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2008 Ford Escape Hybrid Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 443 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, most often about the brakes (34% of complaints, typically around 111,000 miles). It is the most complained-about Escape Hybrid model year since 2000.
Most common 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid problems
Brakes
150 complaints · 34%Half of these problems showed up before 111,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
After being parked for several hours and upon returning to and starting the vehicle, I found several lights on the dash illuminated, including the ABS light, traction control light, the service wrench & check brakes. I was also receiving a message advising the regen brakes were inactive & to check brake system. I had…
When braking the vehicle loses regenerative braking and reverts to fail safe mode. Most notably this occurs when coming to a stop at a stop sign/light. Brakes appear to function normally, however at the end of a braking cycle the vehicle loses power to the brakes and the vehicle surges forward. When this happens the…
Engine
111 complaints · 25%Half of these problems showed up before 73,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, cooling system.
Our 2008 Ford escape (hybrid) shuts down without warning. The problem has been diagnosed as a failed coolant pump for the electrical system. When we tried to have it repaired, we learned that there were 891 replacement pumps on back order - these are not orders for new manufacturing, but for replacing failed pumps.…
The first time it occurred I was driving on the highway and the info screen told me to stop safely as the engine shut down. It happened several times that day, and then didn't happen until today, june 17, 2012. This recent time a high engine temperature warning came up on the info screen. I checked all of the fluids…
Steering
110 complaints · 25%Half of these problems showed up before 115,000 miles. Parts named most often: column, electric power assist system, hydraulic power assist.
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.
I was driving along and loss all power steering it was very hard to turn around a corner and if I was going any faster I probably would have not made it. I have been reading online that this is not a random occurrence several escape owners have had loss of steering.
Electrical
64 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 84,500 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery.
The auto had just had the pump that cools the hybrid engine replaced at a cost of $590 when we noticed that there was a jerking in the steering wheel when stopped. The wheel would jerk to the right and left and make a "clucking" noise. Once the car was moving the jerking seemed to stop. But then we found that when we…
Multiple incidents of the vehicle shutting down occurred on 3/8/2014 beginning while travelling along a 2-lane highway (ca-74 around idyllwild area) at approximately 10:30 p.m. Vehicle displayed red triangle icon with exclamation point inside the triangle and words in red "stop safely now", at which point power to the…
Transmission
43 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 76,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
My 17 year old daughter was driving home approx 5:30 pm on a busy four lane road from an errand and the "stop safely now" light came on. At that point she could not get over due to traffic and the engine shut off in the middle of the road. She was able to coast down a hill into a turn lane nearly hitting an oncoming…
On numerous occasions vehicle loses power, red triangle (warning) light on and (stop safely now) on message center with wrench light (service engine light). Vehicle can no longer be driven and must be pulled to the side of the road (if possible) placed in park and the ignition turned off. This will reset the red…
Fuel system
27 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 72,500 miles.
While driving 65 MPH the gas engine shuts off, the stop safely now light appears and the master vehicle warning lamp comes on. Happened only a couple times the first 3 weeks. In the last 2 days it has happened 15-16 times. This is very dangerous to happen while in traffic on the interstate. To shouldn't this be a…
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal engaged with a slow response. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v526000 (hybrid propulsion system). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was…
Speed control
25 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 75,000 miles.
I was driving my 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid at about 65mph in the leftmost lane shortly after merging from i83 south onto i395 (baltimore beltway) when, with no advance warning whatsoever, the gas pedal stopped responding at the same time as the triangle with an exclamation point and the "stop safely now" (as if I had…
Starting in may of 2014, my car's performance has been untrustworthiness. Some days there's no problem-- I push on the gas pedal and the car moves accordingly. At a stop sign, I can go. While moving at 50 MPH on the freeway, I can easily accelerate and move around a monster size 18 wheeler. But on the days when I…
Other or unspecified
13 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles.
After approx. 10 minutes of stop and go driving at <5mph a tone sounded, a red triangle lit, and the LED indicated "stop safely now." the engine did not stall, shut down, or give any other indication of a fault, therefore I continued driving at <15mph to the nearest parking lot and turned off the engine. After I…
When I push down on the gas pedal the car would shut the engine off and give me a red triangle symbol and tell me to pull over safely. I would then turn the car ignition off and restart the engine and it would be fine again. I then did some research and found that this was an issue with 2008-2011 Ford escapes and the…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
Summary
Nhtsa received a petition on or about july 18, 2022, requesting that federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the united states. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under odi number 11486072. Fmvss 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after march 1, 2021.on january 27, 2023, NHTSA opened defect petition (dp) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Loss of power steering while driving
Summary
On may 27, 2014, amended june 2, 2014, ford motor company (ford) submitted a defect information report (dir) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist while driving in approximately 746,067 model year (my) 2008 through 2011 ford escape vehicles equipped with electric power assisted steering (NHTSA 14v-284, ford 14s05). Ford's dir described the defect condition as a poor signal to noise ratio [snr] in the torque sensor within the electric power assisted steering (epas) system [which] does not allow the pscm to determine the driver's steering input. When the system detects this fault condition, it transitions the epas system to the fail-safe/
Electronic throttle body malfunction
Summary
In a letter dated august 30, 2012, the north carolina consumers council (nccc) petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged electronic throttle body failures resulting in engine stall or surge while driving in model year (my) 2005 through 2012 ford escape vehicles. On october 2, 2012 the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a defect petition dp12-006 to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition is hereby granted on certain model years. The nccc letter cites two complaints of stall while driving in my 2009 ford escape vehicles that were diagnosed as failed throttle bodies with diagnostic trouble
Questions about the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (150 complaints, typically around 111,000 miles); engine (111 complaints, typically around 73,000 miles); steering (110 complaints, typically around 115,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid have?
- NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls in case one is issued later.
- Is the 2008 a bad year for the Ford Escape Hybrid?
- It is the most complained-about Escape Hybrid model year since 2000, with 443 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.