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New Ford Escape Hybrid Owners - Give Us Your Report
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Comments
BS-lots of people have FEH's they love and get way better gas mileage than I was getting. My car was obviously a lemon. I have read similar stories on the web. The dealer bought mine back at a loss, but I will never buy a Ford hybrid again and I will tell my story to anyone who tells me they intend to buy one. Seems they need to change their definition of what acceptable noise is. When they work, they are great. But when they don't, Ford says you are stuck with it.
I don't know your driving conditions but if it was a lot of slow driving in wet conditions I may have had an answer for you.
I have had my FEH since '05 and it has been great. The only time I had a whine was early maybe not even a month old when I was going through a Safari Park in rainy weather. When I would press on the brakes at or around 5 miles per our I got a 'hum' or "whine". At first a little disconcerting, but when the engine was running the "hum" wasn't there. I chalked it up to some re-generative braking issue and it being new.
Looks like I was right since it has never done the "hum" or "whine" again and I have over 45000 miles on it (just got back from a trip to the mountains and 12 degree weather and it ran great).
BTW not to mince words and I'm sure it wasn't what you wanted but the dealer did buy it back so you didn't end up stuck with it.
I took it to the dealer in November and after keeping it all day, they said "the computer doesn't show any problems. The colder weather takes more energy to warm the car up. That's why you are getting lower mileage." Today, I am at 26 mpg!!!!! I also have problems with the transmission not shifting - I am often at 3000 rpms going 30 - 35 mph. Also, when its cold, for the first 5 minutes, the brakes do not recharge the battery! No explanation from the dealer on that issue.
I often downshift to get the battery to charge in the first 5 minutes of driving since the brakes don't recharge the battery.
Has anyone else had similar problems or have any suggestions? I would appreciate any input.
I'm noticing that the engine doesn't turn off until it's warm (~1100 rpm), but the assist and charge seem the same. I am also getting a lower gas mileage in the Virginia cold. . .
date miles gallons mpg
11/8/2007 3647.9 12.15 27.4
11/18/2007 3948.0 10.90 27.5
11/30/2007 4233.1 10.04 28.4
12/11/2007 4479.7 9.72 25.4
12/21/2007 4765.3 11.64 24.5
1/2/2008 5072.8 11.15 27.6
11/3/2008 5365.2 11.11 26.3
1/3/2008 5586.5 9.07 24.4
1/8/2008 5917.1 11.71 28.2
1/18/2008 6251.5 12.74 26.3
ave mpg 30.0
Have them reset the computer that seems to help especially when the weather changes, I have no idea why. These FEH really do not do well in cold weather, But I will say this-my wife absolutely loves the car. For her it has AWD and she loves the way it handles. For me-last night on the way to a movie some moron in a rice Honda pulled out without looking-(during the summer I Autocross/solo) what this thing did on glare ice was astounding.(swerve, brake, swerve) I though for sure we had him. I had to look to see if we had paint swapped,
hang in there they are great vehicles despite the faults
Randy-Alaska
The RPMs is also normal. The transmission does not shift like a normal car. It is doing what it is suppose to do though. Many times, I am up around 4000RPMs. It may sound like it is revving, but this is where the computer is telling it it should be to get optimal performance. Trust the CVT transmission.
signed,
still happy with my 24mpg 2008 FEH
START UP
I had no problem with startup, only that the normal sounds during startup were louder and became quieter as the vehicle warmed up. (i.e. CVT, ABS unit, click from the battery vent, engine was actually very loud...etc) Instead of the vehicle starting with 1500 RPM, it would reach 2200-2500. The display screen was not as responsive, LCD screen was probably frozen.
DRIVING
It would take at least a good 10 min of normal driving around for the engine to run at the normal 1500. I did not put the defroster and left the climate control on ECON and 68F. It took longer trips (i.e. 8-10 miles) to get the electric propulsion. I believe the shortest distance I’ve driven before EV mode was around 5 miles, driving a long stretch, not too much stop and go, -5 C (23F).
So far, I got on average between 22.3 to 25 mpg (Gas tank full/mileage recorded since fill up). Lower that I would have expected but very decent compared to non-hybrid sedans given these temperatures. I can’t wait for the warmer days to see how it will behave.
One thing I would like to see the threshold speed for EV to HEV propulsion go up. Now, every time I reach 31 mph, the vehicle goes in HEV.
Is there anything that can be done to raise the threshold speed i.e. disconnecting the low volt battery in hopes to reset the vehicle controller, owner’s manual p. 224? What about PHEV conversions? Anybody?
Bottom Line, I love my FEH.
Thanks very much for your many inputs for this forum. Could you provide some EASY steps how to switch between L and D for maximizing MPG? What'd be most efficient RPM range for 2008 FEH?
It looks like I am getting 1~2 MPG boost when I use L for stop and go condition.
Thanks,
An immediate boost can be gained from running 40-44psi in the tires, BUT NOT during the winter in cold climates where you need the traction. Good Luck and Be Safe.
My Escape has a high pitched squealing wind noise when driven at freeway speeds, that is worse when it is windy outside. The noise seems to be coming from around the dash area. I have had into the dealer two times to see if they could figure out what was causing the noise, I even took a Ford technician out so he could hear the squealing noise. They have not been able to find out what causes the noise. I wrote Ford Customer Service and asked them if they had heard of this problem in any other Escapes. They replied that my dealership is not at "liberty to find this abnormality" and they instructed them not to look for the wind noise anymore, Basically they told me tough luck, if it is that bad, trade it in for something else. Has anyone else had this problem?
1) Does windshield wiper (non-OEM) introduce noise
2) Does windshield leak air through cracks between glass and vehicle body?
Good luck
The noise when it happens is like a high pitched screeching noise, like a fan belt slipping, or high pressure air blowing across a small hole. I will keep looking, thanks for the ideas.
I was also surprised to find that my 09 FEH (w/o Nav) did not include a simple homelink garage door feature and the little compartment up by the sunroof now is for sunglasses so you have to velcro your garage door opener somewhere. Wierd.
I love the MS Sync system - works great with the ipod - who would have thought that MS and Apple worked it out.
I hear from the service guys at Ford that that when the "plugable" model comes out they might issue a retrofit kit for our models. That would be cool. He also mentioned some chip that one could buy (and void the warranty) that extends the electric mode.
more later.
My only negative is that I dearly miss those two extra cylinders on the occasional unavoidable highway drives. The transmission really labors between 100 - 120 kph.
Too early for mileage reports.....we'll report when we have some reliable figures.
We wanted the newest tech and gobs of gas mileage and I believe we have both it this vehicle. When driven carefully and using the electric motor in town the mileage can be astounding. Using side streets rather than the main throuoghfares here in Ogden, Utah I can achieve 50+ mpg on trips to the market, school and to the freeway. A trip in the freeway over to Clearfield and back home still left me with 38.3 mpg.
There were two on the lot last week when I bought this and I'm seriously thinking about buying the other one. It has plenty of power, economy is stellar, usefullness is tops (I have a small tent trailer that weighs about 500 lbs loaded), and even my lead footed wife is hard pressed to get less than 35 mpg on her commute to West Valley City each day.
It was used, so if anyone has a source for an owners manual ofr less than the dealer's $35 let me know.
One other time it was acting like this, the battery vent door actuator was the problem, and was replaced.
Has anyone else encountered this problem, if so, any other recommended fixes beside replacing the actuator?
You should register on the Ford owners site. I have a soft copy, but it is for the 2008.
Ford Owners Site
One other time it was acting like this, the battery vent door actuator was the problem, and was replaced.
Has anyone else encountered this problem, if so, any other recommended fixes beside replacing the actuator? "
If you have a Scanguage, they can be programmed to check for the door actuator. But if the light is going out after stopping the car, that is probably the issue. I'm at 20K on my 2008, and have had it replaced twice.
The car functioned as normal until four days later when the same thing happened. I am taking it to the dealer I bought it from tomorrow. I am wondering if some of the wire coverings that have worn in the past 2.5 years (exposing more of the wire) may have triggered a sensor that shuts the engine off.
If anyone has had a similar experience I would like to hear about it.
Other than this the vehicle has been a pleasure to drive.
I just did a 6 hour trip this weekend, a bit of traffic also...no problems since the initial incident.I though it may be related to the fact tha I had driven about 10 miles in traffic in mostly hybrid drive...but you were going faster...so I don't know!!
dgcarlson1...do you know what this is?
We like the idea of a ford escape that has better gas mileage, smaller and easy to drive.
The 4Runner has more horsepower, larger, better to tow with and excellent in the snow.
Which is a better car to buy
Michelle
Here's a quote: "The Ford Escape is the first American hybrid. When it was unveiled five years ago, customers feared that the batteries wouldn't last and would be expensive to replace, said Gil Portalatin, hybrid systems application manager at Ford Motor Co.
San Francisco's experience, he said, showed that "these things are tougher than nails. . . . We warranty the batteries for 150,000 miles and here you have cabs going out of service at 300,000 -- because that's the law, not because the cab's used up."
The retiring hybrid cabs also have shown that, even on San Francisco's notorious hills, the regenerative brake system's brake pads last far longer than nonhybrid brakes.
With a regenerative braking system, brake pads are not used to slow the car in stop-and-go traffic. Instead, when the brake pedal is depressed, it sends a signal to the electric motor, which slows the vehicle and also charges the car's high-voltage battery. The brake pads are used only at the very end of the stopping cycle.
Yellow Cab is awaiting the arrival of 10 new Ford Fusion sedans, which promise even better gas mileage than the Escapes. The company has had the Nissans only a couple of months, so it's still evaluating their performance."
I typically get 34-38 mpg in town and 32-34 on the highway. My personal best on a single tank of gas was 42.3 mpg of in town and highway combined. On a trip from Flagstaff, Az to Ogden, Ut via Highway 89 I averaged 52 mpg from Flag to the turnoff to Tuba City. By the time I got to Page, Az I was still at 45 mpg as I started the climb into Utah. I pulled into the Fast Gas in Nephi showing an average 39 mpg. From there to my driveway in Ogden I still managed a reasonable 36 mpg.
Don't expect to tow with any hybrid with a constant velocity transmission. For our 12 foot/1,700 pound pop-up camper trailer we use a 2002 Volvo V70XC Cross Country. It is the perfect vehicle for small trailer towing. All wheel drive, powerful, comfortable, 20 mpg with the trailer and 30 without and of course, Volvo's stellar reputation for reliability and durability. I'd look at the original cross-over vehicle before plunking my money down on a 17mpg (Usually less) SUV. I know, I had a wonderful Chevy Tahoe for towing but the first $120 fill-up in 2005 scared me to the point where I dumped it just in time for the real run-up in gas prices. We're going to see that again.
The point I want to make here is new High Voltage Battery is way too expensive. New Prius batteries price was about $2,300 in 2009 (Car and Driver, May 09, Vol. 54, No.11).
No battery worries, winter woes or any other issues whatsoever. Absolutely no regrets with this vehicle.
This is what I learned from the Ford FEH road show back in 2004. The difference with the FEH and the Prius is that the Prius uses one great big batter pack that has to be replaced all at once. The FEH uses a rack of batteries that look very much like D-Cell's. In theory if a cell fails, they can open the rack and replace the cell, not the whole battery pack.
Now the practical side of things, if one cell fails after 100K, do you replace just that one cell (paying for the labor and the cell) or do you replace the other cells because if one cell has failed the others will probably soon fail also.
That's the issue and I don't have an answer to that one yet (and hope not to for a long time).
One note, if you look at the FEH manual the maintenance schedule goes all the way through 150K but never recommends replacing the main battery pack cells. Take it for what it's worth, but if I get 150K out of it I will probably be happy (my previous Ford Van got around 190K but it was pretty sad by then).
10 years in CARB states.
We like the idea of a ford escape that has better gas mileage, smaller and easy to drive.
The 4Runner has more horsepower, larger, better to tow with and excellent in the snow.
Which is a better car to buy
Michelle "
If you want to tow, there is no question - get the Toyota. The FEH is not really designed to tow anything of substance. Otherwise it is a question of which you like to drive, and which fits your family better.
The AWD version of the FEH should do fine in the snow. I have had mine in snow and ice in Yosemite.
You might want to wait until it actually dies before you regret your purchase. Those taxis in NYC are going pretty strong.
You might be able to find someone to do that, but I'm sure Ford recommends that one replace the entire pack.
We just got a 2008 and I noticed that in town, if driven in low range the whole time, the transmission acts exactly as it does in drive except that it increases regenerative braking dramatically, charging the batteries faster, and allowing more electric mode. Has anyone else found this? I was able to get nearly 41mph in town doing it. Any reason why this is bad? Like I said, it doesnt sound like the transmission is adversely effected. It's not like it's locking a torque converter in first like a normal transmission does.
As for the wear and tear, I'm not that worried. Certainly the brakes will be saved (I'm at about 89K now and no new brakes are needed yet and probably not anytime soon).
So to date I have spent money on recommended oil changes (every 10,000 miles), change filters as required, replaced all 4 tires once and wiper blades and that is about it. With all that I have saved in Gas and maintenance if the Batteries fail or need replacement or some other component I believe I'll be ahead of he game no matter how I add it up.
I own a 2006 FEH.
Unfortunately the power steering assist mechanism (electric -not hydraulic) needs to be replaced/repaired.
I am looking for a top flight mechanic who is familiar with this issue, the dealer has recommended that I buy a new vehicle..... they indicate the repair is too complex, risky and expensive.
I would greatly appreciate any assitance
Thank you,
Creta
Find another Ford dealer, one who is qualified to work on the Gen 1 FEH. That dealer is just trying to get you to buy a new car, so he profits from it.