NHTSA Complaint #10479292 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE HEV

SIX DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE USED FROM A DEALER, MY FATHER LOST BRAKES WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKES HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. THE REPAIR INVOLVED REPLACING THE ENTIRE HYBRID SYSTEM. THE NEXT TIMES THE ABS LIGHT WENT OFF WHILE EITHER HE OR MYSELF WAS DRIVING WE WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES TO MAKE SURE WE HAD PROPER USE OF THEM. WE DECIDED NOT TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK IN TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE THE ABS LIGHT WOULD NEVER STAY ON AND THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. ALSO, WE DID NOT WANT BE WITHOUT THE VEHICLE FOR THE LENGTHY PERIOD OF TIME WE EXPERIENCED IN JANUARY. THE NEXT TIME THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST BRAKES WAS SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 WHEN MY FATHER WAS DRIVING. THIS TIME THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS WENT ON. OUR DEALER SENT US TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH HELPING US OUT ON THE REPAIR TO HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. WE TOOK THE FORD BACK TO OUR DEALER WHO ENDED UP PUTTING A NEW AXLE ON THE VEHICLE AND CLEARING THE REST OF THE CODES. I WAS SHOCKED THAT I HAD TO BUY AN AXLE. IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A THE AXLE'S TONE RING BEING BROKEN AND NOT GIVING A READING TO THE SPEED SENSOR. THE NEXT TIME MY FATHER LOST BRAKES WAS ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2012. THIS TIME THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR AND HE HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. WE HAD THE DEALER TOW THE VEHICLE THIS TIME. THE SERVICE SHOP SAID THEY CLEARED THE CODES AND COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPRODUCE. BY THIS TIME WE ARE BOTH DONE WITH THIS CAR. I TOLD THEM I WANTED SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE IN CASE SOMEONE GOT INTO A ACCIDENT. THEY GAVE ME THE PAPERWORK STATING THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO DUPLICATE AND THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS INTENDED AT THIS TIME . THE VERY NEXT DAY, MY FATHER LOST BRAKES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. AGAIN, WE HAD THE DEALER TOW IN THE VEHICLE. *TR