Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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". Additionally, when this message appears, it pretty much shuts down your car, not allowing you to accelerate at all which also made it more difficult to get over. I managed to pull over, turned off my car and then restarted it. That was all it took. No additional messages or problems...yet. I probably had to drive an additional 30 miles or so home without any additional messages showing up. This seriously frustrated me as I have yet to be able to find much more information on the issue. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. While driving various speeds, the throttle body malfunctioned. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled intermittently on more than one occasion. Landmark Ford in tigard, oregon was made aware of the failure and stated that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 124,000. The consumer stated the vehicle was repaired.
We were driving east on I-26 in south carolina at 65 MPH in 3 lanes of traffic when the triangle hazard warning light on the dash sounded and lit up saying "pull over safely now". At the same time , with the gas peddle floored, the speed of the car was slowing by the second! The gas peddle did not work. We were able to pull over and turn the car off without getting hit by oncoming traffic. Per the manual, we waited awhile and restarted the car, and were able to get it home. I called the Ford customer care line to ask if it was safe to drive the car and would this happen again. They were not helpful at all. They basically told me to take it to a dealership. Our local dealership said they knew nothing about the issue I described, but diagnosed the problem as being an mecs pump failure for $135. The replacement cost would be $800. …
While the car was in motion, the yellow ABS and the red brake failure warning lamps lit up, and the alarm sounded. I was unable to control my vehicle as the pedal became stiff. Brakes went into manual mode. This luckily happened in the evening, or else I could have hit another vehicle or a pedestrian. The car jerked as I pulled up the emergency brake, and I hurt my neck. I researched this issue at home and found that it is a known issue that many have had problems with, which have not yet been addressed as a vehicle safety complaint. Please see this experience here & read the comments from others: http://www.greenhybrid.com/forums/f26/brakes-broke-bank-24731/. There is a technical service bulletin, TSB 05-8-5 released by Ford that addresses this issue, and it has still not become a recall. …
Driving up to a stop sign when I felt like I had no brake control to stop. I had to depress the pedal as far as I could and prayed that I would stop before the busy intersection. When I came to a stop, the service brake system code came on and chimed. The ABS light was lit, along with brake warning. Luckily we were only a few blocks from the house, that we were able to carefully make it back home. After taking the vehicle in for a brake system warning before where they diagnosed a faulty wiring harness and replaced at my expense. Now that we were able to get the vehicle to the dealership they have stated that the hydraulic control unit was a problem and possibility of the master cylinder. All this at a cost of $4500+ parts and labor. After just finishing paying off the vehicle loan we own a vehicle that doesn't stop. Had I crashed the vehicle I'd only be out my deductible. Thanks Ford! …
While traveling on an interstate hwy at 70 MPH and passing a semi, the engine shut off and the stop safely now warning came on. There was no warning, I lost speed and barely moved out of the way of the truck. This failure almost cost me and my passenger our lives. The car started again about half an hour later but only ran long enough to limp to a gas station. We called aaa, had the car towed to a dealership where they diagnosed it as either the ignition switch or the PCM...I have two sons who are top mechanics. This is not the problem. They believe a wiring harness for the Hybrid battery is defective, and that there was a letter sent to all Hybrid owners. I took this letter to the local dealership when I received it. They said it didn't pertain to my vehicle and did not perform the required maint. Really? This is a serious safety hazard. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, she noticed that the electronic throttle body warning light was illuminated as the vehicle the stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle yet the failure recurred three times. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was approximately 103,000. Updated 4/29/13 the consumer stated the mecs pump failed and was replaced per the Ford technical service bulletin tsb08-24-5 issued by Ford company. The vehicle was not covered under warranty due to its VIN. Updated 06/11/2013
I was accelerating on the freeway, and the engine stalled. I could still steer to the side, but the engine had absolutely no power. Came very close to getting rear-ended. Brought car in for service. They said nothing was wrong with it. Continued to have multiple similar occurrences. Brought it in again. This time they said the battery fan wasn't working, so I paid a lot to have it fixed (about a year ago), however, I still have continued to have the same problem, more often and on many occasions now. It seems to be getting much worse. I dread driving on freeways now, especially up hills. I am bringing my car in for service again later this week. Wonder what line they are going to give me this time.
At 65 MPH on hwy 5 in los angeles the vehicle died and the " stop safely now" message came on. Fortunately, I was able to safely get from the 3rd lane to the shoulder. After putting the car in park and turning off the key I was able to restart and continue. About 15 miles later it did the same thing again with the same message. Again able to safely pull off the freeway and after putting it in park turned the key off and back on and was again on my way. Both times the cruise control was on so after that I did not use the cruise and have not had another occurrence.
I own a 2006 Ford Escape HEV, VIN: [redacted] , with about 50,000 miles. From time-to-time the cruise control will activate, by itself, in the accelerate mode. And this occurs when my hands are no where near the activation controls. Thus far it has not happened in heavy traffic and I have had time to shut the cruise control down; but it does get my attention. This had happened on numerous occasions in the last 9 months.
Acceleration complaints in other Escape Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid, 8% of the model year's 256 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 121,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.