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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,928 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2008 Ford Escape Hybrid Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #21

Nov 302017

Escape Hybrid

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car comes to a stall on the interstate I-75 lost traction shutdow the combustion engine and a warning comes up (stop safely now). The same happen 8 times in a month localy in weston. All the times I turned off the key and restard. It seems the same problem as per recal 14V-526 or 14V526000, local dealer does not recognize any problem or recal (sawgrass Ford)

- Southwest Ranches, FL, USA

problem #20

Dec 092016

Escape Hybrid

  • 112,900 miles
While idling the warning message "stop vehicle safley" appeared and the car went into "limp" mode. After cutting engine off to reset, the vehicle was started again. After a short time of idling again, the vehicle gave the same warning message. Vehicle was driven a short distance to a safe parking area in "limp" mode. The vehicle then had to be towed and electronic throttle body replaced.

- Easley, SC, USA

problem #19

Sep 262016

Escape Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
While driving my 2008 Ford Escape hybrid on a residential street, the red triangle light came on, with a warning to "stop now, pull over." Luckily I was already driving slowly and I stopped safely. The engine then died. I tried restarting, but the red triangle came back on, and the engine died again. I had the vehicle towed to local Ford dealership. They diagnosed the problem as a dead hybrid battery, with a replacement cost $12,000. Unfortunately, the 8-yr battery warranty expired just a few months prior to this. I asked about recall 14S19, which seems to be related to this problem. The dealer and Ford Corp customer service both said my specific VIN was not covered by the recall. About 18 months prior to this, I had the same experience, with the red triangle warning light coming on while I was driving on a residential street. I had the vehicle towed to the same dealer. Their initial diagnosis was a dead hybrid battery, which would be covered under warranty. The next day, the dealer called back to say they had discussed the problem with Ford corporation, and they changed the diagnosis. They replaced the "ignition switch and housing" (not covered under warranty) for $743. The car ran ok until the problem recurred this month.

- Kaneohe, HI, USA

problem #18

Jun 252016

Escape Hybrid

  • 88,250 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The triangle/! symbol comes up and engine loses all power on the freeway. My car has been into the dealership twice for this dangerous issue. The 2008 Escape hybrids are supposedly not covered for throttle body issues and my coolant fan for the battery is supposedly "updated" and doesnt need to be replaced.. over 700 dollar fix for safety and flaw in quality of pats?

- Rodeo, CA, USA

problem #17

Oct 192015

Escape Hybrid

  • 170,000 miles
Electronic throttle body failure equivalent to the customer satisfaction program but told my VIN number is not in the applicable group. Loss of all engine power while on the freeway traveling at 65mph with a semi tractor trailor behind me. I was barely able to get the vehicle onto the side of the road.

- Centreville, VA, USA

problem #16

Apr 072015

Escape Hybrid

  • 72,902 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. While driving approximately 35 mph, the accelerator pedal engaged with a slow response. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V526000 (hybrid propulsion system). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 72,902. Updated 06/29/16

- Chula Vista, CA, USA

problem #15

Mar 022015

Escape Hybrid

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicles warning light symbolized as an orange/yellow wrench illuminates on and off throughout the day. On multiple occasions the vehicle has lagged in response to applying pressure to the gas pedal to accelerate, or had delayed acceleration response. The issue is ongoing, and continual on a daily basis starting approximately on March 2, 2015.

- Wilmington, NC, USA

problem #14

Oct 302014

Escape Hybrid

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V526000 (hybrid propulsion system) however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Carmichael, CA, USA

problem #13

Sep 012014

Escape Hybrid

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. While driving approximately 60 mph, the stop safely now warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle decelerated to approximately 20 mph. The vehicle was stopped and the engine was turned off. After restarting the engine, the vehicle operated as normal. The contact indicated that the failure occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V526000 (hybrid propulsion system). The failure mileage was 140,000.

- Hunt Valley, MD, USA

problem #12

Sep 302014

Escape Hybrid

  • 105,800 miles
Engine died multiple times in a parking lot. Car had been idling and had recently been driven over thirty miles on the highway and the ambient temperature was over 90 deg F. had the car towed home because the dealer service dept was closed. The next day the dealer was unable to reproduce the problem and no dtc found in ECM. Paid the dealer for diagnostic time and picked up up the car. One week later, the car died again while driving at about 10-20 mph. Dashboard display said to pull over and park safely. After waiting for 30 minutes for the engine to cool, we were able to drive the three miles home. The next day at the dealer, no dtc found in the ECM, but the dealer said that the symptoms pointed to a throttle body problem. They were unable to recalibrate the throttle body, so they asked us to approve paying for a throttle body cleaning, which we did. This seems to indicate that the hybrid system directs the engine to shut off whenever it detects a sensor problem that it can not resolve. Most cars would produce a cel illuminated on the dash and set a limp home mode. The Escape hybrid seems to just shut off and let you hope for the best. This may seem like an irrational response to a modest problem, but these were the same things that happened before when the problem was diagnosed as a pump problem for the electronics, which is now a safety recall for 2005-2008 Escape hybrids. To compound the problem, the dealer did not offer to refund our previous payment for the pump replacement. I had to ask for it and am now waiting for them to give me a refund, even though the Ford website clearly states that they should expedite refunds for prior work done once a recall is started. Unhappy on multiple levels.

- Soquel, CA, USA

problem #11

Sep 232014

Escape Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 104,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My wife left our house to run errands in our 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. She didn't even get out of the neighborhood before she got the "stop safely now" warning, and the vehicle went into "limp home mode". she turned around in a neighbor's driveway and came back home. I took it to the dealership today thinking that it might be the mecs pump for which there is a recent recall. It turns out that it was the throttle body causing the warning. Even though there was a NHTSA investigation on the throttle bodies of these vehicles (DP12006), the 2008 Ford Escape hybrids were not included in Ford consumer satisfaction program #13N03, which extends the warranty of the throttle body on some escape models (among other vehicles). So, I now have to spend $775 to replace a part that was known to have issues. Luckily, my wife was not on the highway with our 2-month old daughter when this occurred. I don't quite understand how escapes from 2005 to 2012 were part of the investigation, but the preliminary evaluation PE13-003 only applies to 2009 - 2012 models.

- Lawrenceville, GA, USA

problem #10

Aug 062014

Escape Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 57,000 miles
Mecs coolant pump defect causes loss of engine power at highway speeds resulting in an extremely unsafe condition. Ford is aware of the defect in this "hybrid unique" component but refuses to cover it under their hybrid component warranty. In my case I was driving at 55mph on a public highway when the dash illuminated a red triangle with the message "stop safely now". I had to scramble to get to the right shoulder and create a dangerous condition by cutting off the drivers around me. I had to pay out of pocket for a redesigned mecs pump replacement and have not experienced the issue since. Pending lawsuit, macdonald V. Ford Motor Co., case number 3:13-cv-02988, in the U.S. district court for the northern district of California.

- Waltham, MA, USA

problem #9

May 012014

Escape Hybrid 3-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
Starting in may of 2014, my car's performance has been untrustworthiness. Some days there's no problem-- I push on the gas pedal and the car moves accordingly. At a stop sign, I can go. While moving at 50 mph on the freeway, I can easily accelerate and move around a monster size 18 wheeler. But on the days when I press the gas pedal and the car doesn't respond, I sweat. Here's a description: Foot on the gas pedal, no response... so I press down further, without any acceleration of the car. Finally, now freaked out that the car is not moving (and that another car is right on my tail) I press the pedal to the floor-- with no immediate reaction. Then-- bam-- surprise! it works and the sudden surge sends me flying beyond intention and I must press on the brakes to slow. At stop signs this happens and people behind me get frustrated, probably thinking I'm on drugs or something. But really, it's not me; it's my Ford Escape hybrid 2008. The rate of incidence has gradually increased from may to the current date of July, and consequently, I am afraid to drive this car.

- Danville, CA, USA

problem #8

Dec 162013

Escape Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
This week the news had stories about General Motors recalling several cars because the ignition can suddenly turn off causing the car to lose power while driving. There were even deaths due to bad accidents as a result of the ignition failure and car losing power. This reminded me of an incident that happened to me which was similar. I was driving my 2008 Ford Escape hybrid last December, on I-280 in san francisco during rush hour at 65 mph, when suddenly the dash beeped at me, flashed the check engine light, displayed a message to pull over safely, and the engine had no power! I suddenly found myself in heavy traffic, middle lane of the freeway and no power to safely pull over. I was losing speed and slowed to where I cut between other cars and over to the shoulder. I'm sure I cut someone off in the process. Luckily there was not a horrible accident. There could have easily been an accident. The same thing happened three more times in the next few days before I took the car to the dealer to be fixed. They indicated that this is a common problem of which they are aware. The Ford dealer diagnosed it with code P1A0D, which was a bad coolant pump for the electric generator. I did some research and found that many other Ford escape owners have experienced the same situation as I did where the vehicle lost power while at high speed and put them into a dangerous situation. A simple google search on this finds several blog reports of people with similar situations. Ford has yet to issue a recall on this, but I have found that there is a class action lawsuit against Ford: Macdonald V. Ford, case no. 3:13-cv-02988, in the us district court for the northern district of California.

- Cupertino, CA, USA

problem #7

Feb 162014

Escape Hybrid 4WD 4-cyl

  • 81,985 miles
While traveling at interstate speeds (65 -70 mph) in the middle lane, my 2008 Ford Escape hybrid had a sudden loss of power with a red triangle exclamation mark indicator light in the driver message center reading 'stop vehicle safely', had to coast to the side of the interstate which was very dangerous, this sudden loss of power incident almost ended in me being rear ended and then in a collision as I tried to cross over to the emergency lane. Could you please investigate this. I will be taking my car into the shop tomorrow to see what they say. I see on the internet that many other Ford escape owners have had this same thing happen to them.

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #6

Aug 032013

Escape Hybrid

  • 70,200 miles
While traveling at highway speed, the car suddenly loses all power and the stop safely now light comes on in the dash. I had to pull over quickly while avoiding being killed by highway traffic. No warning at all. During my road trip, this happened 3 times on the highway. During my return trip, it happened 3 more times. Problem will only occur at highway speeds and during long road trips. My 20-min drive to work has no issues. This is a serious safety problem and a flawed design on Ford's part. My family and I could have been seriously injured or killed during any one of the six times the car mysteriously died on the highway. From my research, this problem can be caused by several components and is difficult to diagnose in the shop. For older models, there has been tsb's issued, but not for 2008 and later models. I have known several 2008 models that experienced the same problem around 60,000 - 70,000 miles. Browsing though this website shows many have complained about this issue. Ford needs to address this asap before someone gets killed or injured on the highway.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #5

Jul 272012

Escape Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 51,000 miles
On 4 separate occasions, all occurring at highway speed after at least 40 minutes of driving on a hot day, the car's engine suddenly cut off, causing the vehicle to lose speed rapidly. A red triangle warning light appeared on the dashboard with the following words: "pull over safely now and turn off engine". all 4 times I was driving around 65 mph on an interstate. All 4 times the car started again normally after a few minutes. After the 3rd incident, I started the car again soon, and it stalled again after 10 more minutes of highway driving. First incident late July 2012, then late August 2012, and twice on June 19, 2013. This is a terrifying experience, and I was extremely lucky not to be rear ended. The dealer claims it cannot duplicate problem or see any codes in diagnostic computer, refuses to pursue. Help!!!!

- Princeton, NJ, USA

problem #4

Nov 162011

Escape Hybrid 4WD 4-cyl

  • 36,050 miles
Driving vehicle on interstate highway @ highway speeds. While merging into traffic, experienced abrupt loss of power. Amber wrench warning light came on. Moved to shoulder of road in heavy traffic, stopped vehicle, turned off ignition & after about 30 - 40 seconds restarted vehicle, power restored & vehicle continued to drive normally (wrench light off). Took vehicle to dealer, where throttle body was replaced, not under warranty (despite tsb 09-19-12). On Feb. 3, 2012, experienced similar loss of power problem, and the amber wrench light and master vehicle electrical hazard warning light came on, and vehicle completely shut down (mileage at this point: 45,500 miles). After shutting off the ignition & restarting, the vehicle would run normally for 45-60 seconds, then would fault & shut down. I was close to my workplace, so I limped it back to work. Called dealer, who recommended calling Ford's roadside assistance. Vehicle was transported to hybrid certified dealer, where the throttle body was replaced (under warranty this time) and the PCM was reprogrammed. When I came to pick the vehicle up, I experienced the same loss of power & warning lights (open wrench light). Dealer now claims a sensor in the shift assembly is bad & is causing the problem (claiming this is not covered by warranty). Vehicle is still at dealer at the time of this post.

- Angola, IN, USA

problem #3

Jul 062011

Escape Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 64,200 miles
I was on a road trip with a passenger in my vehicle. We stopped in barstow, ca for lunch. While pulling into a parking space, my vehicle suddenly accelerated jumping the parking block and the curb. I was able to stop the vehicle from going into the building but not before hitting some newspaper vending machines. The front bumper sustained minor damage. I have been driving for many years and have never experienced anything like this. Both my passenger and myself were pretty shook up afterwards. The person sitting in the car next to us who witnessed this event said that there was an older man standing right where we jumped the curb a few moments earlier. Fortunately, he had left or this incident would have been much worse.

- Englewood, CO, USA

problem #2

Feb 022012

Escape Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 61,000 miles
Vehicle gave "stop safely now" readout on display and red triangle light on dash. Power dropped off and I had to pull of the road. I was traveling from la to santa cruz in the evening. Happened four more times on the same drive. Just happened again coming back from palm springs also in the evening. Took me seven hours to drive 140 miles. Car stopped over twenty times.

- Venice, CA, USA

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