Standard day driving. Get in the vehicle start as normal. Drive 25 feet down the road, small hesitation, resistance to go forward for a moment. ABS light illuminates, warning beep occurs. Vehicle drives odd, brakes are weaker than normal. Service ABS system illuminates on center panel. Moments later, service 4X4 system illuminates as another small hesitation resistance to roll occurs. Vehicle drives 'ok' but different. Drove it home safely from that moment.

- Schenectady, NY, USA

In 12/2006, my Ford Escape hybrid began malfunctioning. I would get a "service brake system" message and the emergency brake light would appear. I brought it in to champion Ford in boulder, co 3 times. The first 2 times they refused to acknowledge the problem. The 3rd time they acknowledged the problem after I gave them information from the internet and the tsb. With cooperation from Ford service they performed a ground/harness replacement. Champion Ford then went out of business. Over the next 4 years, I brought my car to sill-terhar Ford in broomfield, co for the same issue and additional 6 times, where they performed the same service (replace ground/harness). Now, they are saying the fix requires a new ABS module ($4,000). Through my own research, I have discovered that this problem is rampant with other owners losing their brakes. I never lost my brakes, but after discussing this with my current Ford service rep, he suggests that my problem could result in "improper" braking behavior, which means I've been driving an unsafe vehicle for 4 years based on Ford's service recommendation for my problem. Ford is refusing to accept responsibility for my problem, even though when my problem started, I was under warranty.

- Lafayette, CO, USA

Electric controlled brakes, & electric controlled power assist steering. Seeing all that is happening to Toyota I thought I had best report my incidents to someone so that a file could be started and history could be made of defective issues with Ford Escape hybrid mine is a 2006 model and everything started just after the warranty expired. I now have 73,000 miles on the vehicle and it is always the most expensive part of the system that seems to fail according to Ford service writers. I iod some investigation when my brakes failed and it was just a wheel sensor that malfunctioned but it caused a major brake system failure and I was told it was the control module after I checked the cost I told Ford to take the fuel-saving vehicle and put it in a junkyard and then I was told by another service tech that the sensor just needed to be reset an that would be just a little over $300 so I had it serviced and now after a flat tire I am told that my power assist control unit needs replacing the owners manual said that after you use a donut tire that this could happen and again I am told it is the most expensive part to replace. My mechanic told me that Ford has the only machines that could reset these sensors, so pardon my laymans terms but Ford has you by the '!@#$%'.since they control the situation. I do however believe that outside electrical fields have an effect on these electrical sensors. It could be as little as a pavement sensor that controls signal lights to any other electrical field that damages these sensors that are not shielded. Thank you for reading my thoughts.

- San Diego, CA, USA