There's always a trade-off. You would have indeed gotten the upgraded brakes with the 2009, but you avoided the problematic (albeit gas saving) EPAS. I say this as a 2009 owner who got to spend part of his Labor Day weekend replacing his lower steering column...

 

Now you made me laugh... With you, not at you.

Someone said "The reason the grass is greener on the other side of the fence is that your not over there walking on it".

I purchased the 2008 AWD Mariner last year. I get about 30 MPG in the summertime. I live in an area that is in/around mountains. Not well suited for a hybrid. I used to have a 2001 Ford Escape and just loved the body style and size. After "donating" it to one of my kids, I picked up a 2001 VW TDI Sedan 4 speed, put 360,000 miles on it, and never got less than 48 MPG! Sold the diesel VW a couple of months ago.

While I do enjoy the 2008 body style and make as explained above. should be kicked for selling the VW. That model (A4) was and still is in high demand as it has a very proven power-train that didn't have the "special" modifications VW has now paid billions of dollars for...

 

Hello, can you please either reply or post an update, if cleaning the grounds worked for you and OR if you ended up changing the ABS module? please I am having same problems with my mariner '08 PLEASE HELP!!!

 

There is a thread in here called, "The brakes broke the bank", I believe this is the one with the ground cleaning instructions. However, my ABS problem turned out to be the front brake hoses were collapsing causing every problem I had. Two Ford stealerships wouldn't tell me this, but Big O found it in 15 minutes. Had the lines replaced and the fluid flushed, worked like a charm. Also, I would NEVER put a new ABS on this car, $5800 and VIN specific. Check the brake lines and the tone rings first.

 

 

What are your codes? Mine were 1478, 1480, 2023. Just know if my codes are present, Ford is going to recommend a potentially unnecessary ABS...because their book says so. And then sell you brake lines after the ABS install because the codes aren't staying cleared. Good luck!

 

I've noticed that if i press the brake just a bit the module humms like building pressure, so i kept switching on/off the ignition, and some times the Abs light and Check the Brakes system goes away, finally i got the codes
c1480 c1478 c 1313 c1479 c1481 c1311 c 1328 u 2023 two days ago also had the u2026 c1479 and the Regen brake Diable on the display but erased w scanner, so im hopeful that the whole ABS module is not failing, i mean what are the chances that Every wheel sensor fails i think more like the Voltage in the module is variations is going heywire and the module does not know what the heck is going on,

 

I sold the car, I tried everything that these posts recommended
Ford said I needed to replace the HCU for $5000

 

I remember that, I had contacted you about the heat shield. We were going through this at the same time, you had sold by the time one member came up with the front brake lines. Such a beautiful moment, the brake lines and flush resolved everything. Had that not fixed it, I would have been reduced to scrapping it.

 

At the end of my journey (when I was having it towed all over town), mine was throwing additional codes representative of all wheels too. The front brake lines were collapsing and sticking, more so when hot, not allowing fluid to pass. It was the last thing I tried before preparing to making it scrap.