I have a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Yesterday, The engine shut off in the middle of an intersection and displayed a message of "Stop Safely Now". The engine would not start up again, but all the other electronics were working.

The shop told me that the car needs to have a recall fix (coolant pump) that is not related to my issue. They also told me that my issue is likely a transmission issue and I may need to replace the electronic transmission. That didn't make sense to me. Why would the engine not even turn over if I had a transmission issue?

I looked up some details on this error message, and many people are saying it was related to the coolant pump recall and that is what corrected it.

Does anyone here have any experience with this? - specifically the transmission thing. I did find the other "SSN" messages in searches here, but they all seem to be corrected by the coolant pump repair.

 

SSN is a catch-all for the vehicle detecting some problem with the hybrid drivetrain. It can have many causes, including high battery temp (usually due to the hybrid battery pack fans failing, but can also be due to A/C issues) and high engine electronics temp (which is usually due to MECS pump failure; the recall you mentioned).

I assume, as they were mentioning the pump recall, that "the shop" is a Ford service center. If they're truly saying that it's "likely this" and "may need that", I'd be worried that this shop is not well versed in servicing hybrids. There's a wide gap in hybrid experience and competence between different Ford shops.

Have them tell you exactly what diagnostic codes were read and why they suspect a transmission issue. From my readings over the past few years, the transmission is one of the most reliable components of the hybrid drivetrain and rarely fails.

 

Thanks for the info. Now they are saying the entire electronic transmission needs to be replaced. I've only got 70k miles on this thing.

They are going to do the recall fix first and then reset all codes. I'll have them provided the exact codes after that.

Thanks again.

 

So the engine would not restart even after cooling down and cycling the ignition key? It hasn't started since this incident?

 

Correct. I tried it a few times while waiting for a tow truck. All lights came on, but the engine did not even try to turn over.

 

But have you tried it since then? If it was a MECS pump failure the engine won't start until the electronics system cools down, that could take minutes (10?). Can you try starting it again now, and cycle the ignition key a few times?

 

I could ask them to try that? It's been at the dealership for the last 48 hours.

 

It's worth mentioning that even if the transmission is in need of replacement, I believe it should be covered under the 8yr/100k hybrid component warranty.

 

Still won't start they say. 8K for a new transmission. I can't believe my luck. Not even at 71k miles with this thing.

So this could be under warranty for a 2008 with 70k miles?

 

The "hybrid components" are covered by an 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty. See this thread for some discussion of what should be covered. You're certainly fine for the mileage. I'm not sure when the 8 year clock starts ticking, but I would think most if not all 2008's should still be within the window.

Edit: I should also mention that there have been a few components (e.g. battery fans) where people had to fight with Ford to get them to cover the repairs. I'd be surprised if the transmission isn't covered, but you'd have to read the fine print of the warranty to be sure.