My main gripes/negative feedback will be with Ford Corporation and also my local Ford Service Dept. The hybrid battery pack failure happened last December and shut down that vehicle. My 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid had the main battery fail at 97,000 miles and 6 months out of warranty (bought in June 2007). For this reason I had to jump into buying a new vehicle.

The Ford Service Dept. and Ford Corporation would not help me at all with the only proposed fix which was replacing the failed component with a new Ford $9500 battery pack (outrageous). I also was not offered a trade-in value because my 2008 FEH was probably worth $9-10,000. I explained that no after-market warranty programs that I had researched would cover the main battery after Ford's hybrid battery warranty was up (8yr/100,000 miles). This research had been done a year ago when I was approaching the max time on Ford's warranty.

When I went looking for after-market batteries there were no reasonably priced and available reconditioned battery packs like there were for Toyota and Honda hybrids. Hybrid Shop technician told me that Ford does not give them the technical tools and guidance to reword Ford's hybrid batteries like the other hybrid manufacturers. Then Ford Service informed me that even if I were to find one they could not install it because of liability. How can Ford reasonably expect anyone to buy a hybrid with this axe hanging over their head.

Also, I heard Ford wants to bring back the hybrid Escape in 2018. I have been a loyal Ford owner since 2005 (owned 3 in a row), liked Ford's hybrid technology and have even invested in Ford stock because I believed in the company. I cannot see this as a positive move on their part. I will soon have the 2008 FEH towed home and look for battery packs that come from junked vehicles and repair it when I locate a reasonably priced battery.

So I'm driving along a residential street in my 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The power goes off abruptly and I mean abruptly. The car stops like I had hit a brick wall. No warning to the driver in back of me who had to swerve out of the way. The car will not restart. Then this stupid "Stop Safely Now" message flashes on. Well, that ship had sailed. Had this happened on the freeway or at high speed it likely would have resulted in serious injury or even death. Bravo Ford engineering!

The car is still sitting at the dealer waiting to find out how much this little malfunction is going to cost to repair.

Multiple incidents of the vehicle losing power when the red "stop safely now" warning comes on occurred on 8/17/14 beginning while travelling along a 4-lane highway. I proceeded to turn the ignition to the off position and within minutes re-started. This happened 3 additional times. These 4 incidents occurred within a 6 mile stretch of each other and within a 20 minute window. There was no other indication that anything was wrong with the vehicle - no system notice of overheating, faulty electrical, etc. I have made an appointment to have it looked at, but the hybrid technicians are so busy they can't even look at it until the end of the week! Will update later.