Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Ford Escape HEV submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DRIVING ON CITY STREET WHEN "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED AS WELL AS ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ON DASH. VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKES AND EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE USED TO STOP VEHICLE.
WIFE AND I WERE ENROUTE HOME FROM VERO BEACH, FL TRAVELING WEST ON FL HIWAY 60 ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF THE FL TURNPIKE AROUND 8:30 AM. TRAVELED OVER SHORT STRETCH OF REPAVED ROAD. AT THAT TIME HEARD BEEP, NOTICED RED BRAKE LIGHT AND AMBER ABS LIGHT ON. CRUISE CONTROL ON MOVING 60 MPH. TRIED BRAKES, NOTICED EXCESSIVE BRAKE TRAVEL, BUT STILL HAD SOME BRAKES. CONTINUED ON UNTIL TURNPIKE JUNCTION. PULLED OFF ROAD, STOPPED, SHUT OFF IGNITION. UPON RESTARTING (AFTER 5 SECONDS), WARNING LIGHTS STAYED OFF, HAD GOOD BRAKES. PROCEEDED 130 MILES TO HOME W/O INCIDENT. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES BEFORE AND HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. ON JULY 5TH. I AM DETAILING THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE I HAVE THE MOST INFORMATION ABOUT IT. WHEN IT OCCURRED ALL 4 TIMES, IT WAS EITHER AFTER CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, HITTING A POT HOLE OR IN THIS CASE AFTER A CHANGE IN ROAD SURFACE. AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME WHEN CROSSING ROUGH SURFACES. THE DEALER (NICK NICHOLAS FORD IN INVERNESS, FL) CANNOT SEEM TO FIND AND FIX THIS. I HAVE TO GROUND THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I CANNOT TRUST IT WITH MY WIFE DRIVING BY HERSELF. IT COULD COST UP TO 7K FOR FORD TO SWAP OUT COMPONETS TO TRY TO FIX IT - MY COST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE.
WIFE AND I WERE ENROUTE HOME FROM VERO BEACH, FL TRAVELING WEST ON FL HIWAY 60 ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF THE FL TURNPIKE AROUND 8:30 AM. TRAVELED OVER SHORT STRETCH OF REPAVED ROAD. AT THAT TIME HEARD BEEP, NOTICED RED BRAKE LIGHT AND AMBER ABS LIGHT ON. CRUISE CONTROL ON MOVING 60 MPH. TRIED BRAKES, NOTICED EXCESSIVE BRAKE TRAVEL, BUT STILL HAD SOME BRAKES. CONTINUED ON UNTIL TURNPIKE JUNCTION. PULLED OFF ROAD, STOPPED, SHUT OFF IGNITION. UPON RESTARTING (AFTER 5 SECONDS), WARNING LIGHTS STAYED OFF, HAD GOOD BRAKES. PROCEEDED 130 MILES TO HOME W/O INCIDENT. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES BEFORE AND HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. ON JULY 5TH. I AM DETAILING THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE I HAVE THE MOST INFORMATION ABOUT IT. WHEN IT OCCURRED ALL 4 TIMES, IT WAS EITHER AFTER CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, HITTING A POT HOLE OR IN THIS CASE AFTER A CHANGE IN ROAD SURFACE. AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME WHEN CROSSING ROUGH SURFACES. THE DEALER (NICK NICHOLAS FORD IN INVERNESS, FL) CANNOT SEEM TO FIND AND FIX THIS. I HAVE TO GROUND THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I CANNOT TRUST IT WITH MY WIFE DRIVING BY HERSELF. IT COULD COST UP TO 7K FOR FORD TO SWAP OUT COMPONENTS TO TRY TO FIX IT - MY COST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. *LN UPDATED 1/6/2014 *JS
WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE HIGHWAY THIS AFTERNOON MY CAR SUDDENLY JOLTED TO A STOP WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON A MAJOR US HIGHWAY. THE CAR FLASHED A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE ON MY DASH AND I HAD TO COAST TO THE END OF THE EXIT AS I GET OFF ON A LEFT HANDED EXIT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND FROM READING SEVERAL POSTS ONLINE I HAVE LEARNED I AM NOT THE FIRST. FORD SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR FIXING/DIAGNOSING THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. *TR
1/25/13 PULLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY TAKING DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL ~ AS I APPROACHED STOP SIGN I HAD NO BRAKES. PEDAL TO FLOOR ... THANKFULLY NO CARS WERE COMING ~ YANKED WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND PULLED UP EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. DROPPED CAR OFF AT 5 STAR FORD NRH, TX AND NOW HAVE BEEN QUOTED OVER 4600.00 TO REPLACE HCU ABS MODULE ON A CAR WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES?! THE PART ALONE IS 4100.00 .... ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I AM DISGUSTED THAT I HAVE NOW SEEN AND READ SO MANY INSTANCES OF OTHER CONSUMERS WITH EXACT SAME ISSUE AND WITH NO RECALLS OR LIABILITY ON FORD'S BEHALF! THIS SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED AND IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, TO SAY THE VERY LEAST. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN THE RED "BRAKE" WORD APPEARED, AND THE RED "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE CAME ON. BRAKES SEEMED FINE, SO I CONTINUED DRIVING ABOUT 3 MILES. STOPPED AT A STORE. WHEN I CAME OUT ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER AND STARTED THE CAR THOSE LIGHT MESSAGES DID NOT COME ON, SO I DROVE TOWARD HOME ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY. AS I WAS ABOUT 3 BLOCKS FROM HOME I DROVE OVER A RECESSED MANHOLE COVER IN THE STREET AND THE RED BRAKE WORD, THE "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN WHEN I HIT THAT BUMP, AND ALSO A WHITE "ABS" WORD. THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY FELT LIKE THEY WERE GOING OUT AS I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN A CORNER AHEAD. I DIDN'T ACCELERATE ANY MORE BECAUSE THE BRAKES FELT UNRESPONSIVE, SO I COASTED THE REST OF THE WAY THROUGH THE TURN AND TRIED TO PULL OVER AND STOP IN A SPACE WHERE THERE WERE NO PARKED CARS, BUT BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AND I REALIZED I WASN'T GOING SLOW ENOUGH TOWARD A PARKED CAR AHEAD. I WAS ABOUT TO SWERVE BACK OUT INTO THE STREET BUT PRESSED THE BRAKE DOWN HARD ALL THE WAY AND FELT IT STOP LIKE A MANUAL BRAKE, AND I STOPPED BEFORE HITTING THE PARKED CAR. *TR
SIX DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE USED FROM A DEALER, MY FATHER LOST BRAKES WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKES HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. THE REPAIR INVOLVED REPLACING THE ENTIRE HYBRID SYSTEM. THE NEXT TIMES THE ABS LIGHT WENT OFF WHILE EITHER HE OR MYSELF WAS DRIVING WE WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES TO MAKE SURE WE HAD PROPER USE OF THEM. WE DECIDED NOT TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK IN TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE THE ABS LIGHT WOULD NEVER STAY ON AND THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. ALSO, WE DID NOT WANT BE WITHOUT THE VEHICLE FOR THE LENGTHY PERIOD OF TIME WE EXPERIENCED IN JANUARY. THE NEXT TIME THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST BRAKES WAS SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 WHEN MY FATHER WAS DRIVING. THIS TIME THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS WENT ON. OUR DEALER SENT US TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH HELPING US OUT ON THE REPAIR TO HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. WE TOOK THE FORD BACK TO OUR DEALER WHO ENDED UP PUTTING A NEW AXLE ON THE VEHICLE AND CLEARING THE REST OF THE CODES. I WAS SHOCKED THAT I HAD TO BUY AN AXLE. IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A THE AXLE'S TONE RING BEING BROKEN AND NOT GIVING A READING TO THE SPEED SENSOR. THE NEXT TIME MY FATHER LOST BRAKES WAS ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2012. THIS TIME THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR AND HE HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. WE HAD THE DEALER TOW THE VEHICLE THIS TIME. THE SERVICE SHOP SAID THEY CLEARED THE CODES AND COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPRODUCE. BY THIS TIME WE ARE BOTH DONE WITH THIS CAR. I TOLD THEM I WANTED SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE IN CASE SOMEONE GOT INTO A ACCIDENT. THEY GAVE ME THE PAPERWORK STATING THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO DUPLICATE AND THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS INTENDED AT THIS TIME . THE VERY NEXT DAY, MY FATHER LOST BRAKES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. AGAIN, WE HAD THE DEALER TOW IN THE VEHICLE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING, THE ABS COMES ON AND THE BRAKES BASICALLY ARE UNRESPONSIVE. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES JUST TO GET THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN. LUCKILY I WASN'T GOING ANY FASTER OR THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO MIDAS, AND THEY FIXED A FEW THINGS RELATED TO BRAKING AND SAID THAT THE CAR WOULD BE FINE NOW, BUT JUST A FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN. *TR
"ABS" WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM" APPEARED ON DISPLAY. APPLIED BRAKE PEDAL AND ANTI-LOCK ENGAGED CAUSING A "CHATTERING" SOUND FROM BRAKES AND SEVERE VIBRATION. EXTRA PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL NEEDED TO BRING VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HEV. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND READ "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM". THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. HE HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,592. UPDATED 06/08/09 *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 06/09/09.*JB UPDATED 6/9/09 *CN CONSUMER STATED CAR WAS TAKEN TO DREW FORD WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED, THEY TOOK A LOOK AT IT AND STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THAT CONSUMER SHOULD PICK IT UP. CONSUMER EXPLAINED HE HAD FILED 20 COMPLAINTS ONLINE WITH NHTSA. FOLLOWING DAY, DEALER TESTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND THE BRAKES ONCE AGAIN FAILED AT THE DEALERS PARKING LOT. UPDATED 6/8/18*JB UPDATED 06/10/09.*JB
NO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. UNDER DAILY DRIVING THE TONE RING A PART THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM RELIES ON FREQUENTLY FAILS. PREVIOUSLY THIS REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT AXLE. CURRENTLY JUST THE TONE RING IS REPLACED. *TR
I STARTED THE CAR, AND THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. HOWEVER, THE BRAKES SEEMED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. AFTER I DROVE 1/4 MILE, I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT, AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY GETTING ONTO THE SHOULDER AND PRESSING THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR. IT TOOK ABOUT 100 YARDS TO STOP STARTING AT 35 MPH. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, THE BRAKES APPEARED TO WORK, AND I DROVE SLOWLY TO MY DESTINATION. WHEN LEAVING THE DESTINATION, I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT I REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK WHILE IN THE PARKING LOT. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR TWICE, THE BRAKES WORKED, AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, BUT THE BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, BRAKE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON DASH AND BRAKES FAILED. COULD ONLY GET MINOR STOPPING POWER WHEN BRAKES DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MANAGED TO STOP WITHOUT CRASH. WHEN CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED, THE LIGHTS WERE OFF AND THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED OKAY. DEALER CLAIMED THEY COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE RESTART OF THE CAR CLEARED THE ERROR LOG. EXACT PROBLEM REAPPEARED 2 WEEKS LATER. BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT CAME ON DASH, BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE EXCEPT VERY MINOR BRAKING POWER WHEN DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THIS TIME, DROVE CAR TO NEARBY DEALER WITHOUT TURNING OFF AND DEMANDED THAT THEY DRIVE IT TO WITNESS PROBLEM. AGAIN, THEY INSISTED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY DROVE THE VEHICLE. REPLACED MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER AND BLED BRAKES 3 TIMES BEFORE BRAKES PASSED TEST. *TR CONSUMER STATED COMPLAINT WAS REPORTED MORE THAN 8 YEARS AGO FOR A CAR THAT CONSUMER HASN'T OWNED FOR MORE THAN 7 YEARS. UPDATED 6/8/18*JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HEV. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION AND THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES BEFOREHAND. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,100. UPDATED 11/17/08 *CN UPDATED 11/21/08. *JB
NO CRASH, NO INJURIES. ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING BRAKES TO ENGAGE ERRATICALLY AND EVENTUALLY STALL THE VEHICLE WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR SLOWING DOWN. MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS FROM DASH, INCLUDING, ABS WARNING, TRACTION CONTROL WARNING AND STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING. UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF THE FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS MISSING. UPDATED12/12/07
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
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
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
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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