I have experienced an unusual problem with the braking system in my 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. I have experienced several episodes while braking of the yellow ABS and the red brake warning lamp lighting up and the display saying "regen brakes disabled" over the past year. When this happens the brakes are slow to stop the car with a jerking action. All of my failures have happened while driving in town. Once I ended up in the middle of an intersection before the car came to a complete stop. The only way I could correct the issue would be to stop the car, depress the brake pedal hard to the floor, then shut off the vehicle. I would then restart my car and the brakes would then return to normal operation. I have researched this issue on line and have found hundreds of people posting complaints about the same issue. All complaints are from owners of feh's 2005 to 2008. Why hasn't this life safety issue been addressed? from what I have read, the repair could be from $3000 to $7000 dollars. I don't understand why there hasn't been a recall. Or has there been. Please advise.

- Sterling, KS, USA

86,000 milage. ABS sevice light on for couple months. Past 2 days regen brakes disabled message on, and red brake warning light on, brakes a little stiff in operation thus far. Apparently this is a frequent problem, and $5000 to fix. Can I rely on the mechanical backup braking" even if so I am now not charging my hv battery, so will be just carrying around a heavy load, with no benefit to the CO2 environment. When will Ford be required to recal & remedy this"

- Port Huron, MI, USA

When driving, ABS light goes on, check brake system shown on dashboard panel, when I slow down (very slow, like in a parking lot) I can feel something underneath the car engage, and then the ABS light warning go out.

- Portsmouth, NH, USA

The ABS brake system warning lights come on service brakes now in message center my wife drives the vehicle with my children and at times the brake pedal goes to the floor vehicle doesn't stop when this occurs this is a ongoing problem with the Ford Escape hybrid since 2005 I think these ABS hcu should be a recall due to the danger and the cost to repair this problem because of defective brake parts. The consumer stated the vehicle was replaced.

- North Charleston, SC, USA

On August 4, 2016, the "check ABS" light came on. I brought the car to the mechanic and they said the rotor is rusted so they replaced the right and left front rotor and the right front brake disc pad. The mechanic was unable to get any of the warning signs to appear so he thought everything was okay. Two weeks later, the "check ABS" light came on again, and about 10 minutes after that the "regen brakes disabled" light came on. This was in the middle of driving on the highway so there wasn't much I could do. I noticed that every time I braked, the car felt like it was wobbling from side to side. I took the car back to the same mechanic the next morning, and he spent two days running tests on the diagnostics and saw two codes: 1) right front wheel and 2) communications inside module. The mechanic bled the brakes and tried to test drive the vehicle and almost ran into cars in the parking lot due to brake failure. Thus he strongly recommended that I have the car towed. Finally, I had it towed to the dealership since he said it is not safe to drive. The dealership confirmed that the ABS control module/hydraulic control unit needs to be replaced, which they are quoting at $4600. I am thankful that I made it to the mechanic and realized there was a problem before getting into a crash. This happened very rapidly and I was in some serious danger. I got lucky, and others may be less fortunate than me. I have read numerous stories on car forums and this thread and I cannot believe there hasn't been a recall on this yet. I think there should be an investigation and I am willing to provide the required documentation and share my story to bring attention to this issue, and hopefully prevent someone else from getting hurt.

- Arlington, VA, USA

Last week I went outside and got in my car to run some errands and when I started the car the red brake light, orange ABS light, and the chimer stating "regenerative brake disengaged" "check brakes" began to light. The brakes are working (knock on wood) but are tricky to operate. This morning I took the car to the mechanic and they stated it was most likely in need of a new hcu costing around $5,000 (I am going to get the vehicle checked one more time before parking it for good). As I read the complaints on NHTSA's web site, it appears folks at NHTSA are fully knowledgeable about this safety hazard (as each page is filed with same, if not worse, complaints) and are not going to act until someone gets killed. It is also blatantly obvious that Ford is not going to act either. The 2008 Escape hybrid has been a great vehicle, until now (132,000 miles). The price to fix this issue is slightly less than what the car is worth and compared to all other brands made it very few miles. Now it is time to turn my outrage regarding this issue over to my state representatives. I cannot believe their are no class action lawsuits before someone gets killed (it is a matter of time, if not already the case). This issue should warrant a recall, they are brakes for god's sake.

- Brentwood, MD, USA

Was driving the vehicle and after applying the brakes. The ABS warning light came on, plus the information display indicated "check brake system" and "regen brake disabled". I was still able to brake, but needed to apply more pressure to stop and there was a new noise when I depressed the brakes. I took the vehicle to my local Ford dealer, the service associate took it for a test drive and noticed the noise and need for extra pressure on the brakes. After the technician had checked the vehicle they indicated that I needed a new hcu unit and the estimated cost was $5,200+

- Spencer, IA, USA

One morning, no prior warning, or issues with brakes or mechanical systems what so ever, I start to drive to work and after turning out of my neighborhood onto a major street my brake lights light up and at the next stop sign my brakes don't work! I pressed all the way down and ended up using the emergency brake not to go through the stop sign. Someone could have died for sure, and it was a heart stopping scare! I pulled over and walked back home. Looked up online and found many complaints about this vehicles brakes suddenly going out and that it is a $5K fix!! I had the escape towed back to my house. The next morning I wanted to try a few things to eliminate certain problems I found online. Now, the keyless entry doesn't work, I manually open the door, stick the key in, no lights, no sound, nothing. I turn the key and again absolutely nothing. We hook up cables and it starts right away and everything works. No brake warning lights so I try a slow drive in the neighborhood, brake lights go on after about 1/2 a mile and the brakes are very soft, have to depress to the floor just to slow down from 15 mph. I called Ford and they said just bring it in for diagnosis, for $200/hr minimum 2 hours just to tell me what's wrong with it!! no thank you, $400 to tell me it's a $5K problem when the car's worth maybe $6K private party! so I now have a worthless hybrid sitting in my driveway. Do not buy a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid!!! read all the complaints major safety issue - Ford has not recalled!!

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

ABS light, regen light check, brake light and emergency brake lights came on and brakes failed and worked in degraded mode. Brought to dealer, they advised recalibration and internal bleed procedure, ABS module reflash and calibration, which was performed at a cost of $221.49 advised if code returns, hcu replacement will be needed at $5400.!!!! outrageous, the car was bought new and maintained meticulously. Car now has 79,397 and we are deathly afraid to drive it as the brakes may fail. When the brakes failed the car was restarted on the peaking lot after being stopped for 15 minutes

- Randolph, NJ, USA

Electro-hydraulic brake (ehb) system had a leak in the master cylinder and the ABS brakes engaged while driving causing the brakes to smoke.

- Stafford, VA, USA

P2803 & P2800 sensors..both sensors are defective and the cost to repair is far above fair pricing. Hydraulic control approx cost to repair $4100 dollars. This is ununfair repair costs. This vehicle has been maintained with above average care and has not been misused. Checking web site have found that this is not an uncommon problem with this model. Public should be warned about this defect in this model and a possible recall should me made.

- Campbell, CA, USA

My car was sitting and I went to start it and the "regen brakes disabled" and "check brake system" came across my dash. Its a long story but I took it to courtesy Ford in okemos, mi and they said that the hydraulic control until needed to be replaced, this part would cost me $4,620.20 to replace. I have only owned this for just over a year.I owe $10,080 on this vehicle, I cannot get a loan to fix it and courtesy Ford said they would only give me $3,700 for it! I am a single mother of 2 and cannot afford to fix this vehicle! I emailed Ford and they said they cannot do anything about it or help me out fixing it. I am without a vehicle and stuck with a $10,000 debt!!! Ford needs to recall the hybrids due to their faulty part not to mention it it unsafe to drive. The dealership told me that it is not safe to drive so it sits there. I am outraged and sickened at Ford. They need to be held responsible for their faulty part. I am not able to get to work, I am going to loose my job and my house because of Ford.

- Mason, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. While driving at various speeds, the steering wheel shook without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and the ABS warning indicator illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

- Tampa, FL, USA

I had the check brake system warning suddenly come on when I started the car; also told me the regenerative braking system was off. The brakes worked, but were "mushy" and car seemed to be more difficult to stop; it took a longer distance and took more pressure on the brake pedal. The last few miles per hour seemed the poorest in stopping power. Now that I think about it, the brakes had not seemed as "crisp" for several weeks. Took it too klaben Ford and they told me the hydraulic control unit needed replacing. I did this, but it was over $5000 for the repair (with labor).

- Hudson, OH, USA

When starting the car parked and sometimes when driving, "check brake system / regen brakes disabled" message appears along with ABS light. Car loses most of its braking power from the regenerative brakes requiring a great deal of pressure on the brake pedal to stop the car. Braking power is reduced and stopping distances increasing substantially, causing near misses in heavy traffic. Dealer recommends replacing the ABS control unit, which is a $4,100 part (plus labor) for an 8 year old vehicle. Thus, the only way to fix the issue is to pay more for parts and labor than the car is actually worth, rendering it worthless to the owner. This has happened multiple times over the course of two months. Sometimes the problem goes away and the car can be driven short distances with all of its braking power, sometimes it doesn't work for days at a time.

- Dpo, AE, USA

2008 Ford Escape hybrid with 109K miles on it. Two recent incidents where the yellow ABS and red brake lights came on, with messages of check brake system and regen brakes disabled. Brakes became completely useless and vehicle became dangerous to operate. I was able to let the vehicle sit and retry and the lights didn't come on. Brought in for service at dealership and they found codes C1478 and C1480. They're quoting me $5,300 to replace the hydraulic control unit. After the dealer diagnosed the problem, the check brake system warning message is on all the time and the vehicle has no brakes. I've left it at the dealership because it is no longer safe to drive. Looking online, there are others that have experienced this problem: www.greenhybrid.com/forums/F26/brakes-broke-bank-24731/ forums.edmunds.com/discussion/5850/Ford/escape-hybrid/Ford-escape-hybrid-brake-problems blog.yagelski.com/2012/02/Ford-escape-hybrid-brake-master.html there are 23 identical complaints this year alone at NHTSA's ODI webpage (safercar.gov) why isn't there a recall for this problem?

- Leesburg, VA, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. While driving various speeds, the check ABS warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. In addition, the vehicle became difficult to stop when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated because the check ABS warning light was not illuminated at the time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Lindenhurst, NY, USA

When driving at 35 mph the brake warning came on. I pulled over because I thought maybe the emergency brake was on, stopped, applied the emergency brake and released it, but the warning was still on. In a few miles, I arrived at my destination, checked the brake fluid level and it was fine. On the way home I got the check brake system, regen brakes disabled, ABS light error. The brakes feel spongy and it takes a lot of error to stop the vehicle. The dealer has given us an estimate of $4700 to fix the problem. I see there are a lot of complaints on the internet about this same problem with the Ford Escape hybrids and can't believe there hasn't been a recall!

- Fort Washakie, WY, USA

I was driving with family. I applied the brakes and it went totally flat. The ABS and check brakes light illuminated. The brakes are currently totally unoperational. I took car in for repairs, told that a new ABS control module(hybrid ECU & hcu) required - cost $4000.

- Puyallup, WA, USA

I was driving in a residential neighborhood, approximately 35 mph, straight road with a slight downhill slope. As I pressed the brakes, the pedal would not move. I released pressure and pressed again. An extreme amount of effort was needed to press the brakes (brakes now in safe/manual mode). I got an ABS light, brake light, and check brake system warning. After I stopped, I pulled over shut down the motor, waited a minute, and restarted. After restart, brakes world normally. This has also happed several times within the past 6 months.

- Garden Ridge, TX, USA