2007 Ford Escape Hybrid power train problems

“My 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid (mileage currently 180,000 but the issue started around 150,000 miles) will occasionally (varies from once a week to once every 3 months) not respond properly when I'm accelerating from a stop. When this happens, I can push the accelerator all the way to the floor, but the car will accelerate very slowly for the first 5 seconds or so, and then start accelerating normally again. When this issue first began, it nearly resulted in multiple crashes when I was pulling out into traffic, but now I leave lots of extra space when pulling into traffic in case this happens. I've taken the car to an independent mechanic to try to diagnose the issue and they were unable to observe it since it doesn't happen frequently or predictably enough. There were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the issue starting.”

“While driving, a red triangle to safely stop came up and the vehicle engine shut down. I could not accelerate since the engine was shut down, I could only coast and brake. After the vehicle has been cooling down for 20 min, I’m able to restart the vehicle and drive again until the same issue occurs again. No light on dashboard. Very dangerous issue as it often happens when driving on the freeway for a while. You have no way to accelerate the vehicle and need to slowly pull over on a busy freeway, endangering others and yourself. The issue has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. No, the vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. Please note that this is a known recall for this vehicle but my VIN is NOT included in the recall. Please see the details of the recall below: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 14V526000 Report Date: SEP 03, 2014 Vehicles Affected: 70,209 Consequence: If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash. What You Should Do: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump…”

“When accelerating on the vehicle it would run fine till about a couple minutes driving then it would jerk and the rpm gauge would go to 0 and then back up the the right rpm”

“The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.”

“The torque converter was failing in my 07 escape. When I switched gears from park to drive or reverse the car would shake and sometimes stall out. Or if I had to stop at a stop sign or traffic signal while in drive the same issues would happen. The old torque converter is not available for inspection unfortunately because I gave it back to autozone to get the core charge money back. But when we installed the new torque converter it completely solved the issues and the transmission is running great again. It put myself and my passengers at risk since my car would completely turn off at traffic lights sometimes. This problem has been reproduced by others and I actually found out the torque converter was the issue by finding a technical service bulletin (TSB 07-5-6) so I know other shops have discovered this issue. There were no warning lights or anything and no parts were inspected by others. I completed the whole replacement.”

“The contact's mother owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and decelerated to 40-45 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's brother depressed the accelerator pedal however, the pedal felt soft and remained on the floorboard. The contact's brother veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, he was able to continue to drive; however, the failure reoccurred while exiting the highway. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to go into gear while attempting to shift into drive and depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle would start but would not move. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.”