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Ford Escape HybridModel year report

2006 Ford Escape Hybrid Problems

Complaints
219filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
100,000miles, 201 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
29 mpgcombined, 2.3L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 30 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems: the ABS and red brake warnings illuminate, the pedal goes hard or to the floor, and braking assist is lost until the vehicle is shut off and restarted. A second cluster of complaints describes the hybrid system shutting down on the road with a "stop safely now" or "pull over safely" message, often traced by dealers or mechanics to the motor electronics coolant pump. Reports appear across a wide mileage range, from under 40,000 to over 180,000 miles, with many arriving well past 75,000.

  1. Brakes

    Loss of brake assist with ABS and brake warnings

    • 87 complaints (40%)
    • median 81,500 mi at 8.2 yrs old (82 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $4,500 (median of 23 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2019

    Complaints describe the ABS light and the red brake warning coming on together, sometimes with a message to check the brake system, and the pedal suddenly going hard, soft, or to the floor. Owners report they had to press very hard or use the parking brake to slow the vehicle, and that turning the vehicle off and back on often restored normal feel for a while. According to the complaints, dealers diagnosed the ABS hydraulic control unit, master cylinder or booster, and in some cases reset codes without finding anything; quoted repair costs ranged widely. Reported from roughly 30,000 to 185,000 miles, often while braking at low speeds or approaching intersections.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the ABS hydraulic control unit or module has been replaced and whether the brake fluid was serviced. On a test drive, confirm both the ABS and brake lights stay off and that the pedal feels firm and consistent across several stops.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving approximately 40 miles per hour, approaching a red light and busy intersection. I applied brakes (via pedal) as usual, but had no braking power / corresponding slowdown. I had to jam my foot to the floor and cover the emergency brake in case I needed it, and thankfully I was the first car at the light so there was no accident. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10349431, filed 2010-08, 37,100 miles

    “My ABS and brake light came on and brakes became manual. When I checked on the codes (c1478, c1313 & c1480) I found that there are quite a few complaints of this exact problem, that the repair cost is ridiculous at approximately $5000. And that this is a very common problem with this 2006 Ford escape hybrids. This is a safety hazard and should be a recall by Ford!”

    NHTSA complaint #10884499, filed 2016-07, 185,000 miles
  2. Engine

    Hybrid system shutdown with stop-safely message

    • 66 complaints (30%)
    • median 120,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (60 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $763 (median of 8 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2023

    Owners describe a red triangle, yellow wrench, or "stop safely now"/"pull over safely" message appearing while driving, followed by loss of power and the vehicle shutting down; some were able to restart and continue, others were towed. Several complaints say a dealer or independent mechanic identified the motor electronics coolant pump (sometimes described as the water pump) as the cause, and some report the problem returning after replacement. In other cases the dealer could not duplicate the fault or found no stored codes. Reported from about 30,000 to 200,000 miles, at highway and city speeds and sometimes shortly after starting.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for records showing whether the motor electronics coolant pump has been replaced, and check whether the traction battery cooling fan codes (P0A81/P0A96) have been addressed. Note any warning messages that appear during a test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving in the fast lane on the highway at 70 MPH when my car basically shut down and told me to pull over safely . A red triangle (with the exclamation point in the center) appeared on the message board along with the pull over safely message and a chiming/alert sound. This was on labor day, so the highway was incredibly busy and it was very difficult to cross over lanes and pull over safely . …”

    NHTSA complaint #11021392, filed 2017-09, 146,000 miles

    “I am sitting on I-95 in connecticut and almost got into an accident. My truck just stopped. The red triangle with the explanation point came on and the car flashed stop safely . All systems are normal. This has happened 3 times this trip and I'll be lucky to get home alive.”

    NHTSA complaint #10483408, filed 2012-11, 149,754 miles
  3. Steering

    Power steering assist goes out

    • 22 complaints (10%)
    • median 108,500 mi at 9.0 yrs old (22 state mileage)
    • filed 2009–2019

    Complaints describe the steering becoming very hard to turn, often without warning, sometimes after restarting the vehicle or while making a low-speed turn; a yellow wrench or power steering warning may appear. Owners report one dealer said the torque sensor needed replacement, and in some cases the vehicle resumed normal steering after being shut off and restarted. Reported from about 30,000 to 200,000 miles, often at parking-lot speeds or just after starting.

    What to check: During a test drive, turn the wheel at low speed and after a restart to confirm assist is present, and ask whether the steering torque sensor or column has been serviced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “As my seventeen years old daughter was pulling out of the driveway for school she noticed the steering was hard to turn. She took my car to school. I went to try and move the car back up the driveway and could barely turn the wheel myself. Luckily she was at home and not on the road. There is no assisted steering anymore, it just went out.”

    NHTSA complaint #11173126, filed 2019-01, 200,000 miles

    “1) we have been receiving a yellow wrench light indicating maintenance needed off and on for a couple of weeks even though we were well within the maintenance period. This turns out to be an issue with the blend door for allowing air cooling of the hybrid batteries. 2) the power steering went out completely for the car. We have had no prior problems with the steering, and the system check showed no problem (I believe it checks fluid levels) so the problem appeared to be electrical.”

    NHTSA complaint #10504566, filed 2013-03, 60,500 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the brake system and the hybrid cooling pump, and ask for records of any ABS module, pump, or steering sensor replacement. Confirm that warning lights stay off through a test drive and a restart, and check the underside for rust.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 219 consumer complaints for the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. 201 of the complaints include a mileage, and 11% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 100,000 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 6 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Other or unknown (7), Suspension (7), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (5), Wheels (5), Air bags (3), Exterior lighting (3), Electronic stability control (2), Equipment (2), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “As I was approaching an intersection and red light, my brakes suddenly stopped working. I literally had to stand on the brake and it finally stopped moving. I continued to drive home at less than 10 MPH and had to let off the gas in order to slow the vehicle down to attempt to use the brakes and car would shake when brake was applied. Took to mechanic who checked the code and it was the travel sensor.”

NHTSA complaint #11220955, filed 2019-06, 80,000 miles

Engine: “Hybrid mec pump failure: my vehicle had the mec hybrid coolant pump failure that is common to this vehicle. My particular VIN # was not included in the large scale recall undertaken by Ford. I had the pump replaced by a Ford dealer in 2011, and then again in 2012 after a second failure. This cost me over $3000 in total. I do not understand why my car is not covered under the recall. It should be.”

NHTSA complaint #11005986, filed 2017-07, 120,000 miles

Electrical system: “We purchased this Ford Escape Hybrid in august, 2012, after procuring a pre-sale evaluation at Ford dealer 1, including a full VIN search for any incomplete recalls.the evaluation found nothing incomplete.returning home 6.11.14, on our residential street, the escape without prior warning flashed 'stop vehicle safely' and simultaneously turned off all power. …”

NHTSA complaint #10609584, filed 2014-07, 150,000 miles

Steering: “Traveling home on the interstate at about 70mph and the motor shut off, giving me a 'stop safely now' with the red triangle light on. I stopped, waited a few minutes on the roadside and it started again. Headed home again, when about a mile and it happened again. Waited a few minutes by the road, then took off. This time I turned off the A/C and made a few miles to the house.”

NHTSA complaint #10621830, filed 2014-08, 138,100 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

11% of the 201 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 70,000 and 128,475 miles.

2%0–101%10–258%25–5016%50–7522%75–10038%100–15012%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (201 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 100,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’09’11’1338’15’17’19’23
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Escape Hybrid · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated4 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Escape Hybrid 4WD2.3L 4-cyl · hybridCVT282627$2,500
Escape Hybrid FWD2.3L 4-cyl · hybridCVT302829$2,300

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 6 on record; the latest 6 are shown.

Other model years of the Ford Escape Hybrid

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2023248,0000———Too new
20227045,0000——50 · TypicalRising
202112436,7021——81 · MoreRising
202029028,4001——100 · MoreRising
2013593,0000———Not enough data
20121538,0000—32—Falling
20113779,0000—320 · FewerRising
20105977,6280—320 · FewerRising
200915390,0000—3234 · FewerFalling
200844395,2500—3251 · TypicalFalling
200712491,3890—30Not compared (before 2008)Rising
2006219100,0000—29Not compared (before 2008)Rising
2005178101,0190—29Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Ford Escape Hybrid model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid?

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems: the ABS and red brake warnings illuminate, the pedal goes hard or to the floor, and braking assist is lost until the vehicle is shut off and restarted. The issues reported most often: Loss of brake assist with ABS and brake warnings; Hybrid system shutdown with stop-safely message; Power steering assist goes out.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid have?

NHTSA recorded 219 consumer complaints for the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 87 complaints (40% of the total), followed by engine with 43.

Has the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid get?

The EPA rates the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid (Escape Hybrid FWD, 2.3L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 29 mpg combined, 30 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,300 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid reported?

Among the 201 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 100,000 miles and the middle half falls between 70,000 and 128,475 miles; 11% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.