Hybrid Battery Test

NiMH

Ford Escape / Mercury Mariner / Mazda Tribute Hybrid NiMH Battery (2005-2012)

The Ford Escape / Mercury Mariner / Mazda Tribute Hybrid NiMH Battery (2005-2012) is the high voltage battery in the Ford Escape Hybrid (2005-2012), Mercury Mariner Hybrid (2006-2011), Mazda Tribute Hybrid (2008-2011).

At a Glance

  • NiMH chemistry
  • 330 volts nominal
  • 50 modules

Specifications

ChemistryNiMH
Cell formatcylindrical
Cell makerSanyo Electric Co.
Nominal voltage330 V
Modules50
Capacity5.5 Ah
LocationRear of vehicle, under the cargo-area carpet inside the rear hatch (INL: "Pack(s) Location: Rear")
Weight50 kg

Cars That Use It

  • Ford Escape Hybrid 2005-2012 FWD and 4WD/AWD; 2.3L (2005-2008) and 2.5L (2009-2012) Atkinson I4 Run the checklist
  • Mercury Mariner Hybrid 2006-2011 badge-engineered Escape Hybrid Run the checklist
  • Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2008-2011 badge-engineered Escape Hybrid; mostly fleet/limited sales Run the checklist

What Goes Wrong

Reported failures, each from a source listed below, as of October 7, 2026.

  • Owner complaints NHTSA lists under the Hybrid Propulsion System component for the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, by model year: 2005: 8 · 2006: 12 · 2006: 3 · 2007: 3 · 2007: 6 · 2008: 2 · 2008: 6. These are all hybrid system complaints, owner reported and unverified, not only battery faults, as of 2026-10-07.

Symptoms

  • A keyword search of the 8 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2005 Ford ESCAPE HYBRID finds that 1 mention warning light, 1 mention loss of power or reduced power, 2 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2005 Ford Escape+Hybrid, 2026-10-07)
  • A keyword search of the 12 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2006 Ford ESCAPE HYBRID finds that 3 mention warning light, 2 mention loss of power or reduced power, 7 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2006 Ford Escape+Hybrid, 2026-10-07)
  • A keyword search of the 6 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2007 Ford ESCAPE HYBRID finds that 4 mention warning light, 1 mention loss of power or reduced power, 2 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2007 Ford Escape+Hybrid, 2026-10-07)
  • A keyword search of the 6 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2008 Ford ESCAPE HYBRID finds that 1 mention warning light, 2 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2008 Ford Escape+Hybrid, 2026-10-07)

Recalls

  • 14V526000 2005-2008 (Escape), 2006-2008 (Mariner) The hybrid system's coolant pump may fail, letting the hybrid electronics overheat.
  • 14V552000 2008 (Tribute) The hybrid system's coolant pump may fail, letting the hybrid electronics overheat.

Check the exact car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Warranty

Ford's Escape Hybrid/Mariner Hybrid and Ford/Mercury Hybrid warranty guides for the 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2012 model years list Hybrid Unique Component Coverage, including the high-voltage battery, for 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first; the 2007-and-later guides also give the high-voltage battery 10 years or 150,000 miles under the California emission warranty for qualifying California-certified (AT PZEV) vehicles registered in adopting states. (fordservicecontent.com: 10hybwa2e.pdf, 2026-10-07)

How battery warranties work.

Get This Pack Tested

Do not open it yourself. The pack can hurt you with the car switched off.

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How to test a hybrid battery safely

Sources

  1. avt.inl.gov: escape2005hevamerica.pdf
  2. avt.inl.gov: batteryescape5881.pdf
  3. fireengineering.com: new-vehicle-extrication-ford-escape-hybrid
  4. fueleconomy.gov: vehicles.csv.zip
  5. boronextrication.com: 2012-Ford_Escape-Hybrid-ERG-Extrication_Hybrid_Emergency_Res
  6. fordservicecontent.com: 06hevwa2e.pdf
  7. fordservicecontent.com: 07hevwa2e.pdf
  8. fordservicecontent.com: 10hybwa2e.pdf
  9. fordservicecontent.com: 12hybwa2e.pdf
  10. NHTSA complaints, 2005 Ford Escape+Hybrid
  11. NHTSA complaints, 2006 Ford Escape+Hybrid
  12. NHTSA complaints, 2007 Ford Escape+Hybrid
  13. NHTSA complaints, 2008 Ford Escape+Hybrid
  14. NHTSA complaints, 2006 Mercury Mariner+Hybrid
  15. NHTSA complaints, 2007 Mercury Mariner+Hybrid
  16. NHTSA complaints, 2008 Mercury Mariner+Hybrid

Last updated October 7, 2026. Failure and recall notes are as of that date. Spotted a mistake, or speaking for a maker? Report an error.

Hybrid Battery Test is independent. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Ford, Mazda, Mercury, Sanyo Electric Co.. Names and part numbers are used only to identify the vehicle and the part.