Ken Yagelski, thank you for the excellent write-up (originally posted on your blog). That information will hopefully help folks with similar problems in the future. Please stick around greenhybrid.com and discuss FEHs! Thanks again...

 

Whoops! It isn't near the part about the brakes, so I skipped right by it. It may be easily missed as I did and might be better located at the top or bottom of the page, instead of the middle.

 

Reading about these incredibly expensive parts replacements makes me think that as long as my FEH is still operating OK, I should disassemble it and sell it for parts. Between the battery, CVT, ABS module, DC / DC Inverter and other unique hybrid parts, it has to be worth twice the Blue Book value.

 

When I read stuff like this, I "must" think it is all, or mostly a case of sour grapes with bogus or highly exaggerated claims by a disgruntled customer.
This person either A) has no negotiation skills or B) is sucker.

Ford has openly published to the Federal Government that the "incremental cost" or the cost of parts to "hybridize" the regular Escape is about $3800.

So unless there are $7000 of brake parts on a regular Escape, it fails the logic test that there are $7000 of brake parts on a hybrid escape.

A) I would never pay beyond what a resonable cost is ( to me ~ $1000 ).
B) I would be in contact with the nearest lawyer if Ford insisted it was $7000.
C) They ( Ford Dealers ) insist on very little.

Complain. Make a reasonable offer. Then threaten to take your business ( and your broken car ) elsewhere. They make more on your repair than on a sale. They won't want you to walk away.

Everything is negotionable. ALWAYS!

There are not fixed prices for anything in this industry.

 

So it's agreed, they are disgruntled.

 

my 2006 mariner hybrid 4x4 with 50k-front brakes failed. was told by dealer i would need an HCU (hydraulic control unit) at a cost of $4500. Ouch!!!!! Are they for real. I called another dealer and was quoted approx $400-500 for the part alone. SOOOOOooooo where is the other $4000 going?? Install and labor??? sounds absurd. Any reply would be welcome.

 

I'd take it to another dealer - it could be something as simple as the frequently seen broken tone ring. If you do end up needing the module, shop hard on the internet including used (from a crashed car). Many dealers sell Ford parts online for less than list price, as well.

 

No Brakes on two different occasions.

I was an early adopter...bought my '05 in Feb 2005 it is a Nov 2004 build. No problems whatsoever with it until now. 60k miles. I have owned 3 Escapes(2 of them hybrids..we also own an '09 FEH and had a '01 original Escape when they first came out). My family has been buying Fords since the '50s...my grandfather raced Fords/Mercurys on dirt tracks across the midwest. We are a Ford family and have been "true blue" for many years.

But I am mad and dissappointed at Ford.

My '05 has lost the brakes twice now. Luckily both times was at startup...the chime, ABS light, yellow wrench, and service brake systen followed by a service regen system message. First time I continued down my parents driveway slowly with the intention of stopping at the end to figure out what was going on. I pushed the brake pedal with NOT ENOUGH BRAKES to stop the car causing me to go out into the road without stopping!! Luckily it is Monday after Thanksgiving and they live on a residential street so traffic is very light. Soon discovered the car is in manual/emergency mode and lost about 90% of its braking power(NO power brakes!!)..pedal goes to the floor for any action whatsoever. Limp car to dealer (at 10-20mph) using pedal to floor supplemented by parking brake to stop/slow down. Dealer "recalibrates" brakes and transmission(so they say) and after staying an extra day at the in-laws I am on my way home. No issues for the trip home and next 3 wks. (~700mi)

This past week the same problem occured. On startup the lights came on and the pedal goes to the floor. No brakes. Dealer is cheecking it out now and they left a depressing message to call them back late Friday. I fear the worst. I am thinking a defective master cylinder. and/or HCU. In any case I have NO confidence in this car right now with two complete brake failures...I may insist on a master cylinder replacement per the TSB dated 2005!!

What I am upset about is that Ford KNOWS this is/has been a SERIOUS problem. There has been numerous safety complaints. Putting the money issue aside a moment, why does Ford have to wait until someone is hurt or killed before they will recall these vehicles? I was very luckily in that both my brake failures happened at low speed and stopped. If they happened on the freeway or in traffic, it could have been much worse. I have filed a safety complaint with NHTSA(I am one of 11 such complaints now).

This is a HUGE safety concern...Ford if you are out there you need to recall these vehicles and fix them before someone is really hurt/killed. People need to have brakes there when they hit the brake pedal. This is a problem you have known about since 2005. Why haven't you warned people? Why haven't you done the right thing and made safety priority#1 and fixed these cars when you know they could break and cause accidents?

This is a huge lawsuit waiting to happen. At this point I'm not sure if I'll ever buy another Ford product again. I usually get coupons in the mail so I take both the FEHs to the dealer for routine service....Ford never hesitates to contact me about buying another car...they sure as hell could have told told me I was potentially driving a deathtrap.

Nate

 

How do you suggest Ford protect anyone that goes ahead and drives the car with the instrument panel lit up like a pinball machine...?

Keep the shifter in neutral...?

The most likely cause is a failing or defective 12 volt battery.

If the 12 volt battery cannot turn the ABS pumpmotor over RAPIDLY enough then you get the WARNING that the brakes are marginal at best.

"..People need to have brakes there when they hit the brake pedal.."

Or in the alternative Ford needs a FOOL-PROOF system that prevents the "transaxle" from shifting out of neutral with this level of WARNING.

 

My suggestion isn't to protect anyone who chooses to drive the vehicle after they are given warning. At that point, you pretty much choose to take the risk. I AM concerned about the brakes failing suddenly while the vehicle is in motion. I don't think anyone expects that to happen in a modern vehicle and I certainly don't think it is acceptable for an automaker to accept this defect vehicles WHEN THEY KNOW IT HAS/IS/MAY OCCUR. In my case they did not occur while the vehicle was moving--other NHTSA complaints happened while the vehicle was in motion.

Second point, the TSB I pointed out deals with a defective master cylinder...it has nothing to do with the 12v battery. If it turns out that a drained 12v is the cause then the engineering of this vehicle is extremely crappy. You mean to tell me someone can loose all their brakes(endangering their lives and others on the road) because they have to replace a 12v battery--a wear and tear part? You've got to be kidding me....

Yes...I did choose to drive the hybrid a short distance on two separate occasions a short distance but that is irrelevant to the fact that the brakes failed on my FEH, could fail on other 05 FEHs and Ford KNOWS about it. The only prudent thing to do is to recall these vehicles.

Nate