2001 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

WE WERE DRIVING AROUND A CURVE AND ONTO A STRAIGHT PART OF THE ROAD ABOUT 40-43 MPH AND THE ENGINE JUST CUT OFF. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP. THE STEERING AND BRAKES HAD NO POWER. WE TRIED STARTING THE ENGINE AND IT CRANKED BUT ACTED LIKE IT WAS NOT GETTING ANY FUEL (THERE WAS HALF A TANK). WE LEFT TO GET A RIDE AND WHEN WE RETURNED TO TOW THE CAR IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND HAS BEEN DRIVING FINE SINCE. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT NOW BECAUSE IF WE HAD BEEN IN TRAFFIC WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2001 FORD ESCAPE FROM COMMONWEALTH MOTORS IN RICHMOND, VA. AFTER PURCHASE THE DEALERSHIP WAS TO INSPECT AN ISSUE WITH THE REVERSE LIGHTS AS THEY WOULDN'T GO OUT. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK I NOTICED A PIECE OF RUSTED METAL FELL FROM AROUND THE DOOR PANEL. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH & DISCOVERED MASSIVE CORROSION & RUSTED CROSSBARS, FRAMES, GAS TANK, SHOCKS, ETC. EVERYTHING UNDER THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED. SO, I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE RUNS SO I SHOULD BE HAPPY. WELL, I FELT MY SAFETY WAS IN QUESTION SO I BEGAN SOME RESEARCH. WHAT I LEARNED WAS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PURCHASED FROM "CARMAX" AS THE OWNER STATED, BUT THAT IT WAS PURCHASED FROM "CARMAX AUCTION". SO I CONTACTED THEM AND LUCKILY GOT A COPY OF THE BILL OF SALE. TO MY DISBELIEF THE BILL OF SALE STATES THIS VEHICLE HAS FRAME DAMAGE. SO I EQUIPPED WITH THIS BILL OF SALE, MET WITH THE OWNER AGAIN. HE SAID THE CAR DOESN'T HAVE A FRAME, THUS THIS WAS AN ERROR. HE WOULD NOT AGREE TO REASON AND TOLD ME I PURCHASED IT "AS IS". AS THE DAYS WENT ON MORE AND MORE BEGAN TO FALL APART. LESS THAN 60 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED BECAUSE THE BRACE WAS RUSTED AWAY CAUSING THE COMPONENTS WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION TO CRACK SO I HAD TO GET IT REPLACED/REBUILT. MECHANIC SAYS THE TRANSMISSION WAS HANGING DOWN & AMAZED IT HADN'T FALLEN OUT. THE CORROSION WAS SO BAD HE HAD TO WELD A NEW BRACE TO HOLD THE NEW TRANSMISSION BUT IT IS WELDED TO THE FRONT BUMPER BAR BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE WILL SUPPORT ITS WEIGHT. THE SUBFRAME CRADLE CRACKED 2 DAYS BEFORE RECALL 14S02. I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER VEHICLE SO I HAD TO GET IT FIXED. IS IT POSSIBLE OTHER PARTS ARE BUILT WITH THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE SUBFRAME? MY CAR IS LIKE A CAVITY THAT WAS LEFT UNTREATED. IT WAS PURCHASED IN OHIO WHERE IT RESIDED FOR YEARS. I FEEL LOST. I HAVE BEFORE AND AFTER PICS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. AFTER THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V165000 AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR DOWN THE STREET I BEGAN LOOSING CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS FACING A 90 DEGREE RIGHT ANGLE AS I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT AND EVERY TIME I WOULD HIT A BUMP THE CAR WOULD JUMP TO THE RIGHT. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO HAD A LOT OF PLAY WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR STRAIGHT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE INFORMED ME THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE OR SAFE DUE TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SEPARATING FROM THE SUBFRAME WHICH HAS TO DUE WITH RECALL # 14S02. IS THE SUBFRAME BEING REPLACED AT SOME POINT? THEY PUT A CROSSBRACE ON THE VEHICLE BUT IT IS STILL BEING DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

STUCK ACCELERATOR - FORD ESCAPE MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING OVER DEAD MAN'S PASS IN OREGON. A TREACHEROUS PASS EVEN ON A GOOD DAY. FORD ESCAPE 2001 ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK AT 80 MILES P/H. MY SISTER AND HER FAMILY WERE FOLLOWING BEHIND US. MY HUSBAND INSISTED THAT HE COULD DRIVE THE OUT OF CONTROL CAR INTO LAGRANDE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH AND DEMANDED HE TRY TO GET THE CAR TO STOP AND LET ME OUT . HE DID THIS BY PUTTING CAR IN NEUTRAL, TURNING IT OFF, AND COASTING TO A STOP (I THINK). I GOT OUT, CRAWLED INTO MY SISTER'S CAR SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. MY HUSBAND DID GET THE CAR INTO LAGRANDE. AS HE CAME INTO THE LOT, IT WAS SCREECHING SIDEWAYS, TIRES SMOKING, AND NEARLY TIPPED OVER. THE FORD DEALERSHIP FIXED IT - AT GREAT EXPENSE TO ME. I PAID THE MECHANIC'S BILL, PLUS TOOK A FLIGHT TO PENDLETON, THEN A 1 HOUR SHUTTLE TO LA GRANDE, OREGON, THEN DROVE HOME 4 HOURS. 5 YEARS LATER I STILL HAVE "ACCELERATOR ANXIETY." ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, I GOT A RECALL FROM FORD. I TOOK IT DEALERSHIP HERE IN PORTLAND. THEY LOOKED AT THE MECHANIC'S RECEIPT AND SAID THE PROBLEM THAT WAS FIXED, WAS NOT THE SAME AS THE RECALL AND WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME. *TR

THIS MODEL HAS CHRONIC ISSUES WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS NOT WORKING. FREQUENT COMPLAINTS OF DOME LIGHT, DOOR LOCKS, AND RADIO NOT WORKING, ALTERNATOR/BATTERY REPLACEMENTS. IT SEEMS TO DRAIN FREQUENTLY AND EITHER NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER, AND/OR BLOW FUSES. THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT OCCURRENCE AND WOULD SEEM FIT FOR A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 06/24/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65MPH, A LOW POP WAS HEARD. BLACK SMOKE ROLLED INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. UPDATED 06/25/2014 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR. THE WARNING LIGHT HAD BEEN FLASHING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,700. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 FORD ESCAPE XLT AND JUST RECENTLY MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT EXCEEDED 20MPH WHILE DRIVING ON AN EVEN ROAD AND WOULD NOT EXCEEDED 5-10MPH ON A SMALL HILL. I HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN IN TO BE EVALUATED AND AM TOLD THAT TWO OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY 2001 ESCAPE OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CAN DO TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE SINCE JUNE 17, 2011 AND TILL NOW HAVE BEEN VERY SATISFIED WITH THE VEHICLE BUT I AM NOT SURE WHAT I AM GOING TO DO.

I BOUGHT MY FORD ESCAPE ON AUGUST 16TH OF 2009, ALL THE DOORS WORKED FINE. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT. ABOUT A YEAR AFTER BUYING MY CAR THE BACK DRIVER DOOR STOPPED OPENING, FOR NO REASON. THEN THE WINDOW IN THE SAME DOOR STOPPED WORKING. I DIDN'T MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS, EVEN THOUGH I HAD TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK. THEN SHORTLY AFTER, THE OTHER BACK DOOR SEIZED TO OPEN. THIS HAPPENED IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE WARM. WHEN I PUSH UNLOCK I HEAR CLICKING FROM THE DOORS. THEN NOT TO LONG AGO MY FIANCE AND I WENT OUT TO DINNER AND LOCKED THE CAR DOORS, AFTER LEAVING THE RESTAURANT HE TRIED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS AND THEY WOULDN'T OPEN. HE HAD TO CRAWL THROUGH THE WINDOW THAT IS BROKEN TO GET THE PASSENGER DOOR OPEN FOR ME. THE DRIVER DOOR NOW DON'T OPEN. THE ONLY DOOR THAT WORKS NOW IS THE PASSENGER DOOR AND THE BACK HATCH. I ALSO HAVE OTHER RECALLS I NEED TO GET REPAIRED AND HAVE NOT BROUGHT IT IN CAUSE OF THE DRIVER DOOR NOT OPENING. I KNOW I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM AND WHEN I RESEARCHED IT ONLINE I FOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH MY CAR ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THEREFORE I FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR AND IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ESCAPE MY FORD ESCAPE. IN ADDITION I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH MY VEHICLE HAS A LOT OF MILES ON IT, STILL RUNS GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, SINCERE CONSUMER. *TR