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New Ford Escape Hybrid Owners - Give Us Your Report

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Comments

  • anne_d_hanne_d_h Member Posts: 3
    My story with a 2008 FEH is not so good. It seems I got one of the ones that was very noisy, and I was subjected to a huge array of whines, whistles, and other strange noises. The noises were so bad they were painful and Ford would not do anything about it. They said, "This is normal hybrid noise, the vehicle is operating as intended, there is nothing we need to do, and nothing you can do."

    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.
  • ekiehnekiehn Member Posts: 33
    Sorry to here about your problems.

    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.
  • lboneslbones Member Posts: 1
    Starting in October, my Ford Escape Hybrid mpg began dropping. Up unitl then, I was very pleased with the 34+ mpg that I was getting.

    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.
  • hybridpatronhybridpatron Member Posts: 2
    The transmission doesn't shift like a normal car? The FEH has a CVT, Continuous Variable Transmission? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission

    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
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    Check the Toyota Camry Hybrid Board. They are having mileage concerns in the colder weather as well.
  • loveakloveak Member Posts: 10
  • loveakloveak Member Posts: 10
    Glad to hear I'm not the only one. Sadly to say but trust me it will only probably get worse. In the summers we usually get about 26-28. The dealerships generally speaking do not have techs who are experienced enough in these vehicles and hence the responses we get ie, "give it a few more miles it'll get better" (nope) "you have snow tires" (well duh!) "it's parked in a garage at night" (yep) "it isn't parked in a garage at night" (nope) "you drive it too far" (nope), "you drive it too fast" (nope, wife's car and has a fit if you go over the speed limit) and my personal favorite-"well you have to remember it's a one person car"-Huh? Say what? "Oh and by the way that'll be $90.00 because we couldn't find anything wrong with it. Which is amazing because it went from 11mpg when we took it in to 20 afterwards on the next tank. (Thanks Cal W. for nothing.)
    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
  • smiley317smiley317 Member Posts: 4
    I have an 08. In cold weather the mileage drops drastically...usually around 24mpg. Last week with wind chill we were -40 in Iowa. Normal cars also drop in cold weather. Hang in there. It is still better gas mileage than a regular car. In cold weather the electric does not kick in like in normal weather. In cold weather, even when not running the defrost, you will see a drastic drop. The batteries are cold soaked and the gas engine is trying to warm everything up. You will not get battery assist like in normal weather. It is a great mpg vehicle in tepid weather, not too hot...not too cold.

    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
  • dguilddguild Member Posts: 3
    I am having very very similar problems. I went from 36+ MPG in September to 26 MPG in December. In my estimation the problem is mostly related to the regenerative braking not working for the first 5-15 minutes of driving. It eventually starts working but when I shut off the car and restart it a while later the problem reoccurs. I find that using "Low" gets it charging at low speeds. When it is really cold I sometimes have the high RPM and slow speed 35-40 mph problem. Also dropping the transmission into "Low" going downhill sometimes causes the RPM to increase dramatically and bounce around. I absolutely loved the car until October/November when this all started happening. The dealer doesn't have a clue! I would appreciate any help as well.
  • mecheng1mecheng1 Member Posts: 161
    Hang in there. Your performance will come back when the weather warms up. You are probably also fighting the first 3000 - 5000 mile "conditioning" period that has been programmed into the vehicle (not advertised by Ford, but reported by many owners) to fully condition the battery system. Once that is done and you have adjusted your driving habits....next Spring and Summer should be a pleasant surprise. :D
  • dguilddguild Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for your response. Actually my best mileage occurred between 3000 and 4500 miles. I am at 6600 miles now. I have been searching on line for others having similar problems and it seems there are at least some. The regenerative braking issue seems to be common with Toyota (and maybe Honda) hybrids as well. It seems that the battery cannot be charged at a high current when temperatures are below 35-40F or so. The colder it is the slower it recharges.
  • maksimemaksime Member Posts: 8
    I bought a 2008 FEH 4WD with 11000 miles and now it’s at 13000 miles. I live in the Ottawa Valley, ON, Canada and the last couple of days, temperature was around -15 to -25 C (5 to -13F)

    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. ;)
  • mecheng1mecheng1 Member Posts: 161
    Resetting the PCM (vehicle controller) will have the opposite effect. It will erase things stored in the memory and your FEH will re-enter a kind of "break-in" period that allows even less EV mode. When you start to experience less extreme temperatures you will probably learn how to get the vehicle to stay in EV all the way up to 40 mph - use the L gear at appropriate times, switch between L and D, etc. That's about all we can hope for until the Li-Ion battery PHEV retrofit kits come down in price. Then we will be able to go 30 to 50 miles in EV at all speeds before the ICE kicks in.
  • dhuang2dhuang2 Member Posts: 15
    mecheng1,
    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,
  • mecheng1mecheng1 Member Posts: 161
    You will want to type "hypermiling the ford escape hybrid" or "Low gear advantage" into your favorite search engine and read through all the various reports of tricks and techniques that can be used to improve FE. THEN, you want to practice with the ones that work for you on your particular routes. I find that keeping RPM between 1800 and 2200, during times when the ICE is on, returns well over 30mpg. (but is hard to do 100% of the time and still keep up with traffic)

    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.
  • fsbartlettfsbartlett Member Posts: 3
    I purchased a new 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid 2wd about six months ago. I am very happy with the vehicle. It looks good, gets good gas milage, we had a large SUV before. My only complaint are rattles and the wind noise!

    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?
  • dhuang2dhuang2 Member Posts: 15
    I had put 15k miles on my 2008 FEH FWD since last May. I did not experience the excessive wind noise on highway. Actually, the FEH has less wind noise than my 2005 Explorer Sport Trac. I can hear the electric motor wining when accelerating, but it is not an issue for me. Following are something that I can think of:
    1) Does windshield wiper (non-OEM) introduce noise
    2) Does windshield leak air through cracks between glass and vehicle body?

    Good luck :)
  • fsbartlettfsbartlett Member Posts: 3
    The dealer has replaced the windshield wipers in hopes of getting rid of the wind noise, but it didn't work. They also thought that windshield might be leaking air between the glass and vehicle body, but nothing was tried to seal up the window to see if that got rid of the noise. Ford's stance now is, and this is from corporate, that they tried and they are not going to try anymore.

    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.
  • fsbartlettfsbartlett Member Posts: 3
    Before a recent trip to Arizona for our daughters wedding, I resealed the windshield with silicone and the wind noise went away. I contacted Ford to let them know that I had fixed it after they refused to look for the problem and they have yet to respond.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A reporter with a large financial magazine would like to speak with hybrid owners and their experiences. If you are a hybrid owner, please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information no later than Wednesday, August 6th.
  • ursacatursacat Member Posts: 32
    Quick update:

    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.
  • jimmbobjimmbob Member Posts: 1
    My wife and I picked up our '09 FEH two weeks ago. We previously owned a 2002 Toyota Hylander Ltd. The price of a new hybrid Hylander was out of reach. So far we are quite pleased with the purchase, but as the salesperson suggested, it is a different driving experience. In the first few days we we're confused as to when the car would switch in and out of electric mode, but now we're getting the hang of it. As my old high school physics teacher would say..."Don't underestimate inertia". We've learned that under the right conditions we can tool along at 60 KPH without the gas engine kicking in if we engage cruise control. Excellent. The fit and finish are good to excellent although the seat leather in the Toyota was superior to this very "leatherette-like" Ford leather.We love the navigation system and SYNC; our cell phones paired up without a hitch. We opted for the chrome package and it's a head-turner.

    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.
  • russrdhrussrdh Member Posts: 4
    I bought my first Ford (Mercury Lynx Wagon) in '82. It averaged better than 35 MPG and went 185,000 miles before we sold it in "89 to purchase our second Ford (Taurus L Wagon). It was driven 160,000 miles until '96 when we purchased our third Ford ('96 Taurus LX Wagon). Now with 191,000 miles on it we have made a purchase of a used 2007 FEH with 12,000 miles on it.

    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.
  • boopstarboopstar Member Posts: 1
    We've not had any serious issues with the vehicle, but now the "Wrench" light is coming on, mostly under 'stop & go' condtions and when it's warm outside or when my wife's running the heater.
    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?
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "It was used, so if anyone has a source for an owners manual ofr less than the dealer's $35 let me know. "
    You should register on the Ford owners site. I have a soft copy, but it is for the 2008.

    Ford Owners Site
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "We've not had any serious issues with the vehicle, but now the "Wrench" light is coming on, mostly under 'stop & go' condtions and when it's warm outside or when my wife's running the heater.
    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.
  • russrdhrussrdh Member Posts: 4
    I had the same problem starting at around 40,000 miles on my 2007 Mariner Hybrid. It went away on it's own after a few days and hasn't re-occured. I can hear the vent door open and close now that the weather is warming up. We'll see what happens. Oh yeah, when I started on this site I owne a 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid. A red light runner wrecked that one, but I was able to pick up another; and nicer still, Mariner HEV.
  • dgcarlson1dgcarlson1 Member Posts: 8
    I bought a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid in mid summer of 2007. The automobile has been great until now, March 2010. I have put 80,000 miles on it since I bought it 2.5 yrs ago. In the past two weeks the engine cuts off at high speed (60-70mph). A warning light comes on (looks like a red yield sign with an exclamation point) and dash display states "Stop slowly". There were no other warning signs or lights to indicate anything was wrong with the vehicle. I followed the instructions in the manual (turn the vehicle off for a minute and try restarting). I did this and made my way home - it cut off on me two more times that evening. The next day I checked all the fuses to make sure it was not a bad fuse.

    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.
  • malibuskymalibusky Member Posts: 15
    edited March 2010
    I have a 2008, 88,000. Driving back in bumper-to-bumper traffic from Las Vegas to LA. Out in the middle of the desert and all of a sudden I feel like I have lost control...I was going about 30 MPH, looked down and see the "!". I pulled over, looked at the manual...waited about 5 minutes, re-started the car and it was fine. I did freak out thinking I was going to be stuck in the middle of the desert but made it back home.

    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?
  • joadjoad Member Posts: 4
    It's most likely the pump that circulates coolant to the high voltage inverter/electronics board in the engine compartment. This is a known issue and the new pump has been redesigned. You may not see the problem again for months, but it will happen again and usually at the most inoppurtune time. Also, check the coolant level in the the smaller tank...the one closest to the windshield in the engine compartment. It should be up to the marked line on the tank.
  • malibuskymalibusky Member Posts: 15
    Thanks for the info. It actually just happened again with local driving this last week. So, it is a coolant issue, is it a defect that will be replaced by Ford or now that my car is our of warranty...I am SOL? I will make sure my coolant level is checked and kept full...thanks so much.
  • misaakmisaak Member Posts: 3
    My husband and I considering buying a car next month and came down to two choices in the SUV category. Ford Escape Hybird or a 2010 Toyota 4Runner.
    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
  • bow45bow45 Member Posts: 21
    You might want to check out some issues about the FEH's High Voltage Battery on this forum. I own a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid AWD and regret that I bought it. I'm concerned about the battery. If the battery dies I need to pay $8,000.00 to replace it. :mad: If I knew this, I wouldn't buy my FEH AWD. :(
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    The battery has a complete 8 year warranty.
  • russrdhrussrdh Member Posts: 4
    I purchased a 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid in November of 2008. Purchased used, it had 14,000 miles on it and it now has 50,000 miles. This car is GREAT! I did my research on the battery system before purchasing it and I would direct you to the articles on the Ford Escape Hybrid taxis used in San Francisco (Key words San Francisco Hybrid Taxis) look for the LA times article.

    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.
  • bow45bow45 Member Posts: 21
    My FEH AWD has 72,000 miles on it which means only 28,000 miles left until the hybrid component warranty dries up. Even if my FEH AWD has lower miles, I don’t think my 2008 FEH AWD holds up the value of $8,000 in 2016. If the High Voltage Battery dies after the warranty expired, I don’t think I’m going to fix it. :(

    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).
  • sksuhsksuh Member Posts: 13
    My 2008 FEH AWD has worked flawlessly in all seasons including Canadian winters up here on the Alberta side of the Rocky Mountains.

    No battery worries, winter woes or any other issues whatsoever. Absolutely no regrets with this vehicle.
  • ekiehnekiehn Member Posts: 33
    Maybe yes, maybe no. I have close to 80K on mine so I will be in the same position in about a year.

    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).
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "The battery has a complete 8 year warranty. "

    10 years in CARB states.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "My husband and I considering buying a car next month and came down to two choices in the SUV category. Ford Escape Hybird or a 2010 Toyota 4Runner.
    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.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "You might want to check out some issues about the FEH's High Voltage Battery on this forum. I own a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid AWD and regret that I bought it. I'm concerned about the battery. If the battery dies I need to pay $8,000.00 to replace it. If I knew this, I wouldn't buy my FEH AWD. "

    You might want to wait until it actually dies before you regret your purchase. Those taxis in NYC are going pretty strong.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "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. "

    You might be able to find someone to do that, but I'm sure Ford recommends that one replace the entire pack.
  • tortorigetortorige Member Posts: 1
    FWIW, I spoke to a service man that took in one of the first escape hybrids to sell in the bay area. It was a 2005 or 2006 with over 300,000 miles of San Francisco inner city taxi cab service miles on it. The battery checked in at 90% life. Not bad at all. So don't worry.

    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.
  • ekiehnekiehn Member Posts: 33
    Yes that's what I do and have for years. Somewhere way back in all the posts I responded with this suggestion to an FEH that was not getting great milage. He tried it and it worked. (great job getting 41MPG, my 2006 stays around31-32).

    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.
  • malibuskymalibusky Member Posts: 15
    When doing city driving in low, what is the fasted you can go (or suggest you should go) before it jumps to gas mode?
  • cretacreta Member Posts: 2
    Hello,

    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
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "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. "

    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.
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