I'm currently looking for a used AWD Escape hybrid. There's a pretty good inventory in my area, especially 2007-2008. I'm mostly looking at older and moderately high mile hybrids as I'm trying to stay under under 10k but could go higher if needed - too high and a new base model Subaru becomes more attractive. Are there any particular model years that have a reputation for being more reliable or that I should avoid? I'll have any car that looks promising inspected by an independent mechanic before purchase. My biggest concern is the potential for expensive failure of the hydraulic braking system as reported here and elsewhere, but as far as I can tell that doesn't seem to be unique to any particular model year?

Also, feel free to throw out any comparable cars that could fill the same niche. I'm looking for a car that can handle dirt/gravel mountain roads and snow (probably won't do true off-road, but high clearance and AWD are helpful), good mileage since it will also be a daily driver, and good cargo space. There are lots of new compact SUVs that cover those bases, but the FEH seems to be the only one where I can reasonably find an older used car and still get good fuel economy.

 

I have a 2wd 06 that I bought about 4 years ago with 60k miles. It has held up well and I haven't had to sink too much money into it. I am now about to hit 200k miles and it will probably last another 50-100k miles without major maintenance.

However, I would definitely go with the newer body style (2007+) over what I have.

Better yet, if I were to do it again, I would go with a Highlander Hybrid or Ford Fusion Hybrid rather than this FEH. The Escape is nice (mine has just about every option that was available), but it really doesn't drive or feel like an SUV. It's more like a goofy, tall and inconvenient car. Gas mileage is okay, but I have never been able to get more than 31 mpg and that's even trying all the hyper-miler techniques detailed here and elsewhere (which didn't do much more for me other than make me take longer getting to work). It does NOT handle off-road any better than a car other than a little extra clearance.

The cargo space is about equivalent to a trunk of the Fusion with an extra foot or so of vertical height (but you lose out on depth). You have to stay on top of the alignment or it eats tires at an incredible rate and the suspension or you will quickly bend one of those incredibly-expensive light weight stock wheels. Regardless of what you may have read about the NYC taxi FEH's hitting 300k miles with little battery pack wear, those were high-mileage but low-year battery packs. Read on the forum here and you will find numerous folks with worn battery packs that just get hotter and hotter each year (which translates into less and less time in electric mode and worse MPG). The CVT is neat until you are trying to accelerate to speed on an uphill onramp and you realize that the battery boost only lasts for a few seconds which then leaves you with that 4-cylinder screaming at 6k rpm. Road noise in mine is pretty bad and it seems like the wheels so easily get knocked out of alignment. It creaks and pops all over the place (several TSB's address this, but the main one that affects me just calls for lubing the struts with dielectric grease on a regular basis). Interior space is pretty limited and if you get one the nicer leather ones (like mine), then you have to deal with the foam backing disintegrating on the door panels and the leather just peeling off. It has a nasty "feature" where nearly any issue with the hybrid powertrain will give you a "Stop Safely Now" message followed by an immediate loss of both engine and battery boost-- regardless if you are stopped at a light or going 70+ mph on the interstate.

If you are not accustomed to doing your own maintenance, then you will realize a lot of non-dealership mechanics are unfamiliar with hybrid components and will balk at doing anything that is hybrid-specific.

I rent a lot of cars with my job and it honestly is a little disheartening getting 40-50 mpg in a sedan that has more room than my Escape, is a LOT quieter, handles better and has less long-term concerns that arise from a custom hybrid powertrain.

It seems like a lot of the folks with FEH's that get the 35+ mpg live in nice, flat, warm climates like Florida, Alabama, etc. However, in NC with my 120 mile daily round-trip commute, I get 30-31 in the warmer months and 27-28 in the colder, denser air during winter. If you live further up north or in an area that has a lot of hills, I wouldn't be surprised if you were to get as little as 24-25 mpg in the winter time-- that's certainly what I average when I drive to the mountains. If you think about it, you're in mid-sized SUV mileage at that point. To my amusement, there have been a couple of times where I was getting worse gas mileage in the Escape driving in the mountains than my wife was getting in my full-size 8-cylinder pickup behind me. Trucks blow this vehicle around on the road pretty badly and it is AWFUL in the rain, regardless of tire condition. I frequently have to drop to 40-50 mph in a driving rain on the interstate to avoid hydroplaning despite the fact that my truck plows through the same rain unaffected.

At the end of the day, if you specifically want a tiny SUV with small-block 6-cylinder performance, low-ish cost of ownership and reasonable gas mileage, then get the FEH.

Otherwise, get a AWD Highlander Hybrid, hybrid (or full-electric) sedan or one of Dodge's pentastar powered SUV's.

Lastly, your biggest concern shouldn't be failure of the braking system- it should be failure of the battery or major hybrid components, particularly if you are looking at higher-mileage FEH's. Those will be much more expensive and difficult to repair than the mostly-reliable braking system.

If you do still get one of the 2006 or older FEH's, I wouldn't pay more than 6 grand, regardless of the condition. There are too many other better alternatives depending on the criteria you laid out above. Just make sure you are going into it with your eyes open about the drawbacks.

 

Since I have an '09 FEH, I've been inclined to think it is the best year. But I've changed my mind because:

Later FEH'S have a relocated hatch release handle that is much less likely to leak water than the earlier design.

Later FEH's had an electric a/c compressor, which for this vehicle seems better to me.

Later FEH'S have the little wide angle mirror inserts, which I like.

Later FEH'S use cabin air to regulate the temperature of the hybrid battery. This may not be quite as effective as the older setup using a dedicated rear hvac unit, and the '10-'12'S have a vent in the cargo area that must not be obstructed. On the other hand there are fewer components to break and there are no expensive exposed a/c lines running the length of the underbody. I've spent $1800 replacing these lines after they corroded, and that would pay for a lot of gas. The lines are also one more vulnerable thing on rough roads.

But the main reason I'd prefer a newer FEH is that up to and including the '09, the engine starts and runs for 30 seconds whenever you turn the key, even if all parameters are OK for being in ev mode with the engine off. This was designed so that people unfamiliar with hybrids would not be concerned by the motor not starting whenever the key is turned. The problem is that it wastes a noticeable amount of gas.

The '09 had significant powertrain and chassis upgrades from the '08. And the '09 came with stability control, which the '08 lacked. I also think that for my use, the '09's rear drum brakes are better than the earlier rear discs.

 

I appreciate that you bothered to write a comprehensive look at your FEH experience. I like such informative longer posts. But I have to differ with many of your observations.

It sounds to me like you have chronic and undiagnosed front end problems.

This summer, we used our FEH for a long road trip. On the second day, we went up a mountain via a very rough jeep track. A severe front end rattle developed. Due to the schedule of the trip we were unable to have it fixed until after the trip. Either we were in places where there were no services, or parts were not on hand, or no work could be done for 3 days.

In the months before the trip, I had replaced:
- sway bar links
- one outer tie rod (105,000 miles)
- right front wheel bearing
- one ball joint

On the last 2 days of the trip, we encountered standing rain water on the highways. Hitting this water at speed resulted in severe swerving, like hydroplaning.

During the trip, mileage seemed oddly low, and after the trip the insides of the front tires showed significant wear. Twice during the trip I jacked up the front end and heaved this way and that on the front wheels, but things seemed ok.

The repair was a front control arm and ball joint.

This mirrors your situation. It appears that a bad ball joint will rattle, and the attached wheel will be off alignment. Naturally a crooked tire will result in rapid tire wear and poor mileage due to the extra rolling resistance. And there is enough slack left that the pressure from hitting water will further deflect the tire, resulting in swerving that seems like hydroplaning.

When I found out these Escapes with electric power steering have something they call "Pull/drift technology", I said at the time a downside of this system is that it would mask bad alignment. Indeed, my Escape showed no pulling to either side despite the front end problems.

I have experience with a variety of vehicles used often on rough mountainous and abandoned logging roads. I have never heard of anything with the degree of front end problems of the Escape, and have never before had to replace front end parts on a vehicle other than shocks and struts.

But, the front end of the Escape has lasted over 100,000 miles despite how I use it, and other expensive things like the struts are still fine. My advice is if some front end part of these Escapes needs replacing, just do the whole thing to avoid the cost and bother of repeated service visits. Because they will all fail.

My experience with the Escape is that it is composed (when the front end is sorted out), versatile and handles well, rather than being goofy, inconvenient and clumsy.

[off-topic warning]

((The only time it definitely was clumsy was coming down a very steep icy road last winter. The road was so slippery you fell down and went for a slide if you attempted to stand on it. Normally we descend such roads in vehicles with a low range or first gear, and often with chains on. Unchained, I basically lost control of the FEH. Fortunately I was being cautious and going slowly so no harm resulted. The problem is the FEH has no low speed engine braking. So you have to use the brakes, which is an inferior way to control speed in these conditions.

How about ABS, I can hear many saying? Well, it was useless. It seems that ABS does not work in such conditions. My guess is that the ABS cannot distinguish between all wheels being locked up, and being at a standstill with the brakes on. In the latter, such as at a stop sign, you would not want the brakes to release. I think this may also be related to the speed at the time of lockup. Very low speed + all wheels locked up = ABS does not release any wheel.

I have never seen this discussed anywhere, but I cannot deny what I have experienced several times with different vehicles. The universal advice is that if you have to brake in slippery conditions, stand on the brakes and ABS will look after it. Don't pump the brakes like in the old days. However in this situation I will revert to pumping the brakes. While we're off topic, I'll add that to get down a very slippery grade at low speed, it also helps to put the vehicle in neutral so the engine it isn't pushing against the brakes, apply the parking brake a little to counter the front-end brake bias tendency to lock the front wheels, and pump the brakes, correcting steering between the applications. Letting some air out of the tires would help also, as we FEH owners tend to run tires at higher pressures.

Because of how I use my FEH, I end up using the brakes a lot to control speed coming down the gravel roads in the mountains. The result is that I have to do brake jobs as often as a non-hybrid.))

I use my FEH in exactly the conditions where you predicted mileage of ~24mpg. I get about 30 in the winter, with winter tires at lower pressure, lower power winter gas, and more gas used to heat the thing. I get about 33 in the summer. And my FEH is an awd. I do not hypermile.

The Escape's clearance is more than a bit better than a sedan. Especially if you consider approach and departure angles.

I have not read multiple stories of people finding their battery packs degrading. I have read many claims of aged FEH's showing little or no mileage loss. Battery replacements are vanishingly rare. So rare that asking prices for used packs on eBay start at $700. Given that some FEH's are now over 10 years old, a significant failure rate should show up in demand and higher prices.

While I agree there is no oomph if you need to gather speed with the battery depleted, I can only recall noticing this once in four years of driving the thing. Duration of the electric boost depends on the charge level of the battery and the demand on it. The FEH's system has an inherent program to approach half charge, and with half a charge the boost normally is far more than a few seconds. I can see mine providing boost during 1-mile climbs of an 8% grade at 55mph.

The interior space is fine, with plenty of legroom and headroom for adults in the back seat. The back seats have several positionings, including easy removal of the bottom cushions. Removing them allows making a flat bed long enough for 6-footers to sleep. I agree the fixed-angle rear seatback is a nuisance. I have the leather interior and there is no soft-touch material on the doors, so nothing to delaminate. The opening rear window glass is a nice touch, as is the standard roof rack.

I have experienced the "Stop Safely Now" only once. I'd run out of gas, which was not the Escape's fault. An advantage here of the hybrid was that I was able to drive 1 mile to a gas station using the electric system, rather than hitchhike or walk to get gas. And the use of the battery pack and an electric motor for starting means you have an outsized and durable starter system.

The Highlander is a significantly larger, more expensive vehicle. I'd agree that the first generation Highlander was not greatly larger than the Escape, and the first generation base models are not as fancy as a loaded Escape. I've driven both older and newer Highlanders. I prefer the Escape's road manners to the older Highlander, and while the newer Highlanders are much nicer, they are in another vehicle class.

Edit, note that the new Escape body style was of the '08 model year, not '07.

 

Ha, thanks for the thorough reply! I know there are a number of yall on here that are pretty sold on these Escapes and my advice is simply coming from an average guy who has driven a large number of vehicles over the years and bought this FEH simply because it seemed to be the most fuel efficient SUV and had good feedback on its reliability. Also, I do not enjoy working on equivalent-sized cars due to their cost and parts that are frequently difficult to access, so I figured this would be a good compromise.

Aside from the fan belt, this HAS been an easy vehicle to work on-- much easier than the Saturn Vue it replaced and much easier than the Mazda 6 before that.

For an SUV, though, it really doesn't cut the mustard. I can barely fit three car seats in the back, it has no third row and the power is honestly lacking. For my needs (which would probably be similar to anyone looking to buy an SUV that is cheap to drive), it is a little too small, a little too underpowered and a little too unwieldy in adverse driving conditions.

You mention having an 09 model, which I believe is known for getting better gas mileage than the 1st gen Escapes, right? For example, a couple of the folks on here mention being able to stay in EV mode at 45 mph-- something that simply is not an option on mine. I hit 41 mph on the speedometer (which is actually 39 mph according to my GPS and Scangauge) and the ICE kicks on. I live in suburbia, so there is not a whole lot of cruising around at the 25-30 mph required to really use EV mode extensively. Again-- that is a scenario that is not too atypical for your average FEH buyer looking to buy a more fuel-efficient SUV. Most won't get crazy awesome "hybrid"-style gas mileage like you would expect from all the Prius folks zipping around. I honestly get gas mileage equivalent or a little worse than a modern full-sized sedan with similar interior space.

As for front end problems, maybe you're right. I've had three tie rod ends, two bearings and both stabilizer links. I've kept the ball joints and stab links greased up and they don't seem to have failed, but you have a good point about the electric steering potentially masking some wander going on down there. So, yeah, that could be it, or maybe not. We do have two different body styles.

The battery pack is always going to be cause for concern as it is not a part easily sourced or changed by the average user and I've found most non-dealer mechanics to be resistant to working on hybrid components. For the DIY folks, I know this won't be an issue, but for the daily-driver family car it is definitely something to keep in mind. It's not going to be a problem in a 6-year old hybrid, for sure, but when you are looking at a 10-12 year old car, the odds of longevity are not as hot if you expect to keep the vehicle another 3 or 4 years. I'd similarly not recommend picking up a stick shift truck with 150k-200k miles on it unless you (a) know the clutch has been changed or (b) are comfortable doing it yourself. The clutches I've changed in the past probably cost me ~$100 to do it myself and the better part of a day. For other folks that don't have that kind of time or expertise, that's a $500+ job at the mechanic. Same goes for this battery pack, particularly as the mileage approaches 200k. Electrical parts, like all others, wear out with age and have to be replaced. This is a pretty unique part that exceeds the capability of most non-DIYers.

Either way, my goal is just to present a frank look at my experience with my FEH. It has served its needs and really not been a bad car. It just hasn't been the best value in my opinion. Perhaps I should've gotten a 2nd gen, but I honestly think that I would've rather just eaten the 5 mpg difference with a Pilot/Edge or gone for the bigger and more powerful THH (at a 2-3 mpg cost).

Lastly, the Stop Safely Now error is a PIA and a totally uncool approach to indicating an error condition. Both of mine occurred suddenly, completely without warning and immediately killed all power (ICE and EV) to the vehicle. Both were caused by a stupidly simple problem (TSB 09-18-6) that should not have warranted a dangerous shutdown like that, particularly when it could have just as easily occurred on the interstate with my kids in the back seat. If I'd had a better understanding of that possibility when I bought my FEH, I would not have bought it. Some folks will never see it, and that's fine. I've only had two in four years. However, you have to be aware that it is not simply a check engine light that allows you to safely limp to the side of the road.

I hope that clears things up-- I'm not being all sour-grapes about this car. It's been fine but wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I purchased it. If your specific needs are met by the FEH's small size, better-than-sedan clearance and decent gas mileage, then it will serve you well. Otherwise, definitely entertain other options.

Thanks again for the reply. I appreciate the solid counterbalance to my experience (which has largely been favorable).