2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

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

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

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 WITH SAFETY FLAWS, AND FORD IS HAVING DIFFICULTY DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM EARLY ON. *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