FEH 08 Brake Problems?

Please do not buy this vehicle until Ford addresses the serious brake issues. You can read my story on several other posts - but I will summarize. These are not safe vehicles and should not be on the road in their current condition. My daughter and I could have been killed last Thursday evening due to brake failure.

Here are the results of searching from this link: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/complaintsearch.cfm

Make : FORD
Model : ESCAPE
Year : 2006
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Crash : No
Fire : No
Number of Injuries: 0
ODI ID Number : 10155907
Number of Deaths: 0
Date of Failure: April 9, 2006
VIN : 1FMYU95H46K...
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Summary:
I PURCHASED A 2006 ESCAPE HYBRID ON APRIL 9TH & IMMEDIATELY IT HAD BRAKE FAILURE PROBLEMS - ESSENTIALLY NO BRAKES. IT HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP SINCE APRIL 10TH. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS FIXED ON APRIL 22 & WHEN I WENT TO GET IT, SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED IN TEST DRIVE. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ELSE IS WRONG. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE SENSOR, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT DIDN'T RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH FLORIDA, WHERE THE ABILITY TO PROPERLY BRAKE IS HIGHLY ESSENTIAL. *NM

Make : FORD
Model : ESCAPE
Year : 2006
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Crash : No
Fire : No
Number of Injuries: 0
ODI ID Number : 10186417
Number of Deaths: 0
Date of Failure: August 2, 2006
VIN : 1FMCU96H26K...
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Summary:
TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING NOISE WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKES AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SHE HAD TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE DEALER CHANGED THE WIRING HARNESS. HOWEVER, SIX MONTHS LATER THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS INSPECTING THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,900 MILES. *AK CONSUMER HAS INCLUDED MULTIPLE INVOICES STATING BRAKE SYSTEM WENT OUT. THE DEALER PERFORMED MULTI POINT INSPECTION AND PERFORMED THE VARIOUS TASKS: REINSTALLED SIDE FRONT PANEL, REPLACED HARNESS, ALIGNMENT OF FRONT END AND REAR, REPLACE UPPER STRUT BEARING AND BUSHING, BLED BRAKE SYSTEM. UPDATE *4/16TR THE ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *JB

Make : FORD
Model : ESCAPE HEV
Year : 2006
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Crash : No
Fire : No
Number of Injuries: 0
ODI ID Number : 10174426
Number of Deaths: 0
Date of Failure: November 18, 2006
VIN : 1FMCU95H76K...
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Summary:
BRAKES FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR THE BRAKE REPAIR AFTER THE FIRST TIME ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO BUT WAS TOLD BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. AFTER THE SECOND TIME THEY NOW HAVE TO ORDER PARTS WHICH ARE ON BACK ORDER IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR. *NM

Make : FORD
Model : ESCAPE HEV
Year : 2006
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Crash : No
Fire : No
Number of Injuries: 0
ODI ID Number : 10188791
Number of Deaths: 0
Date of Failure: May 19, 2006
VIN : 1FMCU95H46K...
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Summary:
BRAKE WARNING LIGHT AND SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE FREQUENTLY DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT PANEL (MORE THAN A DOZEN OCCURRENCES OVER 12 MONTHS). OWNERS MANUAL DESCRIBES THIS AS A DANGEROUS CONDITION. FOUR ATTEMPTS BY FORD SERVICE TO CORRECT AND ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE BECAUSE CODES ARE ERASED WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF(?). *TR

Make : FORD
Model : ESCAPE HEV
Year : 2006
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Crash : No
Fire : No Number of Injuries: 0
ODI ID Number : 10162414
Number of Deaths: 0
Date of Failure: July 3, 2006
VIN : 1FMCU95H16K...
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK
Summary:
NORMAL CITY DRIVING INITIATED FAILURE OF BRAKES TO HAVE PRESSURE. IMMEDIATELY BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. BRAKES MAY BE APPLIED, BUT RELEASE AFTER APPLICATION. INITIALLY, WHEN BROUGHT INTO FORD DEALERSHIP 11 DAYS AGO, PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED TO BE ELECTRONIC, BUT AFTER REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR BRAKES, THE PRESSURE FAILS TO RESUME. *JB

In August 2009 while driving a 2008 company owned 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 red light. Lucky there was no one in front of me because I was barely able to stop. Later, after the car was turned off, the brakes were magically restored. After doing a google search, I found that this is a common problem with the FEH. NTHSA will be notified. I hope they investigate and issue a recall.

Multiple random brake failures over 33,000 miles in a 2006 FEH FWD. No codes generated. One even with a Ford tech at the controls. We did not even shut the vehicle down, still no codes. The system seems to work fine when the car is turned off and restarted. Microsoft must have designed the computer programs Ford uses. Easily the most dangerous vehicle I have ever driven in 45 years. Ford has no clue how to fix the problem, each dealer treats you like an idiot, and the first to experience the problem. Check out the bulletin boards and lists, there are probably at least 100 different complainers. Kill your Escape before it kills you, it is a killer car, let the recalls begin!!! So when will the class action lawsuit. Sign me up as a Canadian participant.

It sounds like your brake calibration program is resetting. I suspect you have a grounding problem and your PCM looses its stored brake pedal calibration. I saw the Ford dealership hybrid tech almost drive my '05 FEH into a wall in the shop when he put it in drive. He had reprogrammed my PCM and forgot to do a brake pedal calibration before putting it in gear. I was on the passenger side when this happen and he was going to take me for a test drive. When he pushed the brake pedal down it went to the floor but he did get it stopped in time. When the PCM has reset, your required to start the vehicle and while in Park press down on the brake pedal to the full brake position so the PCM can calibrate the brake by wire pedal travel. The next time you press on the brake pedal, travel should be normal and calibrated. If your somehow loosing the calibration and the tech presses on the brake when it gets to the shop the brake travel calibration is normal and there will not be any codes. He also did a reprogram of the ABS that also could have caused a recalibration to be done.

We have the FEH 2006 which was late in the year model when we got it. We have had very little problem with our car but the Oil light after leaving a qualified FORD Dealership often does not get reset so I sometimes call them to let them know about it.
And try to reset it on my own or bring it back there and do it for me as it was supposed to be done after the oil change. In terms of braking we learned about hybrid cars when stopping at stop light the gas engine and hybrid electrical engine do things differently so when stopping and restarting there is a slight delay going and when Stopping the power is still runing in the system so IF you took your foot OFF the Brake the car could lurch forward. The first time it happened it was unsettling. But they told it was normal for Hybrids to do that due to the two engine systems and latent energy which is used by the system when you start going again. So the Brakes are real important to keep this latent energry from expressing itself by lurching forward! It stores it on purpose. So I sure hope TOYOTA and FORD wihch shared this techology come up with a reasonable study and solution for proper diagnosis and prevention of brake Failures and these cars need more than others when STOPPED those brakes to be continually applied when stopped at a light! Regular cars you dont have to on flat level terrain keep the foot on the brake when there is not gas running the car but must not take your foot off the brake of a hybrid car because if you DO it willl start going FORWARD. So I sure hope they figure out the root cause of these possible brake problems. And FORD will shine then as a company that cares about their reputation and good and much improved ranking and cars too and outshine TOYOTA the supposed leader. The Leader in what? Brake issues? Gas Pedal friction? Corporate greed and documentation that TOYOTA Corporatoin told it US counterparts there were some problems but lets not deal with them not exactly the words but the gist. In other words shovel some of the key issues under the rug. Now the dust bunnies are appearing. I like my FORD Hybrid very much and feel it has be way more a reliable car than our TOYOTAL SIENNA which we also like a lot too. AND to boot our TOYOTA SIENNA has the same car frame built upon the Camry Body so if that is so they should put in writing why the Sienna would not need this recall too. And with so many new cars including HYBRID Technology they OWE to use to make sure the HYBRID CARS dont have these problems in OTHER models too that used TOYOTA's technology and charged about 9,000 over sticket for the Hybrid sticker and batteries.

We are on our 3rd try with an '06 Mariner Hybrid. Always happens when wife is driving. I am not certain if pedal goes all the way to the floor or just loses the boost. Either way, it's a panic situation. We love the car otherwise, but this is starting to feel like a fatal blow.

I got a brake failure on my 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid with 72000 KM on it. The ABS light and park light came on. There was a squeaking sound everytime I step on the brake. I took it the Dealer and they diagnose it for $105 and they said the brake pad needs replacing (still has a good 40%) pads left. I had them replaced it anyway but the problem is still there. They diagnose it for another 2 days and said that they are going to change the hydraulic brake for $3900. This is ridiculous.

On Memorial Day I got the same issue (ABS yellow light, red brake light, and brake text message) as the brakes failed while driving. Had it towed to my mechanic. No code came up. He did my 90k service and said after completely inspecting the brakes there was no problem. A week later I drove it with the wife and new baby this time and the same thing happened. Our mechanic this time said it was a code for bleeding the brake fluid, and that needs a special tool from Ford, but that still does not sound like it will fix the issue as it is the same with everyone else here.

Sent an e-mail to Ford and received a corporate type reply to take it to you dealer to get diagnosed and pay for it, which I have no intention of contstantly paying more money for something that cannot be fixe.

Here will be getting a new non-Hybrid non-Ford this weekend.

Well, this same thing happened to my 2006 hybrid 2 days ago and now they are telling me it is my ABS system. Basically to replace the whole thing will cost $7,400 and it is not under warranty. I have 55K miles and concur that this is ridiculous to happen with such low mileage on the car.

We have had our 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4x4(same vehicle as the FEH 4x4)since 2005. We have 40k miles and it has been a good car. We have had minor repairs, mostly because Ford used some inferior parts when they built it.

We are having some problem with the ABS now, there is lots of information on the web about problems with the ABS on the FEH. We are having a cracked tone ring replaced on the rear axle. I am having it replaced and having new rotors and ceramic pads put on the front for a total of $521. I have a good mechanic who is not a dealer. I have heard of people paying the dealer over $700 just for the tone ring replacement!! I will say that one problem owning a Hybrid is that every one jacks up the price of materials and labor. When I went to get an air filter I found that paper filters were $35, twice what they run for regular vehicles. I ended up buying a K&N filter for just a few dollars more and will never need a new one again. It was the same when I went to the dealer for a quote on new rotors and pads. Thank God I found a good independent mechanic that knows what he is doing with Hybrids.

We also have a Subaru Outback and I think for over all cost of ownership, performance, MPG (which is almost the same) and reliability, I think would go with another Outback. I've found that Ford's customer service and quality doesn't measure up unfortunately.

'05 FEH, not experiencing brake failures, but have had to replace the front rotors 5 times in the past 17K miles after going 150K miles on the originals. First 4 were not to factory spec. (4th set was put on at a Ford dealership). The last set was supposedly specially designed for the hybrid, but they are warping now as well. Ford engineers must have made a design change (thickness, alloy, etc) along the was as a cost savings. Have now spent $3500 trying to resolve what appears to be a design issue. $2500 of that was at the recommendation of Ford corporate to replace the steering mechanism(???). then the dealership realized they had put on the wrong rotors as well. I've seen similar posts on other blogs. Have been told a couple of times that the problem is "bad driving habits" and am having a hard time maintaining composure in response to these comments.