Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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 on the 495 beltway (approx 55mph) in the right lane when suddenly my car lost power and the fail safe message appeared saying stop the car immediately. Fortunately, I was able to take a nearby exit off the beltway without injuring myself or someone behind me and causing a multiple car collision. A red triangle icon appeared on the dashboard including other lights and messages since the car had no power. I did have the car heater on due to winter temperatures. I immediately turned the car off and rested it and did not put my heat back on suspecting the electronic motor coolant pump as the problem after recently reading a nyt article. The car started about 10 minutes later. I made an appt w my Ford dealer to inspect the car for this problem.I had a similar problem last summer and was told by Ford that my VIN didn't have any recalls. I had the A/C on that day. …
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. …
The vehicle hesitates when accelerating after coming from a stop, it is not transmission, it is like it is not getting fuel. The vehicle suddenly without warning or reason shuts off all power while driving. The red triangle with exclamation light comes on with a warning to stop safely now on the dashboard and you are stranded. This has happened both while accelerating from a stop and while driving both freeway and surface street speeds, suddenly. I am afraid not only to not only drive the vehicle but having anyone in the car with me, especially making a left turn. It is not a safe vehicle. It has left me stranded on a dark street around 9 pm, cutting off on the freeway leaving me no choice but to coast off the side of the freeway. …
Our Ford Escape engine stopped suddenly on the highway. We brought it to cypress coast Ford Lincoln in seaside california. I had not received a recall notice from Ford about the recall, but upon researching the symptoms online, I found out about the recall and informed the service advisor at cypress Ford. They advised me that the recall was not relevant and that the car needed $1700 in very similar repairs. I paid with a credit card and the work was completed. I picked up the car and tried to drive it home; the same exact problem happened again, late at night, on the highway. I had the car towed (at my expense) to my home and then was able to get it to my local Ford dealer. They ran the VIN and said the recall was present and should be fixed. …
Car shuts off with little or no warning, 3 times now, once on interstate 64. Dealer first said Hybrid battery bad, 2nd opinion from Hybrid battery company said battery good. Dealer said, 2nd time with car, need a $600 repair that will resolve. Now, dealer says no, the battery is still the issue. They still cannot state why the car does it, what will make this car safe to drive and if they truly know it is the battery, why did they do the $600 repair and tell us that would fix the problem. I have asked wynne Ford in hampton va, the dealer, for a poc at Ford motor company to be able to get answers on how to make/know our12 yr old car is safe to drive, been over a month, but have recieved no information from wynne Ford. I guess I need to drive to michigan to see mr. William clay Ford jr for answers. I do not know the exact mileage on the vehicle, vehicle is at the dealership. …
I had gone va beach to washington d.c. And was on the way back when the vehicle had completely shutdown just before the hampton roads bridge tunnel in newport news. We were on the interstate during the entire trip and was lucky to be in the right lane. A aaa be tow truck pulled us off to the side. We tried to restart it but it shut off. Everything else was working fine. I went back the next day and the vehicle worked fine. I had it checked out by the dealer and they said there was nothing wrong with it. I just had the cooling pump replaced because of the recall. I looked at the manual and it stated that when the high voltage battery gets too hot that it will shut off. This could cause a serious accident. …
Was driving to work in the morning. Had been in the car approximately 10 minutes when the ABS, brake, and service brakes, indicators came on all at once. Depressed brake pedal only to discover that I did in fact not have any brakes. Turned on emergency flashers and began to merge over into right hand shoulder, repeatedly stomping on brake pedal. Was able to come to a stop. This incident happened while I was approaching a very busy 3-way intersection, off of a major highway. Turned car off and back on to see if this was a malfunction, but all three indicators came on again. Had vehicle towed to Ford dealership. Paid $5280.03 in parts and labor to have faulty hydraulic unit repaired, and hcu and Hybrid system bleed. Had not had any problems with this vehicle in the past. Very thankful that this incident did not cause an accident or injuries to myself or others. …
I was driving to work when all of a sudden a yellow wrench light came on, my car shut down, and I had to coast across 3 lanes of highway traffic to stop on the shoulder. It wouldn't start at first, then I tried again and it started and drove the rest of the way just fine. I have read hundreds of complaints about the same issue. Apparently the throttle body has a defect getting open or closed, codes p2111 and p2112, respectively. This is very dangerous and I can't believe a recall hasn't been issued for this by Ford. I was already victim of another recall for the mep failing that caused the same thing to happen, complete system shut down. What kind of joke for a safe vehicle is this? I'm abhorred and will never buy another Ford, and I will make sure everyone I speak to knows how much Ford doesn't take care of their customers. They should be ashamed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. While driving at an unknown speed, an unknown warning icon displayed on the instrument panel. When the contact powered off the engine and restarted the vehicle, the warning indicator no longer appeared. The vehicle was taken to wilson Ford Lincoln (328 main st, logan, ut 84321, [phone]) to be diagnosed, but a failure code could not be found. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the Hybrid battery failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,533.
Our vehicle seemingly randomly shuts off all power to the engine and the electric motor. This can happen while we are moving or stopped in an intersection. We get a message of stop safely now on the dashboard. When you are in the middle of an intersection waiting to turn left in six lanes of traffic and your car stops for no apparent reason this isn't very safe. This has happened about 30 times. Sometimes it goes a year without a mishap or three times in one day.
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
Electrical complaints in other Escape Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid, 18% of the model year's 256 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 114,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
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.