NHTSA Complaint #10870463 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

ON MARCH 9, 2016, OUR 2009 ESCAPE HYBRID COMPLETELY "STOPPED" IN TRAFFIC ON BOULDER HIGHWAY, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA WHICH OCCURRED ABOUT 1 MILE FROM A CARWASH THAT WE HAVE FREQUENTLY USED NO LESS THAN 15 TIMES ANNUALLY. OUR VEHICLE HAD COMPLETELY STOPPED IN TRAFFIC 5 TIMES WITHIN A 1 MILE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE INITIAL STOP ON BOULDER HIGHWAY TO OUR RV PARK. AT THE INITIAL STOP IN TRAFFIC MY WIFE AND I HAD TO PUSH OUR VEHICLE INTO A GAS STATION BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STOPPED THE RED MASTER VEHICLE ELECTRICAL HAZARD WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE DIGITAL PANEL SHOWED THE MESSAGE "STOP SAFELY". THE MASTER VEHICLE ELECTRICAL HAZARD WARNING LIGHT "INDICATES HYBRID COMPONENT FAULT/FAILURE THAT WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUTDOWN OR FAIL TO START". THE VEHICLE DID BOTH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FORD COUNTRY IN HENDERSON, NEVADA. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER, THE COMPUTER RESULTS SHOWED AN ABS AND TRANSMISSION ISSUE, BUT NO HYBRID PROBLEM. THE ABS AND TRANSMISSION ERROR CODES EVENTUALLY CLEARED THEMSELVES. THE FORD TECHNICIANS STATED THAT SINCE THE UNDERCARRIAGE HAD BEEN WASHED, AS ALWAYS, AN ELECTRICAL SENSOR HAD PROBABLY CREATED THE FAILURE. I QUESTIONED THE IDEA THAT CAR WASHING COULD CREATE THE PROBLEM SINCE THE ONLY OPENING TO THE HYBRID BATTERY IS THE VENT LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE NEAR THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE MASTER VEHICLE ELECTRICAL HAZARD WARNING LIGHT FAILURE RESULTED IN THE COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF OUR VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC AND IS WORRISOME SINCE OUR EXPERIENCE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH POSSIBLE FATAL CONSEQUENCES. IF A REGULAR CARWASH IS THE DIAGNOSIS FOR THE WARNING OF A "HYBRID COMPONENT FAILURE", WHICH COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE IN TRAFFIC, THERE MAY BE A VEHICLE DESIGN ISSUE. AND, THE FACT THAT THE ESCAPE'S COMPUTER FAILED TO STORE THE ERROR CODE IS ALSO ALARMING.