Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford escape hybrid. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the "pull over safely" warning message illuminated after the failure occurred. The contact was able to move onto the emergency lane. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who performed an inspection and located the failure in the electric water pump motor. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 115,000. Updated 7/14/14
2007 Ford Escape Hybrid engine complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 34 of 34, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Ford escape hybrid 2007, about 75,000 miles. On three separate days over the past few months car has stalled while driving. Usually happens after driving for longer periods on freeways. On each of the three days after stalling once it stalled again several times, going about 40mph. Dealer and mechanic could not find anything wrong. After reading complaints pretty sure its a mechs cooling pump problem.
2007 ford escape engine will cut off and tell me to pull over safe. Has happen down freeway, stop sign, and leave in stop light in middle of road. This is very unsafe. Called dealership and they said are 07 ford escape does not qualify for the recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford escort. The contact stated that his vehicle would lose power when driving 70 MPH. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. No repairs have been made to the vehicle. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage 76,000. The VIN was not available.
While traveling on an interstate highway, the vehicle displayed "stop safely now" message along with an audible chime and a red triangle with exclamation point symbol. The gas engine shut down and the vehicle lost power coasting from highway speed to around 35 MPH. The vehicle remained under hybrid electric power allowing me to move to the side of the road. My vehicle is around 7.5 years old and has 89,000 miles. I researched this issue and it appears to have occurred with several of these type vehicles. The dealership reported that they retrieved error codes p1aod, p0a3e, b139. The dealership says that it requires replacement of the hybrid drive train motor electronics cooling system (mecs) water pump (part# 5m6z8c419a) and (part# al8z19e66f). There is a technical service bulletin (tsb) 08-24-5 that seems to relate to similar problems. The problem is not covered by the manufacturer 8 year /100,000 mile hybrid warranty according to ford customer relations despite both parts being part of the hybrid drive system.
While traveling down the interstate highway the triangle with an exclamation point in the middle lit up and the display read "stop safely now". I was in the left lane of the interstate and the engine shut down - there was no shoulder and traffic was too heavy to coast across lanes. I found a service station that was open on sunday evening. They said my coolant was fine, the oil level was fine, and they could not see anything obviously wrong with the vehicle. I elected to continue my trip another 50 miles and the problem occurred 2 more times. I kept the speed under 70, ran by heater on full blast in case the problem was temperature related, and coasted as often as possible. Each time the engine shut down, I slowed to the shoulder, turned the engine off, waited 5 minutes, then started again. The service results are still inconclusive, but it seems there are a lot of owners experiencing this exact problem. The automatic shut off of the engine put me in an extremely dangerous situation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford escape hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the stop safely now warning message illuminated. The contact shut off and restarted the vehicle, and it vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and was informed that the vehicle did not display a failure. The failure recurred several weeks later and the vehicle stalled. The failure was recurring. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where unknown repairs were performed however, did not rectify the failure and the contact was unable to restart the vehicle when the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure and current mileage was 79,750.
While backing out of a parking space, the right front wheel separated from the vehicle. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that the bolt sheared, dislocating the wheel from the drivetrain. This was later confirmed at the repair center--the bolt had sheared and had to be drilled out. The front lower control arm bolts (forward bolt) removed and threads had to be repaired. The right front axle also had to be replaced. This vehicle is only 6.5 years old, and is not driven off road. Ford does not acknowledge this as an issue. As noted elsewhere on this site, we also have had issues with brake squealing, as well as the water pump issue.
While traveling on the interstate, a "stop safely now" message appeared on the instrument panel. The message was immediately preceded by a chime, and the vehicle lost engine power as soon as the message appeared. There was no warning that would have allowed a safe movement from the roadway, and this problem has repeatedly put me and my family in the most dangerous situations we have ever experienced in a car. The car is in the dealership for the second time for the same problem, and we had it in a year before the first incident for a replaced coil and plug (at 29,000 miles). I just got a call from the service manager telling me that there is nothing he can do on prices for the repair. I will be calling ford customer service, directly, after filing this complaint, since this is obviously a recall situation. We purchased an extended warranty for $1300. It was for 5 years or 60,000 miles. This was a waste of money. The only thing we got covered under that warranty was a window motor that broke. Including the warranty for which we paid, we have paid over $2500 in service fees to our dealership. The current mileage is just over 42,000. We purchased the car, new, for $28,000.
On june 24,2013 I was coming back from arizona traveling on the two lane freeway at 70 miles an hour with the air conditioning running. With no warning what so ever the engine just quit and fortunately, I was able to coast to the shoulder of the road. Had I been on a four lane freeway in the fast lane at traffic time it would have been a different story. I am very concerned this could have resulted in a rear end collision. After sitting on the shoulder for 10 minutes the engine started and I continued my trip without any additional problems. I didn't drive the car again after I got home until I took it to huntington beach ford for inspection. The dealer found the electric water pump was faulty and failed their test. The water pump was repaired, the system flushed and it tested ok. A test drive was also performed by the dealer with passing results. The cost of this work was $829.99 dollars. I am writing to you out of concern for our family and others that own this vehicle since we no longer can trust we won't have another no warning engine shut down some place we won't be able to get to the shoulder of the road. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
After driving approx 20 min on the freeway, my 2007 ford escape hybrid shut off. Warning light came on displaying: motor temp high. Then, stop safely. Considering I was in the middle of the freeway in phoenix az, the 2nd warning statement was quite un-nerving. When I finally made it to the shoulder of the freeway, I opened the hood, nothing was overheating, no steam, coolant levels normal. The vehicle started again without issue. I proceeded approx 5 minutes down the freeway and exited. When attempting to cross the street at the end of the exit ramp, the vehicle shut down again, displaying the same messages. This incident left me in the middle of a busy road. When I finally arrived home, I contacted a friend who is more knowledgeable than I regarding mechanical issues. He said he had heard of this and suggested I look on the internet. I am appalled at the # of occurrences of the same issue that have been reported. Yet no one, not the manufacturer or the dealerships have notified the consumer of this very dangerous situation. My father has purchased fords for years. This irresponsible action, of failure to notify the consumer of potentially dangerous malfunctions, does not fit the responsible company that he has always described.
When there is a fault with the electrical hybrid battery system, the vehicle cuts power completely to the engine. It simply flashes a "stop safely now" message. Having to potentially cut across 4 lanes of freeway traffic without power is very dangerous. I nearly had an accident several times due to this. If the hybrid system has a fault, it should still keep the gas engine operational. Additionally, the fault is very intermittent, and my ford factory mechanic could not track down any definite cause.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford escape hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the throttle body would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.
I was traveling northbound on I-95 in maryland, about 10 miles south of elkton. While driving in the second from the right lane, in heavy traffic just after dark, the engine completely shut down, with no warning. My information screen said "hybrid system failure, pull over immediately." I had no power of any kind, had to navigate heavy traffic at high speeds, and pull over to the shoulder. It was very difficult and very dangerous to navigate. After sitting on the shoulder for several minutes, the car finally started, and I was able to continue on for a few miles before it happened again. At least I was in the right lane this time. I again waited, and once again the engine started. I pulled off at the elkton exit, and spent the night at a local hotel. The next morning, I called the local ford dealer, and was told that, since I was not a regular customer, they could not help me for two days. After towing the car to my home dealer, about 75 miles, I was informed that it was a water pump failure, not a hybrid system failure, and therefore not covered by the warranty. This seemed curious to me as there was no indication that the engine was overheating, and the car itself indicated that there was a hybrid system failure. Why would they design a vehicle to completely shut down, with no warning. I can not imagine the panic this may have caused with a less experienced driver. This had disaster written all over it. Further, I do not understand why this was not a warranty issue. The hybrid system is supposedly warranted for 100,000 miles. The system should be designed to warn the driver that a problem is imminent, and the engine will shut off in a short period of time. As designed, this is a terrible and dangerous warning system, and the warranty service from ford is vague and awful.
Without warning, the engine and motor stopped upon accelerating after right turn, with warning message and many lights displayed. After rolling to a stop at the side of the road, and waiting 5 to 10 minutes, the car started and drove normally. This has occurred a number of times since then, on surface streets and expressways. The loss of power is accompanied by loss of power steering, of course, and creates a dangerous situation.
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????
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.
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.
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.
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.
2007 ford escape hybrid. Consumer states vehicle caught fire while driving *tgw the consumer stated smoke began to enter the vehicle from under the dash on the passenger side. Minutes the later, the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. The insurance adjuster could not determine the cause of the fire, due to the extent of the damage.
On the night of october 21, 2011 I was driving on rt.66w near gainesville, va in my 2007 ford escape hybrid with approximately 71,500 miles.. An alarm sounded and I got a dash message reading "stop the car safely now". Concurrently, I lost power and was forced to immediately pull over to the shoulder. When I consulted the owner's manual, I was informed it was a problem with the hybrid system. The manual suggested turning off the car & restarting. When I did this, the warning light went off and the power returned. I was extremely concerned about pulling into 70 MPH traffic and crawled down the shoulder until I could exit. For the next 35 miles (until I got to my destination) this same thing occurred 3 more times on dark, rural roads. Luckily, my husband was traveling the same route in another car, traffic was light, and there were available shoulders on the road for an immediate pull-over. This was a dangerous and frightening situation. I consider the sudden loss of power on a high-speed highway to be an extremely dangerous safety problem. This warrants a recall of the failing parts to prevent any other occurrences which could lead to serious accidents and possibly fatalities. *tr the dealer replaced the cooling fan and water pump
My ford hybrid escape (gas) engine shut down as I was accelerating onto the highway. The drive power was completely lost. The car continued coasting and I got the message stop safely now. I pulled off to the shoulder, stopped and shut off the car. I then restarted the car and it functioned normally. The failure has not happened (after about 100 miles) since the one incident. I have driven the car to a ford dealer for diagnosis. The un-commanded engine shut down without any preliminary warning seems like a hazardous condition that could be life threatening in certain circumstances.
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