general problems of the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid - part 2

The power steering locked up on me as I was driving making it impossible to drive the car. I was able to pull over and stop the car because I happen to be driving very slowly at the time and shut off the car and then restarted it. After I restarted it the steering worked fine. . Read more...

Driving up a slight hill through a gradual s curve with a sudden loss of the power steering. At the top of the hill the power returned. I am filing this because I noticed that there are quite a few reports of incidents similar to this with the 2008 escape. It could be very dangerous.

Car goes limp. Ford has TSB 08-24-05. Mecp fails. Poor design. Has gone limp on me ~8 times. Each time car drifts to a stop regardless of location, speed, etc. . . (eg, can be going 75mph on highway) and it goes limp. Cannot move afterwards for minutes. Many cases of this happening have been reported. TSB 08-24-5 states that some 2005-2008 Escape Hybrid and 2006-2008 mariner hybrid vehicles may exhibit a red triangle light and codes indicating a transaxle overtemp. This condition may result in reduced power as the system activates fail safe operation. Codes p1a0e, p1a0f, p0a3c, p0a3e, p0a7a, p0a7c and p1a0d may also be set.

Several times since buying my car in Nov 2013 my steering wheel has locked up on me so that it is extremely difficult to turn the wheel, typically when turning a corner, almost causing accidents. I have been very lucky that there were no other vehicles around since I was unable to pull completely over in one case and I was unable to complete the turn in my own lane in another. I am very worried that this will happen in traffic and myself and others could be injured or even killed. And neither Ford or warranty company is willing to repair/replace.

After backing out of my garage, I put my vehicle in drive and went to turn the wheel to point it to drive down the alleyway and suddenly realized I could not turn the front wheels. I almost hit the tree beside the garage and had to take my foot off the gas and hit the brakes hard. I tried again and again to turn the wheels and could not figure out what had happened as it was fine when I drove it and parked in the garage the day before. I turned the vehicle off and restarted and found I could barely steer so had to backup and then go forward a couple inches at a time until after about 30 times back and forth could line up enough to pull straight into the garage. The vehicle is still waiting to be towed to the Ford dealer for repair. I had been starting on my way to the airport to pick up my daughter, son-in-law and three year old granddaughter so thank heavens the power steering did not go out when I was on the freeway going to or from the airport because we could have lost control and been killed.

I was driving on the freeway at approximately 60 mph when all of a sudden my steering wheel tightened up where it made it very difficult to maneuver. Fortunately, it wasn't a busy day and I was able to get off to the side of the road. I'm confused why Ford has not issued any recall on this issues before someone gets killed. I understand my vehicle has a lot of miles, but 85 percent of my miles are freeway miles. My resolution was to spend $2,000. 00 out of pocket and have the issue repaired.

While coming to a stop I felt the steering wheel get tight and I noticed that the vehicle had lost it's power steering. I then noticed the wrench light had illuminated. This is a very dangerous defect if this were to happen going around a curve or making a turn if could cause an accident.

This has happened multiple times. . . . While driving slow (5-10 mph) and turning, power steering goes out making it extremely difficult to turn the wheel. This has resulted in near head-on collisions more than once when the turning radius could not be maintained and I drifted over into oncoming traffic. This is a major safety concern that many others with these electric power steering Escape Hybrids have had. I will not let my wife drive the vehicle now until we have saved enough to fix the problem (quoted $1,400. 00).

I experienced the "sudden loss of power steering". Took car into service and they argued with me but finally found and repaired the issue. This was about 2 years ago. I think I was charged for the repair. Can I get my money back from the service dept since the was identified as a defect?.

Does someone have to die before Ford recalls these cars to fix the hybrid cooling system in these vehicles. I have fixed the problem once myself (two years ago) and now it is happening again. These cars shut down on the highway with out warning because of something going on with the hybrid system. This time my wife was in the passing lane when it happened. One day someone is going to die from this problem because it only happens when you are traveling at higher speeds (on a highway) the red triangle light comes on and automatically shuts down the car. Some family will be killed because of this and Ford will be caught knowing about the problem and doing nothing to fix it.

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.

When I was driving on several occasions, the steering wheel would lock up and scare the heck out of me. Just today, while driving in town, I was turning left in the home depot and the steering locked up. Having experienced this several times before, I knew to grab the wheel tightly and continue my turn. My real problem is that I am now giving this car to my (daughter) new driver as her daily car. I am very concerned. I just read several blogs on several sites and all of them state that the dealers don't know and can't duplicate the problem. I have around 70,000 miles now on it, and no longer have a warranty. Besides a very tight budget, I am concerned for my daughter. Please advise. Also, please don't tell me you haven't heard of this problem either. . .

While driving at about 50 miles per hour on a two lane undivided highway, I tried to turn the steering wheel to the right to follow a curve but the steering wheel would not turn. The steering wheel felt locked, as I was drifting over the center line into the oncoming traffic lane, I quickly hit the brake to slow the car, and proper steering resumed. Even the short term loss of steering can and will result in an accident, injury, or death. A safety recall needs to be considered on these vehicles with electric power steering.

I have a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. While turning I have lost steering, the steering wheel becomes difficult to turn and the vehicle did not turn, it lasts approx 5 seconds and then works again, this has happened two times in 4 days and once almost causing me to crash into another vehicle. I took escape to Ford dealership where I was told they could not do anything because they can not find the problem. They said they tried to recreate it and were unable to do so (they only drove my escape 2 miles the entire 2 days they had it). I have noticed, always while driving straight, that sometimes when the engine switches from gas to electric there is sometimes a sudden difference in steering wheel tension, almost like the power steering turns off for a few seconds.

While slowing down to make a turn onto another street, the steering wheel 'locked' and would not turn. I jammed on the brakes to stop before hitting the vehicle that was waiting to pull out. I pulled hard on the steering wheel and it finally moved. After that, it went back to normal operation. This is a very dangerous situation. It has not done it since, but makes me nervous when driving it. I have not contacted the Ford dealer yet.

While return home on i70 freeway going downhill at approx. 70mph the electrical assisted power steering quit working. The vehicle was very hard, but not impossible, to steer going around a curve. This only lasted a few seconds then it started working again. . .

Lost complete steering control twice while driving.

Steering wheel locked at 12,000 miles and a third time at 35,000 (once in between) for a total of three times. Tire wear very odd, touchy braking.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact was driving approximately 70 mph when the steering locked abnormally and he was unable to control the vehicle due to a disability. The contact would allow the vehicle to coast off road before attempting to restart. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer three times and they repaired the entire electric steering assembly each time. The failure would recur within three years. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised the contact to trade the vehicle. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.