2008 Ford Escape Hybrid: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 443 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes (28% of complaints); the 2006 and 2007 and 2009 and 2010 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
443
owner complaints
1
fire reports
95,534
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No recall campaignsProblems tend to appear late (median 95,534 mi)One of the most complained-about Escape Hybrid years (#2 of 10, age-adjusted)Weak spot: service brakes (28%)1 fire report
Common problems
Computed from 443 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Service Brakes (brakes)28% · 120 complaints
Steering (steering wheel, rack, power assist)23% · 101 complaints
Engine (engine mechanics)11% · 49 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)8% · 35 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)6% · 27 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)6% · 25 complaints
“While driving over 60 MPH the car will begin to say the engine is hot and sometimes without warning going to stop safely now however when you open the hood nothing is hot to touch and there's an extreme amount of coolant gone from the engine coolant tank have replaced coolant tank itself still having issue begin happening in March and is still continuing”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn with the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.”Owner report · Steering · Dec 2024
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact stated while starting the vehicle later that day, the power steering was no longer functional, and the message was displayed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.”Owner report · Steering · Feb 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled, but restarted after 45 minutes. The vehicle stability assists system warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Aug 2022
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel seized. The power steering failure warning message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with power steering assist failure. The mechanic informed the contact that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that a recall for the steering had expired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2022
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated he depressed the brake to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the HECU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jan 2022
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated while pulling out of a parking space, the vehicle lost power steering assist. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence in manual steering mode. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.”Owner report · Steering · Nov 2021
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "power assist error" had displayed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 265,000.”Owner report · Steering · Nov 2021
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake was applied however, was spongy and slow to respond. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The Regan brakes disable failure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to a local dealer. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 165,931.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jun 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape hybrid. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brakes would not engage when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact called jordan ford (609 e jefferson blvd, mishawaka, in 46545) where it was diagnosed with the hybrid brake system needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,540.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Mar 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 13 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid reliable?
NHTSA has 443 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The most complained-about area is service brakes (28% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 95,534 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.