I need a new vehicle and like the 2012 body-style Ford Escape Hybrids. I am interested in the 4wd option, because I find myself on "light" off-road situations alot while fishing rivers and streams, and I live in St Louis where it snows and gets icy some in the winter time.
Also I'd love to car camp /sleep in the back during one or two night camping trips too, for what it's worth.
But a 2012 vehicle is now 8/9 years old. And I was reading that hybrid batteries often last about 8 years. So I just wanted to check the interwebs for whether I'm crazy for thinking of buying a hybrid that old.
Will the dealer laugh at me as a sucker the moment I walk out because I just bought a car that will need a few thousand dollar battery replacement soon?
I see some of these with less than 100k miles on them and for around $9-11k asking price which is what I'm comfortable with and seems pretty appropriate for my budget. Does $11k sound too high for that old of a car?
In my local market, it would have to have a lot less miles to be above $10k.
While I mainly am shopping for 2010-2012 Fusion/MKZ hybrids, I did add 2G Escape Hybrids to the search (in case my son ever decides to get his drivers license). It would have to be a 2009 or newer for SYNC (which I know it is easy to add bluetooth to aux in, but the simpler the better).
I also question an 8-10 year old hybrid, I haven't actually driven an Escape Hybrid, but knowing how the Fusion works and the mileage it should show, it seems like over half that I drove had issues that caused them to not be running in hybrid mode. I don't know enough about the display of power use of the Escape to know what to look for if I was driving one, to see if working correctly or not.
This is something I would go look at if it was closer and there wasn't a pandemic going on...
2009 a desert friendly color, 66k miles for $6900. I would like things like reverse sensing and camera, but both can be added. https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/ ... 55961.html
That is middle of the range dealer price for your location...I could only justify that color if it was a hybrid only color, like the 2012 Fusion Ginger Ale (which was a 2013+ Escape color, FWIW), and just because I knew it, I wouldn't expect anyone else to.
I would have to drive it, and see that it is in hybrid assist when it should be, and that the fuel mileage reflects that. Since it doesn't have navigation it doesn't have the energy flow display.
If it helps, I have a 2012 AWD limited and no plans to get rid of it any time soon (in fact my local dealer keeps trying to buy it from me...just got an offer in the mail for 10k). While it hasn't been problem-free, I've had no emergencies and pretty low cost of ownership, and it wasn't until very recently there was anything close to a replacement option for a compact SUV with mechanical AWD.
My hybrid (traction) battery seems to still be going strong and I expect to get beyond 100k with it (currently just past 80)...and for it to be a matter of tracking down an aftermarket refurb pack when it does wear out (if I don't get ambitious and hack in a lithium pack myself).
I can't claim to have done any serious offroading but have done more than enough filming, camping, skiing, and hauling to have justified the AWD and retain a high degree of faith its ability to handle terrain with 2 caveats:
• Reverse is electric-only; you DO NOT have full power available to back yourself out of a situation where forward movement is limited.
• There is no underbody protection. If you're climbing rocks, you'll want to seriously consider throwing your own skid plate(s) under there
Otherwise it's pretty handy. Electric motor mitigates some need for low range (it's not the same, but it's very controllable at low/no speed), center clearance is pretty good. Cargo capacity is decent for the size and seats fold all the way flat (after you do the stupid remove-the-headrests crap...it's not fast). It's not a luxurious vehicle by any stretch of the imagination and my least favorite part is the decidedly 'tupperware' flavor of most the interior, even with leather (which I highly recommend; I looked at a good few before buying and the cloth ones seems noticeably more worn down).
Lastly, you might consider throwing a few bucks at an OBD2 adapter and ForScan (app) that will quickly let you check out things you can't see without the nav/info screen. Actually there's a demo for an app called HOBDrive that will show you most of the hybrid parameters (without have to dig up which PIDs are which) as well as any fault codes. It's very quick to set up, and knowing what I know now, I'd have taken it with me to a test drive.
If you have any specific questions, let me know...I've done a bunch of convenience mods on mine and have a few more planned. On the whole I'm pretty happy with mine. It is a workhorse of a vehicle with a lot of features that will be difficult to replace, whenever I get there.
EDIT: Also I'll mention that the simplicity of the hybrid transmission and how well it held up in NYC cabs with 300k miles on them is a lot of what sold me. I have high confidence that even if I have to replace a hybrid battery, the drivetrain will outlive my use for the vehicle
Keep in mind the 2012 model year Escape hybrids went out of production in 2011, so the newest Escape hybrids are approaching 10 years on the road.
I've noticed that even now there are still many Escape hybrids in service as San Francisco city cabs, they must have a lot of miles on them by now! However if you live outside of a big city on one of the coasts, it may be hard to find a mechanic that knows how to diagnose/service older Escape hybrids. Ford didn't guarantee parts availability for these early hybrids and has been changing hybrid powertrains often.
Some people have had great luck with used Escape hybrids, and others have been burned when something expensive breaks. Since gas is a lot cheaper now than it was in the mid/late 2000s when most Escape hybrids were built, there shouldn't be a premium price to pay for a used hybrid IMO.
My '09 feh awd Limited now has about 155,000 miles on it. It still gets mileage (34mpg US) equal to when I bought it, which means the battery is in perfect shape.
While the hybrid system has been flawless, the rest of the vehicle has been a reliability disaster. The list below is not fully up to date.
However, since I keep everything fixed, it runs like new. Everything works, no rattles or squeaks. So the condition of cars this old depends on how they were maintained.
Mine is used mainly on mountain logging roads. The innumerable scrapes underneath attest to that. The vulnerable stuff on the bottom is well protected. The only thing under there I've had to replace is the oil drain plug.
Only once have I gotten stuck due to the electric-only reverse. I parked steeply nose-down partly in a ditch. And all it needed was a push from my passengers.
Rust can be an issue. Check the body around the rear shock mounts. Bottom seams on doors and tailgate. Check the tailgate for leaks, corroded wiper mount and rotten hatch glass hinges.
Blend door actuators under the dash create a symphony of noises as they go bad. Make sure the steering column warrant repair/replacement has been done.
There is more room to sleep in it if you undo the clips to remove the rear seat bottom cushions, and reverse the headrests.
On the good side it is a practical versatile design and is pleasant to drive other than being noisy at high speeds. The Limited model has fancy gizmos far beyond its price class.
I've made a deposit for a Rav4 Prime, but I expect to be running the Escape for at least another year because supply of the Prime is worse than sparse. Looking forward to real battery range and Toyota quality.
I know this is a bit of a late response, but I just joined the group recently. My 2005 Escape hybrid 4WD at 170k miles is getting very close to the mpg it's rated for (easily 28mpg often more with combined city/hwy driving) so I'm going to say the hybrid system including the battery must still be working rather well even at 16 years in.
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