U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Ford ESCAPE HYBRID problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

443 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

95,534 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 414 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 129 of 443 complaints (29.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	174	39.3%
Steering behavior	115	26.0%
Engine operation	48	10.8%
Electrical and battery issues	42	9.5%
Transmission and shifting	6	1.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Service Brakes

129

Steering

107

Engine

Electrical System

Power Train

Engine And Engine Cooling

Vehicle Speed Control

Fuel/Propulsion System

Service Brakes: 129; Steering: 107; Engine: 74; Electrical System: 63; Power Train: 42; Engine And Engine Cooling: 29; Vehicle Speed Control: 25; Fuel/Propulsion System: 21

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

131

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 40; 50,000 to 74,999: 87; 75,000 to 99,999: 76; 100,000 to 149,999: 131; 150,000 and above: 68

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (131). 29 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2009: 4; 2010: 23; 2011: 35; 2012: 48; 2013: 45; 2014: 63; 2015: 47; 2016: 46; 2017: 42; 2018: 54; 2019: 21; 2020: 2; 2021: 5; 2022: 3; 2023: 1; 2024: 2; 2025: 1; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 174 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 115 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 48 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10277245 · 2009-07-17 (July 17, 2009)

FORD ESCAPE HYBRID 2008 CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE WITH ABS LIGHTS ON THEN GOT REGEN BRAKES DISABLED WHEN PRESSING BRAKE PEDAL PRIOR TO TAKING OUT OF PARK. 41438 MILES (JUST OUT OF WARRANTY OF COURSE) AND JUST EXPERIENCE NO BRAKES WHEN I BACKED OUT. I CALLED THE SERVICE DESK AND THEY CLAIMED THEY NEVER HEARD OF ANY ISSUES WITH REGEN BRAKES ON MY CAR OR RECALLS. I LOOK ONLINE AND I FIND POSTS SUCH AS HTTP://WWW.EPINIONS.COM/REVIEW/2006_FORD_ESCAPE_HYBRID/CONTENT_442261278340 AND I'M ABOUT READY TO JUST SICK A LAWYER ON FORD INSTEAD OF EVEN AT…

Owner-reported narrative. 41,438 miles reported. Look up ODI 10277245 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10282755 · 2009-09-03 (September 3, 2009)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES FAILED. HE WAS ABLE TO PREVENT A VEHICLE CRASH BY USING THE PARKING BREAK TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, IN WHICH A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT AND EXPENSE OF 1,200.00 . HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS OFFERED AN $800.00 DISCOUNT. HE HAD THE COMPONENT REPAIRED AT AN EXPENSE OF $400.00 THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 42,000. UPDATED 09/23/09 *BF UPD…

Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10282755 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10293354 · 2009-11-24 (November 24, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. HE ALSO OWNS A FLEET OF 2008 AND 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY LOST POWER STEERING. USUALLY AFTER THE VEHICLE RESTARTS, STEERING BECAME LESS DIFFICULT. A TECHNICIAN FROM THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FLEET OF VEHICLES ARE WARRANTED FOR ONLY 36,000 MILES. THE STEERING COLUMNS ON THE FLEET OF VEHICLES WERE REPLACED FOR $1,000.00 EACH. THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. HE WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15. THE VI…

Owner-reported narrative. 15 miles reported. Look up ODI 10293354 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10312016 · 2010-02-19 (February 19, 2010)

WHILE RETURN HOME ON I70 FREEWAY GOING DOWNHILL AT APPROX. 70MPH THE ELECTRICAL ASSISTED POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HARD, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO STEER GOING AROUND A CURVE. THIS ONLY LASTED A FEW SECONDS THEN IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN... *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10312016 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10329839 · 2010-05-11 (May 11, 2010)

I HAVE A 2008 FORD HYBRID ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING ON A RECENT TRIP - 70MPH IN 92 DEGREE HEAT, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, AND A MESSAGE ON THE DASH THAT SAID "STOP SAFELY NOW." THIS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY, AS I WAS TRYING TO GET HOME TO NC FROM FLORIDA. I WONDERED IF I HAD PURCHASED SOME BAD GAS, SO REFILLED THE TANK. I DROVE THE LAST 4 HOURS WITHOUT PROBLEMS, BUT THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO THE 70S. HOWEVER, YESTERDAY, AS I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM, I FOUND NUMEROUS MENTIONS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS "FIXES" ALL OVER THE INTERNET. SOM…

Owner-reported narrative. 53,380 miles reported. Look up ODI 10329839 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10393862 · 2011-03-31 (March 31, 2011)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUXILIARY COOLING PUMP FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE GASOLINE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN AS IT WAS ELECTRIC. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR STILL FUNCTIONED BUT THE GASOLINE ENGINE WOULD STALL. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, A MESSAGE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNED THE CONTACT TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME BUT COULD ONLY DRIVE 7-8 MILES BEFORE THEY WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AGAIN AND LET IT SIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE COOLING PUMP HA…

Owner-reported narrative. 52,961 miles reported. Look up ODI 10393862 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10352951 · 2010-08-31 (August 31, 2010)

OUR 2008 FORD ESCAPE (HYBRID) SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED COOLANT PUMP FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WHEN WE TRIED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, WE LEARNED THAT THERE WERE 891 REPLACEMENT PUMPS ON BACK ORDER - THESE ARE NOT ORDERS FOR NEW MANUFACTURING, BUT FOR REPLACING FAILED PUMPS. THESE ARE JUST THE ONES ON BACK ORDER AND DO NOT INCLUDE ONES ALREADY REPLACED, OR THOSE OWNERS THAT HAVE NOT TAKEN THEIR ESCAPE FOR DIAGNOSTICS. OUR ESCAPE HAS SHUT DOWN SEVERAL DOZEN TIMES AND IT HAS ALMOST ALWAYS BEEN AT HIGHWA…

Owner-reported narrative. 73,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10352951 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10380495 · 2011-01-31 (January 31, 2011)

DRIVING OFF ROAD UP A STEEP INCLINE (40-45 DEGREES), THE VEHICLE CAME TO A HALT. THERE WASN'T ANY POWER GOING TO THE TIRES EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE ENGINE RPM WOULD ONLY REV UP TO ABOUT 1200 RPM. IT FELT AS IF THERE WAS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENGINE AS THERE WAS NO POWER BEING DELIVERED TO THE TIRES. THE TIRES DID NOT LOOSE TRACTION OR SPIN EITHER. WHAT WAS ESPECIALLY UNSAFE ABOUT THIS IS THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS BACKING DOWN THE STEEP HILL I HAD TRIED TO ASCEND. I WAS TRYING TO BAC…

Owner-reported narrative. 28,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10380495 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10445237 · 2012-01-25 (January 25, 2012)

INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON 12/02/2011. AFTER WORK I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON THE 405 FREEWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. I WAS IN LEFT LANE GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER AND I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. SMOKE STARTED TO COME UP FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND TRIED TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER ON THE FREEWAY. THE ONLY LANE TO THE LEFT OF ME WAS THE CARPOOL LANE. IT WAS DURING A HEAVY TRAFFIC TIME AND I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED SEVERAL TIMES AS I TRIED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER ON…

Owner-reported narrative. 66,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10445237 at NHTSA ↗