2008 Ford Escape Brakes Problems

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the powertrain malfunction warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The driver was able to pull over, the battery was disconnected and reconnected, and the contact was able to continue driving. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard when the ABS light was illuminated. While reversing, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and stated that the repairs would be at the owner's expense. Another local dealer, Bob Davidson Ford Lincoln, located at 1845 E Joppa Rd, Baltimore, MD 21234, was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

In rainy conditions, executed a hard stop activating the ABS. After successfully activating, the brakes go almost to the floor, and ABS function has stopped. No air in brake system, and master cylinder checks out good. Seems dangerous that the one time you really need ABS, it goes out. No warning lights on dash, mechanic has confirmed issue.

ABS brake light goes on and off and regen system disabled appeared. Brake pedal goes between being spongy and going to floor. I took it to an independent service center and the mechanic almost lost control of the car when test driving. There was no braking except to one wheel, which is why he almost lost control. They thought they fixed the problem by bleeding the brakes, but soon after I got it back on April 8, 2024 the ABS and brake lights came back on April 10, 2024. I am afraid that it will cause an accident if the brakes go out. The car is back at the mechanics and they are going to inspect the brake system. Not sure when the car will be fixed and returned back to me.

My escape keeps having the brakes go to the floor. Then they will be fine again for a while and then go to the floor again and have to be pumped to stop. The brake components are good. We replaced the master cylinder, continued to have the problem. Blakes bled by mechanic twice, again the same problem. Mechanic has determined it is a failure with the hydraulic control module. In researching they are back ordered everywhere and there is none available. In further research we have found that there have been over 200000 complaints. Ford wants us to pay 1000.00 to buy a new module and mechanic wants 500.00 to replace it. But again there are not any units available even from the Ford Dealer. Ford needs to recall this part and make them available to be replaced. This is a serious safety issue. Ours have never completely failed but there are many people who say theirs have. Ours is very dangerous if you should have to hit your brakes suddenly and they do not stop or they skid.

ABS, parking break light and regen breaks disabled. My breaks will go all the way to the floor and have crashed into a vehicle because out of nowhere I was not able to break like normal. Is not safe to drive. Was diagnosed with a bad hydraulic control until like thousands of other people with this car. Ford posted a service bulletin about this issue and recommended replacing the flex hoses before eventually replacing the HCU BUT WONT PAY FOR IT. IT IS FAULTY AND THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND RECALL THIS HCU ISSUE INSTEAD OF JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THOUSDANDS OF THESE VEHICLES.

The brakes stopped working correctly and are very unsafe. The Regenerative brakes get disabled, and the ABS light is on, you lose the power brakes stopping power. I have to step on the brake pedal very hard for the vehicle to stop. It feels like the old school pre-power brakes. I took it to the Ford dealer, and they want to charge 5000 + dollar to fix it, they also say parts are no longer available, they instructed me to call my insurance company and have it totaled. I read the escape hybrid forums and I see many people having this same problem

The HCU fails causing the car to have little to no braking power while driving, at random times. There is a loud grind coming from the front right.. Happens only when it is warm.

When the car was started in a shopping center parking lot, the emergency brake light and the abs warning light were displayed and remained displayed. When driven, the brakes were "spongy" and then "regenerative braking disabled" appeared in the odometer display. I pulled over briefly, turned the car off for a short period and then restarted it. The same messages and odometer display remained, and brakes were still spongy. As I continued to drive (carefully), the situation resolved itself, though the "regenerative braking disabled" continued for another minute or two. Normal braking then resumed. This issue just occurred so it has not yet been taken to a dealer, nor has it been inspected by mfr, police, etc. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED MANY TIMES BY OTHERS WITH ALMOST IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS AT THIS WEBSITE https://www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/escapehybrid/2008/service-brakes-problems.php THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS GONE IGNORED BY FORD FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND DESERVES NHTSA'S IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated he depressed the brake to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the HECU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

* The braking system is failing without warning arbitrarily, resulting in pedal doing to floor and not stopping the vehicle and requiring swerving if possible to avoid collision, often needing to drive off the road surface to do so safely. This is a very common and largely reported problem with this vehicle with no assistance from the manufacturer, and a singular resolve that far exceeds the vehicle value; there is not an option to replace failing part/s with used as manufacturer prevented that. * The safety of the family member and others on the roadway are at substantial risk with a vehicle on the roadways that has a failed braking system, especially on highways/byways at increased speeds with no means to stop without warning. * The problem has been inspected and confirmed by the Ford dealership service department, where it's evidently a well-known issue. Many are subjected to leaving their Escape Hybrid with the dealer as they are too dangerous to risk driving, but the excessive cost levied to (temporarily) resolve the problem too much and outside the value of the vehicle. * Illuminated warning lights include: Regen brakes disabled, ABS, Check brake system.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake was applied however, was spongy and slow to respond. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The Regan brakes disable failure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to a local dealer. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 165,931.

ABS light on, vehicle stalling, dragging while driving 40mph or over. Brake petal non functional. *c1313, c1480, c1481 Brake hoses restricted not allowing brake pressure in caliber *HCU damage *Sway bar links damage, excessive noise and play

MY ABS brake warning and my regular brake light come on and go off occasionally with a warning that says "Regen Brake System Disabled". When this happens, it VERY difficult to brake, the brakes go almost to the floor before they engage and there is some sort of air leak because I can hear a leak in an air system of some kind. And when that started happening, the A/C stopped working and I heard a loud pitched whine coming from the vehicle. On the days there is no brake warning lights, the brakes still are not great and sometimes will start to stop the vehicle, then there is a kind of hiccup that happens where the pedal just goes to the floor WHILE you are stopping, and not just as you begin braking. There are SO many complaints on the web about people experiencing the EXACT same problems, I don't see why this has not been deemed a Recall yet. VERY DANGEROUS!!!!

There is a major safety issue with the braking system. The brakes were getting soft (having to push all the way to the floor to get it to stop) A brake warning light then came on, i had a mechanic check it and he replaced all 4 brakes and rotors on it, a small improvement...then the ABS warning light came on.....it now brakes fine from speed until about 10 mph and then the brake pedal goes to the floor. Upon having the warning light scanned, it appears that the HCU (hydraulic control unit) needs replaced for a tune of $5000 plus. Upon more research there are many complaints on-line about this problem, unfortunately those of us that drive 13 year old cars typically cant afford such a repair bill for an obviously bad design flaw and must continue driving these dangerous vehicles because we have no choice. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed

BRAKES ARE PEDAL IS ADVANCING TOWARDS THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE UNTIL ALMOST AT THE FLOOR. MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. NO CODES EVIDENT, NOR SIGNS OF DEFECT. SPENT ENTIRE DAY AT THE MECHANIC TO NO AVAIL. MUST USE PUMPING BRAKE S CONTINUALLY AT REDUCED SPEEDS FROM GREATER LENGTHS TO STOP AT APPROPRIATE TIME AND LOCATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED JORDAN FORD (609 E JEFFERSON BLVD, MISHAWAKA, IN 46545) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE HYBRID BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 133,540.

08 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID-ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND BREAKS FAILED. WHILE DRIVING, STOPSAFE CAME ON. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON APPROX. 5 MINUTES LATER. ABS STAYS ON ALONG WITH CHECK BREAKS SYSTEM AND REGEN BREAKS DISABLED. CAR HAS SAT FOR 3 YEARS. WHEN TURNED ON NOW, REGULAR BATTERY DRAINS AND ABS LIGHT STAYS ON.

IT STARTED EARLY THANKSGIVINGS(11/26/2020) DRIVE AS I WAS COMING TO MY 4TH/5TH STOP OF THE MORNING, I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND FELT MY BRAKE PEDAL SINK WITH SLIGHT TO NO PRESSURE, NO RESPONSE. I PANICKED AND I REMEMBER PUMPING THE BRAKE RAPIDLY TO BUILD PRESSURE, BUT THE BRAKE DID NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED, I DID FEEL I SLIGHT JERK AND HEARD A GROWLING SOUND COMING FROM THE BOTTOM ENGINE AREA. I MUST OF GONE OVER A POTHOLE THAT MADE MY TRUCK FEEL LIKE I JUMPED THE CURVE, I WAS GOING ABOUT 35-45MPH. AFTER A FEW RAPID BRAKE PEDAL PUMPS MY VEHICLE DID COME TO A STOP ON TIME BEFORE RUNNING THE LIGHT, LUCKILY I WAS ALONE IN THE STREET THAT EARLY MORNING. AS OF TODAY THE BRAKE PEDAL STILL FEEL MUSHY/SPONGY LACK OF PRESSURE AND SCARY UNSAFE.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the pedal went straight to the floor before stopping. The contact veered to the side of the road and waited for a few minutes before restarting the vehicle before driving back to the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle but could not duplicate the failure. The mechanic suspected that the ABS brake booster and brake master cylinder had caused of the failure. The failure recurred a few months later. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,550. Consumer had the master cylinder replaced (2/25/22) on the advice of the mechanic who originally suspected it might be a master cylinder issue.

IN NOVEMBER 2020 WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, BY BRAKES SUDDENLY WENT SOFT. TO STOP MY VEHICLE, I HAD TO PRESS MY BRAKE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST SHOP WHERE I HAD MY BRAKE FLUID FLUSHED AND MY BRAKE PADS REPLACED. THIS TEMPORARILY RESOLVED THE ISSUE. EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER, MY BRAKES WENT SOFT AGAIN. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC WHO SAID THE ISSUE WAS WITH MY MASTER CYLINDER. REPLACING THE MASTER CYLINDER TEMPORARILY RESOLVED THE ISSUE. A FEW WEEKS LATER, MY BRAKES WENT SOFT AGAIN. I'VE HAD MY MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED FOUR TIMES SINCE NOVEMBER 2020. IT IS NOW APRIL 2021 AND MY BRAKES ARE STILL GOING SOFT. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN WITH MY MECHANIC FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS AS HE'S BEEN TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HE BELIEVES THE ISSUE IS WITH THE MODULE OF THE ABSYSTEM, BUT NO CODES REGISTER WHEN HE PLUGS THE VEHICLE TO THE COMPUTER. SINCE THIS ISSUE DOES NOT REGISTER A COMPUTER CODE, MY MECHANIC HAS HAD ISSUES WITH ACCURATELY IDENTIFYING THE CAUSE OF THE CONSTANT SOFT BRAKING I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING FOR THE PAST FIVE MONTHS. I' WENT ONLINE AND GOOGLED THIS ISSUE AND I'VE COME ACROSS FORUMS WHERE HUNDREDS OF OTHER FORD ESCAPE (2008 AND AFTER) OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE WITH THEIR VEHICLES. ALL OF THE FORD ESCAPE OWNERS HAVE HAD THEIR MASTER CYLINDERS REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH NO PERMANENT RESOLUTION. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY COMPONENT ON EVERY VEHICLE IS THE BRAKING SYSTEM. SEATBELTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE WORN BY LAW, BUT WHAT GOOD IS A SEATBELT IF THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO BRAKE AND MECHANICS ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE BECAUSE A COMPUTER CODE DOES NOT REGISTER.