NHTSA Complaint #11062898 — 2012 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

5 WEEKS AGO THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH LIT UP. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT GET ME IN FOR 3 WEEKS. I WAS PLANNING ON GOING ON A VACATION AROUND THAT TIME, SO DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER I GOT BACK. UNFORTUNATELY, 2 DAYS PRIOR TO MY TRIP, WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED. THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED ME FROM A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAS DOWNSHIFTING AND TURNING THE IGNITION OFF WHICH WHEN I RESTARTED IT REBOOTED THE BRAKES FOR A WHILE, ENOUGH TO GET ME TO THE FORD DEALER. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR ALMOST THREE WEEKS AND THEY ARE STILL NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THEY WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE HYDRAULIC PUMP (FOR $5000.00) WHICH I AM HESITANT TO AUTHORIZE. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN A 6 YEAR OLD VEHICLE THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IN DOING RESEARCH ON LINE I HAVE DISCOVERED NUMEROUS SIMILAR STORIES ON DIFFERENT YEARS OF THE SAME VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY 2008. I THINK THIS IS A DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND WOULD LIKE IT INVESTIGATED TO SEE HOW MANY OTHER SIMILAR CASES ARE INVOLVED AND IF ANY FATALITIES HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT. *TT *TR