2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY COMING UP TO AN INTERSECTION, PREPARING TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT IN THE LEFT TURN LANE, WHEN MY BREAKS COMPLETELY FAILED. THE BREAK PEDAL WAS STIFF, AND WOULD NOT BUDGE. WE HIT TWO CARS THAT WERE SITTING AT THE INTERSECTION, TOTALING MY FORD ESCAPE AS WELL AS ONE OF THE OTHER CARS. IN THE PAST, THE "SERVICE BREAKS" LIGHT WOULD GO ON OCCASIONALLY IN THE SUMMER DURING THE HOT MONTHS, GIVING THE CAR SLIGHTLY LESS BREAK PRESSURE. THIS WAS NEVER A SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND HAS ALWAYS CORRECTED ITSELF ANYTIME I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR A WHILE. IN ADDITION, WHENEVER HAVING THE BREAKS CHECKED, THEY COULD NEVER DETECT A PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, MY CAR HAD ROUTINE INSPECTIONS DONE DURING AN OIL CHANGE A MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND A FULL SERVICE INSPECTION BEFORE THIS. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE FOR THE ROAD, AND THE ACCIDENT WAS OUT OF MY CONTROL. AFTER RESEARCH, I FOUND MANY 2004-2006 HYBRID FORD ESCAPE OWNERS TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINTS AND EXPERIENCES.

MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND BRAKES BECAME MANUAL. WHEN I CHECKED ON THE CODES (C1478, C1313 & C1480) I FOUND THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM, THAT THE REPAIR COST IS RIDICULOUS AT APPROXIMATELY $5000. AND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE A RECALL BY FORD!

OUR VEHICLE SEEMINGLY RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF ALL POWER TO THE ENGINE AND THE ELECTRIC MOTOR. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHILE WE ARE MOVING OR STOPPED IN AN INTERSECTION. WE GET A MESSAGE OF STOP SAFELY NOW ON THE DASHBOARD. WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WAITING TO TURN LEFT IN SIX LANES OF TRAFFIC AND YOUR CAR STOPS FOR NO APPARENT REASON THIS ISN'T VERY SAFE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 30 TIMES. SOMETIMES IT GOES A YEAR WITHOUT A MISHAP OR THREE TIMES IN ONE DAY.

NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO BRAKE, MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE HYDROLIC REGENERATIVE BREAKING SYSTEM AND ABS. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON CITY STREETS, SPEEDS BETWEEN 0-40MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL BECOME VERY HARD AND IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESS WITH LOSS OF BRAKING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I AM FORCED TO RAPIDLY RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND BRAKE AGAIN (PUMPING) THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THIS PUMPING OF THE BRAKES HAS CAUSE THE BREAK PEDAL TO GO FROM HARD/IMPOSSIBLE TO PUSH TO COMPLETELY SOFT HITTING THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING CAPABILITIES. ON THESE OCCASIONS I AM FORCED TO PULL OF THE ROAD QUICKLY, DOWNSHIFT TO LOW GEAR AND EVEN USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO AVOID CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. ONLY ABOUT 60% OF THE TIME WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED DOES THE ABS LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT AND SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATE OR DISPLAY. WHEN THIS OCCURRES I AM USUALLY FORCED TO TURN THE ENGIN OFF, REMOVE THE KEY, LET THE SYSTEM PURGE (MAKES NOISE) AFTER THE VEHICLE SITS FOR A COUPLE MINUTES AND THEN RESTART THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO KEEP DRIVING AND FIX THE ISSUE. SOMETIMES IT FIXES TO ISSUE FOR THE REST OF THE DRIVING TIME WHILE OTHERS ONLY WORK TEMPORARILY AND THE ISSUE RETURNS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I FEEL THAT THIS BRAKING ISSUE IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN FOR MY FAMILY AND I AND OUR PIECE OF MIND IN THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE IS NOT GOOD. AS AN ADDITIONAL NOTE THIS BRAKE ISSUE ONLY BECAME EVIDENT AFTER WE HAD ANOTHER RECALL ISSUE FIXED ON THIS VEHICLE FOR STALLING. BEFORE THAT FIX WE NEVER HAD ANY BRAKING ISSUES.

DRIVING CAR AND BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. HAD TO JUMP ON THE BRAKES TO GET ANY TRACTION WHATSOEVER. WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE I GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. YELLOW ABS AND RED BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON, ALONG WITH MESSAGES OF CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM AND REGEN BRAKES DISABLED. APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ESCAPE HYBRID THAT IT IS THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT - A PART TO REPAIR WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH.

THE BRAKES ON OUR 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID BEGAN GRINDING AROUND FEBRUARY 2016. WE HAD THE PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED AND IT BRAKED BETTER, BUT WITHIN A MILE AFTER LEAVING THE FORD SERVICE CENTER THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND SHORTLY AFTER - WHILE MOVING - THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. WE HAD TO COAST TO A STOP AND PULL OVER. WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AND TURNED ON AND OFF, YOU CAN SOMETIMES GET THE BRAKES TO WORK FOR LESS THAN A MILE. ITS SO UNSAFE, WE HAD IT TOWED TO SERVICE CENTERS FOR ESTIMATES. TWO FORD DEALERS AND ONE OTHER SERVICE PLACE INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM THOROUGHLY AND ALL CAME BACK SAYING THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT MUST BE REPLACED AT AN AVERAGE COST OF $4,500. OTHERWISE, WE LIKE THE CAR, BUT THIS ONE REPAIR IS GREATER THAN THE BLUE BOOK VALUE AND IS VERY DANGEROUS.

I HEARD A LOUD CLUNKY FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL, LOUDER WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. UPON INSPECTION I OBSERVED THE ENTIRE WHEEL WELL WAS MISSING IT'S PROTECTIVE COATING AND FLAKING RUST/CORROSION WAS EVERYWHERE WITH EXPOSED WHITE FIBERGLASS SHEETING VISIBLE THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK IS EXPOSED, MISSING BOLTS AND WITH THE BRACKET MISSING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CARE (LEFT REAR) DOES NOT EXHIBIT THIS RUST. WITH PALPATION OF THE RIGHT RUSTED REAR WELL A PERSON CAN MOVE THE REMAINING PIECES. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND CAN NOT IMAGINE WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL AS OTHER REVIEWS ONLINE DESCRIBE THE SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED FORD: NO ASSISTANCE OR RECALL AS OF THIS DATE. I RESIDE IN WISCONSIN AND TOOK CARE TO REMOVE UNDERBODY SALT TO NO AVAIL, EVIDENTIALLY.