2007 Ford Escape Hybrid

2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. ATTORNEY WRITES ON BEHALF OF CONSUMERS REGARDING BLUE OX BX2609 BASE PLATE INSTALLATION. *TGW THE LAWYER STATED HIS CLIENTS EXPERIENCED TWO DANGEROUS FAILURES OF THE BASE PLATE. WHAT MADE THE SITUATION EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IS THAT IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR A USER OF THE PRODUCT TO INSPECT TO INSPECT THE PRODUCT FOR ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE PRIOR TO USING THE BASE PLATE TO TOW A VEHICLE. ONCE THE BASE PLATE AS INSTALLED, IT WAS USUALLY HIDDEN BY THE BUMPER AND FRONT FACADE OF THE VEHICLE. ON JULY 25, 2088 WHILE DRIVING, THE BASE PLATE FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE TOW VEHICLE TO SWING VIOLENTLY BACK AND FORTH ACROSS LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE METAL BRACKET ON THE BAS PLATE ATTACHING IT TO THE TO VEHICLE (FORD ESCAPE) WAS RIPPED FROM THE METAL BEAM PART OF THE BASE PLATE SPANNING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE BRACKET AND BASE PLATE BEAM. IN TOTAL THERE WAS ABOUT $10,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO BOTH THE MOTOR HOME AND THE TOW VEHICLE. ANOTHER BASE PLATE WAS SENT TO THE CONSUMER AND INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. ON JULY 25, 2012, WHILE DRIVING AND USING THE ALLEGEDLY REDESIGNED BLUE OX BASE PLATE, THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE TOW VEHICLE HAS BECOME DISCONNECTED AND FOUND THAT ONCE AGAIN THE BASE PLATE FAILED. THE BASE PLATE BEAM WAS RIPPED FROM THE METAL BRACKET ATTACHMENT POINTS IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY IN WHICH THE PREVIOUS BASE PLATE HAD FAILED.

FOR THE PAST YEAR MY FEH '07 HAS HAD THE TRIANGLE LIGHT WITH THE EXPLANATION POINT COME ON. INCLUDING THE AWFUL "PULL OVER SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE. I HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT, IT'S TEXAS SUMMER HEAT & WE'RE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER EXCEPT ELECTRIC! WHILE DRIVING ON CRUISE CONTROL OF 65MPH THE ENGINE STOPS, I HAVE TO COAST (NO ACCELERATION) OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC. 18 WHEELERS, CATTLE HAULERS, ETC. MY CHILDREN ARE SCARED WITLESS, AS AM I. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. VEHICLE SENT TO THE DEALERSHIP (WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED) THEY DID AN ELECTRICAL RESET. WHILE DRIVING FROM TEXAS TO TENNESSEE IT OCCURS SOOOO MANY TIMES I'VE GIVEN UP. MATTERS WORSE, THE CHILDREN ARE WITH ME. I AM NOT SAFE WHILE DRIVING THIS NEW VEHICLE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A MATTER OF SAFETY WITH FORD!! AFTER LOOKING AT OTHERS ON THIS SITE, I AGREE. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER FORD. THOUGH THAT IS ALL WE'VE PURCHASED IN THE PAST 20YRS!! MY HUSBAND EVEN SOLD HIS HYBRID AND PURCHASED A HYUNDAI!!! WHY IS FORD NOT COMING OUT WITH A RECALL?? ALL I SEEM TO FIND IS THE CLOTH COVER THAT MAY PREVENT THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. ARE THEY IGNORING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WARNING LIGHT OF "PULL OVER SAFELY NOW" AND YOUR COASTING TO THE SIDE OF A BUSY FREEWAY OF 18 WHEELERS???? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PULL OVER AND STOP WARNING LIGHT DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO COOL FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

THIS IS THE 4TH INSTANCE FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. I CAN NOT RECALL THE DATE AND MILEAGE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED THE FIRST TWO TIMES SO I USED THE LATEST INSTANCE FOR DATE AND MILEAGE. THIS VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY 5 AND 1/2 YEARS OLD AND HAS 81,100 MILES ON IT. FOUR (4) TIMES NOW THE ABS TONE RING HAS CRACKED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OCCASIONALLY BRAKE AS IF THE ABS IS WORKING AND INCREASING THE STOPPING DISTANCE REQUIRED TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE INTERNET REPORTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. LAST YEAR (AUG 2011) I HAD TO HAVE ONE OF THE ABS TONE RINGS REPLACED AT APPROX 72,000 MILES. THAT WAS THE 3RD TIME I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. CONSIDERING THIS IS MY 4TH OCCURRENCE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ON THE INTERNET I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT AN INVESTIGATION BE OPENED TO LOOK INTO A RECALL OF THIS PART. SOME INTERNET REPORTS SUGGEST THAT FORD HAS MODIFIED THE ABS TONE RING BUT I DO KNOW IF THAT IS CORRECT. I AM A RETIRED AIR FORCE SAFETY SPECIALIST WITH 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS DEFECT POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHERS SHOULD THE VEHICLE FAIL TO STOP PROPERLY. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO TRY TO HAVE THIS LATEST INSTANCE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME. IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW. *TR

MY WHOLE FAMILY WAS IN THE VEHICLE LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT BOTH CAME ON AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK AT ALL. I KEPT TRYING TO USE THE BRAKE AND THEN HAD TO THROW THE EBRAKE ON TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I COULD NOT IMAGINE IF WE WERE GOING ANY FASTER OR IF SOMEONE ELSE IN MY FAMILY WAS DRIVING THE CAR. THE COST TO GET IT FIXED WAS $3,820 WHICH WAS OUTRAGEOUS. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 40-45 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED. THE PULL OVER SAFELY WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE MOTOR ELECTRONIC COOLING SYSTEM AND WATER PUMP BOTH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,400.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND 'MASTER VEHICLE ELECTRICAL HAZRARD WARNING LAMP' CAME ON. FORTUNATELY I ONLY HAD TO CROSS ONE LANE IN MODEST TRAFFIC. THE OWNER'S MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS STATE 'STOP THE VEHICLE, SHIFT TO PARK, TURN THE KEY TO OFF POSITION AND ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IF THE FAULT REMAINS, THE VEHICLE MAY REQUIRE RESETTING THE SHUT-OFF SWITCHES.' FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUE DRIVING WITHOUT RESETTING ANY SWITCHES. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED OFF AND HAS NOT COME BACK ON AGAIN. I HAVE SHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. IN THE MEAN TIME I HAVE SEARCHED THE WEB FOR DRIVERS WITH SIMILIAR EXPERIENCES AND HAVE COME ACROSS QUITE A FEW. I PERSONALLY DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT CAN SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING, ESPECIALLY ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE FACT THAT FORD HAS INSTRUCTIONS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR 'RESETTING THE FUEL PUMP/HIGH VOLTAGE SHUT OFF SWITCHES' IS ALARMING IN ITSELF ESSENTIALLY I CAN BE TRAVELING IN URBAN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND A COMPUTER CAN DECIDE TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I URGE YOU TO REQUIRE FORD TO ADDRESS THIS DEFECT. *TT

WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 75 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MINUTES AND ENGINE QUIT. A RED TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION MARK SYMBOL ILLUMINATED ON DASH AND THE MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYED "STOP VEHICLE SAFELY NOW". THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT ENGINE POWER AND ONLY THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS WORKING TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. I DID A SYSTEM CHECK AND ALL RESULTS WERE NORMAL. I SHUT THE VEHICAL OF AND RESTARTED IT AND DID ANOTHER SYSTEM CHECK WHICH GAVE ALL NORMAL RESULTS AGAIN. I CONTINUED MY TRIP AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN. *TT

MY VEHICLE WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY AND HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND CHILDREN IN MILD CONDITIONS WHEN THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE APPEARED AT THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND WAS IN A GLIDE. WE LUCKILY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE NUMBER 1 LANE FURTHEST FROM ANY PLACE TO STOP. WE WERE NEARLY KILLED BY A TRUCK TRYING TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 3 OTHER OCCASIONS IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS. ALL INSTANCES BUT ONE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY. ALL PUT ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR