NHTSA Complaint #10359086 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID - INTERMITTENT POWER BRAKE BOOST FAILURE. WHEN BEGINNING TO PRESS ON BRAKES FOR AN INSTANT THEY FEEL NORMAL AND POWER ASSISTED, THEN THE PEDAL FALLS AND ALL POWER ASSIST IS GONE. THE VEHICLE STOPS WITH GREAT PRESSURE IN THE LAST FEW INCHES OF PEDAL TRAVEL. 3 OCCURRENCES: AS OF OCTOBER 4, 2010 1. MAY 2010 AT THE END OF A FREEWAY OFF RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE 2. 24 SEPTEMBER , 2010 ( APPROXIMATELY 180,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE) SAME BRAKE PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER A STOP OF OVER 30 MINUTES, AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BACKED UP, FIRST BRAKE PRESSING RESULTED IN AN INSTANT OF PEDAL , THEN PEDAL SNAPPING TO THE FLOOR AND CAR STOPPING AFTER APPLICATION OF MANUAL PRESSURE. DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON A FEW SECONDS LATER. 3. ONE WEEK TO THE DAY LATER, 1 OCTOBER, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 188,500 MILES. FIRST BRAKE APPLICATION AFTER A START OF THE VEHICLE AND BACKING UP. PRESSING BRAKES RESULTED IN THE FAILURE DESCRIBED. APPROXIMATELY 30 OR 40 SECONDS AFTER THE LOSS OF BRAKE BOOST THE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH "BRAKES" RED LIGHT AND OTHERSLIKE THE 'SERVICE SOON' WRENCH. I AM THE PURCHASER OF THE CAR NEW IN THE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AREA, AND THE PRIMARY ( OVER 90% OF THE TIME) DRIVER, COVERING OVER 110 MILES 4 DAYS A WEEK. *TR