400MILES AWAY WITH NO MORE INCIDENTS, WHERE WE THEN TOOK IT TO OUR HOME DEALER FOR REPAIR. A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION WHICH UPON RESEARCH I'M LEARNING IS HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER ESCAPE HYBRID OWNERS. *JS

THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE INFO SCREEN TOLD ME TO STOP SAFELY AS THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. IT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES THAT DAY, AND THEN DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL TODAY, JUNE 17, 2012. THIS RECENT TIME A HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING CAME UP ON THE INFO SCREEN. I CHECKED ALL OF THE FLUIDS AND THEY ARE FULL AND ALL HAVE BEEN CHANGED IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO. *TR

TRAVELING ON FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. WITHOUT WARNING, ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. CHIME SOUNDED AND WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON DASHBOARD SAYING "STOP SAFELY NOW." RED TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION POINT IN CENTER APPEARED ON DASH. I WAS INFORMED BY FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT DURING REPAIRS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE PROBLEM AS RELATED IN FORD TSB 09-18-6, AFFECTING SIMILAR VEHICLES UP TO 2007. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT AROUND 55-65MPH THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE. THE VEHICLE LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BUT WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP AT AN EXIT THAT HAPPENED TO BE NEARBY. DUE TO CONSTRUCTION AND THE REMOVAL OF THE SHOULDER LANE, HAD THIS HAPPENED MERELY A MILE EARLIER IN THE ROUTE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PLACE TO STOP SAFELY. THE SAME WARNING LIGHT AND ENGINE POWER LOSS OCCURRED ABOUT 10 MONTHS PRIOR WHILE DRIVING ON A TWO- LANE HIGHWAY. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP SAFELY THEN AS WELL, BUT WE'RE AGAIN LUCKY TO BE IN LITTLE TRAFFIC AND IN AN AREA WITH SUFFICIENT SHOULDER SPACE. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO OUR DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE WE WERE TOLD NO PROBLEM COULD BE IDENTIFIED. EACH TIME THIS OCCURS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND COMPLETE OUR TRIP. THE INABILITY FOR THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE AND THE INSTANT POWER LOSS WITH THIS WARNING IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A RECALL PARTICULARLY IF THIS IS THE RESULT OF A FAULTY PART. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE OF THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 60-65 MPH IN MODERATE/HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND GAVE ME A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD, BUT IT WAS A RATHER FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS ORDEAL TO CROSS TWO LANES OF MODERATE/HEAVY TRAFFIC AFTER THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS "A PRETTY COMMON" PROBLEM AMONGST ESCAPES (TRANSAXLE COOLING PUMP / WATER PUMP). RESEARCHING THIS FURTHER, IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHERS ON MESSAGE BOARDS AND THE LIKE THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND A WARNING LIGHT ADVISING HER TO PULL OVER ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND I RECEIVED A WARNING LIGHT, AND THE MESSAGE "STOP SAFELY NOW." THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE OCCURRED ON 1-95 SOUTH JUST SOUTH OF WASHINGTON ON A PORTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITH NO SHOULDER, IT IS EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT NO MAJOR ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HOWEVER, KNOWING THAT THIS ISSUE IS FREQUENT AS CAN BE SEEN BY FELLOW COMPLAINTS, AND FROM THAT FACT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, THIS VEHICLE SHOULD RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL, AS DID THE IDENTICALLY MODELED TOYOTA HYBRID VERSIONS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR WAS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND IT WILL EVENTUALLY KILL SOMEONE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A BRIDGE AT 65 MILES PER HOUR, I HEARD A BEEP AND A TRIANGLE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY JOLTED AS IT LOST POWER AND IT DISPLAYED A MESSAGE TO STOP SAFELY. THIS WAS IN LATE MORNING TRAFFIC AND A SEMI WAS ABLE TO SLIGHTLY SWERVE TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO AVOID REAR ENDING ME AS I HAD SUDDEN REDUCED POWER AND LITTLE MEDIAN SPACE TO COAST TO ON MY LEFT SIDE. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER A FEW MINUTES. A FORD DEALER HAS RUN A DIAGNOSTIC AND CONFIRMED IT IS A FAILURE OF THE MOTOR ENGINE COOLING PUMP AND THE OVERALL COST FOR PARTS AND LABOR, INCLUDING DIAGNOSTIC IS $738. AFTER READING ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS TO THIS AGENCY AND ONLINE ENTRIES, I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN ABOUT THIS SAFETY HAZARD. THERE ARE TWO ISSUES, THE FIRST BEING THAT THE COOLING PUMP IS KNOWN TO FAIL ON THESE VEHICLES AT DIFFERENT MILEAGE LEVELS, AND IS SUPPOSEDLY NOT COVERED BY THE HYBRID WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT IS ONLY FOUND ON HYBRIDS. FORD DEALERS WILL NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AS IT IS KNOWN AS ONE CAUSE THAT LEADS TO THE SHUT OFF OF THE CAR AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. SECOND, FORD'S SHUTOFF DESIGN ITSELF IS SERIOUSLY FLAWED SINCE IT ALLOWS THE CAR TO UNEXPECTEDLY SHUTOFF AT HIGH SPEEDS RISKING COLLISION AND INJURY. I AM FORCED TO PAY THE HIGH COST OF THIS PARTICULAR REPAIR BECAUSE I CANNOT DO IT MYSELF, HOWEVER, I NO LONGER CONSIDER THIS A RELIABLE SAFE VEHICLE. I URGE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THESE COMPLAINTS RATHER

STARTED VEHICLE AND BOTH THE ABS AND THE BRAKE LIGHT WERE ON - THE MESSAGE SAID REGEN BRAKE HAD BEEN DISABLED AND THERE WAS A BRAKE ISSUE. TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND WAS TOLD THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST 4 GRAND TO FIX. IT SEEMS THIS IS OCCURRING QUITE A BIT WITH FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS BUT THERE IS NO RECALL AS OF YET. *JS CONSUMER TRADED IN THE VEHICLE FOUR YEARS AGO AFTER THEY GOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE BRAKES. CONSUMER DOES NOT HAVE THE VIN NUMBER UPDATED 6/8/18*JB

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 75 IN FLORIDA, THE GAS ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND A WARNING LIGHT/MESSAGE APPEARED "STOP SAFELY NOW". OUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO DECELERATE, RUNNING ONLY ON THE ELECTRIC MOTOR, AS WE TRIED TO CROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC "SAFELY". WE PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER, AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WITHOUT GETTING THE ERROR MESSAGE. WE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME SUDDEN ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND FEH WARNING 5-6 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF OUR ROAD TRIP FROM WISCONSIN TO FLORIDA AND BACK. UPON RETURN TO WISCONSIN, WE HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT BY OUR FORD DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED US IT WAS A FAULTY MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLANT PUMP (PART #5M6Z-8C419-A). FORD HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (TSB 08-24-5), BUT HAS NOT YET ISSUED A RECALL. SINCE THE UNEXPECTED DECELERATION OF A VEHICLE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE (AS MANY FORD ESCAPE HYBRID OWNERS ON EDMUNDS.COM CAN ATTEST, HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0FF5B5), I AM STRONGLY URGING YOU TO COMPEL FORD TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS PART. *TR

PLEASE ISSUE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL FOR THE MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLING SYSTEM PUMP ON ALL 2005-2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO FORD AND THE SUBJECT OF TSB 08-24-5. THIS PART FAILURE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. WHILE THE CITED COMPLAINTS FORM AN ALARMING PICTURE OF THE MECS PUMP FAILURE ISSUE, THIS LIST IS BY NO MEANS EXHAUSTIVE. A SEARCH OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE 2005-2007 ESCAPE HYBRIDS RETURNS ADDITIONAL HORRIFYING INCIDENTS INVOLVING THIS PART FAILURE. IT IS APPALLING THAT WITH SO MANY REPORTS OF HIGH-SPEED ENGINE SHUTDOWNS AND NEAR-MISS ACCIDENTS THAT THIS ISSUE DOES NOT EVEN HAVING A PENDING DEFECTS INVESTIGATION. PLEASE RIGHT THIS WRONG BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID (PURCHASED IN APRIL 2007), WITH 67,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TRAVELING AT 65MPH, STARTING TO HEAD INTO THE SIERRAS OUTSIDE OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 2 HOURS, AND HAD TRAVELED 120 MILES THAT MORNING WHEN THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY CUT OUT, AND THE WARNING LIGHT "STOP SAFELY NOW" APPEARED ON THE DASH. LUCKILY, IT WAS ONLY 6AM AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER CAR NEAR ME ON THE ROAD. I PULLED OVER 3 LANES, BRAKES AND STEERING WORKING, BUT WITH NO GAS. I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR A MINUTE, STARTED IT UP WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS OR WARNING LIGHTS. I WAITED ANOTHER MINUTE OR TWO, AND HEADED OUT ON THE ROAD. WHEN I GOT BACK UP TO 65MPH THE ENGINE CUT OUT AND THE WARNING SHOWED UP AGAIN. THIS TIME I WAS ALREADY NEAR THE SHOULDER SO I STOPPED AGAIN. I WAS ABOUT TO GET INTO A SNOWY UPHILL CLIMB AND DECIDED THAT, NOT KNOWING WHAT THIS CAR WOULD DO, THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE. I DROVE SLOWLY TO THE NEXT EXIT, AND GOT MYSELF TURNED AROUND. FOR THE FIRST HOUR I DROVE AT UNDER 60MPH WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. I WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE 65MPH IN THE SECOND HOUR WITHOUT PROBLEM. I HAD THE ERROR CODES ASSESSED BY A FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS AN MEC PUMP FAILURE (THE PUMP THAT COOLS THE ELECTRIC BATTERY). I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THIS HAPPENED WITH SO LITTLE TRAFFIC VOLUME. THERE WAS NO WARNING, AND THE SUDDEN CUT OUT OF THE ENGINE WAS STARTLING AND UNSAFE. I FEARED FOR MY LIFE WHILE HEADING HOME AS THE VOLUME OF CARS PICKED UP AROUND ME. *JS

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE GAS ENGINE SHUTS OFF, THE STOP SAFELY NOW LIGHT APPEARS AND THE MASTER VEHICLE WARNING LAMP COMES ON. HAPPENED ONLY A COUPLE TIMES THE FIRST 3 WEEKS. IN THE LAST 2 DAYS IT HAS HAPPENED 15-16 TIMES. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAPPEN WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE. TO SHOULDN'T THIS BE A RECALL. TAKING INTO FORD DEALER TOMORROW. *TR

SUNROOF EXPLODED FROM INSIDE TO OUT, SENDING GLASS FRAGMENTS EVERYWHERE. IT WAS NOT HIT WITH ANYTHING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED A LACK OF POWER AND GOT THE MESSAGE "STOP SAFELY NOW". AS THE MANUAL STATED I PULLED OVER, WAITED A FEW MINUTES. THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN BUT THE EVENT KEPT HAPPENING ALL THE WAY HOME. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A DEALER WHO MADE A REPAIR COSTING 642 DOLLARS. THE CAR RAN FINE FOR A MONTH BUT WHEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE EXCEPT IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF POWER IN BUSY TRAFFIC. I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE TO ALLOW ANOTHER CAR ENTER THE HIGHWAY FROM AN ON RAMP WHEN IT HAPPENED AND I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO CROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO BRING THE CAR TO REST. AGAIN, IT HAPPENED ALL THE WAY HOME CAUSING ME TO FINALLY DRIVE IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE WITH FLASHERS ON. I WENT ONLINE AND LEARNED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH FORD HYBRIDS. MY QUESTION IS WHY NO RECALL ON SUCH AN EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM? *TR

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH AND AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING LOST ALL FORWARD ENGINE POWER (COMBUSTION ENGINE AND HYBRID SYSTEM). THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE IN THE LEFT LANE OF A MAJOR INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE MESSAGE "STOP SAFELY NOW" APPEARS ON THE DRIVER DISPLAY. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND NARROWLY AND MIRACULOUSLY AVOIDED ACCIDENTS WITH FOLLOWING TRAFFIC INCLUDING TRACTOR-TRAILERS AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS INDICATES A HYBRID MEC PUMP FAILURE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS FAILURE MODE ON THE INTERNET AND THROUGH OTHER SOURCES, IT APPEARS THAT THE FOLLOWING SITUATION EXISTS: 1) THIS COMPONENT EXHIBITS A VERY HIGH AND PREMATURE FAILURE RATE AT ALL MILEAGE LEVELS. 2) THE FAILURE MODE (SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF ALL VEHICLE POWER) IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO RESULT IN FATALITIES AND MAJOR ACCIDENTS. 3) THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS WELL KNOWN TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND VARIOUS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO AID IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPLACEMENT OF THIS COMPONENT. 4) NHTSA HAS PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED 25 SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL DEFECT REPORTS, YET STILL NEITHER NHTSA NOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS ACTED TO PROTECT FORD ESCAPE OWNERS FROM THIS SAFETY CRITICAL DEFECT. I URGE NHTSA AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO OPEN A FORMAL SAFETY INVESTIGATION ON THE FORD ESCAPE HY

VEH SHOWS A CAUTION SIGN (EXCLAMATION IN TRIANGLE) WITH A WARNING (PULL VEHICLE OVER SAFELY AND TURN OFF ENGINE). VEH LOSES ALL ACCELERATION AND I MUST PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. HAPPENS EVERY TIME WE DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY ONLY, NEVER ON A SIDE STREET OR IN STOP AND GO. I PULL VEHICLE OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE FOR APPROX 2 OR 3 MINUTES, AND IT STARTS RIGHT UP. SOME TIMES IT WILL HAPPEN MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN A 20 TO 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD, SOMETIMES ONLY ONCE IN SEVERAL HOURS OF DRIVING. DEALER HAS NO IDEA WHY AND REQUIRES A TOW IMMEDIATELY WHEN IT HAPPENS TO DETERMINE CAUSE. CANNOT TOW WHEN ON THE WAY TO DR, OUT OF TOWN, OR OTHER. *TR

"STOP SAFELY NOW" APPEARS IN DASHBOARD WHILE GOING 70 MPH AND YOU LOSE THE ACCELERATOR - YOU CANNOT MAINTAIN / INCREASE SPEED. THE CAR BASICALLY DIES AND SHUTS OFF. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY OR IN TRAFFIC OF ANY KIND. THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AS WE WERE DRIVING TO FLORIDA FOR SPRING BREAK. ONCE WE STOPPED, WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND CONTINUE ON UNTIL THE NEXT "STOP SAFELY NOW" APPEARED, SOMETIMES IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES, SOMETIMES AFTER 3 HOURS. GIVEN THAT IT WAS A SUNDAY, WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND A FORD DEALER WITH A HYBRID TECHNICIAN ON STAFF. THE FIRST FORD DEALER WE TOOK IT TO HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS AND "COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG". THE SECOND DEALER WE WENT TO REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND WATER PUMP. THIS BREAKDOWN IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS. NO CAR SHOULD SIMPLY STOP LIKE THAT. THIS DESIGN / FLAW SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED ON THE EXPRESSWAY. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH NYC ON RT 95 DURING RUSH HOUR, BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. ALL 3 LANES WERE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH WITH NO BREAKDOWN LANE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA. THE CAR FOR NO APPARENT REASON DISPLAYED THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE AND THE ENGINE DIED. BY SOME MIRACLE THE JERSEY BARRIERS BLOCKING THE BREAKDOWN LANE OPENED UP FOR ABOUT 100 FT AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. THE CAR LOSES ALL POWER WHEN THE STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE APPEARS. THIS IS A HAZARD AND THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT TURNED OUT THE COOLING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO CAR SHOULD SIMPLY SHUT OFF WHEN DRIVING. IT CREATES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD 18 WHEELERS AND A STREAM OF CARS BEHIND ME AND HAD THE BREAKDOWN LANE NOT BEEN AVAILABLE, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MULTIPLE CAR CRASH WITH POTENTIAL DEATHS. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF. THE CAR NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED SO THAT THE STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE NEVER SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE. *TR

I STARTED THE CAR UP AND AS IT SAT IDLING THE STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE DISPLAYED AND THE ENGINE DIED. I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF ON THE CAR, RESET THE MESSAGE AND RESTARTED THE CAR. AS I PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND STEPPED ON THE GAS, THE CAR AGAIN DISPLAYED THE MESSAGE STOP SAFELY NOW AND THE ENGINE DIED. I HAD TO AGAIN TURN EVERYTHING OFF IN THE CAR, RESET THE MESSAGE, AND RESTART THE CAR. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG THIS TIME THAT IS MAKING THE MESSAGE DISPLAY. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. THE STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE KILLS THE ENGINE AT ANY SPEED. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. NO CAR SHOULD SIMPLY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN WHILE DRIVING. *TR

THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 27, 2012, AS I WAS DRIVING THROUGH TRAFFIC NEAR MY HOME, THE BRAKES ON MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID FAILED, MY DASHBOARD READOUT INDICATING MY REGENERATIVE BRAKES HAVE DISENGAGED. I CAREFULLY RETURNED THE QUARTER MILE OR SO HOME, AND TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE NEARBY FAIRFIELD (CALIFORNIA) FORD DEALERSHIP EARLY SATURDAY MORNING, BOTH IN ORDER TO AVOID OTHER DRIVERS, AND HAVE MY BRAKES REPAIRED. TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY TOOK MY VEHICLE WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTACTED ME TO INFORM ME THAT TWO OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEMS ON MY VEHICLE HAD FAILED: ONE CONTROLLING THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES, THE SECOND CONTROLLING THE FANS USED TO COOL THE HYBRID VEHICLE'S BATTERIES. IN A MOMENT OF CANDOR, FORD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE[XXX] INFORMED ME THE UNUSUAL FAILURE WAS THE BRAKE-RELATED FAILURE, AS THE FORD OF FAIRFIELD SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS REPLACING THE FAN-RELATED COMPUTER PART, "ALL THE TIME." MY CONCERNS ARE SIMILARLY TWO-FOLD: FIRST, THE THOUGHT THAT MY REGENERATIVE BREAKS SIMPLY DISENGAGED IS DISTURBING ENOUGH, AS IT PUT ME AND MY CHILDREN IN IMMEDIATE HARM. ALMOST MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH, IS THE FACT THAT THE COMPUTER PART CONTROLLING THE COOLING OF MY HYBRID'S BATTERIES APPEARS TO FAIL "ALL THE TIME." SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE PART OF MY VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE INFORMING ME THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY COOLING FAN WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, THERE IS SIMPLY NO KNOWING WHEN MY VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE IN A MANNER SIMILAR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH THE POWER CUT OUT AND A WARNING WAS DISPLAYED ON THE DASH TO PULL OVER SAFELY. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND CONTINUE DRIVING, BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO FORD. THE FORD DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *KB

I STARTED THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE MY OFFICE AT THE END OF THE DAY AND NOTICED A TUGGING SENSATION AT THE STEERING WHEEL. ON THE FREEWAY, IT SEEMED FINE, BUT WHEN I SLOWED TO A STOP I COULD FEEL IT AGAIN. THE NEXT DAY, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED. IT WAS LIKE DRIVING A TANK. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH DISPLAY. MY FORD DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN AT A COST OF $1,374.40. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE MILEAGE, BUT IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. *KB

INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON 12/02/2011. AFTER WORK I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON THE 405 FREEWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. I WAS IN LEFT LANE GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER AND I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. SMOKE STARTED TO COME UP FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND TRIED TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER ON THE FREEWAY. THE ONLY LANE TO THE LEFT OF ME WAS THE CARPOOL LANE. IT WAS DURING A HEAVY TRAFFIC TIME AND I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED SEVERAL TIMES AS I TRIED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THIS ENTIRE TIME THE CAR WAS GETTING SMOKY AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE AND BREATHE. CARS WERE HONKING AT ME AND ONE CAR PULLED UP NEXT TO ME AND YELLED AT ME THAT THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM MY CAR AND THE CAR WAS ON FIRE AND I NEEDED TO GET OUT IMMEDIATELY. I BARELY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND PARKED AND GOT OUT OF MY CAR. I COULD SEE SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR NEAR THE ENGINE. ONE TRUCK WITH TWO MEN INSIDE PULLED OVER TO HELP ME. I USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER I HAD IN THE CAR TO PUT OUT FIRE. THE TOW TRUCK TOWED MY CAR TO LOCAL FORD DEALER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE GEARS INSIDE THE HYBRID POWER UNIT CAME APART AND BROKE. THEN TRANSMISSION FLUIDS LEAKED ONTO THE EXHAUST AND BURST INTO FLAMES. MY SERVICE ADVISER BRIAN SAID THAT THEY DOCUMENTED THAT THERE WERE FLAMES AS A RESULT OF THIS. HE ALSO SAID HE DID NOT KNOW WHY A CAR WITH ONLY 66,000 MILES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ABS AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, SHE NOTICED A JERKING SENSATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 48,000.

WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY AT 40 MPH ON A STRAIGHT GOOD ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN KICKING RIGHT TO LEFT ABRUPTLY. ALMOST LIKE A BIG RIGHT LEFT VIBRATION. THIS LASTED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED AND MADE THE STEERING DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTART AND TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE FORD DEALER. DEALER SAID THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING UNITS WERE BACK ORDER 5 - 8 WEEKS BECAUSE MANY FAILURES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND PEOPLE COULD DIE WITH THE POWER STEERING FAILURES. PLEASE RECALL THEM BEFORE SOMEBODY'S DIES. *TR

THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT OF THE ABS EXPERIENCED A FAILURE RESULTING IN INTERNAL LOSS OF PRESSURE. THE ONLY REPAIR SOLUTION IS FOR THE DEALER TO REPLACE THEN ENTIRE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT AT A COST OF OVER $3000. IT SEEMS AWFULLY ODD THAT 1) ONLY THE DEALER CAN DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR ELEMENT, 2) ONLY THE DEALER CAN ORDER THE PARTS, 3) THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR JUST THE FAILING COMPONENT BUT THE WHOLE HCU MUST BE REPLACED, AND 4) THE COST IS SO EXTREME. I'VE READ ONLINE ABOUT OTHER FORD ESCAPE OWNERS WHOSE HCU HAD FAILED AND IT SEEMS THIS MAY BE DEFECTIVE IN EITHER DESIGN OR IN FUNCTION. CERTAINLY MAKING IT A DEALER-ONLY REPAIR SEEMS SHADY. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE EXPRESSWAY IN THE LEFT HAND LANE DOING ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND A STOP NOW SAFELY MESSAGE APPEARED ON DASHBOARD. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND CONTINUE TO MY DESTINATION. THIS AGAIN HAPPENED ON THE WAY HOME THE SAME DAY THERE WAS NO PROBLEM FOUND AT THE TIMES I PULLED OVER AND BOTH TIMES WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE. I HAD NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, THIS WAS A SCARY. *KB

I WAS DRIVING AND GAVE A FRIEND A RIDE. I WAITED IN THE CAR WITH THE CAR STILL ON WHILE SHE GOT HER THINGS. WHEN SHE HOPPED ON I ACCELERATED AND WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SO HARD. I COULDN'T TURN IT. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED IT OFF. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, IT WAS BACK TO NORMAL ANOTHER DAY I WENT TO THE DRIVE THROUGH. SAME THING HAPPENED. I TRIED TO TURN AFTER AND COULDN'T. I HAD TO TURN HE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON. I WENT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT ON THEIR BULLETIN THERE IS A MSG THAT THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN MUST BE REPLACED. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE ABOUT 1300.00 FOR ME TO REPLACE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I WOULD HAVE TO PAY. THERE ARE OTHER BLOGS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING MOTOR SUDDENLY SHUTTING DOWN ON THE HYBRID VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AT VEHICLE TURNED ON UP TO MODERATE VEHICLE SPEEDS. WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED, IT CONFUSED THE DRIVER, AS THE POWER STEERING WOULD EXPERIENCE SUDDEN LOSS DURING WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN ELECTRIC MODE (0-30MPH). THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING PUTS THE DRIVER IS AT RISK OF LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND ACCIDENT. COMPLAINTS TO THE MECHANIC ABOUT THE STEERING PROBLEM ARE DIFFICULT. WITH THE MOTOR OFF IN ELECTRIC MODE, AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING, THE DRIVER IS LED TO BELIEVE THAT MOTOR IS AT FAULT, AND WILL COMPLAIN TO THE MECHANIC IN SUCH WAY. PICTURE THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WITH NO POWER STEERING. YOUR LED TO BELIEVE THAT VEHICLE MOTOR IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH THE HYBRID, AS THE VEHICLE IS NOT ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN, IT'S IN ELECTRIC MODE. NO INDICATORS ARE PRESENT WITHIN VEHICLE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO INDICATE THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH POWER STEERING. SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATES THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MOTOR PROBLEM, CAUSING A BINDING ISSUE WITH THE COLUMN. TWO SERVICE DEPARTMENTS REPORT THAT THIS IS A UNIQUE ISSUE. SEVERAL FORUMS ONLINE ARE INDICATING THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT UNIQUE, AND RATHER COMMON. SERVICE DEPARTMENT ANDY GATES (FORD, VICTORVILLE, CA) REPORTS THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN IT'S CURRENT STATE. THE REPORT FROM SERVICE DEPARTMENT VICTORVILLE, CA INDICATES THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DESIGNED WI

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, THE WARNING CHIME SOUNDED, "SERVICE BRAKES" FLASHED ON THE DISPLAY, AND I LOST ALMOST ALL OF MY BRAKING POWER AS I WAS COMING UP ON A STOP SIGN. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STOP. LATER, AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, THE BRAKES WERE RESTORED. THIS HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK. EACH TIME I START THE CAR, ALL IS OK, AS I ACCELLERATE, THERE IS A CLUNK AS IF THE ENGINE WANTS TO STALL BUT KEEPS GOING DUE TO MOMENTUM. A SCAN OF SYSTEM FAULTS SHOWS BRAKES ALL OK. I DRIVE THE CAR A FEW MILE AND THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CHECK BRAKES LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. CAR STILL SEEMS TO RUN FINE WITH ABS LIGHT AND CHECK BRAKES INDICATOR. BUT SOFT BRAKES ARE VERY WOORYSOME. *TR

PURCHASED 2008 4 WHEEL DRIVE FEH USED IN NOV.2010. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. FIRST OCCASION ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER START/STOP IGNITION BRAKES CAME BACK. TOOK TO FORD DEALER FOR CODES. NO CODES NOTED. SECOND OCCURRENCE OCT. 2011. BRAKES FAILED WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE. ABS AND REGEN BRAKE DISABLED LIGHTS CAME ON. TOOK TO LOCAL DEALER KEPT CAR 8 DAYS. COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM. CODES DID REGISTER. TALK OF A MASTER CYLINDER REPLACEMENT, BUT FAVORED RECHARGING ELEC. BATTERY AND CHANGED DIRTY FILTER ON IT. I WAS VERY LUCKY - IF THE BRAKES HAD FAILED AS THEY DID AND I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT WITH ANOTHER CAR AHEAD OF ME I WOULD HAVE HIT IT. DEALER SAYS IT PROBABLY OK. BOUGHT CAR FOR OUR 16 YEAR OLD SON TO DRIVE - TOO UNSAFE AND UNPREDICTABLE. TRADED IN. *TR

GOING FROM MISSOURI TO ARKANSAS MY CAR SIMPLY STOPPED RUNNING NO INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON AT THE TIME AND A TRIANGLE CAME ON STATING I COULD PULL OVER SAFELY NOW AND STOP. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AFTER TRYING TO MAKE THE ELECTRIC BATTERY ENGINE WORK. NOTHING HAPPENED. PEOPLE HELPED ME PUSH MY CAR OFF THE ROAD AND THEN A MAN SUGGESTED I TRY TO START IT AGAIN. IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND RAN FOR ANOTHER 20-30 MILES AND THEN PROCEEDED TO DO THIS ABOUT EVERY 5-10 MILES FOR HOURS. THE TEMP WAS RAINING AND ABOUT 60 DEGREES. AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME IN DRY WEATHER AND AT NIGHT IT DID THE SAME THING FOR 136 MILES. THIS WAS AT NIGHT AND I TRIED TO KEEP IT AT 60 MPH. FINALLY DROPPING IT TO 50 AND FINALLY MADE IT HOME. I'M TAKING IT TO MY MECHANIC BUT WHEN I CALLED FORD WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR THEY SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I FIND THIS TO BE AN UNTRUTH AND FORD ( WHICH MY FAMILY HAS SWORN BY FOR MANY YEARS) REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVING DOWN A CONGESTED INTERSTATE THE VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME "STOP IMMEDIATELY" WAS SCROLLING ACROSS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TIME TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN TRAFFIC. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS WITH LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR IN CITY TRAFFIC AS I FEEL LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AFTER THE VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES BEFORE MAKING IT HOME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE PEDAL DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ABS AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON, ALONG WITH MESSAGE "SYSTEM BRAKE FAILURE" AND "REGEN BRAKES DISABLED". AT THIS TIME, THE BRAKES ALMOST FEEL TOTALLY OUT (1/2 PRESSED) OR VERY TOUCHY (FULL PRESS). TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE ABS MODULE ($2500) WHICH WE AGREED TO. A FEW DAYS AFTER IT WAS REPLACED, SAME THING HAPPENED (LIGHTS, MESSAGES AND BRAKES ISSUES). WE TOOK IT BACK, AND BY THE TIME IT WAS TO THE DEALERSHIP THE LIGHTS, MESSAGES AND BRAKES WERE BACK TO NORMAL. THEY COULDN'T FIND AN ISSUES. A FEW DAYS LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE IN A TRAFFIC JAM (VERY SCARY!!!) TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE CODES. TOOK THE CODES TO THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOOK MY ESCAPE FOR 2 DAYS, SAYING THEY RESET THE CODES AND IT WAS A COMPUTER ISSUE. 5 DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN OUR DOWNTOWN (VERY SCARY). NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE HOWEVER I HAVE SEEN OTHER MENTIONS ABOUT THIS ONLINE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THE GASOLINE ENGINE DIED AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SAYING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. THERE WAS NO OTHER WARNING LIGHT (NO HIGH TEMPERATURE WARNING). I DROVE SLOWLY ON ELECTRICAL ENGINE POWER UNTIL THERE WAS A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. AFTER A FEW MINUTES PARKED THERE WITH THE CAR TURNED OFF, I TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN. IT STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER AND HE COULD SEE NO REPORTS IN THE COMPUTER AND NO EVIDENT CAUSE FOR THE ENGINE TO FAIL. HE SAID TO WATCH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOT A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE - IT ONLY COMES UP ON THE SCREEN WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM (AND IT DID NOT COME UP WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED). A WEEK LATER, AGAIN ON A LONGER DRIVE (MORE THAN 20 MINUTES) AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CAR STALLED AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER. THE DANGER OF PULLING OVER ON A MULTILANE FREEWAY IS VERY SCARY. OVER THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, I RE-STARTED THE CAR AND PULLED BACK INTO TRAFFIC, ONLY TO HAVE THE GAS ENGINE DIE 5 MORE TIMES. EVENTUALLY I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME AND TAKE THE ESCAPE IN TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILURE OF THE COOLANT PUMP AND REPLACED IT FOR $500. THE MILEAGE OF MY CAR WAS ABOUT 53,000 MILES. *TR

MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID (53,000 MILES) IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON I-5 I HEAR A POPPING SOUND AND SUDDENLY ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE IS LOST. A RED EXCLAMATION POINT WITHIN A TRIANGLE APPEARS ON THE CONTROL PANEL AND A SINCERELY BIZARRE MESSAGE DISPLAYS ITSELF: "PLEASE PULL OVER SAFELY". THIS IS QUITE THE CHALLENGE WITH 18 WHEELERS BEHIND ME, TO THE SIDE OF ME, AND OTHER CARS ALL AROUND. WITH QUICK REFLEXES, I AM ABLE TO GET OVER TWO LANES AND SLOWLY (I THINK ONLY THE ELECTRIC ENGINE IS WORKING, NO GAS) DRIVE OFF THE NEXT EXIT. SITTING IN THE CAR, I AM IN SHOCK. WHAT JUST HAPPENED? WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN? BECAUSE WE ARE ON OUR WAY HOME FROM OREGON TO THE EAST BAY AREA IN CA, WE ATTEMPT TO GET BACK ON THE FREEWAY AND MAKE OUR WAY SOUTH. WITHIN 40 MINUTES THE SAME FAILURE HAPPENS AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME THERE ISN'T AN EXIT RAMP. WE ARE ON THE SIDE OF AN BUSY TWO-LANE SOUTHERN TRAVELING FREEWAY. ONCE SAFELY TO THE SIDE, THE CAR RESTARTS AND APPEARS TO BE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. NOW I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT, BUT WANT TO GET HOME. I DECIDE TO GO A LITTLE UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT (A HAZARD) AND STAY IN THE LEFT LANE. AFTER THE CAR FAILS AND TELLS ME TO "PULL OVER SAFELY NOW" FOR THE 5TH TIME, I DECIDE I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. WE CALL FORD'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE NUMBER AND WAIT TWO HOURS (YES! TWO HOURS!) FOR A TOW TRUCK, ONLY TO BE CALLED BACK BY AN AUTOMATED DISPATCH THAT GIVES US THE NAME OF A DIFFERENT TOWING SERVICE THAT ESTIMATES ITS ARRIVAL TIME IN 2 HOURS (THE FIR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE WHEN SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE REAR AXLE FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE REAR TIRES WERE UNABLE TO TURN PROPERLY. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT IF SHE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN ITS CONDITION THAT THE REAR TIRES AND AXLE WOULD SEIZE. THE PARTS NEEDED FOR REPAIRS WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH OUR 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. 4 MONTHS AGO WE HAD TO REPLACE THE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR 300 DOLLARS THEN CAR SHUT DOWN WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH SHE ALMOST HAD A BAD ACCIDENT SO WE HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLANT PUMP ANOTHER 600 DOLLARS. NOW MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND CAR HAD NO BRAKES WITH MESSAGE REGEN BRAKES DISABLED I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE COST TO FIX IT WILL BE LIKE 3,000 DOLLARS. BECAUSE THE ABS MODULE IS BAD. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY THIS KIND OF MONEY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR LAST NOVEMBER 2010. *KB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AROUND 70 MPH ON A TOLL ROAD WHEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN BEEP AND A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE CAME UP ON THE SCREEN. THE POWER TO THE ENGINE CUT OUT AND I HAD TO COAST TO A SHOULDER SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS AHEAD OF ME. THE CAR REDUCE IT'S SPEED; I WAS ABLE TO BREAK BUT I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE HAD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AFTER BEING TOWED OFF THE FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR AS LONG AS I KEPT ME SPEED UNDER ~60MPH. THIS WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE AND AFTER SEEING HOW WELL DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM IS I CAN'T WAIT TO TRADE IN FOR A DIFFERENT BRAND. THIS WILL BE MY LAST FORD. *TR

1. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 71-73MPH WHEN A RED TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK APPEARD, MY ENGINE SHUT OFF, AND A "STOP VEHICLE SAFELY" MESSAGE CAME ACROSS THE DASH. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN ONE HOUR. EACH TIME, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, AND I HAD TO PULL OVER. THE CAR WOULD START BACK UP PERFECTLY. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO A SHOP BY KEEPING IT UNDER 60MPH ON THE FREEWAY. 3. THE SHOP SAYS I NEED A MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLING PUMP AND A PCM REPROGRAMMING. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED WITHOUT ANY HESITATION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE WATER PUMP HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT REAR CENTER SEAT BELT FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A SHARP TURN THE SEAT BELT RESPONDED AS IT SHOULD BY LOCKING UP, BUT IT NEVER RELEASED OR BECAME LOOSE. THE DRIVER HAD TO FORCEFULLY PULL THE SEAT BELT IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE PASSENGER OUT OF IT. THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,500.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID ON THE HIGH WAY AND IT STALLED 3 TIMES AT HIGH SPEEDS. "STOP SAFELY NOW" CAME ON DASH. I DID TONS OF RESEARCH AND THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE MOTOR OVER HEATING. FORD HAD BACKORDERS UP TO NEARLY 900 COOLANT PUMPS LAST YEAR. THIS IS VERY SCARY BECAUSE YOU JUST LOSE POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF HE HIGHWAY. TOYOTA JUST RECALLED THEIRS, WHY HAS FORD NOT BEEN ON THIS. IT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. I AM BRINGING MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH PRINTED RESEARCH AND A LETTER OF CONCERN. I AM BLOWN AWAY THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH THE STALLING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND FORD HAS DONE NOTHING. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING. *TR

I OWN A 2008 ESCAPE HYBRID. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS MY ESCAPE'S ENGINE STALLS/SHUTS DOWN AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH. THE RED TRIANGLE ON THE RIGHT OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS UP AND THE DISPLAY READS 'PULL OVER SAFELY NOW'. I CAN IMMEDIATELY START THE CAR AGAIN AND GO, BUT IT WILL ONLY TRAVEL 1-2 MILES BEFORE STALLING/SHUTTING DOWN AGAIN. TYPICALLY, IF I WAIT 3-5 MINUTES I CAN GO AND HAVE NO MORE ISSUES FOR A WEEK OR A MONTH (IT WENT ONE TIME 9 MONTHS BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN). THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON FOR THIS; IT HAS HAPPENED IN 90 DEGREE WEATHER AND 40 DEGREE WEATHER, RAIN OR SHINE. LAST NIGHT DRIVING HOME ON THE INTERSTATE, IT SHUT DOWN EVERY 1.6 TO 5.4 MILES ON MY 42 MILE COMMUTE HOME. I LET IT SIT FOR OVER 10 MINUTES AND IT STILL SHUT DOWN. I DROVE IT TO WORK THIS MORNING, NO TROUBLES. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY SAID THE WATER PUMP AND NOTHING HAS WORKED. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW AND THIS PROBLEM STARTED APPROXIMATELY 23K MILES IN. FORD IS TELLING ME THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING IT, BUT DON'T HAVE PROBLEM TAKING MY MONEY TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. I AM AFRAID THIS IS GOING TO LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT AS MOST OF THE TIME WE ARE ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING OVER 65 MPH WITH TRACTOR TRAILERS NEXT TO US. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS BLOGS WITH OTHER ESCAPE HYBRID OWNERS HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. *TR