NHTSA Complaint #10871796 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

THE MECS COOLANT PUMP FAILS WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE DC-DC INVERTER AND HYBRID DRIVETRAIN TO INSTANTLY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AT INTERSTATE SPEED. YOU GET THE RED TRIANGLE AND STOP SAFELY NOW WITH THE ENGINE TURNED OFF LEAVING YOU TO COAST ACROSS 4 LANES OF THE INTERSTATE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. YOU MUST COMPLETELY STOP AND PUT IT IN PARK BEFORE THE CAR WILL RESTART. THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT HAZARD TO LIFE AND LIMB THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL. THIS IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT. ONLINE IT SAYS THEY RECALLED THEM BUT THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY DID NOT RECALL THEM. IF YOU TOUCH THE BRAKE WITH THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN THE CAR COMES TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP AUTOMATICALLY IN 3 SECONDS. LEAVING THE INTERSTATE TRAFFIC TO VEER AROUND YOU. MINE FAILED INTERMITTENTLY LAST SUMMER. NOW EVERY HOT DAY THE CAR JUST TURNS OFF ON THE INTERSTATE 5-6 TIMES A DAY. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED OVER THIS. IT NEEDS AN IMMEDIATE RECALL TO AVERT A LOSS OF LIFE. I CHECKED MY COOLANT PUMP AND IT IS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE RECALL I SEE SAYS THEY ARE REMOVING THE DORMAN BRUSH ROTOR PUMPS AND REPLACING THEM WITH BOSCH BRUSHLESS ROTOR PUMPS. THE HYBRID DRIVE ONLY FAILS AT INTERSTATE SPEED WHEN IT IS A WARM DAY. THE CAR STARTED DOING IT LAST SUMMER WHEN IT HAD 70000 MILES ON IT. IT IS NO LONGER INTERMITTENT BUT OCCURS DAILY NOW.